"Fisher's Song" by Zhang Zhihe

In front of Xisai Mountain, egrets fly, and peach blossoms flow into the flowing water, where mandarin fish are fat.

Green bamboo hats, green coir raincoats, slanting wind and drizzle do not need to return.

Translation:

The egrets are flying freely in front of Xisai Mountain, the peach blossoms are in full bloom on the river banks, the spring water is rising, and the mandarin fish in the water are plump. The fisherman, wearing a green bamboo hat and a green coir raincoat, braved the slanting wind and drizzle, fishing happily without having to go home.

Poetic

The first two sentences of this poem describe the fishing place and season. In these two sentences, mountains, water, birds, flowers, and fish appear, outlining a beautiful fishing environment and paving the way for the characters to appear. The last two sentences of the poem are about fishing on the smoke waves. The "slanting wind and drizzle" in the last sentence is not only a realistic description of the scenery, but also has a profound meaning. This poem expresses the author's yearning for a free life by praising the natural scenery and fishermen fishing.

Appreciation

This poem expresses the author's love for freedom and nature in the beautiful waterside scenery and the ideal life of fishermen. What is more attractive to readers in the poem is not the fisherman who is calm and contented with the wind and rain, but the picture of the spring river in Jiangxiang during the Peach Blossom Flood in February with rising water and misty rain. Green mountains in the rain, fishing boats on the river, egrets in the sky, and red peaches on both sides of the bank. The colors are bright but soft, and the atmosphere is peaceful but full of vitality. This not only reflects the author's artistic ingenuity, but also reflects his lofty, unconventional, leisurely and refined taste.

The first two sentences of this poem outline a long scroll of Jiangnan scenery. "In front of Xisai Mountain" points out the location. "Egret" is a symbol of leisure. The egret is written to fly freely, setting off the leisurely contentment of the fisherman. "Peach red" and "flowing water" complement each other, showing the scenery of lakes and mountains in front of Xisai Mountain in late spring, and exaggerating the living environment of the fisherman. The last two sentences describe the fisherman's mood when fishing. Completely integrated with the poetic and picturesque nature, it is fascinating. Although the author only briefly describes the fisherman's fishing life, from the implication of the words, it is not difficult for readers to find the author's yearning for the leisurely life of the fisherman.