Looking at the Sea is a famous work of Cao Cao, which was written when he recruited Wu Huan. In 207 AD, Cao Cao led an army to the north to hunt down the remnants of Yuan Shao. He swore the Northern Expedition in May and left Lulongzhai in July to Jieshi Mountain. He climbed the mountain and looked at the sea. Facing the surging sea, he wrote this magnificent poem. It expresses the author's broad mind, shows the spirit and strength of the sea with the help of strange imagination, and expresses Cao Cao's broad mind and ambition to unify the world.
2. Original text
Cao Cao
On the east coast, climb Jieshi Mountain to see the vast sea.
The sea is so vast that the islands stand high on the sea.
Trees and paraquat are very lush. Autumn wind makes trees make sad sounds, and the sea is surging.
The movement of the sun and the moon seems to come from the vast ocean.
Journey to the sun and the moon, if you go out.
Han is a talented star, if you take him by surprise.
I am glad to use this poem to express my inner desire.
3. Translation
Climb Jieshi Mountain to the east and enjoy the wonders of the sea. The waves are stirring, and the islands in the sea are listed and towering into the sky. I stood at the top of the mountain, and the waves in my heart fluctuated like waves. Surrounded by lush trees and lush flowers, it is as quiet as meditation. The bleak wind came, the vegetation shook, and the sea set off huge waves, rolling and roaring, as if to engulf the universe.
The sea, what a broad mind, the ups and downs of the sun and the moon seem to come from the chest of the sea; The bright stars in the Milky Way also seem to emerge from the embrace of the sea. Ah, it's okay. It's wonderful. Let's sing and express our feelings freely.
4. Creative background
This group of poems is considered to be on the way back to the northern expedition of Wuhuan in the twelfth year of Jian 'an (207). At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, warlords fought for the Central Plains, and Wuhuan, who lived in western Liaoning, was powerful, attacking cities and plundering land in the south, which became a serious border problem in Hebei. In the tenth year of Jian 'an (205), Cao Cao destroyed Yuan Shao's ruling foundation in Hebei, and Yuan Shao vomited blood and died. His sons, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, fled to Wuhuan and colluded with Wuhuan nobles many times. At that time, Cao Cao was in a disadvantageous position between the north and the south: Liu Biao and Liu Bei occupied Jingxiang in the south, and yuan brothers and Wuhuan in the north. In order to get rid of the passive situation, Cao Cao adopted the advice of Guo Jia, a counselor, and led his army northward in the summer of the twelfth year of Jian 'an, ending in May and July. In autumn, there was a flood, and the road by the sea was impassable. Later, he accepted Tian Chou's suggestion and changed his course flatly. After Xu Wushan, he went to the Cylon, pointing to Liucheng, and won the first world war. In September, he returned to Li smoothly, passing through Jieshi and other places, and wrote this group of famous poems by borrowing the old title of Yuefu's "Walking out of Xiamen".
5. Introduction to the author
Cao Cao (155—220) was born in Peiguoqiao (now Bozhou City, Anhui Province). Politically and militarily, Cao Cao eliminated many separatist forces, unified most of northern China, and implemented a series of policies to restore economic production and social order, which laid the foundation for the founding of Cao Wei. In literature, under the impetus of Cao Cao and his son, Jian 'an literature represented by three Cao Cao (Cao Cao, Cao Pi and Cao Zhi) was formed, which was called "Jian 'an Style" in history and left a glorious stroke in the history of literature. After the establishment of Wei Dynasty, Cao Cao was honored as "Wei Wudi" and the temple name was "Taizu". For the deeds, see Volume 1 of the History of the Three Kingdoms. There are 30 volumes that have been lost. The Ming Dynasty compiled the Collection of Wei Wudi, and now there is the Collection of Cao Cao.