Zhouqiao

Zhouqiao

Zhou Qiao is the work of Fan Chengda, a poet of Song Dynasty. This poem was written when he passed Bianjing. The author uses a close-up to show the eagerness of the people in the enemy occupied areas for recovery and his dissatisfaction with the policy of peace without war. In the simple language, the whole poem depicts the eager and disappointed mood of the adherents who are looking forward to Wang Shi's return to the north.

Original works

Zhouqiao (1)

All of them are old royal roads.

The north and south of the bridge are Tianjie (4), and my father's old age is waiting to drive back (5).

When will the six armies come?

Note translation

Notes on words and sentences

(1) Zhou Bridge: it is named as Tianhan bridge. It is between Xuande gate and Zhuque gate in Bianliang (now Kaifeng City, Henan Province), and crosses the Bianhe river.

(2) rosefinch gate: there are three gates in the south of Bianjing (now Kaifeng City in Henan Province). The rosefinch gate is the middle one, which is the south gate.

(3) Xuande building: the main entrance of the palace.

(4) Tianjie: the street in the capital is called Tianjie. Here, Zhouqiao Nanbei Street refers to the imperial road where the emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty drove.

(5) father: refers to the people of Bianliang. Waiting to drive back: waiting for the emperor of Song Dynasty to drive back. Drive, the emperor's car.

(6) loss of voice: no cry. Inquiry: inquiry.

(7) six armies: in ancient times, it was stipulated that there were twelve thousand five hundred soldiers in the first army, and the emperor set up six armies. This refers to Wang Shi, the army of the Southern Song Dynasty.

Vernacular translation

On the northern and southern Tianjie streets of Zhouqiao, the Central Plains' fathers and elders stood in the south, looking forward to Wang Shi's return every year.

Unable to cry, he asked the emissary: when will our imperial army come?

Creative background

In 1170, Fan Chengda was sent to the state of Jin to cross the Huaihe River and set foot on the Central Plains. He was deeply moved. He wrote what he saw, heard and felt along the way into a volume of his diary "lanbulu" and a volume of his poems. He collected 72 seven character quatrains and cited what he saw as the title to express his thoughts of his homeland. This poem was written when I passed Bianjing.

Appreciation of works

Appreciation of literature

The four lines of this poem capture a vivid scene, with characters, environment, plot and dialogue, which can be seen as a small novel. The environment background is the first sentence. Zhouqiao is a special environment, because its north and South are the Royal Roads. The author does not directly write about his inner pain of national subjugation, but from the opposite side, about the feelings of his father and elder in the Central Plains. The pain of national bereavement was reduced to the misery of foreign countries, which made the fathers and elders in the Central Plains reluctant to live. Here, "father and elder" are the people of song and Jin Dynasties. Their nostalgia for their motherland is far deeper than that of the young people, so it is typical to let them appear. At the same time, this is also the truth. They have been looking forward to it for decades, and suddenly they see the envoys of the Song Dynasty. How many words should they have to say and how many tears they want to shed! But they forced to hold back, because although the humiliation was embarrassing, they hoped that the emotions of the officers and soldiers were the most intense. Next, two tearful questions, is the climax of the scene, but suddenly ended. From the content point of view, this is a more profound expression of the mood of the Central Plains people looking forward to the Northern Expedition; from the art point of view, ending at the top of the feelings is a wonderful way of poetry creation, which often plays an endless effect. This poem is just like this. When it reaches its climax, it stops abruptly, but it doesn't have all the meaning, but the lingering sound. The poet did not answer the questions of "father and elder" as an emissary, nor did he express his opinions in the tone of the author, but his feelings have been integrated with the facts and images described in the poem. If we have to imagine, Fan Chengda may be speechless, because the established policy of the Southern Song Dynasty rulers did not want to recover the lost land, which is very sad. Therefore, this poem also criticizes the surrender policy of the Southern Song Dynasty.

The creation of poetry often uses comparison and interest, but "Fu" - direct narration or description is also indispensable. In particular, direct narration is often more difficult than description, which requires the poet to have a keen eye, to grasp the typical details of the typical environment, and to pour his feelings into it. This is the characteristic of this poem. The typical details in the poem lie in two words - "wait" and "inquire". Every year, my father is waiting for the day when Wang Shibei decides the Central Plains. He almost looks through his eyes and almost turns into a stone. His strong desire and painful mood naturally melt into the word "wait". The tearful and voiceless "inquiry" vividly depicts the look of the father and the elder. The trembling figure is like in front of us, and the choking tone is especially close to our ears. It's really "too painful to read". And "when there will be" is more meaningful. I look forward to it in the morning, and I look forward to it in the evening. I miss it all the time. Standing by the State Bridge, I stare at it and look forward to it. "The tears of the adherents are exhausted in the dust of Hu, and it's another year for Wang Shi to look south." This is their understatement, because their eagerness has turned into disappointment again and again. And the poet's speechless, it can be said that "at this time, silence is better than sound.".

Comments on celebrities

Gao Shiqi: the native language of northerners, waiting for others, the poet is not useful. Fan Shihu's "Zhou Qiao" says: "Zhou Qiao's north and South are Tianjie, and my father is waiting to drive back in his old age." The word "etc" is also new. (Tianlu Zhiyu)

Pan Deyu: you can't read too much about the pain. This is the highest place of the seven wonders. It's super Su with Lao Du. (yangyizhai Shihua)

Kong Fanli: the tears of the adherents, the enslavement of the Jin people, the magnificence of the Central Plains, the ruins of the old capital, the heroic cause, the mistakes of the traitors, the confidence to recover, and the determination to finish the festival, all of which are the concentrated expression of the great patriotic thought. (Chronicle of Fan Chengda)

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Chinese PinYin : Zhou Qiao