The translation of "Two Poems on the Game of Chess Presented to Ren Gongjian·One" is:
Occasionally, when there is no official work to do, playing Go, drinking a glass of wine, and taking a break from the busy work seems a bit disappointing. Great time. The joy of sitting in seclusion and talking with hands is better than living in seclusion in a cave, and is better than chatting with vulgar people. He was unaware of the passage of time, the official documents were piling up until they were gathering dust, and the guests had been waiting outside the door for a long time. An arrogant soldier will be defeated, and a doubtful soldier will be defeated. While playing chess, I reminded myself not to make such a mistake. Sure enough, I finally killed the enemy, which was really exciting.
Original poem:
Occasionally, I have no official business to attend to, and only three hundred dry chess pieces and one bottle.
Sitting in seclusion, I don’t know the joy of caves. Talking with my hands is better than talking to ordinary people.
Books and books pile up and dust creates cases, and cars and horses are flooded, leaving guests at the door.
If a defeated general is arrogant and suspicious, he will surely be defeated, and he will eventually defeat the enemy.
Author: Huang Tingjian of the Song Dynasty
Poem Appreciation
This poem portrays a chess player who loves playing chess, has elegant taste, is focused and steady, and is good at thinking and defeating the enemy. image. The first couplet "Occasionally I have nothing to do with the court, and I have three hundred dry chess pieces and one bottle" describes that the scribes who took a break from the busy life were afraid of losing their good time, but they could not help but enjoy themselves playing chess, which showed the chess players' love for Go. favorite.
The couplet with the chin is "Sitting in seclusion and not knowing the joy of caves, talking with hands is better than talking to ordinary people." The pleasure of sitting in seclusion and talking with hands is better than living in seclusion in caves, and is better than chatting with vulgar people. The two actions of "talking with hands" express the joy of playing chess, and this joy exceeds the real seclusion in a cave, and is better than chatting with vulgar people, highlighting the elegant sentiment of the chess player.
The neck couplet "Books and books piled up in dust creates cases, and carriages and horses are flooded and guests are left at the door" describes the long game in an exaggerated way, making people unaware that even the official documents and books on the cases are accumulated. Full of dust, it depicts the concentration of the chess player from the side.
The last couplet "A victorious general who is arrogant and doubtful will inevitably be defeated, and he will eventually defeat the enemy" describes the poet's summary of the philosophy of life from playing chess. A kind of warning, but also a kind of self-reminder. The chess player is calm and composed, and ultimately defeats his opponent and defeats the enemy.