Shu Anger
Song Dynasty: Lu You
In his early years, he knew that the world was difficult, and the Central Plains looked to the north like a mountain. The building boat crosses Guazhou in the snowy night, and the iron horse disperses in the strong autumn wind.
I walled the Great Wall and promised myself that it would be empty, but the faded hair on my temples was already stained in the mirror. If you are a master and you are truly famous in the world, who can compare with you in a thousand years!
Translation:
When I was young, I determined to make the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains, but I never imagined that it would be so difficult. I often look north to the land of the Central Plains, and my blood is boiling and my resentment is like a mountain. I remember beating up the Jin soldiers at Guazhou Crossing, and flying warships on a snowy night. In the autumn wind, horses galloped freely, and good news of regaining Dashan Pass came frequently.
I think back then I compared myself to the Great Wall and had great ambitions to eliminate border troubles for the motherland. Nowadays, the hair on the temples is as old as frost, and hopes for the Northern Expedition and recovery are all empty talk. People can't help but remember Zhuge Kongming. His reputation as a master is truly worthy of his reputation. Who can be like Zhuge Liang who dedicated his life and led the three armies to restore the Han Dynasty and conquer the Central Plains!
Appreciation:
The whole poem is closely linked to the word "anger" and can be divided into two parts. The first half describes the ambition and determination to regain the lost territory in the early years, and the second half laments that it will never come back, and the ambition is difficult to realize.
“At an early age, I knew that things were going to be difficult, and the Central Plains looked to the north like a mountain.” Recalling his early ambitions and patriotic enthusiasm as strong as a mountain. It not only laments the hardships of the world, but also reveals his heroic ambition to resist the Jin Dynasty and restore the country. When the author was young, he set the ambition of "mounting his horse to attack Kuang Hu, and dismounting his horse to write a military letter". After Xiaozong ascended the throne, Lu You stated to him his suggestions on establishing the capital, preparing for war, and reforming politics.
The imperial court had a strong atmosphere of war. In the spring of the second year of Longxing, Lu You actively supported the patriotic general Zhang Jun in his Northern Expedition. However, he failed in the Battle of Fuli and the power of the central government in the DPRK grew stronger. Zhang Jun was dismissed, and Lu You was also implicated and dismissed from his official position. In the eighth year of Qiandao, Lu You arrived in Nanzheng and served as a cadre and prosecutor under Wang Yanmu, the Xuanfu envoy of Sichuan.
The more than eight months of his military career were the most precious time in his life on the front line. He wore a military uniform and galloped on the northwest front line of defense with high morale. He inspected the mountains and rivers situation and people's customs in Nanzheng area, formed his strategic thought of "using Guanzhong as the foundation" ("Shannan Journey"), and actively presented "enterprising strategies" to Wang Yan, but the Southern Song Dynasty court could not Tolerate his activities in planning the Northern Expedition.
In the end, Wang Yan was recalled by the court and the shogunate was disbanded. Lu You's ardent proposal to regain the Central Plains came to nothing. He was very disappointed and depressed in his heart, but his patriotic enthusiasm did not diminish.
"The building boat sailed across Guazhou Ferry on a snowy night, and the iron horses dispersed in the strong autumn wind." In the second sentence, when the writer was on the front line of Zhenjiang, he looked at the tall warships of the Song Army at Guazhou Ferry on a snowy night; on the Nanzheng front line, Riding the autumn wind, riding on the iron horse, galloping on Dashanguan Road. These were two unforgettable battles against the Jin soldiers that Lu You personally experienced.
"Guazhou Ferry" is located in Guazhou Town, south of Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province. This incident refers to the second year of Emperor Xiaozong's reign in the Song Dynasty. Lu You served as the general magistrate of Zhenjiang and persuaded Zhang Jun to support Zhang Jun's use of troops to prepare for the Northern Expedition. "Dasanguan" is located southwest of Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, and was the boundary between the Song and Jin Dynasties at that time. This refers to the eighth year of Emperor Xiaozong of the Song Dynasty when Lu You served as Wang Yan's staff. He planned to restore the Central Plains plan, led the army to forcefully cross the Weishui River, and rode horses directly to the Great Wall. Fight the Jin people on the front line of Sanguan.
The author uses the technique of setting scenes, using six nouns in two sentences to concisely but skillfully describe the battle situation and the author's mood of wanting to fight against Jin and kill the enemy. The army of the Song Dynasty once defeated the Jin soldiers at Guanzhoudu in the east and Dashanguan in the northwest. One place was in winter, and the other was in autumn! One was a warship battle, and the other was a battle between cavalry. The author recounts the early years of Ruyi's war life, revealing his heroic ambition to fight against the Jin Dynasty and restore the country.
“I walled the Great Wall and promised myself that my temples were already freckles in the mirror.” Years have passed, my prime years have passed, my ambitions have not been fulfilled, and my temples are freckles. This is what the poet who devoted his heart to the country did day and night. Very heartbreaking. Lu You was not only a poet, he also prided himself on being a strategist. It's a pity that I haven't been able to achieve anything long in my life.
