This is the first time I have seen you.
Cicada droops like a tassel on a hat, its tentacles suck the clear dew, and its voice spreads from the branches of the straight Shulang tree.
This is the first time I have seen you.
Cicada is far away from cicada because cicada is on a tall tree, not relying on autumn wind.
original text
cicada
Yu Shinan [Tang Dynasty]
Cicada droops like a tassel on a hat, its tentacles suck the clear dew, and its voice spreads from the branches of the straight Shulang tree.
Cicada is far away from cicada because cicada is on a tall tree, not relying on autumn wind.
translate
Cicada hangs down its tentacles like a hat tassel and sucks the sweet dew. The continuous chirping comes from the sparse branches of the phoenix tree.
Cicada's voice can spread far because of its height, not by the power of autumn wind.
To annotate ...
Rui: the drooping part of the cap tassel tied under the chin of the ancients is somewhat similar to the shape of the tentacles protruding from the cicada head.
Dew: Pure dew. The ancients thought that cicadas lived by drinking dew, but in fact they sucked the juice of plants.
Flowing clouds and flowing water: refers to the continuous cicada singing.
Sparse: open and sparse.
Relying on: relying on.
Make an appreciative comment
This is a poem about objects, full of symbolic significance. Every sentence describes the shape, habit and sound of cicada, and every sentence implies the poet's noble character and interest. The deep meaning of chanting things is to praise people. The key of this poem is to grasp some specific features of cicadas and find artistic correspondence from them.
The first sentence is "hang down and drink clear dew", and "hang down" is the part of the hat belt tied under the chin of the ancients. Cicada's head has prominent tentacles, which look like a drooping crown tassel, so it is called "drooping". The ancients thought that cicadas were noble and drank dew, so they said "drink clear dew". This sentence is ostensibly about the shape and feeding habits of cicadas, but in fact it contains metaphors everywhere. "Hang" means official position (in ancient times, "crown tassel" was often used to refer to your official position). In the eyes of ordinary people, the status of such dignitaries is contradictory or even incompatible with "Qing", but in the author's pen, they are unified in the image of "hanging their heads and drinking clear dew". This unity of "Gui" and "Qing" is precisely because the "Qing" in three or four sentences does not need to be contrasted with "Gui", and the brushwork is quite ingenious.
The second sentence, "cicadas sing far and wide." Platanus acerifolia is a tall tree with sparse characters and clear branches. Corresponding to the last sentence "autumn wind", the flowing cicada has a pleasant long sound, and the word "Chu" is used to visualize the meaning conveyed by cicada singing, which seems to make people feel the loudness and strength of cicada singing. Although this sentence is only written by voice, readers can imagine the high level and elegant rhyme of the anthropomorphic cicada in Tsinghua. With this vivid description of the spread of cicadas in the distance, the drama of three or four sentences has taken root.
"A high voice is not affected by the autumn wind" is the crowning touch of the whole article. It is a discussion of poetry on the basis of the last two sentences. Cicadas spread in all directions. Most people often think that it is the autumn wind, but poets have different understandings, emphasizing that this is because of "high". This unique feeling contains a truth: people with high moral character can spread their reputation far and wide without some external support (such as the help of powerful people), just as Cao Pi said in Dian Lun Wen, "They don't forge good historical words, nor rely on flying momentum. Their reputation is autobiographical." What is emphasized here is the beauty and strength of personality. The word "self" and the word "non" in the two sentences echo each other, expressing warm praise and high self-confidence for people's inner character and showing a graceful demeanor. Emperor Taizong praised Yu Shinan's "Five Musts" for many times (virtue, loyalty, erudition, writing style and writing style). The poet's personalized "cicada" may have its own meaning. Shen Deqian said: "Every time a cicada sounds, it respects its sex alone." (Tang Poetry) This is really a broken theory.
Creation background
After Li Shimin succeeded Li Yuan, he became a bachelor of Hong Wen Museum in Shinan and became an important minister. However, he was never arrogant and diligent, which made Li Shimin full of praise for him and deeply appreciated him. Therefore, he was often invited to participate in some ceremonies. One day, Li Shimin was in a good mood and invited the bachelors of Hong Wen Pavilion to enjoy the scenery of the seawall and talk about poetry and painting. Li Shimin asked if there was a new poem, so Nan read it.
Brief introduction of the author
Yu Shinan (July 1 1558-638) was born in Yuyao, Yuezhou (now Zhenming Hechang, Guanhaiwei, Cixi City, Zhejiang Province). Calligrapher, writer, poet and politician from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and one of the twenty-four outstanding figures in Lingyange. Son of Li Yu, illegitimate son of Prince Chen, younger brother of Yu Shiqi, assistant minister of literature and history of Sui Dynasty. Yu Shinan is good at calligraphy, and he is also known as "the four masters in the early Tang Dynasty" with Ou Yangxun, Chu Suiliang and Xue Qi. Japanese academic circles called Ou Yangxun, Chu Suiliang and Yu Shinan as "three masters in the early Tang Dynasty". Bei Tang Shu Chao was compiled by Bei Tang Shu Chao, which is considered as one of the four great books in Tang Dynasty and one of the earliest books in China.