on meeting li guinian down the river

Du Fu [Tang Dynasty]

It's common to see Qiwang's residence, and Cui Jiutang heard about it several times before.

It's the beautiful scenery in the south of the Yangtze River, and it's the time when flowers fall.

Translation

I often saw you and heard your songs in the houses of Qi Wang and Cui Jiu.

It's just the time when the scenery in the south of the Yangtze River is beautiful. I met you again in this late spring season.

Note

Li Guinian, a famous musician in the Tang Dynasty, was good at singing. It was very popular because it was favored by the emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty. After the "An Shi Rebellion", Li Guinian lived in Jiangnan and made a living as an entertainer.

Qiwang: Li Longfan (later renamed Li Fan), the younger brother of Li Longji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, is famous for his love of learning and talent, and his elegant temperament.

normal: often.

Cui Jiu: Cui Di, the ninth among the brothers, is the younger brother of Cui Shu, who was ordered by the secretariat. When Xuanzong was in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, he used to be a supervisor in the temple, and he was favored by Xuanzong. Cui was a famous surname at that time, which showed that Li Guinian was appreciated.

Jiangnan: This refers to the present area of Hunan Province.

flower falling season: late spring, usually referring to March of the lunar calendar. There are many meanings of falling flowers, people are aging and falling, and the social ills and chaos are among them.

jun: Li Guinian.

Creation background

This poem was probably written in 77 AD (the fifth year of Dali) when Du Fu was in Changsha. After the Anshi Rebellion, Du Fu drifted to the south of the Yangtze River, reunited with the exiled court singer Li Guinian, recalled the frequent meeting and listening to songs in Wang Qi and Cui Jiu's mansion, and wrote this poem with emotion.

Appreciation

Poetry is sentimental and indifferent. Li Guinian was a famous singer in the early years of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, who often sang in the aristocratic giants. Du Fu's talent was outstanding when he was a teenager, and he often went in and out of the doors of Li Longfan, the king of Qi, and Cui Di, the supervisor of Chinese book, and was able to appreciate Li Guinian's singing art. The first two sentences of the poem are recalling the contact with Li Guinian in the past and expressing the poet's concern for the prosperity of the early years of Kaiyuan. The last two sentences are feelings about the decline of state affairs and the drift of artists. Only four sentences sum up the vicissitudes of the whole Kaiyuan period (note: the Kaiyuan period was 713-741) and the great changes in life. The language is extremely plain, but the connotation is infinitely full.

Li Guinian was a famous singer in the Kaiyuan period. When Du Fu first met Li Guinian, it was in his high-spirited youth, at the time of "the flourishing age of Kaiyuan". Du Fu was appreciated by Li Fan, the king of Qi, and Cui Di, the secretary supervisor, because of his early talent, and was able to enjoy Li Guinian's singing in their mansion. In Du Fu's mind, Li Guinian is closely linked with the prosperous Kaiyuan era and his romantic adolescent life. Decades later, they met again in Jiangnan. At this time, the Tang Dynasty, which suffered from an Anshi Rebellion for eight years, has also turned from prosperity to decline, and the evening scenery of the two of them is also very bleak. This kind of meeting naturally easily triggered Du Fu's pent-up sense of infinite vicissitudes. This poem spans decades of vicissitudes of the times, social changes, and the description of the scenery embodies the poet's feelings about the decline of the world. The whole poem is full of profound rhyme and rich connotation, with a high degree of artistic achievement.

"It's common to see it in Qiwang's house, but I heard it several times before Cui Jiutang." I often saw your performances in Qiwang House. In front of Cui Jiutang, I also appreciated your art many times. Although the first two sentences are reminiscing about the contact with Li Guinian in the past, they reveal the deep nostalgia for the heyday of Kaiyuan. The next language seems very light, but the emotion contained is very heavy. "Qiwang", Li Fan, the younger brother of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and the son of Tang Ruizong (Li Dan), was named Qiwang, famous for his love of learning and talent, and elegant temperament. "Cui Jiu", named Di, is the younger brother of Cui Shu, the secretary of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He often goes in and out of the palace, is a favorite of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, and used to be a secretary supervisor. He ranks ninth among his brothers, so he is called Cui Jiu. "Qiwangzhai" and "Cui Jiutang" seem to be blurted out, but in the eyes of the parties, the names of these two literary celebrities in the heyday of Kaiyuan are enough to evoke good memories of the past. In those days, it was common to meet an art star like Li Guinian, but in retrospect, it was an elusive dream. When two poems are repeated and chanted, it seems as if they want to prolong the aftertaste. The feeling of heaven and earth contained here needs to be combined with the following two sentences to taste it.

"It's the beautiful scenery in the south of the Yangtze River, and it's the time when flowers fall." It's the beautiful scenery in late spring in the south of the Yangtze River. I didn't expect to meet your old acquaintance at the time of falling flowers. The past is gone, and the dream-like memories can't change the helplessness in front of us. The last two sentences' feelings about the decline of state affairs and the drift of artists summed up the vicissitudes of the whole Kaiyuan period. Jiangnan, with beautiful scenery, was originally the place where poets yearned for a pleasant tour in peacetime. Nowadays, I am really in the middle of it, but what I face is the wandering artists who are full of withered flowers and white heads. The "falling season" is not only an impromptu book, but also an intentional or unintentional interest. Readers who are familiar with the times and Du Fu's life experience will definitely think of the decline of the world, social unrest and the poet's decline and illness, without feeling that the poet is deliberately making metaphors. Therefore, this writing seems to be muddy. The two function words "exactly" and "you" have a turn and a fall, and they are even more between the lines, containing infinite feelings.

Author's brief introduction

Du Fu (712-77), with beautiful words, was called Shaoling Yelao, known as "Du Gongbu" and "Du Shaoling" in the world, Han nationality, a native of Gongxian County, Henan Province (now gongyi city, Henan Province), a great realistic poet in the Tang Dynasty. Du Fu was honored as a "poet saint" by the world, and his poems were called "history of poetry". Du Fu and Li Bai are called "Li Du" together, and in order to distinguish them from the other two poets, Li Shangyin and Du Mu, namely "Little Li Du", Du Fu and Li Bai are also called "Great Li Du". He is concerned about the country and the people, and his personality is noble. About 1,4 of his poems have been preserved, and his poetic skills are exquisite, which is highly respected in China's classical poems and has far-reaching influence. He lived in Chengdu from 759 to 766, and was commemorated by Du Fu's Caotang in later generations.