Introduction to the work
"The View of Immortals with the same title" was created by Han Hong and was selected into "Three Hundred Tang Poems". This poem describes the scholar's view of the building and is a poem about traveling. The first couplet points out the time and place, and hits the topic "The View of Immortal Travel". The chin couplet describes the scenery outside, first "seeing" and "Qin Shu", and then "hearing" and "the sound of the anvil". The neck couplet describes the scenery inside, first describing the tranquility of the "empty altar" in the high place, and then the quietness of the "small cave" in the lower place, indicating that it is the residence of the Taoist priest. The last couplet quotes the words of "Yuan Yu", praising this place as a wonderful place where gods live, and there is no need to look for other places. The whole poem has beautiful language skills and a harmonious tone. But the content is vague and without much meaning. It can only be chanted, not played with.
Original text
"Tongtitled Immortal Travel View"
Author: Han Hong
The five towers were seen for the first time in Xiantai, and the scenery was desolate. Rain harvest.
The mountain scenery is far away and the Qin Shuwan is approaching, and the sound of the anvil is approaching to announce the autumn of the Han Dynasty.
The loose shadows fall in the sky, the altar is quiet, and the fine grass is fragrant and the small cave is quiet.
There is no need to look elsewhere, there is also a Dan Qiu in the world.
Notes
①Xianyou Temple: in today’s Xiaoyao Valley in Songshan Mountain, Henan. It was built by Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty for Taoist Pan Shizheng.
② Five towers: "Historical Records: Book of Fengchan" records that the alchemist once said: "In the time of the Yellow Emperor, there were five floors and 12 floors, waiting for the gods and men to be in office, and the order was to welcome the new year." This refers to the immortals. Tour and sightseeing.
③Suyu: The rain that falls every other night.
④The sound of anvil: the sound of pounding clothes on the stone.
⑤Fangwai: A paradise outside the world where gods live.
⑥Danqiu: refers to the place where the gods live, where there is always light day and night.
Rhyme Translation
I first met in Sendai, welcoming the immortals on the twelfth floor of the five cities; the scenery was desolate, and the autumn rain stopped all night long.
The mountains are empty and connected to the distant bushes of Qin; there is the sound of pounding clothes nearby, reporting to the Han Palace that it is already late autumn.
The sparse pine shadows fall on the altar, making the Taoist temple even more peaceful; the fragrant smell of grass and bells still highlights the depth and tranquility of the cave paths.
There is no need to look elsewhere, the fairyland is there; there is also a place where gods live in the human world, called Danqiu.
Explanation
This poem is a famous poem among Taoist poems. The author is Han Hong, a poet in the mid-Tang Dynasty and one of the ten talented people in the Dali Dynasty. The poem style is a seven-character rhymed poem. As can be seen from the title, this is a work about travel, but it has a strong cultural color and helps to deepen people's understanding of Taoist culture.
According to different versions, the title of the poem may be "Ti Xianyou Guan", so that its content can be better understood, which is to record the impressions after visiting Xianyou Guan; "with the same title", the basic content remains unchanged. There is only a slight difference in expression, which means that the poem is one of the poems written by fellow travelers. According to the original title, it can be seen that the author was not the only one who wrote the poem at that time. It is just that who was traveling with him and the quality of the poem he wrote are no longer known. Therefore, we might as well regard it as the work of "Ti Xian You Guan".
Xianyou Temple, at the foot of Songshan Mountain in Henan. In the early Tang Dynasty, Taoist Pan Shizheng lived in the local Xiaoyao Valley. Tang Gaozong Li Zhi respected him very much and ordered the construction of the Xianyou Gate at the entrance of Xiaoyao Valley and the construction of a Taoist temple in the valley. This is the origin of the Xianyou Temple. The emperor of the Tang Dynasty particularly praised Taoism, which led to the custom of Taoism being believed in among the people. In addition, Xianyou Temple is very close to Luoyang, the eastern capital, so there are many people visiting it. The author is not exempt from the secular world and has to visit Taoist temples built by the emperor to appreciate the poems he wrote. However, the content of his poems shows extraordinary sobriety. It is very different from ordinary works of worship, but it is in line with the characteristics of the object he is chanting, so it is It is the leader of similar works and has been highly valued by literati of all ages.
The writing style of this poem is very plain. It is just an honest record of the travel experiences and inner feelings. It wins with authenticity and peace, and does not compete with the ups and downs of the novel. Qiao Yi's "Dali Poems" praised it: "The style of poetry is flat and upright, and the habit of being frivolous and small is removed." To be upright and fluffy means to keep it straight and flat, without making ornaments; to get rid of the habit of being frivolous and narrow is to get rid of the shortcomings of frivolity and crampedness. This shows that the non-artistic writing characteristics of this poem have been understood and affirmed by people. Wu Yao's "Selected Interpretations of Tang Poems" more specifically pointed out: "This poem is all in fu style, with the title in the first sentence, and the scene in the view later." It further points out that the writing technique and level of this poem closely follow the title.
