The important contribution of Yuefu Poetry Collection is to collect and classify the songs of past dynasties according to their tunes, so that many works can be written into books. This provides great convenience for the collation and research of Yuefu poems. For example, some excellent folk songs in the Han Dynasty, such as Sang, can be found in Records of Song Le Shu, Peacock Flying Southeast can be found in Yu Tai Xin Yong, and some are scattered in books and other classics, which are collected and recorded by editors. In particular, some ancient folk songs and proverbs are generally scattered in various historical books and some academic works, and most of them are ignored by the former. As for Du Fu's later works, such as Old Proverbs, they are much later than this book, and are obviously compiled on this basis.
Make an appreciative comment
This poem is a famous one in Han Yuefu, belonging to "Harmony Song". It is about the mulberry girl Qin Luofu who refuses to be molested by officials like "envoys", that is, satrap, and praises her beauty and faithfulness. It was first recorded in the Book of Songs in the Song Dynasty, and it was named "A Trip to Luo Fu, Yan Ge", and it was named "Sunrise in the Southeast Corner" in "A New Ode to Yutai". However, this poem was mentioned earlier in Cui Bao's Notes on Ancient and Modern Times and was called "Shang Mo Sang". Guo Maoqian's Yuefu poems in Song Dynasty followed the title of Notes of Ancient and Modern Times and became a habit in the future. "Shang Mo Mulberry" means mulberry trees on the roadside, where the story takes place. Because the heroine picked mulberry by the roadside, it triggered a series of dramatic plots.
The story of Shang Mo Sang is very simple, and the language is quite simple, but there is a key question that is not easy to explain: What is the identity of Qin Luofu in the poem? According to the opening account of the poem, she is a mulberry picker, but her clothes are extremely luxurious; According to the last paragraph of Luo Fu's self-report, she is a prefect, but how could this lady run to the roadside to pick mulberry? Mr. Xiao Difei's History of Yuefu Literature in the Han, Wei and Six Dynasties looks like this: "Finally, Luo Fu's reply is regarded as a mirage, so we can't just wait and see! Luo Fu, who is less than twenty, went to find her husband at forty, and there is nothing to know. The author's original intention is only to make Luo Fu happy, which will naturally disappoint you, not to mention a harsh refusal. " Later, it was further claimed that Luo Fu was a working woman, and the description of her clothes in the poem was purely exaggerated; The last paragraph is Luo Fu's trick, in order to scare off the other side. This has become a consensus.
But these are all wishful thinking, and poetry itself does not provide such a foundation. Even today, it is not surprising that a woman under the age of 20 marries a husband of 40. Why "nothing"? Besides, literature is a product of fiction, so why "mud killing"? As for the following extension, it seems seamless, but in fact it is full of contradictions: since the author can describe Luo Fu's clothes in an exaggerated way without thinking that it destroys her identity, why can't she be given a formal husband? This is to measure the same situation by different standards, as Qu Cheng also said. In fact, Shang Mo Sang is not an isolated work. The above problems should be explained from the far-reaching cultural background that produced this work.
Let me start with the story location set by the poem "Shang Mo Sang". In ancient China, farming by men and weaving by women was a division of labor. In a broad sense, "female weaving" also includes picking mulberry and raising silkworms. Mulberry trees are relatively free in the wild, and the mulberry leaves are lush and easy to hide, so it is an excellent rendezvous place in an era when the defense between men and women is not very strict. Who knows how many romantic stories have happened here? Naturally, mulberry trees appear constantly in love poems. This is very common in the Book of Songs. "Fen Ju Xun" is about a woman who fell in love with a man while picking mulberry: "Conversely, Fen Zi picks other mulberry. His son is as beautiful as the English. As beautiful as English, extraordinary! " Sang Zhong is about a tryst between men and women: "Who is thinking in the clouds? Beautiful Jiang Meng! I want to be in the mulberry, I want to be in the official position, I want to be on the ice! " It can be said that in the era of the Book of Songs, the mulberry forest has already had a special symbolic significance, or it has already had a literary "mulberry forest". With the changes of the times, this kind of free love between men and women has been denied. The above poems are also interpreted by Confucian classics as works mocking "lewd running".
