Original text

"Yuan Day"

Song Dynasty: Wang Anshi

The sound of firecrackers marks the end of the year, and the spring breeze brings warmth to Tusu.

Thousands of households always exchange old talismans for new peaches.

Poem Appreciation

This poem describes the moving scenes of excitement, joy and renewal of everything on New Year's Day, and expresses the author's thoughts and feelings on political innovation.

The first sentence is "One year is gone with the sound of firecrackers", bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new year in the sound of firecrackers. The starting sentence closely follows the title, exaggerating the lively and joyful atmosphere of the Spring Festival.

The second sentence "The spring breeze brings warmth to Tusu" describes people facing the warm spring breeze and drinking Tusu wine happily.

The third sentence "Thousands of households on the same day" writes that the brilliance of the rising sun shines on thousands of households. "戈戈" is used to express the brilliant scene at sunrise, symbolizing the infinite bright and beautiful prospects.

The concluding sentence, "Always replace old talismans with new peaches", not only describes the folk customs at that time, but also contains the meaning of removing the old and replacing the old with the new. "Peach Talisman" is a kind of peach board painted with gods and hung on the door to ward off evil spirits. Every New Year's Day, the old peach charms are removed and replaced with new ones. "New peaches replace old symbols" closely echoes the first sentence of "Firecrackers send off the old year", which vividly expresses the scene of renewal of everything.

This poem describes the new atmosphere of New Year's Day to express the author Wang Anshi's ambition and optimistic and confident mood in governing reforms, eradicating the old and bringing in the new, strengthening the country and enriching the people.

About the author

Wang Anshi (December 18, 1021 - May 21, 1086), courtesy name Jiefu, nickname Banshan, posthumous title, named Duke of Jing. The world also calls him King Jinggong. Han nationality, a native of Linchuan, Fuzhou in the Northern Song Dynasty, a famous politician, thinker, writer and reformer in the Northern Song Dynasty of China, and one of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties.

Ouyang Xiu praised Wang Anshi: "There are three thousand poems about romance in the Hanlin Academy and two hundred years of articles in the official department. When I grow old, my self-pity is still there, and who will compete with my son in the future."

There are some collected works handed down from ancient times. "Wang Linchuan Collection", "Linchuan Collection Supplements", etc. He is good at all styles of poetry and prose. Although he does not have many words, he is also good at it. He has famous works such as "Guizhixiang" and so on.

Translation

Amidst the roaring sound of firecrackers, the old year has passed;

The warm spring breeze brings the new year, and people drink happily Drinking newly brewed Tusu wine.

The rising sun shines on thousands of households;

They are all busy taking down the old peach charms and replacing them with new ones.

Notes

⑴Yuan Day: The first day of the first lunar month, which is the Spring Festival.

⑵ Firecrackers: The sound made by the explosion of bamboo when ancient people burned it. It was used to drive away ghosts and avoid evil spirits, and later evolved into setting off firecrackers. One year apart: One year is over. To eliminate, to pass away.

⑶Tusu: "Refers to Tusu wine. Drinking Tusu wine is also a custom during the ancient Chinese New Year. On the first day of the new year, the whole family drinks this wine soaked in Tusu grass to ward off evil spirits and avoid plagues, and seek good fortune. Longevity.

⑷Thousands of households: Describes numerous households and dense population. 曈曈: The appearance of bright and warm sunrise.

⑸Peach charm, an ancient custom. On the first day of the first lunar month, people write the names of the two gods Shen Tu and Yu Lei on peach boards and hang them beside the door to ward off evil spirits.

Creative background.

< p>This poem was written when the author first paid homage to the prime minister and began to implement his own new government.

In 1067, Song Shenzong succeeded to the throne and appointed Wang Anshi as the prefect of Jiangning. He was immediately appointed as a Hanlin scholar and lecturer in order to get rid of the Song Dynasty. Faced with the political and economic crisis and the constant intrusion of Liao and Xixia, Shenzong called Wang Anshi to "come to the right" in 1068. Wang Anshi immediately wrote a letter advocating reform. The following year, he was appointed as the governor and presided over the reform in the New Year of the same year. My family is busy preparing for the Spring Festival. I think of the new atmosphere at the beginning of the reform and wrote this poem.