When we talk about poetry in the Song Dynasty, the most commonly used word is’ li qu ‘. In the Song poetry we appreciate, we will analyze the philosophy behind the surface meaning of language. This is a unique form of expression in poetry by Song Dynasty poets, and also the result of their innovative approach after the flourishing of Tang poetry.
For example, “I don’t know the true face of Mount Lu, only because I am in this mountain.” And for example, “There are three or two peach blossoms outside the bamboo, and the spring river water warms the duck.” There are rich philosophical and interesting hidden in them.
Riding a cow far past Qiancun, the short flute plays horizontally across the long distance.
How many Chang’an fame and fortune guests are inferior to you when all the tricks are exhausted.
This ancient poem is the “Shepherd’s Poem” by the Song Dynasty poet Huang Tingjian. Compared to Huang Tingjian’s other literary works, the popularity of this ancient poem is much lower. Although the word count is not long, it conveys a very useful truth about life in this world.
The title describes a shepherd boy, which is clearly the poet’s emotion upon seeing the shepherd boy. What kind of shepherd boy is this? In the eyes of poet Huang Tingjian, he is a shepherd boy riding a cow far past a mountain village, with his short flute playing across the long distance. And ‘blowing the piccolo horizontally’, playing the piccolo, the sound penetration is very strong. Although the distance is far, the poet can hear it clearly.
The first two sentences have already portrayed the leisurely and comfortable life of shepherds, which was actually expressed in many literary works during the Tang and Song dynasties. Have you not seen the exquisite pastoral poems of Wang Wei and Meng Haoran, which express the contentment and freedom of yearning for pastoral life?
These poets, at the beginning, must have pursued success in their careers and accomplishments, but in the end, they realized that all the struggles for fame and fortune were just empty moments, and only then did they suddenly miss the life in the countryside. As the last two lines of this ancient poem say, ‘How many Chang’an fame and fortune guests, but when all the tricks are exhausted, they are not as good as you.’.
Look at those people in Chang’an City who pursue fame and fortune, they have exhausted all their tricks and scheming, but they are not as carefree as you. The last two sentences are just a discussion, but it is evident that the longing for rural life is beyond words.
Whether today or in the era in which poets live. We are always surrounded by those who strive for fame and fortune, and use all their tricks. Many people consider it a necessity in their lives.
However, all the calculations involved in the machine ultimately led to the loss of Qing Qing’s life. People who work on calculations like this usually end up being calculated by others. Looking back on all of this, it’s really not as enjoyable as the shepherds living in the countryside. How delightful it was for them.
Although Huang Tingjian’s ancient poem has a low degree of circulation, the principles expounded in it still have enlightening significance for us today.
