Twenty-Two Rhymes for Wei Zuo Cheng Zhang
Du Fu
Series: A Complete Collection of Ancient Poems That Must Be Memorized in Life
Twenty Two Rhymes for Wei Zuo Cheng Zhang Rhyme
If you don’t starve to death if you don’t have trousers, you will miss your body if you have many scholarly crowns1.
My father-in-law, please listen quietly. I'll give you a brief explanation 2.
When I was just a young boy, I visited the state guest 3 early.
Read thousands of volumes and write like a master 4.
The poem praises the heroic enemy, and the poem looks at the son and builds a close relationship 5.
Li Yong wanted to know his friends, and Wang Han wanted to know his neighbors6.
He claims to be quite forward-looking and stands on the important road 7.
To the kings Yao and Shun, and to make customs pure8.
This meaning is actually depressed, and the singing is not hidden. 9.
Riding a donkey for thirteen years, traveling and eating in Beijing for ten years.
In the morning, I will keep the door of rich people, but in the evening, I will follow the fat horse dust.
Broken cup and cold food, there is sadness everywhere.
The Lord saw the sign in an instant, and he was eager to extend it.
Qing Ming, however, has his wings hanging down and kicking without any vertical scales.
I feel ashamed that my father-in-law is kind, but I know that my father-in-law is true.
Every time I go to a hundred officials, I will write a new and beautiful verse.
It is a pleasure to steal the tribute, but it is difficult to accept the original poverty.
How can I be unhappy and just walk around?
Now I want to go east to the sea, and I am about to go west to Qin ⒃.
I still pity Zhongnan Mountain and look back at Weibin in the Qing Dynasty.
Chang planned to report a meal, but Kuang Huai resigned from the minister.
If the white gull is not powerful, who can tame it thousands of miles away?
Notes:
1. Dandy pants: refers to a rich and noble son. Don’t starve to death: If you don’t learn or have skills, you won’t have to worry about hunger. Many Confucian scholars miss the mark: Confucian scholars who are full of knowledge are poor. This sentence is the outline of the whole poem. "Qianxi Poetry Eye" says: "This is the intention of this article."
2 Zhangren: a respectful title for elders. This refers to Wei Ji. Scoundrel: A self-titled term for those who are young and of low status. This is Du Fu's self-proclaimed name. Please, means please allow me. Ju Chen: Please elaborate.
3 The two sentences "Fu Xi" refer to the fact that in 735 AD (the 23rd year of Kaiyuan), Du Fu took the Jinshi examination in Luoyang as a rural tribute (selected by prefectures and counties). Du Fu was only twenty-four years old at the time, and he was already a state guest at the "Guan Guo Zhi Guang" (visiting the royal capital), so he "charged early". The phrase "watching the country's guests" comes from "Book of Changes·Guan Gua·Xiang Ci": "Guan Guo's light is also a guest."
4. Ten thousand volumes: describes reading a lot of books. If there is a god: Describes quick thinking and writing as if there is a god.
5 Yang Xiong: Ziyun, a Western Han Dynasty poet. Material: Almost the same. Enemy: rival. Zijian: Name of Cao Zhi, son of Cao Cao, a famous writer during the Jian'an period. See: Comparison. Dear: Close.
6 Li Yong: A literary giant and calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty, he once served as the prefect of Beihai County. When Du Fu was a boy in Luoyang, Li Yong was so impressed by his talent that he took the initiative to get to know him. Wang Han: A famous poet at that time and the author of "Liangzhou Ci".
7 stand out: outstanding. Lideng Yaolujin: I will get an important position soon.
8 Yao and Shun: the legendary ancient sage kings. These two sentences say that if he is reused, he can assist the emperor to achieve a deed that surpasses Yao and Shun, and restore the corrupted social customs to the simplicity and honesty of ancient times. This was the highest political ideal of ordinary Confucians at that time.
9 The two sentences "This means" mean that I did not expect that my political ambitions came to nothing. Although I also write some poetry, I am not an escapist hermit.
