1. Original poem
Song of Yingzhou
Tang Dynasty: Gao Shi
The young man in Yingzhou is tired of the wilderness, covered with fox fur and velvet Under the hunting city.
A thousand hours of wine will not intoxicate anyone, and Hu'er can ride a horse at the age of ten.
2. Translation
The young people in Yingzhou are accustomed to living in the wilderness and grasslands, wearing fox fur robes and hunting outside the city.
They will not get drunk even if they drink thousands of glasses of wine. Children of these ethnic minorities can ride horses and run at the age of 10.
3. Notes
Yingzhou: a northeastern frontier fortress in the Tang Dynasty, where it was governed today in Chaoyang, Liaoning.
Yan (yàn): same as "鍍", full. Here it means experienced and accustomed.
Fox fur (qiú): a relatively precious coat made of fox fur, with the hair facing outward.
Róng: The appearance of messy fur. The words come from "The Book of Songs·Beifeng·Jingqiu": "Fox Qiu Meng Rong". "Rong" is connected with "Rong".
Under the city (xià): countryside.
Lu (lǔ) wine: refers to the wine produced locally in Yingzhou.
Qianzhong (zhōng): extremely numerous; bell, wine vessel.
Hu'er: refers to the Xi and Khitan youths living in Yingzhou area.
4. Appreciation
In the northeastern frontier fortress state of the Tang Dynasty, there were wilderness and jungles, abundant water and grass, and various ethnic groups lived together, making a living by herding and hunting. They worshiped martial arts and had wild customs. This quatrain by Gao Shi is like a sketch of amorous feelings, full of the interest of frontier life.
From the perspective of the cultural concepts of the Central Plains, wearing furry fox fur robes and hunting in the fields near towns seems to be simply rude child's play. However, in Yingzhou, these are daily life and reflect local customs. . The young people of Han and Hu ethnic groups who live here have been exposed to the style of herding, hunting, riding and shooting since childhood. They have developed the habit of drinking wine and drinking heavily, and have developed the ability to control horses and gallop. Even young people in frontier towns are immersed in such customs and have developed such a temperament that they can't help but go hunting in the wild near the towns. The poet captured the special phenomenon of this seemingly child's play hunting activity under the city. He saw the innocent and lovely soul of the frontier fortress boy yearning for the wilderness, his rough and bold temperament, and his brave and martial spirit. He felt fresh, exciting, and admired it very much. . The image of the boy in the poem is vivid and vivid. "Fox fur covered with velvet" shows his cuteness; "He will not be drunk for a thousand minutes" shows his bold and unrestrained nature; "Ten-year-old rides a horse" shows his bravery. All this shows the typical frontier life.
The artistic characteristics of this quatrain are that in terms of conception, it improvises feelings and expresses the heart directly; in terms of expression, it is straightforward and expressive, and the pen and ink are extensive. The poet seemed to be suddenly attracted by the hunting activities of the young people under the city, and seemed to praise their lively behavior and character in one go, without thinking. Its detailed descriptions are realistic but exaggerated, and the boy's character is typical and distinctive. The poet is good at grasping the essence and characteristics of life phenomena, and can express them accurately and concisely, full of life breath and strong frontier sentiment. Among the frontier fortress poems of the Tang Dynasty, there are not many works that enthusiastically praise the living habits of people of all ethnic groups, so this quatrain is valuable.