Wen Tianxiang's famous poem "Leave a loyal heart to illuminate history" comes from "Crossing the Lingding Ocean".
Original text:
After all the hardships, only a few stars are scattered around.
The mountains and rivers are broken and the wind flutters, and the life experience is ups and downs.
Afraid to say panic on the beach, sigh alone in the ocean.
Who has never died since ancient times? Keep your loyalty and reflect on history.
Translation:
Looking back on the hardships I went through in my early years from the imperial examination to becoming an official, four hard years have passed since the war subsided.
The country is in danger like catkins in the strong wind, and the ups and downs in one's life are like duckweeds in the rain, drifting without roots, rising and sinking.
The disastrous defeat in Panfengtan makes me still panic to this day. It is a pity that I was trapped in Yuanlu alone in the ocean and I have been helpless since then.
Since ancient times, people are bound to die! If you can be loyal to the country, you will still be able to shine for thousands of years after your death and leave your name in history.
Notes:
1. Lingdingyang: Lingdingyang is "Lingdingyang". Now outside the Pearl River Estuary in Guangdong Province. At the end of 1278, Wen Tianxiang led his army to fight a fierce battle with the Yuan army in Wupoling, Guangdong. He was defeated and captured. He was imprisoned on a ship and crossed the Lingding Ocean.
2. Encounter: encountered selection by the imperial court.
3. Qi Yi Jing was appointed as an official by the imperial court because he was proficient in a certain scripture and passed the imperial examination. Wen Tianxiang passed the examination at the age of twenty.
4. Fighting: refers to the war against the Yuan Dynasty. liao (liáo): desolate and desolate. One is "Luoluo". Four weeks of stars: the fourth anniversary. Wen Tianxiang started fighting against the Yuan Dynasty in 1275 and was captured in 1278, which lasted for four years.
5. Catkins: Catkins.
6. Ping: duckweed.
7. Panic Beach: In today's Wan'an County, Jiangxi Province, it is a dangerous shoal in the Gan River. In 1277, Wen Tianxiang was defeated by the Yuan army in Jiangxi. The army he led suffered heavy casualties, and his wife and children were also captured by the Yuan army. He withdrew to Fujian via Panpantan.
8. Lingding: lonely and helpless.
9. Loyal heart: red heart, a metaphor for loyalty.
10. History: Tonghanzhu, annals of history. In ancient times, abbreviations were used to dry the water with fire. After drying, they were easy to write and were not eaten by insects. It was also called history.
Appreciation:
The first couplet "Qiyi Jing" should refer to Tianxiang who was a Jinshi in his twenties. "Four Stars", Wen Tianxiang raised troops to serve the king in the first year of Deyou (1275), and was captured in the first year of Xiangxing (1278), exactly four years ago. This self-narration of life, thinking about the present and recalling the past. From the perspective of time, we can pick out "joining the world" and "king of diligence", one is about personal origin, and the other is about the country's peril, two major events, one is loyal. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, if a person wanted to make a contribution to the country, he had to become an official. To become an official, as an intellectual, he had to pass the imperial examination, and to pass the examination, he had to read scriptures. When Wen Tianxiang was killed, he left a piece of his own name in his belt. The praise article says: "Reading the books of saints and sages, whatever you have learned, now and in the future, you will have no regrets." This ties these two things together. The writings of saints are called scriptures, and scriptures are used to govern the country and bring peace to the country. These two poems talk about two things, which seem to be separate and independent, but in fact they are connected together. The meaning of "Gange Luoluo" is similar to "Gange Luoluo". "The Book of the Later Han·Biography of Geng Yan" notes "Luoluo Nanhe": "Luoluo is still sparse and wide." Shukuo means sparse and scattered, which has the same meaning as liaoluo. "History of the Song Dynasty" says that at that time, Xie Hou sent the emperor's edict, and very few people responded. The situation described here is consistent with historical facts.