Thus, in the "mulberry forest" of literature, completely different stories began to emerge. The most famous story is the story of Qiu Hu's wife. Liu Xiang's Biography of Women in the Western Han Dynasty records that the Lu people got married for five days, left home to be an official, got promoted and made a fortune, and returned five years later. When I got home, I saw a beautiful girl picking mulberry on the roadside, so I got off the bus and flirted with her, saying that "it is better to pick mulberry than to see the secretary of the state" (it is better to pick mulberry and raise silkworms than to see a big official), but the mulberry girl flatly refused. When I got home, I met my wife and found that it was a mulberry picker. His wife despised her husband's behavior and threw herself into the river. In Yuefu, there is a topic called "Autumn Huxing", which was written by later generations because of this legend. The ancient ci has been lost, and now there is a draft of Xuanzhuan in the Western Jin Dynasty, the content of which is roughly the same as that contained in Lienv Zhuan. As you can imagine, the story in Sanglin used to be that men and women seduce each other, but now it has become the temptation for women to refuse men. Of course, people can also say that Hu Qiu is a "bad guy". This story is different from pure love sung in The Book of Songs. But don't forget: in folklore literary stories, it's easy to pretend to be a villain. The key lies in what kind of life attitude and aesthetic ideal the author wants to show through fictional character activities. In this way, we can draw a conclusion that the "mulberry forest" in the Han Dynasty is different from the "mulberry forest" in the era of the Book of Songs, and the moral theme in literature has begun to overwhelm the love theme.
We can probably believe that there is not much difference between the stories contained in the lost "Autumn Ancient Tale" and "Biography of Women". Obviously, Sang evolved directly from the story or Qiu. Look at the basic structure of the two stories-location: mulberry trees on the roadside; The protagonist: the beauty of picking mulberry; Main plot: The passing senior officials flirt with Caisang girl and are rejected. The difference is that in Hu Qiu's story, the molester is the husband of a mulberry picking woman, and the story ends in tragedy; In Shang Mo Sang, the mulberry-picking woman also has a good husband who is an official. She refused the flirting of the "messenger" and overwhelmed each other with her husband. The story ends with a comedy. In fact, Sang in The Stranger divides Hu Qiu in Autumn in Hu Xing into two parts: one is an evil satrap passing by, and the other is a good husband to boast about. However, although Sang inherited the story of autumn to a great extent, he also made important changes, thus shifting the focus of the poem. The story of Hu Qiu's Wife Play aims at promoting Confucian morality, and adopts the image of Mulberry's daughter as Hu Qiu's wife, which is also a moral image. Even if she is moving, I'm afraid it's hard to say how cute she is. The story also mentions that she is beautiful, but as a structural component, this is only the reason for Hu Qiu's bad intentions.
In Shang Mo, Qin Luofu not only refused the satrap's dalliance and showed morality, but also devoted a lot of space to describing her beauty and the admiration of people around her. This part is actually the most wonderful part of the whole poem. Although this is different from the love between men and women in the Book of Songs, they have the same basic points: universal love for beauty and yearning for the ideal opposite sex. Therefore, Luo Fu's image is the combination of beauty, emotion and moral factors demanded by his contemporaries; In other words, it is a combination of the spirit of "Sanglin" in The Book of Songs and that of "Sanglin" in Autumn. It is precisely because Luo Fu is not only, or even mainly, a moral image that the author doesn't need to arrange a strong tragic ending for her to make her more lovely in a relaxed comedy atmosphere.
Therefore, Sang's story is not a record or rewriting of a specific event in life, but a product of a long cultural change, and the character Luo Fu is also a combination of many factors. She is young, beautiful, noble, rich, happy, loyal and pure, and reposes the life ideals of those unknown folk authors. Because she is an idealist, she does not strictly follow the logic of real life. She is both a lady and a mulberry picker. In fact, this is not a difficult thing to understand. People in folk stories often have this situation. Those princesses and princes actually represent the wishes of ordinary people. We must pierce the sideline with the inexplicable and rigid political concepts of later generations. On the contrary, it is barren and chaotic.
