First, the original cicada

cicada

Yu Shinan

This is the first time I have seen you.

Cicada droops like a tassel on a hat, its tentacles suck the clear dew, and its voice spreads from the branches of the straight Shulang tree.

This is the first time I have seen you.

Cicada is far away from cicada because cicada is on a tall tree, not relying on autumn wind.

Secondly, the translation of cicadas.

Cicada hangs down its tentacles like a hat tassel and sucks the clear and sweet dew with open limbs. The sound came from the tall and straight branches of the buttonwood tree.

Cicadas spread far because they live in tall trees, not by autumn wind.

The first sentence is "hang your head and drink clear dew." "Hanging down" is the part of the ancient people's hat belt that hangs down under the chin. Cicada's head has prominent tentacles, which look like a crown tassel hanging down in the second half of the Middle Ages, so it is called "hanging tassel". The ancients thought that cicadas were noble and drank dew, so they said "drink clear dew". This sentence is ostensibly about the shape and feeding habits of cicadas, but in fact it contains metaphors everywhere.

"Hang" means official position (in ancient times, "crown tassel" was often used to refer to your official position). In the eyes of ordinary people, the status of such dignitaries is in contradiction with "Qing", but in the author's pen, they are unified in the image of "hanging their heads and drinking clear dew". This unity of "Gui" and "Qing" is precisely because the "Qing" in three or four sentences does not need to be contrasted with "Gui", and the brushwork is quite ingenious.

The second sentence, "cicadas sing far and wide." Platanus acerifolia is a tall tree with sparse characters and clear branches. Corresponding to the last sentence "autumn wind", the flowing cicada has a pleasant long sound, and the word "Chu" is used to visualize the meaning conveyed by cicada singing, which seems to make people feel the loudness and strength of cicada singing.

Third, the appreciation of cicadas.

Yu Shinan's Cicada is a poem describing the short life of cicadas, expressing his thoughts on the passage of time and short life. The following is an explanation of the meaning of this poem:

The poem "Cicada" describes the life of cicada, and describes the process of cicada from larva to adult, and then to the year when the key is missing in the twilight oak tree. The first section realistically depicts the process of larva molting and growing up, the second section shows the scene of adult singing, and the last section shows the scene of cicada aging and the end of life.

The whole poem metaphors human life and the passage of time through the life cycle of cicadas. Cicada has evolved into an adult several times, using songs to show its existence, reproduction and vitality, but in the end, its fate is short. Cicada's life can only be spent in a limited time, and its singing will inevitably stop gradually.

This poem expresses feelings about the passage of time and perishable life. It warns people to cherish time and life and not to waste precious time on meaningless or trivial things. At the same time, through the description of cicada, it also expresses praise for nature and vitality.