Name Ode to Coal
Author Yu Qian
Seven Rules of Genre
Dynasty and Ming Dynasty
About the Author
Yu Qian (1389-1457 AD), named Tingyi and posthumously named Zhongsu, was born in Qiantang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang). He was an official and minister of the Ministry of War. He was a national hero. His poems expressed many concerns about the country and the people. own steadfast sentiments. He is the author of "Yu Su Min Gong Ji".
Original text
Cut through the chaos to get black gold, which hides the deepest yang and meaning.
The fire is burning and the spring is coming, and the furnace is shining brightly through the night.
Ding Yi Yuan Lai generates strength, but iron and stone still remain in the mind after death.
I hope that all the people will be well fed and warm, and they will go out of their way to go out of the mountains and forests.
Notes
1. Chaos - refers to the state before the world was opened up. The ancients believed that when the heaven and earth were not opened, they were "chaos like chicken eggs."
2. Wujin - refers to coal.
3. Yanghe - originally refers to warm sunshine, here it refers to coal.
4. The deepest meaning - deep affection.
5. The burning of coal brings warmth to people, just like the return of spring to the earth. 爝火: small torch; vast; vast appearance.
6. A furnace fire can break through the dark night.
7. Ding Yi-cooking tools. Ding: cooking utensil; Yi: wine vessel.
8. Meta-dependence.
9. Generative power - the power of coal combustion.
10. A sentence about iron and stone - The ancients thought that iron and stone could be turned into coal if stored underground. It means: Although the iron stone has turned into coal, it still benefits mankind. This sentence and the above sentence have another meaning: the court must rely on the loyalty of its subjects and expresses that it will contribute to the country even until death.
11. Common people-common people.
Translation
Cut open the layer of chaos and obtain the black treasure.
Contains endless heat and the deepest love.
The torch is burning like a spring breeze.
The raging flames of the furnace shine through the darkest night.
The production of bells, tripods and Yi utensils all depends on the original force.
Although Iron Stone is dead, he still remains the most loyal.
I just hope that everyone in the world is full and warm.
Working tirelessly to get out of the remote mountains and forests.
Appreciation ①
In this poem about things, the author uses coal as a metaphor for himself, holding things in mind to express his aspirations for the country and the people. The writing is combined with chanting.
The first sentence: chanting about coal.
Second sentence: Positive expression, saying that this place contains the yang and buze spirit that governs the country and the people. "The deepest meaning" particularly highlights the profound meaning of this key point. "Chun Haohao" succeeds "Yanghe" and "Zhao breaks the dark night", written in contrast, showing the power of eradicating the old and establishing the new. The ancients called the prime minister of the temple Ding Nai. Here, the prime minister's actions depend on his ability to generate all things, and the metaphor is still based on the role of coal.
The third sentence: The "iron stone" sentence expresses firm and unchanging determination, which is also a portrayal of Yu Qian's personality.
The fourth sentence: "I hope that all the people will be fed and warm", which further developed from coal, that is, Du Fu's intention to shelter the poor people from all over the world was expanded. The last sentence is tied to the original intention of going out to help the world, and being willing to go through all the hardships, that is, to express one's aspirations through things.
In summary:
The first four sentences describe the image of coal and describe the life of coal. The last four sentences are written with emotion, expressing the poet's feelings of doing his best for the country and the people. The whole poem uses objects as metaphors for people, and objects express aspirations. The poet worried about the country and the people throughout his life, and took rejuvenating the country as his own responsibility. His ambition is clearly stated in the last four sentences, and his determination to sacrifice himself for the public is particularly obvious in the last two sentences. Summarizing the whole poem, the poet expresses this ambition in the poem: Although the iron and stone are hard, he still has the heart to benefit the country and the people. Even after going through countless hardships, he remains obsessed with it, is not afraid of difficulties, and sacrifices himself for the country. Serve the people.
Appreciation ②
This poem borrows objects to express ambition. Every sentence in the poem praises coal. In fact, every sentence expresses his embrace of devoting himself to the country and dying.
"Chaos" refers to nature before heaven and earth are divided. "Wujin" means coal is like black gold. "Yanghe" originally refers to the warm sunshine, here it refers to the heat of coal. "The black gold found in the chaos is dug out, which contains the deepest yang and meaning." The meaning of the two sentences is: the coal dug out contains huge heat.
"Jue fire", small torch. "The fire burns and brings back the spring, and the furnace shines through the dark night", which means: coal burns like a torch, making people feel infinitely warm, like the earth returning to spring; it also makes the deep night sky very bright.
"Ding Yi" refers to the sacrificial vessels of the emperor's ancestral temple; "iron stone", the ancients believed that coal was transformed from iron stone. The meaning of these two sentences, "Ding and Yi Yuan depends on their strength, and iron and stone will remain after death" is that people should take the country and the country as their own responsibility, and they should contribute to the country even after death.
The last two sentences, "I hope that all the people will be fed and warm, and go out of the mountains and forests without any trouble," speak directly from the heart and express the author's willingness to devote his last drop of blood and enthusiasm to the benefit of mankind.