Zhao Lian then elaborates and elaborates in depth from both the national and personal aspects. Since the Song Dynasty abandoned Lin'an, Emperor Gong Zhao was captured and was actually destroyed. All that was left was that the local military and civilians organized themselves to resist. Duanzong Zhao Yu, who was supported by Wen Tianxiang, Zhang Shijie and others, died of panic while fleeing. Lu Xiufu restored Zhao Bing, who was eight years old, to build a palace in Yashan and to live in exile. He used the word "broken mountains and rivers" to describe this situation, and added the word "wind fluttering catkins" , the image is vivid, but the mood is gloomy. At this time, Wen Tianxiang's mother was captured, his wife and concubines were imprisoned, and his eldest son was lost. He was really like a duckweed on the water, helpless and desolate.
The neck couplet continues to trace the different situations and moods of the past and present. In the past, I was scared on the beach, worried about the country and the people, and sincere and fearful; now I am alone on the ocean, feeling lonely. Panpan Beach is one of the eighteen beaches in Ganjiang River. The water flow is fast and scary. The original name was Huanggongtan, but due to similar pronunciation, it was mistakenly called Huanggongtan. The beach is located in the Ganjiang River in today's Wan'an County, Jiangxi Province. Wen Tianxiang passed by here when he raised troops to serve the king. Lingding Yang was located outside Yashan, fifteen miles away from the Pearl River in present-day Guangdong Province. It was now named Lingding Yang. Wen Tianxiang was defeated and captured and escorted here.
The former is reminiscence, the latter is the current reality, both are experienced personally. One is a general and the other is a prisoner. Therefore, when facing a powerful enemy, generals may not be able to complete their mission of defending their territory and restoring their country, and they feel anxious and uneasy. As a prisoner, I am alone, with only one person. Here, "wind flutters with catkins", "rain beats with pings", "panic beach" and "lonely ocean" are all in front of you, you can pick them up at your fingertips, the dialogues are neat, the words are natural, and the images are vivid, revealing a cavity of grief and anger and tears of blood.
The last line of the couplet changes direction and suddenly goes forward, from the present to the future, pushing aside the reality and revealing the ideal. Such a conclusion is like ringing a bell, and the clear sound echoes through the beams. The tone of the whole poem suddenly changes, from melancholy to pioneering, bold, and free and easy. "No one has died in life since ancient times, and his loyal heart will illuminate history." Let your sincere heart be like a fire, shining on the annals of history, illuminating the world, and warming life. Use the word "zhao" to show that you are radiant and heroic. It is said that Zhang Hongfan saw Wen Tianxiang's poem, especially the two lines at the end, and said: "Good man, good poem!" It is true that Wen Tianxiang integrated poetry and life, poetic style and personality. A masterpiece for the ages, with a high mood, it inspires and inspires countless people with lofty ideals throughout the ages to make heroic sacrifices for the cause of justice.
Creative background:
This poem was dated to the second year of Song Xiangxing (1279 AD). In the first year of Xiangxing of the Song Dynasty (1278), Wen Tianxiang was defeated and captured in Wupoling, north of Haifeng, Guangdong. He was taken to a ship and wrote this poem when he crossed the Lingding Ocean the following year. After being escorted to Yashan, Zhang Hongfan forced him to write a letter to recruit Zhang Shijie, Lu Xiufu and others who were sticking to Yashan to surrender. Wen Tianxiang showed this poem to clarify his ambition.
About the author:
Wen Tianxiang (1236.6.6-1283.1.9), also known as Lushan and Songrui, named himself Wenshan and was a Taoist in Fuxiu. Han nationality, native of Luling, Jizhou (now Ji'an County, Jiangxi Province), minister, writer and national hero in the late Southern Song Dynasty. In the fourth year of Baoyou's reign (1256), he was promoted to Jinshi, and became Prime Minister and Privy Envoy. He was sent to the Yuan army's camp to negotiate and was detained. After escaping the danger, he passed through Jizhuang, Gaoyou, to Tangwan, Tai County, and returned south from Nantong, persisting in resisting the Yuan Dynasty. In the first year of Xiangxing (1278), he was defeated and captured by Zhang Hongfan. He persisted in fighting in prison for more than three years, and then died calmly in Chaishi. He is the author of "Crossing the Lingding Ocean", "Wenshan Poetry Collection", "Guide Record", "Guide Post Record", "Song of Righteousness" and other works.