Then go back to the poem itself. This poem was originally divided into three interpretations according to music, and its text content was also divided into three paragraphs accordingly. The first paragraph focuses on Luo Fu's beauty and people's love for her. The first four sentences, from big to small, from virtual to real, are typical folk story opening remarks. At the same time, these four sentences also set the atmosphere of the whole poem: the bright sunshine shines on the beautiful pavilion, and a beautiful woman lives in the pavilion, which is colorful and radiant, like the taste of New Year pictures. "Take a look at my Qin Lou" is not only a cordial tone, but also shows that the poet is speaking from the standpoint of Luo Fu, thus introducing readers into this relationship. Then Luo Fu officially appeared: she was carrying a beautiful mulberry basket, the winding rope was made of green silk and the handle was made of cassia twig. The exquisite and gorgeous objects here are to set off the nobility and beauty of the characters. Look at her skirt again. Her head is combed with a "Japanese bun" (a popular hairstyle in the Eastern Han Dynasty) that seems to lean to one side, her ears are hung with glittering bright moon beads, and her lower body is wearing a purple Zi Ling jacket and an apricot-colored dress with a renewed front edge. Everything is bright, bright, precious and touching. This looks like a peasant woman picking mulberry, but it is actually an ideal beauty.
Supposedly, we should write about the beauty of Luo Fu's figure and face. But it's hard. Because what the poet wants to express is the absolute and highest beauty, which cannot be described in detail. Who can tell what kind of figure, posture, eyebrows, lips and teeth are perfect? It is impossible for the author to meet the aesthetic requirements of all readers. Therefore, the writer did not directly write about Luo Fu himself, but used the way that people around him were attracted by Luo Fu: passers-by put down their burdens and stood and stared. He seems to be older and calmer, so he just stroked his beard to show his admiration. The boys became impatient, and some took off their hats and arranged their headscarves, as if they were showing off and teasing; At least people who make beautiful money can be proud of a group of people for a long time. Farmers who farm land are even worse. They lost their minds and quit their jobs. When I got home, I deliberately found fault and smashed pots and pans. -because I saw Luo Fu, I thought my wife was ugly. These are humorous exaggerations that make people laugh, as if they are not sure what they will look like on that occasion. Its functions are as follows: first, it adds drama to poetry and enlivens the scene and atmosphere; More importantly, writing from a virtual place is out of thin air, expressing indescribable perfection. You can imagine whatever you like anyway. Louvre is always the most beautiful place in the world. This is really a great pen.
A passage about Luo Fu is also the true face of the recent "Sanglin" literature. What it shows is the attraction between the opposite sex and the humanity of loving beauty. But it is different from the works in The Book of Songs, but it is measured and limited. Those audiences just craned their necks to see Luo Fu from a distance, but they were afraid to approach and talk, let alone go beyond the rules; And Luo Fu seems to have nothing to do with them, and no one is watching. This forms an invisible wall between men and women. This is "the expression stops at the ceremony." At the same time, there is a kind of proper limit: although there are so many people watching, those boys are almost breaking through the defense line, and the author has not asked Luo Fu to give them a righteous reprimand. Otherwise, it would be disappointing and tasteless. Because this poem has a double theme, the author should pay attention to it. Of course, the whole first paragraph is to complete the theme of beauty and emotion, just to limit it and not let it destroy the theme of morality.
The second paragraph below, it's turning. "The monarch comes from the south, and five horses stand." What a magnificent style! "emissary" is the honorific title of officials such as satrap and secretariat. They are in charge of a region, and the Han people are on a par with the ancient princes. If you do a big job, you will have great demeanor and great courage. When others see Luo Fu, they just look at him from a distance, but this special envoy is not satisfied with this. So he sent his hand down and asked, Whose beauty is this? How old are you? Father Luo quietly answered them one by one. This is all in order to fully develop the plot and let the contradictions and conflicts have a brewing process. If you start with nervousness, literary interest will be less. By the way, write down Luo Fu's age: between fifteen and twenty. The ancients in China thought it was the best time in a woman's life.
