Interpretation: Who can live forever since ancient times? I want to leave a piece of patriotic loyalty reflected in the annals of history.

This poem comes from "Crossing the Lingding Ocean" written by Wen Tianxiang of the Song Dynasty:

After a hard encounter, only a few stars fell around in the fight.

The mountains and rivers are broken, the wind flutters and the catkins float, and the life experience is ups and downs, and the rain and the rain are scattered.

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

Recalling the hardships I experienced in my early years when I entered the official career through the imperial examination, it has been four years since the war broke out.

The country is in danger like willow catkins in the strong wind, and the ups and downs of my life are like duckweeds drifting in the rain with no roots, rising and sinking.

The disastrous defeat in Panpantan makes me still panic. Ling Dingyang was trapped in Yuanlu, but I felt lonely and alone.

Who can live forever since ancient times? I want to leave a piece of patriotic loyalty reflected in the annals of history.

Extended information

Wen Tianxiang (June 6, 1236 - January 9, 1283), whose first name was Yunsun, and whose courtesy name was Song Rui, had a good character. The Taoist name is Fuxiu Taoist and Wenshan. A native of Luling, Jizhou, Jiangxi (now Futian Town, Qingyuan District, Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province), he was a politician, writer, patriotic poet in the late Southern Song Dynasty, a famous anti-Yuan minister, and a national hero. He was also known as Lu Xiufu and Zhang Shijie. "Three Heroes of the Late Song Dynasty".

In the fourth year of Baoyou's reign (1256), he ranked first in Jinshi.

In May of the second year of Jingyan (1277), he attacked Jiangxi again, but was finally defeated and retreated to Guangdong due to the situation alone.

In December of the first year of Xiangxing (1278), he was captured in Wupoling (now Haifeng North, Guangdong).

In 1279, Zhang Hongfan, the marshal of the Mongolian and Han armies of the Yuan Dynasty, escorted him to Yashan (now south of Xinhui) and ordered Zhang Shijie to be surrendered. Wen Tianxiang refused and passed Lingding Ocean on the way, so he wrote the poem "Crossing Lingding Ocean" to express the depression of the country and family. The second half of this poem expresses the author's patriotism, embodies his high moral integrity, and his outlook on life of sacrificing himself for righteousness, and fully embodies his national spirit.

Wen Tianxiang was upright and would rather die than surrender. He died in Dadu on the ninth day of December in the nineteenth year of Yuan Dynasty (January 9, 1283). Aged 47.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Wen Tianxiang