Magpie Bridge Immortal

Qin Guan

The thin clouds make tricks, the flying stars spread hatred, and the silver and Han are far away in darkness. As soon as the golden wind and jade dew meet, they will defeat countless people in the world.

Tenderness is like water, good times are like dreams, and I can’t bear to look at the Magpie Bridge on the way home. If the love between two people lasts for a long time, how can they be together day and night?

Notes:

Magpie Bridge Immortal: This tune is dedicated to the meeting of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl on the Chinese Valentine's Day. I first saw Ouyang Xiu's lyrics, which included the sentence "Quie Yingqiao Road connects Tianjin", hence the name. Also known as "Golden Wind and Jade Dew Encounter Song", "Guanghan Autumn", etc. Double tone, fifty-six characters, oblique rhyme.

Xianyun Nongqiao: It means that the thin clouds are changeable and show many delicate patterns.

Flying Star: Meteor. One theory refers to the two stars Morning Glory and Weaver Girl.

Yinhan: Galaxy. Far away: far away. Darkness: Pass quietly.

Golden Wind and Jade Dew: refers to the white dew in the autumn wind. Li Shangyin's "Xinwei Qixi Festival": "The origin of the blue sky is falling on the bank of the Milky Way, but it's time for the golden wind and jade dew."

Golden Wind: Autumn wind, autumn belongs to gold among the five elements. Yulu: autumn dew. This sentence means that they met on Chinese Valentine's Day.

Can't bear to look back: How can I bear to look back.

Chaochaomumu: refers to getting together day and night. The words come from Song Yu's "Gaotang Fu".

Commentary:

"Magpie Bridge Immortal" was originally a piece of music composed to sing the love story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. The content of this poem is also about chanting this myth.

Using the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl to express the joys and sorrows of the world in a superhuman way has existed since ancient times, such as "The Faraway Altair" in "Nineteen Ancient Poems" and Cao Pi's "Singing Songs" , Li Shangyin's "Xinwei Qixi" and so on. Ouyang Xiu, Liu Yong, Su Shi, Zhang Xian and others in the Song Dynasty also chanted this theme. Although the words and sentences were different, they all followed the traditional theme of "joy is short", with a sad and sad style. In contrast, Qin Guan's words can be said to be unique and witty, with lofty intentions.

The first film depicts the grand occasion of a reunion at a good time. The two lines "weaving clouds and making tricks" add to the atmosphere of the annual gathering of Cowherd and Weaver Girl. The ink is economical and the brushstrokes are light. The sentence "Yinhan" describes the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl crossing the river to attend the meeting to advance the plot. The two sentences "Golden Wind and Jade Dew" change from narration to discussion, expressing the author's ideal of love: Although they rarely meet, they are close to each other and share the same interests. Once they get together, in the cool autumn wind and white dew, they talk to each other sincerely and express their feelings. Speech from the heart is so poetic and picturesque! Isn’t this far better than those couples in the world who have been together forever but seem to be inseparable?

The next film is about Yiyi’s feelings of farewell. "Tenderness is like water", the scene in front of you is used to describe the lingering love of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, just like the long flowing water in the Tianhe River. "A good time is like a dream" not only highlights the brevity of the reunion, but also truly reveals their dreamlike state of mind after a long separation. "Enduring the Return of the Magpie Bridge" describes the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl's attachment and melancholy before their farewell. Instead of saying "bearing to step on" and saying "bearing to look at", the meaning is deeper: looking at it, you still can't bear it, let alone other things? The two sentences "If the love is the same" express affectionate consolation to the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl: As long as the love lasts until death, why should we covet the happiness of each other? This shocking, deafening and enlightening stroke elevates the entire poem to a new level of thought.

Obviously, the author denies the vulgar life of joy and happiness, and praises the everlasting and loyal love. Under his careful refinement and ingenious conception, ancient themes are transformed into sparkling pen and ink, bursting out with dazzling sparks of thought, thus eclipsing all mediocre romance works.

This poem combines lyricism, scene description, and discussion. The artistic conception is novel, the idea is ingenious, and the approach is unique. The writing is natural, smooth and graceful, with a lasting aftertaste.

Collection review:

Zhang Yanjin's "Selected Analysis of Tang and Song Ci": Qin Guan's "Magpie Bridge Immortal" is unique and colorful, and it is a good work full of creative spirit. It neither laments that we will be separated from each other, nor expresses our longing for each other. But he came up with his own words to sing the praises of unswerving, sincere and unfailing love.

Shen Zufen's "Appreciation of Song Ci": The concluding sentences of the first and second parts of this poem both express the poet's different views on love. He denied the vulgar life of joy and pleasure, and praised the everlasting loyal love. This was commendable at the time.

"Literary and Historical Knowledge" (1982.12): The first part of Qin Guan's "Magpie Bridge Immortal" expresses his emotion with "The golden wind and jade dew meet, and they win over countless people in the world." The lyricist in the second part expresses his emotion. Turning it over to the next level, it tells the true meaning of love: "If two people are in love for a long time, how can they stay together day and night?" These words of warning, which are precious and ring like gold and stone, are the key to the long-lasting spread of this poem and its enduring popularity.