The eye of poetry is "Hua Nian" (according to Zhou Ruchang and other experts).
Source excerpt "Jin Se" - Tang Dynasty: Li Shangyin
The Jin Se has fifty strings for no reason, each string and one column reflects the past.
Zhuang Sheng was obsessed with butterflies in his morning dream, and looked forward to the emperor's spring heart with cuckoos.
Why does the beautifully translated Chinese lute have fifty strings? Every string and string reminds me of my youth. Zhuang Zhou danced and turned into a butterfly in his sleep. Emperor Wang expressed his hatred on the cuckoo. The bright moon shines high in the sea, and the tears of the sharks turn into beads; the red sun in the blue field is warm, and you can see the smoke rising from the good jade. Why is it that when I recall such feelings, I feel infinite regret? Even back then it was already depressing.
Extended information
1. The creative background of "Jin Se"
This poem was written around the author's later years, and the specific time of creation is unknown. There have always been different opinions on the creative intention of the poem "Jin Se", and there is no consensus. Some may think it is a patriotic piece, some may think it is a work to commemorate the deceased wife, some may think it is a self-deprecating essay comparing one's literary talent with one's own life experience, or some may think it is a work expressing longing for a child.
"Historical Records·Fengchan Shu" records that the ancient zither had fifty strings, but later it was generally twenty-five strings. However, this poem was written after the death of Li Shangyin's wife, so fifty strings means broken strings (it is said that if a twenty-five-string ancient zither string is broken in half, it is called fifty strings). But even so, each string of it, Every syllable is enough to express my longing for those beautiful years.
2. Appreciation of "Jin Se"
"Jin Se" is the representative work of Li Shangyin. All poetry lovers love to recite Taoism and recite it. It is the most famous; however, it is also the most famous. A difficult poem that is not easy to explain.
Some people say it is a love poem written to a maid named "Jinse" of the Linghu Chu family; some people say it is a mourning poem written for his late wife Wang; some people think it is a mourning poem for his late wife Wang. The four lines in the middle of the poem can be consistent with the four tones and emotions of the lute, namely, comfort, resentment, purity, and harmony, so it can be inferred that it is a poem describing music. In addition, there are many other theories such as allusion to politics and self-narrative poetry creation.