Ten Riding Donkeys: Compare with dignitaries riding horses. Thirteen years: From AD 735 (the twenty-third year of Kaiyuan) when Du Fu took the Jinshi examination to AD 747 (the sixth year of Tianbao), it was exactly thirteen years. Traveling food: sending food. Jinghua: Capital, refers to Chang'an.
⑾The Lord: refers to Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. Qing: Not long ago. See the recruitment: be recruited. 欻(Ran: suddenly. Desire to stretch: hope to express one's talents and realize the aspirations of kings, Yao and Shun.
⑿ Qing Ming hangs its wings: the bird folds its wings and falls from the sky. Rubbing: it is difficult to move. No vertical scales: This refers to the fact that fish cannot swim far away. This means that ideals cannot be realized. The facts mentioned in the above four sentences are: In 747 AD (the sixth year of Tianbao), Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty issued an edict to recruit people with skills to go to Beijing to take the exam. Du Fu They also participated. Prime Minister Li Linfu was jealous of talents and rejected all the candidates, and even expressed his congratulations: "There are no talents in the world." This was a heavy blow to Du Fu who was eager to realize his ambition. The two sentences "Every Yu" mean that you often recite the best lines of my new poems in front of the officials and strongly recommend them.
⒁Gong Gong: He and Wang Ji from the Western Han Dynasty. As a friend, he was very happy to know that he would also come forward. Du Fu said that he had also compared himself with Gong Yu and expected Wei Ji to recommend him. Yuan Xian was unbearable; a student of Confucius. , famous for being poor.
⒂ Walking forward and retreating
⒃ East into the sea: Confucius once said: "If you can't do it on the road, you can float on it. Yuhai.
” (The Analects of Confucius) Go to Qin: leave Chang’an.
⒄Repay a meal: repay the kindness of a meal. In the Spring and Autumn Period, Lingzhuo repaid Zhao Xuanzi (see "Zuo Zhuan" in the second year of Xuangong), and in the Han Dynasty, Han Xin repaid Piao Mu (see "Historical Records: Biography of Marquis of Huaiyin"). They are all famous stories of repayment in history. Bidding farewell to the minister: refers to bidding farewell to Wei Ji. These two sentences explain the reason for the gift of poetry.
⒅No vastness: plunge into the vast mist. Who can tame: who can restrain me?
Appreciation
Among the poems written by Du Fu when he was trapped in Chang'an for ten years, this one is the best. This kind of social poem has an obvious intention of seeking quick success and profit. When ordinary people write, they either mean to please the other party, or they deliberately demean themselves, which can easily lead to a shabby look of flattery and begging for mercy. In this poem, Du Fu was able to be neither humble nor arrogant, express his feelings directly, and vent his long-simmering grief and indignation against the feudal rulers for suppressing talents. This is what makes him extraordinary.
In 748 AD (the seventh year of Emperor Xuanzong’s Tianbao reign), before and after Wei Ji became Shangshu Zuocheng, Du Fu gave him two poems, hoping to be promoted by him. Although Wei Ji admired Du Fu's poetic talent, he failed to provide any practical help. Therefore, Du Fu wrote this "Twenty-Two Rhymes" to express his determination to leave Chang'an and retire to Jianghai if he really couldn't find a way out. Du Fu had been writing poetry for thirteen years since he failed the Jinshi examination in Luoyang at the age of twenty-four. Especially since he has been seeking fame in Chang'an for three years, he has encountered obstacles everywhere and has found it difficult to achieve his ambition. The pride of his youth had long since turned into resentment and anger, and he had no choice but to vent it out in front of Wei Ji.
The poet mainly uses contrasting and tortuous expression techniques to express the depressed emotions in his heart in a real and moving way. This poem should be said to be the earliest one that embodies the "melancholy and frustrated" style of Du's poetry.
