Original text of "Poem of Return to Swallow"
Tang Dynasty: Zhang Jiuling
Although Haiyan is insignificant, it will come temporarily in spring.
Who knows that the mud is cheap, but the jade hall is open.
When you go to the embroidery house, you will go in twice, and you will go to the Huatang several times a day.
If you don’t want to compete with things, don’t guess at each other.
Translation
Although the petrel is tiny, it only returns to the north temporarily in the spring.
Swallows don’t know how cheap mud is, so they only see the jade hall open.
He went in and out of the embroidered house in Huatang several times a day, holding mud in his mouth and making a nest.
Petrels have no intention of competing with other animals for power, and hawks and falcons do not need to be suspicious or slanderous.
Notes
Haiyan: In ancient China, relatively wide waters were called seas. "Haiyan" refers to swallows.
Although insignificant: although humble and humble.
Also: also.
Nizu (nízǐ): mud. Jian: despicable.
Yutang: The palace of jade ornaments, a good name for the palace, which here alludes to the imperial court.
Embroidered household: a gorgeous bedroom, a metaphor for the imperial court.
Shi: sometimes.
Pair: in pairs.
Huatang: synonymous with "embroidered household" above.
Jing: competition, competition.
Eagle (sǔn): eagle and eagle, generally refers to birds of prey.
Don’t be suspicious: Don’t be suspicious. Phase, one party (makes an action) to the other party.
Appreciation
"Poetry of Returning Swallows" is a poem about the swallows that are about to return, but the poet did not describe the swallows' body and wind spirit in detail. Rather, it is more about narration and discussion than finely crafted depictions. It is a poem with wonderful uses and profound meanings.
The first couplet "Although Haiyan is slightly swaying, it will come temporarily in the spring", which starts from Haiyan's "slightly swaying". As a famous prime minister during the Kaiyuan period of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the poet was known for his outspokenness and daring to remonstrate, so he was slandered by Li Linfu and others. From then on, Xuanzong gradually alienated Zhang Jiuling and was dismissed as the prime minister in the 24th year of Kaiyuan. The poet here uses the "micro-sun" of "Haiyan" to metaphor his humble body, implying that he is not as noble as Li Linfu. The couplet "Spring will come temporarily", this sentence is derived from "Haiyan", on the surface it means that Haiyan comes in the beautiful time of spring, even if it doesn't last long, it still comes. The poet used the spring and autumn of the swallow to imply that he would temporarily come to the court to serve as an official in the era of sage. The word "temporary" not only means that the swallow has arrived, but also implies that he will not be an official for a long time. In this couplet, the poet expresses his feelings of working for the people and being loyal to the court through the description of the scenery.
The couplet on the chin says, "I didn't know the mud was cheap, I only saw the jade hall open." This couplet comes from the association of "swallow". In the sentence "I don't know that Ni Tong is cheap", "Ni Tong is cheap" metaphorically refers to villains like Li Linfu. Swallows build their nests with mud in their mouths, but they don't know how cheap "mud" is. Here, the poet uses this to imply that he does not know much about villains like Li Linfu. The word "mean" not only expresses the humbleness of Li Linfu, but also expresses the poet's disgust for Li Linfu and his like. In the sentence "I saw the Jade Hall open", here, the poet uses the hard work of swallows going in and out of the "Jade Hall" to build their nests with mud in their mouths, as a metaphor for his hard work day and night as prime minister in the imperial court. The poet uses objects to describe people, which is not only vivid but also implicit, which not only arouses readers' thinking, but also gives readers space for aesthetic imagination.
The neck couplet "Double entry when embroidering the household, several times in the Huatang", this couplet closely follows the "Jade Hall opens" in the chin couplet. In the duality, he specifically showed his loyalty to the court and his generosity. The words "Xiu Hu" and "Hua Tang" in the poem, as well as the "Yu Tang" in front of it, are all metaphors for the imperial court. "Double" refers to the poet and Li Linfu. "Shi Shuang enter" means that both of them (referring to the poet and Li Linfu) enter the court every day. Here, the poet showed that he did not regard Li Linfu as a hostile person, thus showing that the poet forgot his personal affairs for the sake of the court, and also showed that the poet had a broad mind for the sake of the court and the country. The "dai several times" in the sentence "huatang day several times" refers to how many times you go in and out every day. Here, the poet uses quantifiers to show the busy scene of work - coming and going in a hurry, and also shows his loyalty to the court.
The last couplet "Have no intention of competing with things, don't let eagles and falcons guess each other". This couplet shows the poet's loyalty to the court and forgetfulness of himself. The sentence "I have no intention to compete with things" means that I have no intention and energy to compete with external things. It actually shows that the poet works hard and serves the court. In the last sentence, "Falcons should not guess each other." Here, the poet writes "birds of prey" on the surface, but in fact the poet is warning Li Linfu and others, I have no intention of fighting for power and gain with you, there is no need to be suspicious, let alone slander (perhaps I will retire one day). At that time, the power of the court had fallen into the hands of Li Linfu. Zhang Jiuling knew that he could not make a difference and had to give in, but he had many complaints and emotions in his heart. This is just like what Liu Yuxi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, said in "Preface to the Condolences of Zhang Qujiang" after Zhang Jiuling was demoted: "I had the thought of being imprisoned, satirizing birds, and writing poems about grass and trees, and I was as depressed as the poet." It can be seen that the poet Zhang Jiuling was in the same mood as the poet. When facing a powerful opponent, he is sober and wise, and can also see Zhang Jiuling's ingenuity in literary creation - using objects to metaphor people, and being subtle and implicit.
This rhymed poem has neat counterpoints, simple language, and light style, just like "light silk and simple practice" (Zhang Shuo's comment on Zhang Jiuling).
It is called Ode to Things, but it is actually an expression of feelings. It describes both swallows and people. Every sentence is inseparable from swallows, but it is also Zhang Jiuling's self-portrait. The author's artistic ingenuity is mainly reflected in his choice of the external object that best imitates his own image - the swallow. Every line of poetry is inseparable from the swallow, but it does not stick to the swallow, reaching the artistic state of neither separation nor separation.