Appreciation of Tao Yuanming's "A Tour of Xiechuan with Preface"
Appreciation of Tao Yuanming's "A Tour of Xiechuan with Preface"
[Preface] On the fifth day of the first lunar month of Xinyou, the weather was clear and the scenery was leisurely and beautiful. I went to Xichuan with Ersan Linqu. . Facing Changliu, looking towards Zengcheng, bream and carps leaped across the scales in the evening, and water gulls flew in and out. Those in Nanfu are old in name only, and it is a sigh of relief that they no longer exist. Ruofu Zengcheng has nothing to rely on. It is the only beautiful place in Zhonggao. I think of Lingshan Mountain in the distance, which has the name of Aijia. Appreciating the shortcomings, he took the lead in writing poems. I am sad that the sun and moon have passed away, and I am mourning that my years will not stay. Everyone is sparse in their hometown to remember their time.
At the age of fifty, I will retire after my lifetime. The thoughts are moving in my heart, and I am here to travel. The air is harmonious and the sky is clear, and the class is sitting in the distance.
The bream gallops in weak turbulence, and the gulls sing in the idle valley. Take a leisurely stroll around Jingze and look at Zengqiu. Although it is slightly beautiful, it is unparalleled in looking at it.
Carrying pots to pick up guests, and bringing in more rewards. I don’t know if it will be like this again from now on? In the middle of the cup, I indulge in distant feelings and forget about them for thousands of years.
I am very happy today, but tomorrow is not what I want.
In the tenth year of Emperor Yixi of Jin'an (414), the year of Jiayin (the "Xinyou" in the preface of the poem, according to Lu Qinli's textual research, should be the stem and branch of "the fifth day of the first month"), the author was fifty years old . On the fifth day of the first lunar month, "the weather was clear and the scenery was leisurely and beautiful." He and his two or three neighbors went on a trip to Xiechuan. The author feels that the passing of time has passed, and at the same time he is happy about the pleasant scenery. He can't help but express his joy and sorrow. This poem truly records the author's temporary state of mind when he was just half a century old. The location of Xiechuan is unknown, but it should be near Nancun where the poet lived.
The first four sentences of the poem describe the reason for the trip. Zhang Heng's "Si Xuan Fu" says: "The beginning of the year brings spring." The beginning of the year refers to the beginning of the year. With the coming of the new year, the poet has entered his fiftieth year (some engravings read "fifty" as "five days", which is not correct). The ancients said: "People live to be a hundred years old." ("Zhuangzi Robber Zhi") This often leads to people's lament that "the life span is less than a hundred years." Entering your fifties is just like the sun has passed noon and the year has entered autumn, which is very alarming. Kong Rong once said: "The age of fifty has suddenly arrived." ("On Shengxiao Zhangshu") The first sentence uses "shu", which has the same meaning, both showing that it has arrived unexpectedly, and that it has arrived unexpectedly. A feeling of surprise and emotion. When fifty-one comes, it is not far away from the time when we return to nothingness and life comes to an end. ("Huainanzi·Spiritual Training": "Death means return." "Shuowen": "Hits means cessation.") To " The thought moved me into my heart." So, on the fifth day of the lunar month, which was a prosperous and beautiful day, he made this trip.
The following eight sentences in the second section, "Qi and Tianweicheng", fully focus on the word "you". Under the clear blue sky, the tourists were sitting spread out. Landscapes and scenery are presented one by one: colorful fish are swimming in the stream nearby, and gulls are flying high in the empty valley. The author uses more colorful pen and ink to describe how those who travel and fly are so contented. The air and underwater are everywhere filled with vitality, which naturally also contains his joy and yearning. Looking from a distance, the lake is deep and wide, and the once (tong "layer") hills are towering, which also constitutes a beautiful scenery, which makes people feel far away. In particular, Zengqiu (referring to Mount Zhang on the edge of Mount Lu) not only reminds people of the majesty and purity of Kunlun Lingshan Mountain ("Book of the Later Han·Biography of Zhang Heng" annotated "Huainanzi" said: "Kunlun has Zengcheng, with nine layers and high Even if it is thousands of miles away, there is an immortal tree to the west"); and it is "unconnected and unique in Zhonggao" (although it is not as good as Zengcheng in Kunlun Mountain, which has nine layers). Looking at all directions, it is incomparable. It is also enough to enlighten people's personality cultivation. The preface says: "Appreciating the shortcomings, I took the lead in writing poems." We should be grateful to Zeng Qiu, because it was his inspiration that left this good poem to the world!
The three stanzas, "Carrying pots to receive guests", describe the attractive scenery and the joyful drinking of the neighbors, which made the poet feel grateful, "I don't know if it will be like this again from now on." This is an idea that people who have infinite love and persistence for life and beautiful things - the beauty of scenery, human relationships, and life written in the poem will naturally have. The author expresses all the feelings in people's hearts in simple and natural language. The ground was revealed.
The last four sentences describe the state of being half drunk and feeling far away. The ancients said: "If you are less than a hundred years old, you will always have the worries of a thousand years." ("Nineteen Ancient Poems"), but the author sings "forgetting the worries of a thousand years" with high spirits. His outlook on life is detached. He also said: "I am very happy today, but tomorrow is not what I want." This is a passionate praise for good days, beautiful scenery, beautiful couples, and wonderful travels issued by the author who has a broad mind and adds "in the middle of the world". , which is completely different from the decadent song of "there is wine today, and you will be drunk now, and you will be worried tomorrow."
Among Lu Xun’s inscriptions, there is a handwriting of this poem that he gave to “My Friend in Guangping” (see the “Appendix” of “Lu Xun’s Poetry Manuscript”). Although it is not signed and dated, it should be published with him. Several famous treatises on pottery evaluation are not far apart in time. It was written in the early thirties. From Lu Xun's love and affirmative attitude towards this poem, we can also get a glimpse of the influence of this poem on later generations.
(Cao Rongnan)