Selected Poems of Bai Juyi Recalling Jiangnan Bai Juyi Series: Selected Poems of Bai Juyi|Collected Poems of Bai Juyi Selected Poems of Bai Juyi Recalling Jiangnan
Original text Jiangnan is good, and the scenery is familiar to me. The flowers on the river are as red as fire when the sun rises, and the river is as green as blue when spring comes. Can you not remember Jiangnan?
Translation The scenery in Jiangnan is so beautiful, and the picturesque scenery has been familiar to me for a long time. The red flowers on the shore illuminated by the morning light are redder than the blazing fire. The green water of the river blown by the spring breeze is as green as the green blue grass. How can people not miss Jiangnan?
Appreciation Bai Juyi once served as an official in Hangzhou and Suzhou in the south of the Yangtze River, and was very loved by the local people. This poem is his work recalling the scenery of Jiangnan, which is very unique in art. Let’s talk about material selection first. This poem is about the scenery of Jiangnan at sunrise in spring. The beauty of the scenery in the south of the Yangtze River lies in its beauty and bright colors. The most beautiful thing is the turquoise river water, and the brightest thing is the bright red river flowers. It can be said that writing about the "sunrise flowers on the river" and "spring on the river" in the south of the Yangtze River is the most beautiful place, the most beautiful moment, and the most beautiful scenery. Let’s talk about rhetoric. The two poems describing red flowers and green water are both metaphors: the green water of the river blown by the spring breeze is as green as the green blue grass; the red flowers on the shore illuminated by the morning light are redder than the blazing flames. Such a vivid metaphor renders the spring in Jiangnan so colorful and vibrant! The charming and intoxicating spring scenery was something I had visited in Suzhou and Hangzhou back then, but now I no longer have such an opportunity. The poet couldn't help but sigh and said: How can people not miss Jiangnan? The rhetorical question at the end tells the poet's deep love for Jiangnan and also inspires readers' deep yearning for the beautiful scenery.