The Book of Songs · Plucking Wei
In the past I have gone, and the willows are still there.
Today I come to think about it, it is raining and snowing.
(Translation)
Recalling that when we set out for the expedition, the willow trees were blowing in the wind;
Now on the way back, heavy snow is flying all over the sky.
Appreciation 1:
This is a famous sentence in the Book of Songs. It is like a painting, which vividly expresses the mood of a traveler who is away from home. When I went out, it was spring, and the poplars and willows were fluttering, but when I came back, it was already winter with rain and snow. It's hard to tell what he went through during the past year.
Appreciation 2:
"Plucking Wei" is an article in "The Book of Songs·Xiaoya". Annotators in the past have different opinions about the year of its writing. However, according to its content and the verification of other historical records, it is more likely that it is a work from the era of King Xuan of Zhou Dynasty. In the Zhou Dynasty, the yangnu (later known as the Xiongnu) in the north were very powerful and often invaded the Central Plains, bringing many disasters to the lives of the people in the north at that time. There are many records in history of the Emperor Zhou sending troops to guard the borders and ordering soldiers to send troops to defeat the wolves. Judging from the content of "Caiwei", it was probably written when soldiers were returning from hard work. The poem sings about the hard life and longing for home of the soldiers in the army.
The whole poem is divided into three chapters. The first three chapters are overlapped. It is about picking up the weeds and describing how the weeds are soft and strong. The soldiers in the garrison are far away from their hometown and have not returned for a long time. They feel homesick and worried. Endless! The author wrote: Shanwei, you have sprouted and been born. It’s time for us to go home! But in the blink of an eye, another year has passed and we can’t take care of our family. Why is this? We didn’t even have time to sit down for a while, also because of the lynx invasion. We need to attack! It’s time to pick weeds again. The weed leaves have grown up and the branches and leaves are tender. It’s time to go home! The sorrow in our hearts is so intense, we are rushing for the war, our garrison period is not yet determined, who can hardly bring us a letter home! Shanwei has grown strong and strong, it’s time to go home! It’s already October! But the king's affairs were not over yet, and he had no time to spare. His sadness was so painful, but no one came to comfort him! Chapters 4 and 5 are about the busy and tense border wars: What are the blooming flowers? It is the flower of Tangdi. The flourishing of flowers is used as a metaphor for the flourishing of the chariots, horses and costumes of the troops on the expedition: What is that big, big thing? That is the military chariot of the generals. The chariots have already been driven up, the horses are tall and strong, battles are frequent, and the army has to move. How dare you settle down? Driving four tall stallions, the generals sat on the chariot, and the infantry hid behind the chariot. The horses were powerful and powerful. The soldiers held elephant bone bows and fish skin quivers at their sides at all times. The war of aggression is so powerful and rampant, how can we not strengthen our vigilance every day? These two chapters describe the fierceness of the 烃狁 and the grand military power of the Zhou family's army, with strict discipline and strong soldiers. However, the life of a soldier is also difficult and tense. The author writes these things in a realistic way. Chapter 6 takes a turn and writes about the sad mood of the soldiers who suffered from hunger and cold on the way back home: I think of the willows with lush branches and leaves when I went out for the battle, but at this time, the journey back was snowy, the road was long, and the weather was cold. , hungry and thirsty, it can be said to be very embarrassed and miserable. Xie Xuan, a native of Jin Dynasty, regarded the four sentences "I am gone in the past" as the best poems among the 300 poems. It had a great influence on the history of literature. It is often chanted and imitated repeatedly by later generations of literati. Since the Book of Songs is known for its simplicity and simplicity, there are not many works of this kind that are so poignant and moving. Therefore, it has become a model of lyrical works in the Book of Songs and has been praised by writers of all ages.
The theme of this poem is serious. The ferocity of the wolf and the sergeants of the Zhou family are ready. The author, as a garrison sergeant, describes the solemn and majestic military force and the tense and difficult life of commanding generals and dispatching Wu servicemen to defend China at the order of the emperor. The author's patriotism is expressed through his hatred of the lynx. It is also expressed through the strong contrast between the narration of their devotion to their duties - "Don't forget to start a new home", "Don't forget to start a new place", "Don't dare to settle down", "How can I not avoid the sun" and their extreme homesickness in their hearts. The whole poem is set off with touching descriptions of natural scenery: the growth of Wei, the softness of Wei, the strength of Wei, the blooming of Tangdi flowers, the leaning of willows, the falling rain and snow, all of which highlight the soldiers' "sun precepts" life, but in their hearts. It is the feeling of longing for home. What is written here are the true thoughts of the soldiers. The sad mood does not reduce the value of this poem as a patriotic poem. On the contrary, it expresses people's innocence, simplicity, reasonable thoughts and emotions. It is this pure authenticity that gives this poem its strong vitality and appeal.
From the writing point of view, it uses the same Wei Qixing technique as many works in the Book of Songs, plus repeated refrains in composition and lexicon, so that the content and interest can be laid out layer by layer, and gradually It deepens and enhances the musical beauty and rhythm of the work. The whole poem contains narratives, discussions, scenery, lyricism, and psychological descriptions. The combinations are well-proportioned and very appropriate. Therefore, "Plucking Wei" is indeed one of the best chapters in the "Book of Songs".