"Spring Day" Song Dynasty (Zhu Xi)

The sun is fragrant on the Si River, and the boundless scenery is new. It is easy to recognize that in the east wind, there is always spring in a thousand colors.

Translation:

It is a beautiful and sunny spring outing on the shore of Surabaya, and the boundless scenery takes on a new look. Anyone can see the face of spring. The spring breeze blows flowers into bloom and becomes a riot of purple and red. Spring scenery is everywhere.

Creative background:

People generally think that this poem is the author's spring outing when he was outing in spring. According to the author's life, it can be known that the poem was written in Surabaya at the time. The land had long been occupied by the Jin people, and the author had never gone north to reach Surabaya.

Literary appreciation:

People generally think that this is a Wing Chun poem. Judging from the scenery written in the poem, it is very similar to this. The first sentence "Shengri seeks the beauty of the Surabaya coast", "Shengri" refers to a sunny day and points out the weather. "Surabaya Shore" indicates the location. "Xunfang" means looking for beautiful spring scenery, which highlights the theme. The following three sentences are all written about what is seen and gained in "Xunfang". The second sentence, "The boundless scene is suddenly new," describes the initial impression gained from watching the spring scenery. Use "boundless" to describe all the scenery within sight. "A moment of newness" not only describes the return of spring to the earth and the natural scenery taking on a new look, but also describes the author's refreshing and joyful feeling when he goes on an outing. The third sentence "Easy to know the Dongfeng side", the word "knowledge" in the sentence inherits the word "find" in the first sentence. "Easy to recognize" means that the face and characteristics of spring are easily identifiable. "Dongfengmian" also refers to spring. The fourth sentence "Everything is always spring" means that all the scenes are dyed with spring light, and people know spring from these thousands of purples and reds. Feel the beauty of spring. This specifically explains why we can "know the east wind side easily". The word "a thousand purples and reds" in this sentence echoes the word "a new situation" in the second sentence. The third and fourth sentences use figurative language to specifically describe the new situation and the gains from seeking fragrance.

From a literal point of view, this poem seems to be about the impressions of spring outing, but upon closer inspection, the location of the search for fragrance is the shore of Surabaya, which had long been occupied by the Jin people when the Song Dynasty was crossing south. Zhu Xi had never gone north, so of course it was impossible for him to travel to the shores of Surabaya to sing and sing in spring. In fact, the word "Sishui" in the poem refers to Confucius, because in the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius once taught students by singing string songs between Zhu and Si. Therefore, the so-called "seeking fragrance" refers to seeking the way of saints. "A thousand purples and reds" refers to the richness and variety of Confucianism. The poet compares the way of the saint to the spring breeze that stimulates vitality and ignites all things. This is actually a philosophical poem that embodies truth and interest in images.

Appreciation of famous sentences:

The first sentence points out the season and location of the trip, and the next three sentences describe what they saw and learned in "Xunfang". Spring returns to the earth, and the poet feels refreshed. It was this fresh feeling that made the poet know Dongfeng. It seems like a night of east wind blowing open the colorful flowers; and the scene of hundreds of flowers blooming, isn't it the vibrant spring? The poet proceeds from "searching" to "knowing", deepening step by step, and the word "new" governs the whole poem. But Surabaya is in Shandong, and Confucius once lectured and preached on the shores of Surabaya; but in the Southern Song Dynasty, that place had already fallen to the Jin Kingdom, so how could Zhu Xi go on a spring outing? It turns out that this is a philosophical poem.

Zhu Xi (1130.9.15-1200.4.23), Han nationality, had the courtesy name Yuanhui, also the courtesy name Zhonghui, his nickname Hui'an, later he was called Huiweng, his posthumous title was Wen, and he was also called Zhu Wengong.

The ancestral home is Wuyuan County, Huizhou Prefecture (now Wuyuan, Jiangxi Province) on Jiangnan East Road, and he was born in Youxi, Nanjian Prefecture (now Youxi County, Fujian Province). A famous Neo-Confucian, thinker, philosopher, educator, poet, and representative of the Fujian School in the Southern Song Dynasty. He was the master of Confucianism. The World Honored One called him Zhu Zi. Zhu Xi was the only one who was not a direct disciple of Confucius and was worshiped in the Confucius Temple. He was among the twelve philosophers in the Dacheng Hall.

Zhu Xi was a student of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi's third disciple Li Tong. He served as the prefect of Nankang in Jiangxi, Zhangzhou in Fujian, and governor of eastern Zhejiang. He was an upright and promising official and promoted the construction of academies. He served as a minister and lecturer of Huanzhang Pavilion and gave lectures to Emperor Ningzong of the Song Dynasty. He wrote many books, and compiled four books, "The Great Learning", "The Doctrine of the Mean", "The Analects of Confucius" and "Mencius", as textbooks.