The original text and translation notes of "Nan'an Army" are as follows:
"Nan'an Army" is a famous seven-character rhymed poem by Wen Tianxiang, a poet of the Southern Song Dynasty.
Original text:
Meihua North and South Road, wind and rain wet the clothes. Who do you go out with when you leave the mountain? Such a homecoming! The mountains and rivers have been there through the ages, but the city has changed for a while. My true ambition is to starve to death, and I pick weeds in my dream.
Translation:
Plum blossoms bloom on the north and south roads, and the wind and rain wet the clothes. Who will you go out to the mountains with? If you go back to your hometown like this! The mountains and rivers have been passed down through the ages, but the city has changed for a while. It is indeed my wish to starve to death. In my dream, I was picking weeds.
Notes:
Nan'an Army: Place name, today's Nan'an Town, Dayu County, Jiangxi Province. Meihua North and South Road: refers to the itinerary the author took when he was captured, from Meiguan south to Nan'an Army. Wind, rain, wetness and clothing: describe harsh weather and environment. With whom to go out from the ridge: Going out from the ridge refers to leaving the Nan'an Army and heading north, but who should you go with?
Returning home like this: Returning means returning to your hometown, but going back like this means failure to surrender, which is a shame. Mountains and rivers are there through the ages: describing the mountains and rivers of the motherland that will last forever. The city suddenly changed: It describes that the city was occupied by the enemy and lost its sovereignty for a while. Starve to death Shingozhi: Expresses the author's determination to rather starve to death than surrender.
Picking weeds in a dream: Picking weeds is a kind of wild vegetable. The story of Boyi and Shuqi is borrowed here. In order to show their loyalty to their motherland, they did not eat Zhou millet after the Zhou Dynasty destroyed the Shang Dynasty. Instead, they picked weeds and ate them. to express one's determination. This shows that the author has the same determination.
This poem expresses the author's determination and integrity that he would rather starve to death than surrender. It is one of Wen Tianxiang's representative works of poetry. Through the description of the itinerary and his deep attachment to the motherland, the poet expressed his love for the motherland and his persistence in the national spirit. At the same time, the poet also expressed his determination to starve to death rather than surrender, showing his heroism and patriotism.
"Nan'an Army" is a poem written by Wen Tianxiang while being escorted after he was captured. When the Yuan army escorted Wen Tianxiang through Dayuling, Wen Tianxiang wrote this poem with infinite sadness. The poet used plum blossoms as a metaphor for himself, expressing his determination to die to serve the country.
This poem has a profound artistic conception and tragic feelings, which vividly reflects Wen Tianxiang’s persistence in national integrity and unyielding spirit despite going through many hardships and life-or-death situations.