Then enter the climax of contradictions and conflicts. Your angel asked, "Would you like to go back with me in my car?" Father Luo's answer was like a blow to the head: "You are such a fool!" " Use the word "what" with a strong tone. The reason is simple: you have your wife and I have my husband. Everyone should have his own family, which is an important principle of moral code. How can we go beyond it? This passage inherits the story of Hu Qiu's wife and shows the moral theme of the poem. The moral theme can only be vividly displayed in the conflict between good and evil.
In the third paragraph, the last sentence "Luo Fu has her own husband" is fully boasted by the protagonist. Does Luo Fu have such a husband? The problem was simple: if the poem says yes, we have to admit it. Although in the psychology of ordinary readers, they don't like the beauty in literary works to get married early, but there is nothing they can do. This problem can be proved from two aspects: first, the story of Mulberry on the Stranger comes from the story of Hu Qiu's wife, and Hu Qiu's wife is a married beauty; Secondly, what the author preaches here is the moral concept of loyalty to the monarch, and only a husband can be loyal to the monarch.
But the third paragraph is not entirely from the moral theme. Otherwise, you can ask Luo Fu to give you a lecture. But if so, it would be a pity. This beauty will soon become dry and unlovable. Therefore, the author is enough. In the second paragraph, after pointing out moral justice with two concluding sentences, in the third paragraph, it turns into a humorous plot, so that readers can still enjoy the interest of literature. Luo Fu's boasting is completely targeted. It's only natural for you to be on patrol, so she first praised her husband's power: he rode out on a horse, followed by thousands of family members and attendants; He is riding a big white horse, and everyone is riding a black pony, which is even more outstanding. His sword and his horse are all luxuriously decorated. As soon as the monarch made great achievements, he praised her husband's power: his career was prosperous,/kloc-became a small official at the age of 0/5, a doctor at the age of 20, and a personal attendant of the son of heaven at the age of 30. Now at the age of 40, he has achieved the satrap of the authoritarian side. The implication is that although he and your monarch are currently in the same position, their future prospects are hard to compare! Finally, praise her husband's appearance: fair skin, sparse beard, and extraordinary walking, which is used to set off the monarch's petty spirit. In this way, the more Luo Fu talked, the more angry he became, the more proud he became, which made the king more and more unlucky, and he was bound to escape in the end. Readers are naturally satisfied with it until the end of the story.
It should be noted that Luo Fu's husband is also a prince charming in fairy tales, so don't look up the logic of life. Mr. Xiao Difei said that this passage really shouldn't be killed by mud, and it is impossible to ask it to be true. However, this character makes sense in the story, which should be noted.
As mentioned above, "Mulberry on the Stranger" actually has a dual theme, but the author handled it well and did not separate it. From the moral theme, at least within the scope of this poem, the morality demanded by the author is reasonable. Here, loyalty is not an abstract anti-human teaching model, but is associated with a truly lovely husband and a happy family life. From the theme of good feelings, it has not been excessively weakened because of the existence of moral constraints. The beauty of Luo Fu, embodied in the author's wonderful pen, has made unprecedented achievements in previous literary works. For ordinary people's slightly rude behavior out of love for beauty, the author just played a small joke, without losing human touch. It is human nature to love beauty. But this nature can't be restrained in life, so literary works often provide safe and harmless compensation in this respect. I'm afraid Shang Mo Sang's significance in this respect is more important than its moral significance, or at least more popular. Therefore, after Shang Mosang appeared, there were a lot of imitations in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and poetry also developed and changed on this basis. As for its unique expression, people continued to follow suit until the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. For example, in The West Chamber, as soon as Yingying appeared, she first wrote about the people who were driven out of their wits, and that's how she came.
