The meaning of peach in ancient poetry is: spring and good things, a metaphor for women, love, pastoral life, the perishable life of youth, the fate of beauties, etc.
1. Spring and good things.
Peach blossom as an image first appeared in the Book of Songs, which is the source of literature. It depicts the lively scene of a woman getting married, inspired by peach blossoms. The peach blossoms are in full bloom in March and April. Therefore, the time when the woman in the poem gets married is in the full bloom of spring. Although peach blossoms are only used to set off a woman's appearance in the poem. But it gained a richer meaning as a result. It symbolizes spring and good things.
"Guo Feng·Zhou Nan·Tao Yao" Pre-Qin Dynasty: Anonymous
The peach blossoms shine brightly. When the son returns home, it is suitable for his family.
The peaches are actually sweet. When the son returns home, it is suitable for his family.
The peach is young, its leaves are pure. When the son returns home, it will be a good time for his family.
Interpretation:
Thousands of peach blossoms are in full bloom, the color is bright and red like fire. This girl has been married before, and the couple is happy and harmonious. Thousands of peach blossoms are in full bloom, and the fruits are numerous and large. This girl was married and gave birth to a son early and had a prosperous heir. Thousands of peach blossoms are in full bloom, and the peach leaves are lush and never fall. This girl has been married and worked hard to bring harmony to the family.
2. A metaphor for women.
At the same time, because the woman in the poem gets married during the season when peach blossoms are in full bloom, people will associate peach blossoms with women in the future. This is where the imagination of a large number of flowers as metaphors for women in later poems comes from.
"Song of Concubines in Zhongshan" Tang Dynasty: Li Bai
Concubines in Zhongshan are particularly precious because of their color. Although not as good as Yannianmei, she was still a peerless person at that time.
Peaches and plums emerge from the deep well, and the flowers are stunning in spring. One is noble and the other is cheap, how can the world be affected by one's body?
The hibiscus is covered with old autumn frost, and the round fan is ashamed of the net dust. Qi Jikun was sent to Chung City, which brought great sorrow to the people of the world.
Interpretation:
The concubine of King Zhongshan was favored by King Zhongshan only because of her beautiful appearance. Although not as good as Li Yannian's sister Mrs. Li, she was still a stunning beauty at the time. The peach and plum trees growing in the courtyard have particularly beautiful flowers in early spring. How can you decide whether one is noble or cheap? It all depends on God's arrangement.
The hibiscus flowers gradually grow old and wither in the increasingly chilly autumn frost season, and the beauty’s fan is not used for a long time and is already covered with dust. Mrs. Qi was so favored during the reign of Emperor Gaozu, but she ended up with the tragic fate of being sent to Chung Market. Throughout the ages, the sorrow of frustrated people has been the same!
3. Love.
At the same time, spring is also the golden season for young men and women in ancient times to fall in love. "Taoyao" obviously retains the custom of ancient marriage. Peach blossoms, as a product of the wedding season, become the symbol of love. Secret symbol.
"Inscribed on Nanzhuang of the Capital City" Tang Dynasty: Cui Hu
On this day last year, in this gate, the peach blossoms on the human face complement each other in red.
I don’t know where the human face is, but the peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze.
Interpretation:
Last spring, in this family’s home, I saw that beautiful face and the peach blossoms set off each other, making it look extremely rosy. When I come here again today, I don’t know where the girl has gone. Only the peach blossoms are still there, smiling in full bloom in the spring breeze.
4. Pastoral life.
Yeng Chai said in "Poems of Benshi": "When traveling alone to the south of the capital, I have to live in a village with an acre of palace, surrounded by flowers and trees, as if there is no one there (interpretation: traveling alone to the southern suburbs of the capital) . I saw a manor house, covering an area of ??only one acre, covered with flowers and trees, and so quiet that it seemed like there was no one there.)" There is inevitably a shadow of "Peach Blossom Spring" in this. It can be seen that the ideal of Peach Blossom Spring has had a profound influence on traditional literati.
“The peach blossoms laugh at the spring breeze (interpretation: the peach blossoms bloom to welcome spring)” reminds people of the warm and tranquil pastoral life.
"Seven Pastoral Music No. 6 / Leisurely Living" Tang Dynasty: Wang Wei
The peach red contains the rain, and the willow green contains the morning smoke. (Chaoyan 1: Spring Smoke)
The flowers have fallen, the children have not swept away the flowers, the orioles are singing, and the mountain guests are still sleeping.
Interpretation:
The red peach blossoms still contain the fresh rain from the night before, and the green willow silk carries a faint hint of spring smoke. The petals have fallen, the children in the house have not cleaned, the orioles are singing, and the leisurely mountain visitors are still sleeping soundly.
5. Youth is a perishable life.
The connotation of the peach blossom image has been further extended, and many sub-images related to it have appeared. Peach trees can bear fruit in three years and age in seven years, so they are not very old, so they were called "short-lived flowers" by the ancients. This characteristic is endowed by the poet with the sense of youthful and fleeting life.
For example, Li He of the Tang Dynasty wrote the disillusionment of time in a poignant and beautiful way. When the meaning of the fleeting life is associated with the image of a woman metaphorically represented by the peach blossom, the peach blossom becomes the sad sigh of a beauty who is prone to old age or a beauty whose fate is unfortunate.
"Jiu Jin" Tang Dynasty: Li He
The glass bell is rich in amber, and the wine in the small trough is pearl red. Cooking dragons, cannons, phoenixes and jade fat weeping, Luo embroidered curtains surround the fragrant wind.
Blow the dragon flute and beat the drum; sing with white teeth and dance with a slim waist. What's more, the days of youth are approaching, and the peach blossoms are falling like red rain.
I advise you to be drunk all day long, and the wine will not be buried in Liu Ling's grave.
Interpretation:
The wine glass is made of glass bells, and the wine is amber and pearl red.
When you take the cooked horse meat (dragon) and pheasant (phoenix) into your mouth and eat it, you can still hear the popping sound of the fat being grilled, which is like crying. The curtain made of silk brocade is filled with fragrance. Among the curtains, in addition to the aroma of food and wine, there are also the singing of white-toothed kaikos and the dancing of slender-waisted dancers with the playing of dragon flutes and the beating of drums.
The time for the banquet was a spring evening. They had been enjoying themselves all day long. They drank away their youth and played away the flowery time. The peach blossoms were scattered by the sound of drums, messed up by dancing sleeves, and fell like red rain. They wasted their flowery youth in vain.
I advise you to be like them and get drunk all day long. Since you have drunk all the wine, there is no more wine to spill on the grave of drunkard Liu Ling!