"One of the Miscellaneous Poems of Ji Hai"
Gong Zizhen of the Qing Dynasty
Loyal bones are buried everywhere in the green mountains,
Why return the corpse wrapped in horse leather.
Falling red is not a heartless thing,
it turns into spring mud to protect flowers.
Translation: Loyal bones are buried everywhere in the mountains, why do they need to be returned wrapped in horse leather on the battlefield? When I resigned and returned home, I was like a fallen flower falling from a branch, but it was not a heartless thing. It turned into soil and could also play a role in nurturing the next generation.
Gong Zizhen was a thinker and writer in the Qing Dynasty. One is Gong Zuo, whose courtesy name is Wei. A native of Renhe, Zhejiang (now Hangzhou). In his later years, he lived in Yulushan Hall, Kunshan, and was also known as Yulushanmin. Thinker, poet, writer and forerunner of reformism in the Qing Dynasty.
Extended information:
"Miscellaneous Poems of Jihai" is a collection of poems created by Gong Zizhen (1792-1841), a poet of the Qing Dynasty. This poem is a set of self-narrative poems, describing his life sources, writings, friendships, etc., with a wide range of themes. The poems and essays written by Gong Zizhen advocate "more laws" and "reforms", criticize the corruption of the Qing Dynasty, and are full of patriotic enthusiasm.
There are 315 poems in "Jihai Miscellaneous Poems", some discussing current affairs, some recounting experiences, or thinking about the past. The subject matter is very wide and the content is complex. Most of them use the theme to criticize society. Gong Zizhen lived on the eve of the Opium War. He has strong patriotism and advocates reforming internal affairs and resisting foreign aggression.
The criticisms, calls, and expectations in "Jihai Miscellaneous Poems" reflect the poet's patriotic passion for caring deeply about the fate of the nation and the country. It also expresses the author's sadness at the Qing government's failure to pay attention to planning. Most of the time, the livelihood of salt and iron, which is related to the national economy and people's livelihood, is in danger, expressing a strong desire to change society. "Miscellaneous Poems of Jihai" mostly uses symbolic metaphors, rich and unique imagination, and uses a variety of techniques to describe scenes and express emotions.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Miscellaneous Poems of Jihai