"The wild flowers are gradually enchanting the eyes, and the shallow grass has no horse hooves" comes from "Spring Tour at Qiantang Lake" by Bai Juyi, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty. It is often used as a metaphor for people who gradually become addicted to the most indulgent and evil things.
Original text
Spring Trip to Qiantang Lake
Bai Juyi? [Tang Dynasty]
North of Gushan Temple and west of Jia Pavilion, the water surface is initially flat with clouds Feet low.
Early orioles are vying for warmth in several places, while new swallows are pecking at the spring mud.
The wild flowers are becoming more and more charming, and only in Asakusa can there be no horse hooves.
My favorite lake is the east side of the lake, with its green poplar shade and white sand embankment.
Translation
Walking around the north of Gushan Temple and west of Jiagong Pavilion, the lake water has just risen and is level with the shore, and the white clouds are hanging very low.
A few early orioles are vying to roost in the sunny trees, and the newly arrived swallows are busy building nests and carrying mud.
The wild flowers blooming are dazzling, and the spring grass has not grown tall enough to just cover the horses' hooves.
My favorite scenery in the east of the lake is unforgettable, with rows of willows crossing a white sand embankment.
Notes
⑴ Qiantang Lake: the West Lake in Hangzhou.
⑵Gushan Temple: Built in the early years of Emperor Chen Wen (522-565) during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it was named Chengfu and renamed Guanghua in the Song Dynasty. Gushan: Located between the inner and outer lakes of West Lake, it is called Gushan because it is not connected to other mountains. There is Gushan Pavilion on it, which overlooks the panoramic view of West Lake. Jia Ting: Also called Jia Gong Ting. One of the scenic spots in West Lake, it was built by Jia Quan of the Tang Dynasty. During the Zhenyuan period of the Tang Dynasty (785-805 reign of Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty), Jia Quan served as the governor of Hangzhou and built a pavilion at Qiantang Lake. Known as "Jia Ting" or "Jia Gong Pavilion", the pavilion was built in the late Tang Dynasty.
⑶The water surface is initially level: The lake water is just level with the embankment, that is, the spring water is beginning to rise. Chu: used as an adverb in ancient Chinese, often used to express time, which means soon. The clouds have low feet: white clouds overlap one another and are connected with the waves on the lake. It seems that the floating clouds are very low, so it is said that the clouds have low feet. Point out the starting point and route of the spring outing, and focus on describing the scenery of the lake. It is more common when it is about to rain or when it first stops raining. Cloud base: clouds close to the ground, often seen when it rains or when it first stops raining. The original meaning of "foot" refers to the walking organ of humans and animals. This refers to low-hanging clouds.
⑷Early oriole: The oriole that comes early in early spring. Oriole: Oriole, with a melodious song. Fighting for the warmth of the tree: Fighting to fly to the sunny branches. Nuan Shu: A sunny tree.
⑸New swallows: Swallows that have just returned from the south. Pecking: picking up. Swallows build nests with mud in their mouths. When I look up during the spring trip, I can see the singing and dancing of orioles, which is full of life and charm. Focus on birds.
⑹ Indiscriminate flowers: numerous flowers. Gradually: adverb, gradually. Desire: adverb, will, will. Charming eyes: dazzling.
⑺Asakusa: shallow green grass. Talent: Just enough. 无 (mò): cover up, cover up. As you look down on your spring trip, you will see flowers blooming, tender grass, and a sense of spring. Focus on flowers and plants. The shallow grass is just enough to cover the horses' hooves.
⑻ Hudong: Taking Gushan as a reference, Baisha Di (i.e. Baidi) is to the northeast of Gushan. Inadequacy of travel: Never tire of traveling. Satisfied.
⑼Yin: Same as "yin", referring to the shade of trees. Baisha Embankment: Today's Baisha Embankment, also known as Sand Embankment and Broken Bridge Embankment, is located on the east bank of West Lake and existed before the Tang Dynasty. The White Causeway built by Bai Juyi when he was the governor of Hangzhou is another one outside Qiantang Gate.
Appreciation
This is a famous poem describing the beautiful scenery of West Lake. This poem closely follows the characteristics of the environment and seasons, and depicts the West Lake, which has just put on the coat of spring, as full of life and just right.
The first couplet of the poem closely follows the title and always writes about lake water. The previous sentence points out the location of Qiantang Lake and the scene of "different buildings and views" around it. The two place names are used together, showing that the poet is walking and watching at the same time. The latter sentence describes the color of the lake on the front: the spring water has just risen, the water surface is flush with the embankment, the white clouds rolling in the sky and the rippling waves on the lake surface are connected, which is the typical water form of the spring lake in the south of the Yangtze River.
The couplets change from static to dynamic, from the freehand brushwork of the panorama to the fine brushwork of the details. First, write about the birds you see when you look up. The orioles are singing and the swallows are dancing, showing the vitality of spring. Both orioles and swallows are messengers of spring. The oriole's gentle song spreads the good news of spring's return to the earth; the swallow is diligent and inspires people to start spring work, all of which express the vitality of early spring. The word "several places" outlines the echoes of the singing songs and the poet's mood of searching for sounds. The question of "whose family" also shows the poet's delicate psychological activities and makes the readers have rich associations.
The neck couplet is written looking down at the flowers and plants seen. Because it is early spring and the flowers are not in full bloom yet, what you can see is not the colorful flowers blooming everywhere, but clusters in the east and clusters in the west, which can be described as "chaotic". The spring grass has not yet grown lushly, and is only as long as a horse's hoof, so I use the word "shallow" to describe it. The "gradual desire" and "talent" in this couplet are the poet's feelings and judgments of observation and appreciation, which turn the objective natural scenery into the scenery in the poet's eyes with subjective emotional color, making the readers infected.
Creative background
In July of the second year of Changqing (822 AD, during the reign of Emperor Mu Zong of the Tang Dynasty), Bai Juyi was appointed governor of Hangzhou. In the first year of Baoli (825 AD, during the Tang Dynasty) In March of the Jingzong period), he served as the governor of Suzhou, so this poem "Spring Journey to Qiantang Lake" was written in the spring of the third or fourth year of Changqing (823 and 824 AD).
Introduction to the author
Bai Juyi (772-846), whose courtesy name was Letian, also known as Xiangshan Jushi, and Mr. Zuiyin, was originally from Taiyuan. He moved to Xiagui when his great-grandfather was born. in Xinzheng, Henan. He was a great realist poet in the Tang Dynasty and one of the three major poets in the Tang Dynasty. Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen jointly advocated the New Yuefu Movement, known as "Yuan Bai" in the world, and "Liu Bai" together with Liu Yuxi. Bai Juyi's poetry has a wide range of themes, diverse forms, and simple and popular language. He is known as the "Poetry Demon" and the "Poetry King". He became a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy and a doctor of Zuo Zanshan. In 846 AD, Bai Juyi died in Luoyang and was buried in Xiangshan. There is "Bai's Changqing Collection" handed down from generation to generation, and his representative poems include "Song of Everlasting Sorrow", "Charcoal Seller", "Pipa Play" and so on.