The author of "Crossing the Lingding Ocean" was Wen Tianxiang. This poem was written when he crossed the Lingding Ocean in the first month of 1279. The poem outlines his life experience and destiny, expresses his impassioned patriotic enthusiasm, his high moral integrity and his attitude of sacrificing his life for righteousness, which is the highest expression of the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation.

Original text "Crossing the Lingding Ocean" by Wen Tianxiang

(Southern Song Dynasty) Wen Tianxiang

After a hard encounter, only a few stars were 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? Leave your loyalty to reflect history.

Phonetic notation

Liao (liáo) panic (huáng) suffer (zāo)

History: In ancient times, when writing on bamboo slips, the bamboo pieces were first roasted with fire. To prevent insect infestation. Because the water in the bamboo slips evaporates like sweat, the slips are called history, and they are also called finals. This refers specifically to historical records.

Word explanation

Lingdingyang: that is, "Lingdingyang", now the Pearl River Estuary south of Zhongshan, Guangdong Province. Wen Tianxiang was captured by the Yuan army in December of the first year of Xiangxing's reign (1278), the last emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Bing. Commander Zhang Shijie. So Wen Tianxiang wrote this poem. "Hard work" sentence: recalls the early life and all kinds of hard work since becoming an official. Encounter means to be selected by the imperial court; Qiyijing means to pass the imperial examination and obtain an official position because of proficiency in a certain scripture. Wen Tianxiang became the first Jinshi in the fourth year of Emperor Lizong Baoyou's reign (1256). Gange liaoluo: liaoluo means deserted and sparse. This means that the war between the Song and Yuan Dynasties is coming to an end. Gange, two kinds of weapons, here refers to war. Solitary, desolate and desolate. The Southern Song Dynasty died this year (1279) and was unable to resist at this time. The four-week star: The Zhou star is the Sui star. The Sui star circulates in the sky for twelve years, so the Zhou star refers to the twelve years. The four stars are forty-eight years. Wen Tianxiang was forty-four when he wrote this poem. The four stars here are in whole numbers. Most of the old annotations refer to the four years since Wen Tianxiang responded to the imperial edict of King Qin in 1275. In fact, the first two sentences of this poem should be understood together, as they are the poet's review of his life experiences. "Mountains and rivers" sentence: Using duality and metaphorical rhetorical techniques, it links the fate of the country and the fate of the individual, vividly showing the precarious political situation, indicating that the national situation and the individual's fate are irreversible. Feng Piaoxu: Use metaphorical rhetoric to describe the situation of the country like catkins floating away, irreversible; Yu Daping: It is a metaphor for one's own bumpy life experience, like a duckweed in the rain, drifting without roots, rising and sinking. "Life experience" means life experience. Panic Beach: In today's Ganjiang River in Wan'an, Jiangxi Province, the current is very fast and dangerous, and it is one of the eighteen beaches of the Ganjiang River. In the second year of Jingyan's reign (1277), Emperor Ruizong of the Song Dynasty, Wen Tianxiang was defeated in Kongqian, Jiangxi Province, and retreated to Fujian via the panic beach. "Ling Ding" sentence: Looking lonely and helpless, lamenting the current situation and being alone and helpless. After the poet was captured, he was imprisoned in a warship in Lingding Ocean. Keep your loyalty and shine in history: Keep your loyalty and loyalty and shine forever in the annals of history. Loyal heart: red heart, a metaphor for loyalty. History: Because the water in the bamboo slips evaporates like sweat, the slips are called history. Specifically refers to the history books. One Classic: Confucian Classics.

Translation

Translation

My life’s hard experiences all began with a Confucian classic; four full years have passed since I led the rebel army to fight against the Yuan soldiers. difficult years. The great rivers and mountains of the motherland were shattered by the enemy's invasion, like catkins blown away by strong winds; my own life experience was also turbulent, like duckweed tossed and tossed by heavy rain. Thinking of the defeat in Jiangxi and the scene of (oneself) evacuating from the panic beach, the dangerous rapids and the severe situation still make people panic; thinking of the whole army in Wulingpo last year, being trapped in the enemy's hands, and now in the vast solitude In the ocean, I can only lament my loneliness. Since ancient times, who has never died? Sacrifice your life for your country, die a worthy death, (let me) leave this sincere heart to illuminate history!