The first couplet says: "The five towers were first seen in Xiantai, and the scenery was desolate after the rain." It is written about what the first immortal saw when he visited the valley gate, that is, looking down at the Taoist temple from the mountain, which is the building in the temple. I marveled at the magnificence; at the same time, I also wrote about the joy in my heart, not only because the scenery I saw was magnificent, like a fairy palace in the sky, but also because the sky was clear, and the shower that had just subsided washed the scenery clean and bright. "Sendai", a high observation deck. "Five City Towers" refers to the buildings of Taoist temples, which is quoted from "Historical Records: Records of Emperor Wu": "The alchemist said: During the time of the Yellow Emperor, the 12th floor of the Five City Towers was used to wait for the immortals." This refers to the buildings of Taoist temples. "The scenery is desolate" not only refers to the Taoist temple scene washed by wind and rain, but also refers to the misty color added to the scenery by the years. "Suyu harvests", the rain that fell last night just stopped. Zhao Chenyuan's "Seven Character Rhythms of Tang Poems on the Notes on Mountain Manlou" accurately grasped the content of this couplet and commented: "After climbing the mountain and before anyone looked at it, what I saw and heard was like this. The scenery was desolate, and it seemed that there was a late night The words "' and 'Autumn' are included, not only because of the early harvest of the rain." This couplet not only expresses a real impression, but also lays a good foundation for the following.
It should be noted that the word "chu" in the first sentence is "xia" in the version of "Quan Tang Shi", so the meaning of looking down is more clear.
The second couplet says: "The mountains are far away and the Qin Shuwan is far away, and the sound of the anvil is approaching to announce the autumn of the Han Palace." This couplet also describes the exterior scene of the Immortal Tour, but it is not looking down, but looking from a distance. It points out that it is an autumn evening now, and naturally triggers a nostalgic feeling. "Qin Shu" and "Han Palace" are not real scenes, but borrowed references. They are just descriptions of ordinary ancient trees and ordinary anvil sounds. However, using the words "Qin" and "Han" as modifications and qualifications is not without meaning, but to exaggerate the simple atmosphere and add historical color. With such modifications and limitations, the time tension is greatly expanded, leading readers into the long river of time, transcending the short life years, which is secretly consistent with the theme of the immortal family seeking immortality, and is especially suitable for viewing Taoist temples. Wu Ruirong's "Tang Shi Jian Yao" highly praised this couplet: "The chin couplet is extremely alert. The two words are well connected, and the meaning is not overly heavy. It is very wonderful." This means that these two lines of poetry are well connected. The purpose of the first two sentences is to continue describing the external scene without repeating the previous text, which makes the poem progressive, which is indeed very wonderful. The contrast between a big tree and the sound of an anvil is a common image used to describe autumn scenery. Li Qi's seven-line "Send Off to the Capital of Wei Wan" written by Li Qi, which is also included in "Three Hundred Tang Poems", has a couplet that goes: "The trees in Guancheng are all cold, and the anvil in the imperial garden The sound is late." See this link.
The third couplet says: "The loose shadows fall into the sky and the altar is quiet, and the fragrant grass grows in the small cave." This couplet has a poetic twist, which is in line with the creative requirements of "starting, inheriting, turning and combining". From the perspective of scenery, it switches from the outside to the inside of the temple, and writes about the scenes seen in Xianyou Temple; from the metaphor, it switches from describing what is seen and heard to expressing feelings, and writes about the inner experience when traveling and viewing the scenery. The scenery is loose and fine grass, empty altars and small holes, and the perception is a fall, a lifetime, as well as a tranquility and a quiet place. This couplet means that the sparse and mottled tree shadows cover the altar of the main hall, and there is silence all around; the thin and flexible grass grows at the entrance of the cave at the foot of the mountain, making it even more profound and lonely. The description of the scenery reveals the Sui protagonist's leisurely longing for the worldly life. Guan Youqing's "Three Hundred Tang Poems in Vernacular" commented on the whole poem: "It depicts the high and open scene outside the temple and the quiet and quiet scenery inside. It expresses admiration for Xi Jingxiang Dao." Although it is not only for this couplet. explanation, but its insights are more desirable. Jin Shengtan, the master of commentary, directly explained this couplet: "Reading these five and six sentences is better than reading the entire Taoist scriptures. It doesn't mean that your vision is so far!" ("Guanhuatang Selected and Criticized Poems of Tang Talents")
< p>The fourth couplet says: "Why don't you look elsewhere? There are also Danqiu in the world." This couplet brings together the whole poem. From a conceptual point of view, it meets the requirement of "integration". Fangwai refers to the magical world outside the human world, where gods live; Danqiu is also a fairyland. This couplet implicitly uses an allusion from "The Songs of Chu: Yuanyou": "There are still feathers in Danqiu, leaving behind the immortal hometown." It means, why bother to go far away to find fairyland? This is a quiet place where gods can live. Place. Thinking about the name of this place - "Xianyou", this conclusion seems to be particularly suitable for the meaning of the title. Therefore, the predecessors praised the accuracy of this couplet. Zhu Baoying commented in "Poetic Style": "The two sentences in the final sentence are like one sentence. The upper sentence is slightly open, and the lower sentence is combined and the meaning becomes more and more profound. It means that there is beauty in the world. What use is there to entrust it to immortals?" Hu Benyuan's "Modern Poems of the Tang Dynasty" also asserts: "It combines the meaning of immortal travels."The whole poem records the experience of visiting immortals in such a blend of scenes. What he has seen and heard, as well as the author’s own appreciation of the scenery. Making good use of line drawing and clear layers are the basic characteristics of this poem. The writing style is plain and standard, but the writing style is flexible. For example, the change of perspective can make it gentle in the plainness. Another characteristic of the poem is that the vocabulary used completely matches the object of the poem, and it is very smooth to read.