The structure is meticulous and profound
-Appreciation of Peacock Flying Southeast
Peacock Flying Southeast is China's first narrative poem and one of the glorious poems in ancient folk literature in China. It has attracted many readers for thousands of years. Its charming charm is mainly manifested in:
First, the plot is tortuous and ups and downs. At the beginning of the story, the author sets a sharp contradiction: Liu Lanzhi and Jiao Zhongqing, who are clever and clever, have deep feelings, but they can't get their mother-in-law's permission, so they have to go home. In this contradiction, Zhong Qing hoped to ease the contradiction, so he appealed in every way, but the contradiction did not ease at all, but was scolded by his mother. Zhong Qing was forced to let Lan Zhi go home temporarily. When saying goodbye, the two agreed not to be negative. When Lan Zhi came home, her mother was shocked to see her daughter coming uninvited. After Lan Zhi explained, she understood. But soon, the county magistrate and the magistrate proposed to their son one after another, but Lan Zhi refused them one by one. But in order to climb to the top, his brother pushed him step by step, further intensifying the contradiction. Lan Zhi was forced to choose to allow marriage, and in fact he was ready to fight to the death. When Zhong Qing heard the news, he asked Lan Zhi. Lan Zhi told the truth, made a promise and agreed to meet. On their wedding night, Lan Zhi threw himself into the river and Zhong Qing hanged himself under the tree. They fought to the death to push the contradiction to the highest peak. Finally, the two families were buried together. After the burial, both of them became birds to warn the world.
Second, the narrative double lines alternate, meticulous and compact. Double-line alternating propulsion mode is adopted. The first clue revolves around the family contradiction between Jiao Liu and his family. Love for mother is the first conflict between Jiao's domineering and love's weakness. Lan Zhi's resignation is the second conflict between Jiao Mu's ruthlessness and Lan Zhi's struggle. Lan Zhi's refusal to marry is the third conflict between Lan Zhi's loyalty and his brother's vanity. The separation of Zhong Qing from her mother is the fourth conflict between Jiao's stubbornness and Zhong Qing's keeping his promise. These four conflicts were actually a struggle between persecution and anti-persecution, which intensified until both of them were martyred. The second clue revolves around the unswerving love between Lan Zhi and Zhong Qing. This clue is based on the above contradictions and conflicts. The first time was when Zhong Qing broke up with Lan Zhi after her mother failed, which reflected their deep love. The second time, after Lan Zhi resigned from Shiva, she bid farewell to Zhong Qing and expressed their sincere and firm feelings. The third time is Lan Zhi's farewell to Zhong Qing after refusing marriage, which depicts their life-and-death love. These two clues develop alternately, completing the narrative of the story and the interpretation of the fate of the characters completely and compactly. In addition, the structure echoes. For example, the metaphor of Pu's surrounding rock, which appeared twice on different occasions, deepened readers' understanding of Liu Jiao's love and loyalty. Another example is Lan Zhi's concern about his younger brother's "violent sex" and Jiao Mu's "beauty of the master", which are also hidden and cared for in the poem, showing the meticulous structure.
Third, the theme is profound and profound, with a wide range of implications. From the perspective of Lan Zhi and Zhong Qing, this is a character tragedy. Lan Zhi is not only beautiful and kind, but also soft on the outside and hard on the inside, so when she faces her bossy mother-in-law, her violent brother will never give in. Zhong Qing's bureaucratic family, accompanied by his mother's arrogance since childhood, developed a weak and incompetent character, so when he faced his mother's bullying, it decided that he could not actively strive for the happiness of marriage. From the perspective of Jiao Mu and Liu Xiong, this is a social tragedy. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, where a hundred schools of thought were ousted and Confucianism was the only one, the "filial piety" in Confucian classics served as a solid dam to defend feudal ethics and maintain the authority of feudal parents. Therefore, Jiao Mu can treat her daughter-in-law with a high-handed policy, while Mr. Liu Can intimidates Lan Zhi in a bullying way, pushing them to the grave of marriage. From this point of view, feudal paternalism and feudal ethics essentially acted as executioners to kill them, which not only destroyed the happy marriage, but also killed the kind and simple nature. Judging from the deaths of Lan Zhi and Zhong Qing, the story has a mythical color, and people have a strong desire to pursue love freedom and a happy and beautiful life.