"Don't underestimate the scholar. Mounting a horse can defeat thieves" ("Tai Xi"), "With the goal of thousands of miles in life, I will be the vanguard of the king holding the sword" ("Night Reading of the Book of War") are his unforgettable wishes. In the sentence "Cover the Great Wall", the poet uses Tan Dao, a famous Liu Song general, to illustrate his aspirations. This self-promise shows how majestic he was when he was young, defending the country and showing off his power in the border areas.
However, now the poet's anguish of unrealized ambitions all hangs over the word "empty". The ambition is in vain, the struggle is in vain, everything is in vain, but when I look at myself in the mirror, I will see the first spots on my temples, and my bright head. Comparing the two, they are full of sadness. This ending is not caused by the poet not fulfilling his ambitions or not trying his best, but by villains who mislead people and worldly things that hurt people. The author has the intention but God does not allow it. Sadness becomes anger.
"If you go out as a teacher, you will be truly famous in the world. Who can be compared to others in a thousand years!" The last couplet also uses allusions to express ambition. Zhuge persisted in the Northern Expedition. Although he "showed his true fame as an army", he eventually became famous all over the world, and "no one can compare with him in a thousand years." For thousands of years, no one can compare with it. It is obvious that the poet used the allusion to denounce the mediocre people who worked in the government and the public, indicating that his ambition to restore the Central Plains would also be "famous".
The poet cannot find comfort in reality, so he has no choice but to put his soul thirsting for comfort into the future. This is naturally a helpless move. The poet had no choice but to vent his anger and frustration. Through Zhuge Liang's allusions, he admires the achievements of the sages, showing that his patriotic enthusiasm will never change, and he is eager to imitate Zhuge Liang and display his ambitions.
Looking back at the entire poem, we can see that every sentence is filled with anger and every word is filled with anger. Use anger as poetry, and poetry will be full of anger.
In addition to the clever use of allusions, the whole poem also cleverly makes contrasts. One is the contrast between ideals and reality. I hoped that everyone could work together to resist the Jin soldiers, but the reality was that they were excluded and could not continue to fight, and the wish to restore the Central Plains could not be realized.
The second point is to compare his image in his early years with his image in his later years. In his early years, he looked "to the north of the Central Plains and his energy was as strong as the mountains." However, in his later years, "the mirror showed signs of fading on his temples", indicating that he wanted to kill the enemy and serve the country but failed. The grief and indignation of being repeatedly ostracized; the third point is to compare Zhuge Liang's generous Northern Expedition of the Three Kingdoms with the compromise and non-resistance of the Southern Song Dynasty court today, using the past to draw lessons from the present, with clear distinction between praise and blame.
The whole poem is full of melancholy emotions and rich charm, which is obviously inspired by Du Fu. These poems all come from his personal experience and are full of his feelings about political life, which are incomparable to those works that show off their talents.
Extended information:
1. Creation background
It was written by Chunlu when he was traveling in his hometown of Shanyin in 1186 AD (the 13th year of Chunxi reign of Emperor Xiaozong of the Song Dynasty). Lu You was sixty-one years old at that time, which was an age when time was no longer waiting for me. However, the poet was deposed and had been dismissed from office for six years. He was living in seclusion in his hometown with an empty title. Thinking of the broken mountains and rivers, the turmoil of the country, and feeling how difficult things are in the world, villains harming the country and "scholars have no place to serve alone", the poet burst out with anger.
2. Artistic characteristics
The beginning of the poem talks about the consciousness and ambition of youth. "I don't know how difficult the world is" means that I don't know how difficult the world is. In fact, if we want to restore the Central Plains, we will be blocked and sabotaged by the capitulationists. Therefore, the word "difficulty" is full of anger at the humiliation and surrender of the imperial court, and also contains the helplessness of having no way to serve the country. However, at that time, the poet's desire to restore the heroic spirit of the Central Plains was like a mountain.
This metaphor is very strange and apt. It can be associated with the highness of the mountain and the heroic spirit and lofty aspirations. It can also be associated with the perseverance and unshakable ambition from the solemnity and unshakability of the mountain. This is a portrayal of the poet when he was young. The next two sentences are the memories of the fight against the golden hero. Although there is no verb in them, a fierce battle scene is presented in front of the reader.
Showing a high fighting spirit is extremely inspiring. The poet highlights his dissatisfaction with the actual situation through the comparison between the past and the present, implying an emotion of resentment. Tan Daoji, a famous general in the Southern Song Dynasty, compared himself to the Great Wall. Li Ji, a famous general in the Tang Dynasty, was also compared to the Great Wall by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, poets should imitate their spirit and compare themselves with "blocking the Great Wall", thinking that they can become a hero who resists the enemy.
However, the ambition has not yet been fulfilled, but it has already flourished. This is a sad tone, expressing the extreme indignation against the capitulationists who are content and unwilling to resist the Jin Dynasty. Finally, by praising Zhuge Liang and lamenting that there was no one in the Southern Song Dynasty court who could compare with him, he expressed his anger at the court for not wanting to restore the Central Plains.
For a person who aspires to meritorious service but has no talent, and whose time is wasted and unable to do anything, can he not feel angry and sad? Although this poem does not use the word "angry", the pent-up "angry" in the heart is still vividly expressed between the lines, and its patriotism will always infect every reader.