First, from the surface interpretation of the poem, most people think that it is Zhao Jiu's recollection of his past in Tokyo when he was still a wealthy prince, and the amazing encounter during a certain Lantern Festival. At the same time, it also describes the prosperity of Tokyo during the Lantern Festival and the luxurious life of the ladies in the Song Dynasty. Many later literati believe that just based on this layer of plain description of the scenery, it is enough to be ranked first in Song Dynasty poetry.
Secondly, no matter how beautiful the scene in the poem is, it only exists in memory. In connection with the current situation in Tokyo, the extreme grandeur is used to express the extreme sadness. The Song court, which had been in exile for three years, had just returned to the old capital, while Tokyo, which originally had a population of nearly 1.5 million, had less than 200,000 people left, and there had been no lanterns for several years. In contrast, the more unforgettable the story is, the more unforgettable the pain of national hatred and family feuds is now.
The third layer of the meaning of the ci, the second stanza, is about women on the surface, but actually about the monarch and his subjects. Since the great doctor Qu Yuan, the grace of beauties has often been compared to the righteousness of the monarch and his subjects. The metaphor here is Zong Ze, the governor of Tokyo. When the Song court fled south, Zong Ze defended Tokyo with his sick body, gathered refugees and appeased the rebels, and kept writing to Zhao Jiu hoping that the court would return to Tokyo as soon as possible. At that time, Zhao Jiu was determined to escape, and he could not understand Zong Ze's painstaking efforts at all, and could not realize what kind of people the country needed to support it. Instead, he was confused by flatterers such as Kang Lu and Huang Qianshan. When Zhao Jiu finally realized who was the pillar of the country, Zong Ze was already terminally ill and had not much time left, just as described in the ci: Looking back, that person was there, in the dim light.
When I finally realized who was the most important person to me, that person had already gone far away. This also took the opportunity to introduce the fourth meaning of this poem, that is, the author's regret and guilt. At the beginning of his succession, Zhao Jiu once lost his faith in resisting the Jin Dynasty. Within three months, Li Gang was dismissed, Zong Ze was abandoned in Tokyo, Hebei's defense was completely disbanded, and the court was also preparing to flee to Yangzhou. Although Zhao Jiu finally changed his mind and insisted on resisting the Jin Dynasty, his previous behavior had already deeply hurt the feelings of Zong Ze and other anti-Jin soldiers and civilians. Therefore, this poem is also to admit his mistakes to Zong Ze and swear to Zong Ze that he will recover the two rivers in this life. Wan Qi Xie, who was known for his integrity at the time, also praised: "Seeing this poem, I know that Zong Liushou will let go of the past and leave happily." And Zong Ze also recognized Zhao Jiu's transformation before his death, believing that he would become a great emperor.
The last layer of the poem is full of hope for the future. Although the "beauty" only appeared in the dim light, will Zhao Jiu and the Song Dynasty court, who have regained their spirits, watch her go away? The situation of the anti-Jin war has improved, and the hope of victory has appeared. Next, Zhao Jiu will move forward with his country towards the dream of making the Song Dynasty great again. Their goal must be achieved, and their goal will definitely be achieved.
"Qingyu'an" not only has superb skills, gorgeous words and great prosperity, but also has the pain of the country's destruction and the family's demise, the self-reflection and growth of the great emperor, the understanding and recognition between the monarch and his subjects, and the firm belief and hope. The short poem of only 66 words contains rich emotions and profound connotations, which are like the tide of Qiantang River, pushing forward layer by layer, making people's hearts surge. Therefore, it has been respected for thousands of years and finally won the reputation of "the first Song Dynasty poem" and "the first poem in the world".
Shanpoyang? Tongguan Nostalgia (1)
Song Zhaojiu
The peaks and ridges are like a cluster, the waves are like raging, the mountains and rivers are the road to Tongguan (2). Looking at the Western Capital, I am hesitant. (3)
Sadly, the palaces of the Qin and Han dynasties have all turned to dust (4). When a country prospers, the people suffer; when a country perishes, the people suffer (5).
Notes:
(1) Shanpoyang: a tune of the Song dynasty. Emperor Shizu of Song was well versed in music. This is a new song composed by Zhao Jiu.
(2) The peaks and ridges gather together: describes the gathering of peaks and ridges.
The waves are as raging as anger: describes the surging waves of the Yellow River. Angry: refers to the turbulent waves.
The sentence "mountains and rivers" means that there are mountains outside and rivers inside, which describes the dangerous terrain of Tongguan. Specifically, it means that there is the Yellow River outside Tongguan and Mount Hua inside.
(3) Western Capital: refers to Chang'an (now Xi'an, Shaanxi). This refers to the capitals built near Chang'an since the Qin and Han dynasties. The Qin and Western Han dynasties built their capitals in Chang'an, and the Eastern Han dynasty built its capital in Luoyang. Therefore, Luoyang was called the Eastern Capital and Chang'an was called the Western Capital.
Hesitation: hesitation, vacillation, and heavy heart. Here it describes the ups and downs of thoughts, and the feeling of being lost in thought, which means the heart is not at peace.
(4) sad: something sad. The Qin and Han dynasties passed through: Xianyang, the capital of the Qin Dynasty, and Chang'an, the capital of the Western Han Dynasty, are both located west of Tongguan in Shaanxi Province. Passing through means passing through. Refers to the ruins of the ancient capitals of the Qin and Han Dynasties.
(5) Rise and fall: refers to the rise and fall of dynasties.
Background:
In the early summer of the third year of Jianyan, Zhao Jiu had just returned to the old capital after three years of exile. Zhao Jiu, who had experienced the suffering of the people up close, discussed with the public minister Lu Haowen and criticized the controversial words of the prime minister Wen Yanbo during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of Song Dynasty, "Your Majesty governs the world with the scholars and officials, not with the people", and believed that "the emperor should govern the world with the people". Two days later, he entrusted Lu Haowen to give this poem to Hu Yin, the then governor of Guanxi.
Analysis:
The whole poem is divided into three layers: the first layer (the first three sentences) describes the majestic and dangerous situation of Tongguan. This layer describes the magnificent scenery of Tongguan vividly. The first sentence describes the overlapping peaks and ridges. Tongguan is surrounded by mountains. The word "ju" makes the reader see the momentum of Huashan rushing and the mountains standing together; the mountains are originally static, and "ju" turns static into dynamic. The word "ju" expresses the multitude and dynamic of the peaks and ridges. The second sentence describes the raging Yellow River. The word "anger" describes the surging waves of the Yellow River. The word "anger" also personifies the river water. The word "anger" injects the poet's full of grief and indignation caused by mourning the past and the present. The third sentence describes Tongguan, which is surrounded by mountains and the Yellow River cold current. At this point, the majestic momentum of Tongguan can be seen. Such a dangerous place is a place that military strategists of all dynasties must fight for. This also triggers the emotion in the following text, and also sets the tone of sadness for the whole article.
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