Translation of Xiaosong's ancient poem: When the pine tree was young, it grew in very deep grass, and was buried so deep that it could not be seen. Only now did I realize that it was much taller than the basil. Those people didn't know that trees could reach the sky. People didn't call it tall until it reached the sky. This sentence comes from a seven-character quatrain "Little Pine" written by Du Xunhe, a poet from the Tang Dynasty.
Original text of "Little Pine"
Since I was a child, I have been thorny in the deep grass, but now I am gradually aware of the basil.
At that time, people did not know the Lingyun tree, and they waited until Lingyun began to flourish. Notes on "Small Pine"
1. Thorny head: refers to a small pine tree covered with pine needles.
2. Basil (pénghāo): two kinds of wild grass.
3. Wait until: Wait until.
4. Lingyun: towering into the clouds.
5. Shidao: Just say it. Appreciation of "Little Pine"
This poem uses pine to describe people and objects as metaphors. The lines in the poem are full of sense and interesting, and are thought-provoking. The description of Xiaosong in the poem is concise and vivid, expressing the poet's resentment and dissatisfaction that although he was talented, he was not appreciated because he was born in poverty.
The creative background of "Little Pine"
Du Xunhe was born in a humble background. Although he was very talented when he was young, due to "no acquaintance in the emperor" ("Ci Jiujiang Li Langzhong Enters the Pass"), he even If you fail in repeated attempts, you will have no way to serve your country, and your life will be miserable. Just like the "little pine" buried in the deep grass, the poet created this poem to express his anger. Introduction to the author of "Little Pine"
Du Xunhe was a realist poet in the late Tang Dynasty. His courtesy name was Yanzhi, and his nickname was Jiuhuashan. He was a native of Shidai, Chizhou (now Shitai, Anhui). According to legend, he was the son of Du Mu's concubine. Born into a humble family. He went to Chang'an several times to take the exam, but he returned home after failing to pass. When the Huang Chao Uprising broke out, he returned home from Chang'an. Later, he traveled to Daliang (now Kaifeng, Henan Province) and wrote poems to Zhu Wen. Wen gave him a name from the Ministry of Rites, and he won the Dashun Jinshi. After winning the title, due to the political turmoil, he returned to his old position.
Received Tian Kai's attention and used it for work. Tian Bo was defeated and died. Zhu Wen recommended him and made him a bachelor of Hanlin and a foreign minister of host and guest. He died of a serious illness in ten days. Du Xunhe advocated that poetry should inherit the tradition of elegance and oppose glitz. His poems had popular language and fresh style, and were later called "Du Xunhe Style". Some of the works reflected the social contradictions and the people's misery in the warlords' melee in the late Tang Dynasty. They were more prominent at that time and Gong Ci was also very famous. There is "Tang Feng Collection".
References: 1. Xiao Difei et al. "Tang Poetry Appreciation Dictionary": Shanghai Dictionary Publishing House
2. Fu Demin and Lu Jin. "The Bookishness of Growing Up: Teach You to Appreciate Famous Tang Poems": Heilongjiang Science and Technology Press