The most representative ancient poem describing autumn red leaves: "Mountain Journey"
Author: [Tang Dynasty] Du Mu
Original text:
The stone path up the Hanshan Mountain in the distance is slanted, and there are people living there where the white clouds are. Stop and sit in the maple forest at night, the leaves are as red as the flowers in February due to frost.
Translation:
Going up the mountain along the winding path, deep in the white clouds, there are still people. I stopped the car because I loved the evening view of the maple forest in late autumn. The maple leaves, stained by autumn frost, are more beautiful than the spring flowers in February.
Appreciation:
The poem uses the poet's emotional tendency and uses the maple forest as the main scene to draw a warm and gorgeous autumn color picture of the mountain forest. The stone path leading up to Qiu Mountain in the distance first gives readers a distant view. The top of the mountain road is a place shrouded in white clouds. The road is made by people, so the white clouds are lingering but not ethereal. The cold mountains contain life, and the sentence "where the white clouds are born, there are people" becomes a natural thing. However, this is just building momentum for the next two sentences. Next, the poet clearly tells the reader that I am still parking in front of the mountain so late, just because the mountain in front of me is in full swing, better than the maple leaves of spring flowers. Compared with the white clouds in the distance and the houses that may not be visible, the maple forest is full of the pure beauty and vitality of life.
About the author:
Du Mu (803 AD - about 852 AD), courtesy name Muzhi, also known as Fanchuan Jushi, was of Han nationality and was born in Jingzhao Wannian (now Xi'an, Shaanxi Province). Du Mu was an outstanding poet and essayist in the Tang Dynasty. He was the grandson of Prime Minister Du You and the son of Du Congyu. In the second year of Emperor Wenzong of the Tang Dynasty, he was awarded Jinshi at the age of 26 and was awarded the title of School Secretary of Hongwen Hall. Later, he went to Jiangxi to observe the envoys, transferred to Huainan Jiedu, and then joined the observation envoys. He was in charge of the compilation of the National History Museum, served as a member of the Ministry of Food, Bibu, Si Xunyuanwailang, and the governor of Huangzhou, Chizhou, and Muzhou.
Because he lived in the Fanchuan Villa in South Chang'an in his later years, he was later called "Du Fanchuan" and wrote "Collected Works of Fanchuan". Du Mu's poems are famous for their seven-character quatrains. The content is mainly about chanting history and expressing feelings. His poems are handsome and refreshing, and contain many historical things. He achieved great success in the late Tang Dynasty. Du Mu was called "Little Du" to distinguish him from Du Fu, "Big Du". Together with Li Shangyin, he is known as "Little Li Du".