Original text:

Acacia

Wang Wei [Tang Dynasty]

Red beans are born in the south, and in spring they sprout several branches.

Wish you would pick them more often, this thing is the most lovesick.

Translation:

Red beans grow in the sunny south, and I don't know how many new branches grow in spring.

I hope that those who miss it will pick it more often, for it is the best way to hold the feelings of love.

Notes:

Acacia: the title of the first for the "Acacia son", but also for the "river to Li Guinian".

Red bean: also known as the Acacia, a plant born in the south of the Yangtze River, bearing seeds like peas but slightly flat, bright red.

The sentence "Spring comes" is written as "Autumn comes to send out the old branches".

"I wish you would": "I urge you to stop picking". The first part of the sentence reads: "I would like you to stop picking".

The phrase "I wish you were here" was used in the first sentence.

Background:

This poem was written as "Giving Gift to Li Guinian on the River". According to the records, Li Guinian sang this poem when he was in exile in Jiangnan during the Anshi Rebellion at the end of the Tianbao period, which proves that this poem was written during the Tianbao period.

Appreciation and Analysis:

This is a poem that sends out the love of a friend through the use of objects. The first line of the poem is about an object, which is simple but imaginative; then it is about a question, which is a meaningful way of expressing one's feelings; the third line implies that the friendship is precious, which on the surface seems to be a wish for someone to think of one another, but on the back, it is a deep implication of one's feelings for one's own; and the last one has a double entendre, which is not only pertinent to the topic, but also to one's feelings, which is a wonderful way to create a flowery style, and it is a moving and elegant poem. The whole poem has a beautiful and elegant mood, full and exuberant thoughts, simple language, and harmonious and soft rhymes. It can be described as the best of the best of the best of the best.

The red bean, born in the south of the country, has a bright red, rounded fruit and a crystal clear appearance, because it is often used as a dress decoration by the south. Red beans and Acacia linked together, is from a poignant love story. Legend has it that a woman in ancient times, because her husband died in battle on the frontier, thinking of her late husband too much crying died under a tree, and then turned into red beans, growing and sprouting in the spring. Since then, the red beans are known as the Acacia, also quoted in literature as the meaning of love. And "lovesickness" is not limited to the scope of love between men and women, there are also lovesickness between friends, such as Su Li poem "pedestrians can not stay long, each said long lovesickness" that is an example. The title of this poem is "Gift to Li Guinian on the River", which shows that the poem expresses the emotion of longing for friends.

The "Southland" (the South) is both the place of origin of red beans and the place where friends are located. The first line starts with "red beans are born in the south", implying the feeling of longing later. The language is very simple, but rich in images. The second sentence "spring hair a few branches" softly a question, to undertake a natural, send a questioning tone seems to be extraordinarily friendly. However, the question of how many branches of red beans will be sprouted in spring is very meaningful, and it is a choice of things rich in flavor to send out thoughts. "In front of the window in the coming day, will the cold plum blossom?" (Wang Wei, "Miscellaneous Poems") The memory of the plum tree reflects the deep feelings of the guest son's hometown. Similarly, the red bean here is a symbol of sincere friendship. When written in this way, the words are close to the emotions, making the spirit far away.

The third line immediately follows with a message to the other side to "pick more" red beans, which is still in this context but in another. It is a common technique in classical poetry to pick plants to support the emotion of nostalgia, such as the ancient poem of the Han Dynasty, which reads, "I'm picking hibiscus from the river, and I'm picking a lot of fragrant grasses from the orchid, and I'm picking them to leave them to whoever I want to leave them to". Who do I want to leave it to?" is an example. The phrase "I wish you would pick more" seems to say, "When you see the red beans, think of all that I am." It implies that friends from afar value friendship, and the language is sincere and touching. Here, he only uses the word "love" to remind people of his own love, but his own love is not in the words. The way in which one reveals one's sentiments is touching, and the language is subtle. In the Song compilation of "Ten Thousand Tang Jie Sheng", the word "多" in this line is "休". The use of the word "rest" reflects the bitterness of separation, the fear of being in love with one another, and of course, the state of human feelings under certain circumstances. The use of the word "more" expresses a kind of passionate, full-bodied, and beautiful mood. This poem has a high sentiment and true meaning without hurting the delicate, and the word "more" has a lot to do with it, so the word "more" is better than the word "rest".

The last sentence, "This thing is the most lovesickness", is only because red beans are the most lovesickness-expressing thing. The Chinese often say that seeing things makes you miss people. This "thing" may be he has eaten, worn, may be he has seen, heard; may be he likes, may be he hates. As long as it is related to him, even if there is only a trace of connection, it can stir up the sensitive nerves of the person who misses him. What the poet hopes is that every time his friend sees these red beans, which can best represent the meaning of lovesickness, he will be able to think of the "me" who is thinking of him and the "me" who is thinking of "you". From the poet's deep exhortation to his friend, we see the poet's own deep meaning of lovesickness. It is the poet's longing for his friend that makes him hope that his friend will do the same. In this way of expressing his feelings, the language is subtle and y moving.

The whole poem is full of the enthusiasm of the youth, the breath of youth, full of love has never been a direct expression of love, the words are not away from the red beans, and "beyond the image, to get its Won," the love of the expression of the wood into the three points. It is "all in one breath, and must be read in one breath", extremely bright and fast, but also euphemistic and implicit. In life, the deepest words are often simple, natural and wonderful. Wang Wei is very good at refining this simple and typical language to express deep thoughts and feelings. Therefore, it is not surprising that this poem, with its shallow language and deep feelings, became a popular song at that time.

About the Author:

WANG WEI (701-761, 699-761) was known as Mochizi (jié), or Mochizi Jushi. Han nationality, east of the river Pozhou (now Shanxi Yuncheng) people, ancestral home in Shanxi Qixian, Tang Dynasty poet, has the "Poetry Buddha". Su Shi commented, "Taste Mochizume's poetry, there is a painting in the poem; see Mochizume's painting, there is a poem in the painting." In the ninth year of the reign of Emperor Kaiyuan (721), he was awarded a bachelor's degree and served as the Minister of Taile. During the reign of Tianbao, he was appointed as a minister of the Ministry of Revenue and a counselor. During the Qianyuan reign of Emperor Suzong of Tang, he became the right minister of the Shangshu, and was known as "Right Minister Wang". Wang Wei is a representative of the poets of the Sheng Tang Dynasty, with more than 400 poems surviving today, including the important poems "Xiang Si" and "Autumn Night in a Mountain Dwelling". Wang Wei was well versed in Buddhism and was greatly influenced by Zen Buddhism. In Buddhism, there is a Vimalakirti Sutra, which is the origin of Wang Wei's name and character. Wang Wei was famous for his poetry, calligraphy and painting, and he was a versatile artist who was also very good at music. He and Meng Haoran were known as "Wang and Meng".