There are two situations of comparison in poetry. One is comparing others with oneself; the other is comparing one's own past and present. Let’s start by comparing yourself with others. At the beginning, "If you don't starve to death, you will lose your body if you have a scholar's crown", the poet's strong cry of injustice suddenly erupts like a river bursting out, and it really rises into the sky with an unstoppable force. In the era in which the poet lived, those dandy boys were ignorant and incompetent, and lived a arrogant and arrogant life. They were empty-spirited and were superfluous people in the world, but they would not starve to death. However, upright scholars like Du Fu mostly had empty ambitions and were always struggling on the verge of starving to death, seeing their careers and futures ruined by mistake. These two lines of poetry go straight to the point, clearly revealing the main theme of the whole article, and effectively summarizing the dark reality of the inversion of virtue and ignorance in feudal society.
Judging from the focus of the description of the whole poem, writing "don't starve" in "dandy pants" is mainly to contrast and highlight the "many misunderstandings" of "confucian crown", while underwriting others is to emphasize the importance of others. Write yourself. So next, when the poet revealed his heart to Wei Ji, he put aside his "dandy pants" and firmly grasped the completely different changes in joy and sorrow in his pursuit of "Confucian crown" in the past and present. He once again used contrast and used strong colors and heavy ink. It expresses the endless emotion of being proud and honored as a young man, but now being humiliated by mistake. The poet used a total of twenty-four sentences for this second comparison, which is really full of ups and downs. The twelve sentences from "I was young in the past" to "Let the customs be pure again" are written about pride and glory. The poet uses the technique of narration and recollection to introduce his outstanding talents and lofty ambitions in his early years. The young Du Fu had seen the world in Luoyang very early. He is knowledgeable and thoughtful in his writing. When writing a poem, he admitted that he could rival Yang Xiong, while when writing poems, he fell in love with Cao Zhi. As soon as he showed his prowess, he won the appreciation of contemporary literary leaders Li Yong and poet Wang Han. With such outstanding talent, he naively thought that seeking fame and entering an official career would not be easy. At that time, the coveted political ideal of "bringing the kings to Yao and Shun, and then making the customs pure" can be realized. The poet writes with a high attitude and high spirits, full of ambition and contempt for everything. I write this, of course, to let Wei Ji understand who he is, but more importantly, I want to highlight his current humiliation. From "This meaning is actually depressed" to "There are no vertical scales when you rub the pedal", another twelve sentences are used to describe the humiliation of the body by mistake, forming a strong contrast with the previous twelve sentences. The reality is cruel, and the "important roads" have long been occupied by "dandy pants". The contradiction between subjective desires and objective reality ruthlessly mocks the poet. Let's take a look at the poet's travel career in the prosperous capital: for many years, the poet often rode a skinny donkey and ran around in the streets and alleys of the busy city. In the morning, I knock on the door of a rich man's house and receive the looks of contempt from the dandy; in the evening, I follow the noble man's fat horse back home in gloomy condition. For many years, he has been living in the disgrace of the powerful. Not long ago, the poet took part in a special examination hosted by the imperial court. Unexpectedly, the examination was actually a big scam planned by the traitor Li Linfu. All failed. This was a heavy blow to the poet, just like the roc that had just flown into the blue sky and dropped its wings, and like the whale salamander swimming in the ocean that suddenly lost its freedom. The poet's humiliation, pain and misfortune reached its climax.
This long paragraph of contrasting description unfolds meanderingly, just like a person climbing up step by step. At the beginning, his eyes are full of spring and his heart is in full bloom. He once thought that he would lose his footing from the top, like a rock falling from a high mountain, plummeting down a thousand feet, thus making him fall. The second half of the article is completely shrouded in an atmosphere of sadness, anger and melancholy.
The more the poet writes about his youthful pride, the more he can bring out the sadness and misery of a scholar who has lost his body. This is probably the reason why the poet makes great efforts to use contrast!
