From the poem "The Lyrics of Liangzhou" by Wang Han of the Tang Dynasty

Grape wine in a night-glowing cup, wanting to drink the pipa and urge it at once.

Drunk in the sand, the king does not laugh; how many people have returned from ancient battles?

Translation and Commentary

Translation

The sweet grape wine at the banquet was filled in the luminous cups, and when I was about to drink it, the pipa sounded on the horse, as if urging people to go out to war.

If you are lying drunk on the battlefield, please don't laugh at me, how many of those who went out to war in ancient times have returned home?

Notes

Liangzhou Lyrics: the name of the Tang Lefu, belonging to the "recent song lyrics", is the lyrics of the "Liangzhou Song", the name of a popular tune in the Sheng Tang Dynasty. Liangzhou Lyrics: Wang Han wrote two Liangzhou Lyrics, which are generous and sad and widely circulated. And this Liangzhou Lyrics was pushed by Wang Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty as a scroll-opening work of the Tang Dynasty's seven poems.

Luminous Cup: a wine cup made of jade, when the wine is placed in the cup and put under the moonlight, the cup will shine brightly, from which the luminous cup gets its name.

Lust: to be.

Lute: here refers to the one used in battle when used to make the sound of a trumpet.

Rushing: to urge someone to go on a journey; also interpreted as sounding the trumpet to cheer up.

Sand field: a flat and open sandy area, which in ancient times mostly referred to the battlefield.

Jun: you.

Conquest: to fight.

Appreciation

Wang Han's Liangzhou Lyrics is a song that has touched the most tender part of the hearts of countless hot-blooded men. The poet, with passionate strokes, resonant and exciting tones, and marvelous and dazzling words, set down the first line of this opening poem.

"Grapes and wine in the night light cup", as if suddenly open the curtain, in front of people's eyes to show a colorful, dazzling, fragrant wine, a grand feast. This scene makes people surprised and excited, and creates an atmosphere and sets the tone for the lyricism of the poem.

"I want to drink the pipa immediately" means that when everyone is ready to drink, the orchestra also plays the pipa, which adds to the cheerful atmosphere. However, the last word "urge" in this sentence has given rise to a lot of speculation among the later generations, and there are many different opinions. Some people say that it is to urge the departure of the pipa, but it seems to be difficult to be consistent with the last two sentences. Some interpreted it as: despite the urge, drink or drink as usual. This also does not fit the generals and soldiers of the spirit of bold and handsome state. The word "immediately" often reminds people of "departure", in fact, in the western region of the hu people, the pipa was originally played on the horse. In fact, the pipa was originally played on horseback among the Hu people of the Western regions. The phrase "the pipa is urged on horseback" is supposed to be intended to render a scene of joyful feasting.

The last two lines of the poem are "The drunken gentleman does not laugh in the battlefield, and several people have returned from ancient battles." Following the poetic meaning of the first two lines should be written on the feast drink and persuade, so that understanding, the whole poem both in the poetic meaning or poetic situation will naturally be coherent, in the past, there are people who think that these two lines "for the openness of the language, doubling the sadness". There are also people who say: "so as to make the words of the drink, but the sadness has been extreme". Although the words are different, but are inseparable from a "sad" word. Later, there are more low, sad, sentimental, anti-war and so on words to summarize the thoughts and feelings of this poem, based on the three or four lines, especially the last line. "How many people have returned from ancient conquests" is obviously an exaggeration. Shi Tien-hua of the Qing Dynasty said of these two lines, "When read as sadness, it is shallow; when read as banter, it is wonderful, and it is up to the learner to comprehend it." ("Da Nian Maid Speaks of Poetry") This is quite inspiring to us.

The reason why I say that "it is shallow when read in a sad language" is that it is not promoting the horrors of war, nor is it expressing disgust for the military career, nor is it lamenting the insecurity of life. Back to look at the scene of the feast: listening to a burst of joyful, exciting pipa sound, the generals are really excited, you pour my discretion, a burst of drinking, will be slightly drunk. Maybe some people want to put the cup, then the seat will be someone shouted: afraid of what, drunk on drunk, that is, drunk on the sands, but also please do not laugh, "the ancient battle a few people back", as early as life and death is put aside. It can be seen that this three, four two sentences is the words of the seat of persuasion, and not what sadness, although it has a few points of "banter", but also for the full drunkenness to find the most environment and character traits of the "reason". "Drunkenness on the sands" is not only the expression of bold, cheerful, excited feelings, but also the courage to die, which is consistent with the warm atmosphere of the luxurious feast.

This is a joyful feast, and the scene and mood are not just one or two people drinking wine and drowning their sorrows. Its bright language, jumping and stumbling rhythm reflects the mood is unrestrained, frenzied; it shows a kind of excitement and yearning for artistic charm, which is precisely the characteristics of the Sheng Tang border poetry.

Some people think that the whole poem expresses anti-war grievances, and exposes the tragic fact that there have been very few survivors since the war, but out of the bold and open-minded pen, showing a kind of tragic emotions like death, which makes people through this seemingly open-mindedness, more clearly see the deep sorrow and disillusionment in the hearts of the soldiers.