Meeting Li Guinian is the most lyrical and meaningful poem in Du Fu's quatrains. There are only 28 words, but they contain rich contents of the times. This poem is sad and desolate.
The first two sentences of this poem are recalling the past communication with Li Guinian and expressing the poet's concern about the prosperity in the early years of Kaiyuan. The last two sentences are feelings about the decline of state affairs and the erratic artists. Only four sentences sum up the vicissitudes of life and the great changes of life in the whole Kaiyuan period. The language is extremely plain, but the connotation is infinitely rich.
Li Guinian, a famous singer in Kaiyuan period, often sang in the aristocratic giants. Du Fu's first encounter with Li Guinian coincided with his youth and the so-called "Kaiyuan Prosperity". At that time, princes and nobles generally loved literature and art, and Du Fu, because of his early talent, was extended by Li Longfan, the king of Qi, and Cui Di, the secretary, so that he could enjoy Li Guinian's singing in their mansion.
An outstanding artist is not only a product of a specific era, but also a symbol of a specific era. In Du Fu's mind, Li Guinian is closely connected with the prosperous Kaiyuan era and his own romantic youth life. Decades later, they met again in Jiangnan.
Dream-like memories can't change the present reality after all. "It's the beautiful scenery in the south of the Yangtze River, and it's the season of falling flowers." Jiangnan, with its beautiful scenery, was originally a paradise for poets in Chengping era. In the meantime, the poet really faced the "lost season" with withered eyes and the wandering artists with white hair.
The season of falling flowers is like an impromptu book and a special care, between intentional and unintentional. These four words are metaphors of the declining world, social unrest, the decline of poets and diseases, but the poet does not deliberately use metaphors at all, which is particularly confusing. In addition, the two function words "exactly" and "you" in the two sentences are full of ups and downs, and there are infinite feelings between the lines. The beautiful scenery in the south of the Yangtze River is in a strong contrast with the chaotic life experience of being divorced from the times and sinking.
An old singer and an old poet reunited in wandering, and the flowing scenery dotted with two haggard old people became a typical portrayal of the vicissitudes of the times. It mercilessly confirmed that the "Kaiyuan Shengshi" has become a historical relic, and an earth-shaking change has reduced Du Fu and Li Guinian, who experienced the prosperity, to an unfortunate level. Feelings are deep, but the poet wrote that "falling flowers meet the monarch again", but he accepted it in a dim way, and there was a deep sigh and painful sadness in silence.
Extended data
First, the original poem
Meet Li Guinian at the lower reaches of the river.
Author: Du Fu (Tang Dynasty)
In the Qi family, I often see your performances; Before urging the wine hall, I praised your art many times.
Never thought, in this Jiangnan scenic area; It is the season of falling flowers, and I can meet you, an old acquaintance.
Second, the vernacular translation
We often meet in the Qi Palace, and your music has been heard many times in front of Cui.
Now it's a beautiful scenery in the south of the Yangtze River, and Li Jun will be reunited when the flowers fall.
Third, the creative background
This poem was written in the fifth year of Tang Daizong Dali (770), and Du Fu was in Tanzhou (now Changsha, Hunan). When Du Fu was a teenager, he was brilliant. He frequented the gates of Li Longfan, King of Qi, and Cui Di, Supervisor of Chinese Book, and was able to appreciate the singing art of court singer Li Guinian. After the Anshi Rebellion, Du Fu drifted to the south of the Yangtze River.
In March of the fourth year of Dali (769), Du Fu left Yueyang for Tanzhou, where he stayed until the following spring, and reunited with Li Guinian, who lived in Jiangju Pond. He recalled the frequent meeting and listening to songs in the residence of Qi Wang and Cui Jiu, and was deeply moved, so he wrote this poem. "Friends of Cloud Creek" said: "Ming Di was fortunate in Minshan, and all the officials were humiliated, and their bodies were lying across the Central Plains, and the gentry drove with the car. Lingguan: Zhang Yehu Lifu, Lei Haiqing Pipa, Li Guinian singing, Gong Sundaniang sword dancing ... Only Li Guinian ran to the river beach, and Du Fu wrote a poem for it:' Common Wang Qi's house ... When the flowers fell, he saw the monarch again. "
Baidu Encyclopedia-Meeting Li Guinian Downstream