From "I am so ashamed of my father-in-law's kindness" to the end of the poem, the poet writes about the contradictory and complex emotions of the poet's gratitude to Wei Ji, his failed expectations, his determination to leave but his reluctance to leave. Such rich and complex ideological content must require the poet to express it in a tortuous and tortuous way in order to achieve an artistic effect that is "deep and profound". On the rough road of life, the poet can no longer endure the poverty like Yuan Xian, a student of Confucius. He was secretly happy that Wei Ji became Minister Zuocheng, just like Gongyu in the Han Dynasty who celebrated when his friend Wang Ji was promoted. The poet very much hopes that Wei Ji can be of more practical help to him, but reality has proved that such hope is impossible to realize. The poet can only force himself not to be so indignant. He is about to leave but still lingers there. The poet is unwilling to travel far away from the palace and retreat to the rivers and seas. This is a last resort for the poet. He was so reluctant to let go of the Imperial Capital, which he had placed his hope in, and Wei Ji, who had been "graceful for a meal", that he could not forget. However, there is no other way. In the end, I can only retreat resolutely, drifting away like a white gull among the thousands of miles of waves. In this section, the poet writes about his ambivalence about turning from hope to anger, being unable to bear the urge to leave, and looking back three times at a time. It is really full of twists and turns, and it is very precise. Combined with the touching contrast in the previous paragraph, it fully embodies Du's poem "deep thoughts, profound emotions, and deep sorrow." "(Fang Dongshu's "Zhao Mei Zhan Yan") artistic characteristics.
"If the white gull is not powerful, who can tame it thousands of miles away!" From the structural arrangement, this ending is forced out of hundreds of twists and turns, just like a strange peak protruding, the final momentum becomes stronger. It expresses the poet's noble sentiments, broad mind, and strong character with eloquent words and vivid words on the page. As Pu Qilong pointed out, "One knot is the best" (see "Reading Du Xinjie"). Dong Yangxing also said: "In the article... the words are upright and proud, looking at the universe. It can be seen that although the prince is in trouble, he is brave and brilliant, and he has suffered many setbacks." (Quoted from Qiu Zhaoao's "Detailed Notes on Du Shi") chanting like this At the end of the song, the heroism and pride of the poet's youth will stir up in the readers' hearts again. The poet has withstood the temper of the world and did not succumb to the harsh and unreasonable reality of feudal society. He shows the impact of a blue sea spreading its wings, thereby sublimating the ideological nature of the whole poem to a new level.
The whole poem not only successfully uses contrasts and twists and turns of writing, but also the language is simple yet tempered, with profound and broad implications. For example, "the broken cup and the cold sun lurk everywhere," which expresses the harshness of the world and the poet's mental trauma. The word "Qian" expresses the omnipresence of sorrow and pain, which can be said to be a sorrowful and refreshing thing. It is much more subtle and vivid than using an ordinary word "Yes" or "有". The characteristic of the sentence structure is the combination of parallel and prose, with San as the main component. Therefore, it has the beauty of neat contrast and the beauty of vertical and horizontal movement. Therefore, all of this fully proves the poet's profound skill, and also indicates that the poet's more mature long-form works will surely shine in the medieval poetry world with the dramatic changes of the times and the enrichment of life.
Writing background:
This poem was written in 748 AD (the seventh year of Tianbao), when Du Fu was 37 years old. Wei Zuocheng refers to Wei Ji, who was Zuocheng of Shangshu Province at that time. He appreciated Du Fu's poems very much and expressed his concern for them. At this time, Du Fu failed in the examination and was trapped in Chang'an. He felt lonely and wanted to leave the capital for a trip, so he wrote this poem to say goodbye to Wei Ji. In the poem, he stated his talents and ambitions, expressed his frustrations in career and poor life, and also criticized the darkness of reality. The earliest extant editions of Duji (such as Song Wangzhu's version, Jiujia's annotated version, Huang He's supplementary annotated version, etc.) all place this poem in the first place. Although literary historians now believe that this is not Du Fu's earliest work, it is recognized as the earliest and most clearly important work in which Du Fu narrates his life and ideals. "Du Sui" says: "This poem is full of expressions of emotion... it is written directly from the heart, like writing on rulers and tablets, and it turns vertically and horizontally, expressing anger and tragedy, lingering and hesitating, and the song is wonderful. ... The last paragraph of the poem is full of angry words, and is tactful. , infinitely affectionate.
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