Provincial Examination of Xiang Ling Drum and Seed
[Author] Qian Qi ? [Dynasty] Tang Dynasty
He is good at drumming, playing clouds and harp, and often hears the spirit of the emperor's son.
Feng Yikong dances by himself, which Chu Ke cannot listen to.
The bitter tone and sad tone of gold and stone, the voiceless sound enters the darkness.
Cangwu comes to complain and admire, and the white peony moves to bring fragrance.
The flowing water flows through Xiaopu, and the sad wind passes through Dongting.
At the end of the song, no one can be seen, and there are several green peaks on the river. Appreciation of "The Provincial Examination Xiangling Drum and Psalter"
This poem is one of the few masterpieces among the ancient examination poems. With amazing imagination, the poet tried his best to describe the magical power of Xiangling drums and harps, especially the last sentence. "Old Tang Book Qian Zhengzhuan" called it a "ghost ballad". This sentence is a stroke of genius, wonderfully created and natural, and the lingering sound is endlessly memorable.
It can be seen from the title of the poem "Provincial Examination" that this is a test poem. The title "Xiang Ling Gu Xi" is taken from the sentence "The Xiang Ling Gu Xi plays, and the sea dances like Feng Yi" in "Chu Ci·Yuan Yu".
The first two sentences of the poem praise Xiang Ling for being good at playing the harp, and his beautiful music often lingers in his ears. In test poems, this is called summarizing the theme.
The goddess of Xiangshui played the harp and the music, so the poet spread the wings of his imagination and circled back and forth along with the fairy music. That song is so touching! It first attracted the water god named Feng Yi, who couldn't help but dance on the water. In fact, Feng Yi did not really understand the sad and miserable emotions hidden in the beautiful music. This kind of joyful dance was in vain. But those "Chu guests" understand Xiang Ling's thoughts, which of course includes Jia Yi of the Han Dynasty, and people who were relegated to the south and passed through the Xiang River in the past dynasties. Why don't they feel very sad when they hear such sad music!
Listen, the melody is so deep and sad that even if it is as solid as gold and stone, you will feel sad for it; and its clear and resonant sound can be transmitted to the endless sky.
When such beautiful and sad music spread to the Cangwu wilderness, it must have alarmed the spirit of Emperor Shun on Jiuyi Mountain. He might rush to the sky above the Xiang River to listen! The fragrant grass, Angelica dahurica, will be moved and spit out its fragrance even more.
The sound of music floated on the water, and both sides of the vast Xiangjiang River were immersed in the beautiful melody. The sound of mournful music echoed over the vast Xiangshui River. It merged into a sad wind and flew over the 800-mile Dongting Lake.
The middle four rhymes are composed of eight lines. The poet relies on his amazing imagination to try his best to describe the magical power of Xiangling Sequ. This makes the poem avoid dull narrative and appear magnificent and vivid.
However, what is even better is the last two sentences: "No one can be seen at the end of the song, and the peaks on the river are green." The above article closely follows the title and repeatedly exaggerates it, describing Xiangling's drum and harp incisively and vividly. Listening to the wonderful song, I want to see the beautiful woman, so the poet turns his pen and points directly to the beautiful and mysterious Xiangjiang goddess: "At the end of the song, no one can be seen." Only the sound is heard, but the beautiful woman is not seen, giving people a confusing feeling of confusion. It can be said to be a stroke of genius. . What is even more charming is that after "no one is seen" it ends with "county green peaks on the river". The reason why these five words are played so well is because the illusory and colorful world created by Xiangling's drums and harps disappears in an instant, making people return to the real world. This real world is still the Xiangjiang River, and the mountains and rivers where Xiangling is located. However, the river is like a belt, the peaks are like dyeing, and the scenery is so peaceful, leaving people with longing for it.
There are various restrictions on test poems, which often restrict the talents of scholars. This is not the case for Qian Qi. In this poem, he gallops his imagination, going to heaven and earth, as if entering a deserted place. The invisible sound of music is vividly expressed here, becoming something that can be seen, heard and felt. At the end, it comes to a sudden conclusion, which is full of thoughts and is even more intriguing.
In the twelfth year of Dazhong (858), the Jinshi examination was held. Tang Xuanzong asked the examiner Li Fan: If the test poem contains repeated words, can he be admitted? Li Fan replied: In the past, Qian Qishi's "Xiang Ling Drum Se" had repeated words, and exceptions can be made occasionally. It has been a hundred years since Qian Qi took the Tianbao examination in the twelfth year of junior high school. Qian Qi's poem is still recognized as a model for examination poems. A brief introduction to Qian Qi, the author of "Provincial Examination Xiangling Gusel"
Qian Qi (lived around 751), courtesy name Zhongwen, Han nationality, was from Wuxing (now Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province). He failed in the examination several times in his early years. He became a Jinshi in the seventh year of Tang Tianbao (748).
Other works by Qian Qi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty
○ Returning to the Wild Goose
○ Sending the Monk Back to Japan
○ Giving to Pei Sheren under the Quexia
○ Taniguchi Study Sends Yang Buque
○ More works by Qian Qi