"Looking back at the bleak place" means: looking back at the windy and bleak place that I have walked past.

Source: "Ding Fengbo·Don't listen to the sound of beating leaves through the forest" - Su Shi of the Song Dynasty

Original text:

On March 7, in the middle of Shahu Road When it rains, the rain gear goes first. Everyone in the group is embarrassed, but I alone don't notice. It's already clear, so I wrote this (word).

Don’t listen to the sound of beating leaves through the forest, why not scream and walk slowly. Bamboo sticks and mango shoes are easier than horses, who is afraid? A coop of mist and rain will last a lifetime.

The steep spring breeze blows away the drunkenness, it is slightly cold, but the mountain tops are shining slantingly. Looking back at the desolate place where I came from, there was neither wind, rain nor sunshine.

Everyone felt embarrassed, but I didn’t feel so. After a while, the sky cleared up, so I composed this poem.

Don’t pay attention to the sound of rain hitting the leaves in the forest, why not let go of your throat and chant a long whistle and walk calmly. Carrying a bamboo stick and wearing mango shoes, I can walk more easily than riding a horse. I wear a raincoat and let the wind blow and rain, and still live my life!

The cool spring breeze wakes me up from the drunkenness, and it is slightly cold, but the setting sun on the top of the mountain welcomes me at the right time. Looking back at the windy and bleak place I came to, I walked back, no matter it was windy or rainy or sunny.

Notes:

Ding Fengbo: the name of the word brand.

Shahu: Thirty miles southeast of Huanggang, Hubei Province, it is also known as the screw shop.

Embarrassment: A state of embarrassment in which it is difficult to advance or retreat.

That’s it: after a while.

The sound of beating leaves through the forest: refers to the sound of heavy raindrops hitting the leaves through the forest.

Yin Xiao: chant and roar.

Mango shoes: straw sandals.

You can live your whole life in the mist and rain: wearing a raincoat and spending your whole life in the wind and rain, you can be calm. 一蓑 (suō): coir raincoat, a poncho made of brown.

Quiet: slightly cold.

Oblique light: westward sunlight.

Always: just now. Desolation: The sound of wind and rain blowing leaves.

Neither wind, rain nor sunshine: It means neither afraid of rain nor happy with sunshine.

Creative background:

This lyrical poem was written in the spring of the fifth year of Yuanfeng, Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty (AD 1082). At that time, Su Shi was demoted due to the "Wutai Poetry Case" The third spring of serving as the deputy envoy of the Huangzhou regiment. The poet and his friends were out in the spring and suddenly encountered wind and rain, but the poet didn't care, took it calmly, chanted calmly, and walked slowly.

Appreciation:

This poem is a poem expressing one's feelings after returning home drunk and encountering the rain. The poet uses his leisurely and unrestrained behavior in the rain to express his stubborn character and broad-minded mind that he is not afraid of being discouraged despite repeated setbacks in adversity. The whole poem is evocative of the scene and the language is humorous.

The first sentence "Don't listen to the sound of beating leaves through the forest", on the one hand, exaggerates the violent rain and wind, and on the other hand, the word "Don't listen" points out that external objects are not enough to linger. "Why not scream and walk slowly" is an extension of the previous sentence. Walking leisurely in the rain as usual, echoes the short preface "Everyone is in a panic, but I alone don't realize it", which also leads to the following "Who is afraid", that is, not afraid. Walking slowly and whistling, it is written twice; the word "why not" reveals a bit of playfulness, adding to the challenge. The first two sentences are the hinge of the whole article, from which the following sentiments are derived.

Walking in the rain, according to normal life, riding a horse is of course better than bamboo sticks and mango shoes, but Su Shi said: "Bamboo sticks and mango shoes are easier than horses, who is afraid?" This is of course not realistic, but a continuation. Write about your state of mind at that time. When you have a calm and leisurely mind, even walking in the mud with bamboo sticks and mango shoes is better than galloping away on horseback with whip raised. There is also a contrast between two lives, one is the civilian life of bamboo sticks and mango shoes, and the other is the aristocratic life of fat horses and light fur coats. After going through political ups and downs, Su Shi became more and more identified with this real, ordinary civilian life. "Bamboo stick" and "mango shoes" are important images used by Su Shi to express civilian life, and are often used in his poems, such as "First Arrival in Lushan": "Mango shoes and green bamboo sticks, hanging a hundred coins to travel." "Dongpo" ": "Don't be dissatisfied with the winding road in Potou, because you love the sonorous sound of the stick." "Living in Dinghuiyuan": "Don't ask about other people's houses or monks' houses, knock on the door with a stick and look at the bamboos." Although Su Shi was a scholar and a scholar. Although he is an official, he is a civilian artist who often goes deep into the folk and leads a civilian-like life. "Bamboo sticks and mango shoes" are Su Dongpo's typical civilian image and a true portrayal of his civilian personality. ?

Walking in wind and rain with bamboo sticks and mango shoes is a hard life, but Su Shi walked so gracefully and leisurely. Regarding this kind of life, he further motivated himself: "Who is afraid?" This means that I am not afraid of this kind of hardship and suffering. This is a rhetorical question intended to emphasize this attitude towards life. Why should we emphasize this attitude towards life? Because for Su Shi, this was his lifelong attitude towards life, so he said: "You can live your whole life under the mist." "A coir raincoat is in the mist and rain" means that the entire coir raincoat is in the mist and rain. In fact, it means that his whole body is exposed to the wind and rain. This "coop of smoke" also symbolizes the ups and downs of life and politics. And "Ren Shengsheng" means to let the wind and rain hit you throughout your life, but always remain calm, calm and optimistic. This sentence is simply a portrayal of Su Shi's life. He was constantly hit politically and was demoted again and again. In his later years, he was finally exiled to the barbaric Hainan Island. But mentally, he was never defeated and always maintained a lively and agile heart.