Another point that must be noted is that some annotations believe that the Immortal Traveling Temple in the poem is not located in Songshan, Henan, but in Zhouzhi County near Chang'an. But no matter where the Taoist temple is located, the life experience of the poem is no different.
One more thing should be explained, that is, the naming of Sendai City in Japan is related to this poem. Gao Shihua's "Mr. Fujino after (Mr. Fujino)" records: "The name of Sendai also comes from China. She was originally called 'Chiyo', which is the same as 'Sendai' in Japanese. One day, someone read about the poet of the Tang Dynasty Han Yi's poem "The Immortal Travel View" with the same title, the poem "Five towers are seen for the first time in Xiantai, the scenery is desolate and the rain is harvested", which fascinated him very much, so at his suggestion, he took the overseas fairy mountains and the towers in the sky. The meaning of "Thousand Generations" was changed to "Xiandai""
Commentary
This poem is a famous poem among Taoist poems. The author is a poet of the mid-Tang Dynasty and a Dali scholar. Han Hong, one of the talented scholars, wrote seven-character rhyme poems. As can be seen from the title, this is a work about travel, but it has a strong cultural color and helps to deepen people's understanding of Taoist culture.
This poem describes the scholar's view of the building and is a poem about traveling. It describes the poet's longing for such a fairyland: mountains with trees, the sound of pounding clothes; pine shadows whirling, the empty altar is quiet; fine grass produces fragrance, and the small cave is deep. The first couplet points out the time and place, and hits the topic "The View of Immortal Travel". The chin couplet describes the scenery outside, first "seeing" and "Qin tree", and then "hearing" and "the sound of anvil". The neck couplet describes the scenery inside, first describing the tranquility of the "empty altar" in the high place, and then the quietness of the "small cave" in the lower place, indicating that it is the residence of the Taoist priest. The last couplet quotes the words of "Yuan Yu", praising this place as a wonderful place where gods live, and there is no need to look for other places. The author saw Xianyou Temple at a time when the rain had just begun to collect and the scenery was desolate. In the dusk, the mountains and the shadows of the trees in Qin are distantly connected, and the sound of the anvil pounding clothes seems to be reporting that the Han Palace has entered autumn.
Scattered green pines cast vertical and horizontal shadows, the sky above the Taoist altar was quiet and quiet, the fine grass was fragrant, and the cave was deep.
The whole poem has long and close views, focusing on depicting the quiet scenery of Taoist temples. The whole poem has beautiful language and smooth and harmonious tones, making it catchy to read. But the content is vague and without much meaning. It can only be chanted, not played with. For more appreciation of Tang poetry, please pay attention to the 300 Tang Poems column of "Xi Gutang Chinese Studies Network".
Introduction to the author
Han Hong (hóng) (lived around 754), courtesy name Junping, was born in Nanyang (now Nanyang, Henan). Poet of Tang Dynasty. He is one of the "Ten Talents of Dali". In the thirteenth year of Tianbao (754), he passed the Jinshi examination. During the Baoying period, he served in the shogunate of Hou Xiyi, the Jiedushi envoy of Ziqing. Later, he returned to the court with Hou Xiyi and lived in Chang'an for ten years. During the Jianzhong period, he was appreciated by Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty for his poem "Cold Food" and was promoted to Zhongshu Sheren. Han Hong's poems were written with light brushwork and unique scenery, and were widely read at that time. Most of the poems are about farewell songs and themes, such as "Han Junping's Poetry Collection" and "Complete Poems of the Tang Dynasty" which contain three volumes of his poems.
English-Chinese comparison
Same title: Immortal Travel View
Han Hong
The five towers were first seen in Sendai, and the scenery was desolate and the rain stopped.
The mountain scenery is far away and the Qin Shuwan is approaching, and the sound of the anvil is approaching to announce the autumn of the Han Dynasty.
The loose shadows fall and the altar is quiet. The fine grass is fragrant and the small cave is quiet.
Why look elsewhere? There are also Dan Qiu in the human world.
INSCRIBED IN THE TEMPLE OF THE WANDERING GENIE
Han Hong
I face, high over this enchanted lodge, the Court of the Five Cities of Heaven,< /p>
And I see a countryside blue and still, after the long rain.
The distant peaks and trees of Qin merge into twilight,
And Had Palace washing- stones make their autumnal echoes.
Thin pine-shadows brush the outdoor pulpit,
And grasses blow their fragrance into my little cave.
...Who need be craving a world beyond this one?
Here, among men, are the Purple Hills