When he was demoted to Hainan Island, he was still able to write such pure sentences as "Who embellishes the scattered clouds and the bright moon, making the sky and sea clear." Su Shi was very fond of the image of "a coop of smoke and rain". He greatly admired the sentence "Green bamboo hats, green coir raincoats, no need to return in the slanting wind and drizzle" in the poem "The Fisherman" by Zhang Zhihe, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. He hated that the tune was not passed down, and changed it to "Huanxi Sha" The sentence from "" ("I protect myself in a light bamboo hat, and follow me everywhere in green coir raincoats") is included in the song.

Let’s look at the second part of the poem, which turns to the scene and feelings after the rain. "The sharp spring breeze blows the drunkenness, and it is slightly cold, but the mountain tops are shining slantingly." Here depicts an interesting and philosophical picture: on one side, there is a sharp spring breeze, and the author feels the slightest chill; on the other side, the mountains are slanting, and the author Feel some warmth. This is both a description of the scene and an expression of the philosophy of life. Isn't life full of dialectics? There is warmth in the cold, hope in the adversity, and joy in the sorrow. When you understand the dialectics of life, you will not be immersed in sorrow and frustration forever, but will feel a sense of warmth and a glimmer of hope in your slightly cold awakening. "The top of the mountain is shining obliquely but greeting each other" is a positive observation of life, a comprehensive view, and the sublimation of Su Shi's soul after experiencing hardships and blows. Su Shi also expressed this idea in two other lines of his poem: "After the bitter rain, the wind will clear up." It means that after the bitter wind and bitter rain, the sky will eventually clear up. ?

In fact, the above three sentences express only a Confucian state, which is a worldly attitude towards life. On this basis, Su Shi further understood life: "Looking back to the bleak place where I came from, there was no wind, rain, or sunshine." After returning, look at the place where it was windy and rainy just now, and see where there is rain and where there is sunshine. The so-called wind and rain and the so-called sunshine are just illusions in people's minds. Here Su Shi entered what Buddhism calls the "state of non-difference". From the perspective of Buddhism, "all phenomena are manifested by the mind", and all objects in the world are transformed by the mind. If the mind is calm, the world will naturally be peaceful. In fact, there is no difference between everything in the world. It is only because of our discriminating mind that everything in the world exists. If we enter a state of indifference in our hearts, how can there be any difference between everything in the world? Therefore, Buddhism advises people to "non-attachment", not to be attached to anything, and not to be bound by external things. Whether you succeed or fail, don't care too much. It's the so-called "not surprised by favor or disgrace". Su Shi expresses this kind of philosophy here. After returning home (the conversion of the soul can be understood), the soul enters a peaceful state. Looking at the wind, rain or sunshine in life, what difference does it make? All insignificant. He hereby advises people not to be frightened by the wind and rain, nor to be overjoyed by the sunshine, but to take everything in stride. This may seem a bit idealistic, but in fact it is a great realm of life, a great transcendence after understanding the universe and life. This also reflects Su Shi's personality realm. It should be said that Su Shi basically reached this realm in his life. After he was exiled to Hainan Island in his later years, he slightly changed these three sentences and wrote them into another poem "Sleeping Alone": "Xiaoran slept alone at the bright window at noon, and when he wanted to sleep, he could still hear the sound of drunken snoring. Looking back at the bleak place, There is neither wind nor rain." It can be seen that Su Shi used this to sharpen his personality and it continued throughout his life. The whole word ends with such a philosophical sentence, which is full of charm and thought-provoking.

About the author:

Su Shi, (January 8, 1037 - August 24, 1101), courtesy name Zizhan, Hezhong, Taoist Tieguan, Dongpo layman, Su Dongpo, also known as Su Xian, is a Han nationality from Meishan, Meizhou (Meishan City, Sichuan Province). His ancestral home is Luancheng, Hebei Province. He is a famous writer, calligrapher and painter in the Northern Song Dynasty, and a famous figure in water control in history. Su Shi was a literary leader in the mid-Northern Song Dynasty and made great achievements in poetry, lyrics, prose, calligraphy, and painting. His writing is bold and unbridled; his poems are broad in subject matter, fresh and vigorous, good at using exaggerated metaphors, and have a unique style. Together with Huang Tingjian, he is called "Su Huang"; His prose writings are grand and bold. Together with Ouyang Xiu, he is called "Ou Su" and is one of the "Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song Dynasties". Su Shi was good at calligraphy and one of the "Four Masters of the Song Dynasty"; he was good at literati painting, especially ink bamboo, strange rocks, dead wood, etc. Together with Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan and Ouyang Xiu, they are known as the "Four Great Masters of Eternal Writing". His works include "Dongpo Seven Collections", "Dongpo Yi Zhuan", "Dongpo Yuefu", "Xiaoxiang Bamboo and Stone Picture Scroll", "Old Trees and Strange Stones Picture Scroll", etc.