Original text:

The leaves of the Bombo are rotting in Farewell Bay, and the lotus blossoms are not yet in bloom.

The concubine's dream is not far from the river, and it is rumored that the groom is at Phoenix Mountain.

Translation

We parted ways in the West Bay when the leaves of the wild moss were rotting, and now the lotus flowers are in bloom, but I don't see you coming back.

My dream is inseparable from the flowing water on the river, and people say that you have gone to Phoenix Mountain.

Notes

(1) Ci (cí) Mushroom (gū): the name of the plant, that is, Cigu, born in the paddy fields, underground bulb, you can eat. The name of the plant is "茨（cí）菰（gū）", which is the name of the plant that grows in the paddy fields. Xīwan (西湾): name of a place near the town of Guazhou (瓜洲), Yangzhou (扬州市), Jiangsu Province. It is said to refer to a place near the river.

(2) lotus blossoms: the lotus flower open. Lotus flowers, that is, the lotus. Open: one as "new". Also (huán): come back.

(3) concubine: the old woman called herself. Water: a "water".

(4) People: people's legends. Phoenix Mountain: the name of the mountain, there are many places. It is difficult to determine here.

Appreciation:

The All-Tang Dynasty Poetry contains five poems by Zhang Chao, of which Changganxing may also be by Li Bai or Li Yi. The poems are all about the thoughts and feelings of the merchant woman, except for one poem, "Picking Lotus Words", which is about the life of a lotus picker. Judging from the content and form of these poems, it is not difficult to find that they are y influenced by the folk songs of the south . Influence.

The first line of this poem: "Izumi leaves rotting, don't see the West Bay, lotus flowers bloom not yet". The time when "the leaves of Zizou are rotten" is at the end of the fall and the beginning of the winter. "The time when the lotus flowers bloomed was the summer of the following year. Last year, when the leaves of the water hyacinth were rotting, I saw him off in Xiban, and now the lotus is in full bloom, but the person I was hoping for has not yet returned home. Maybe he had promised to return home before "the lotus blossoms bloom". This is first recalling the time and place of separation, and then talking about not seeing the person return home now. It is a simple story, but the poet depicts it with feelings and scenes of longing. The former suggests a water withered leaves rotten, cold wind, it sets off the misery of parting; the latter coloring the pond full of lotus, red and green, vibrant picture, contrasting the loneliness of the lonely and intolerable. The writing style is delicate and emotional.

"Izumo leaf rot", "lotus blossoms" the two shots alternating moral, from time to time is to show a "long" word. "One day without seeing you is like three autumns". If you don't return for a long time, the pain of longing is self-evident. "The third line of the poem goes on to write about "dreams". The third line of the poem turns to "dream", which is a natural and clear vein of emotion. At the same time, the third line of the poem responds to the first line, "Farewell to the West Bay", implying that the other party is going along the river, so the "dream" is "not far from the water on the river". "I am a businesswoman, and I am worried about the water and the wind". This is another reason why the concubine's dream is not far from the water on the river.

According to the general writing style, the next may have to write about the dream or dream after the scene, but the poet set aside this content, flying in the air a stroke - "people rumor that Lang in the Phoenix Hill". Surprisingly, and wonderfully, the poem ends abruptly. As to whether she is happy or sad, happy or sad after the news, the poet does not say anything, let the reader to experience. First of all, the arrival of this news, that they do not know that people have gone, empty dreams follow, in the past how many "not away from the water on the river" "dream", it turned out to be an "empty"; Secondly, this news also means that "he" has gone. Secondly, this message also means that "he" sometimes in the water, sometimes in the mountains, the whereabouts of the uncertain, and do not send a message, the future is the dream is also nowhere to find, that difficult to talk about the pain, the hidden resentment of the meaning of all in the unspoken. It can be said that the knot is clever, wonderful in the unexpected, reasonable, the remaining feelings are not exhausted.

The poem of the upper and lower couplets to the meaning of each, but not catty in the language of the battle, the third sentence is a natural extension of the first and second sentence, the fourth sentence and sudden, seemingly broken, pushing the poem to a more miserable, disappointing mood. It is clear and implied, shallow language but deep feelings, deep in the essence of folk songs.

Background

The poem was written around the time of Dali (766-779). Influenced by local folk songs and familiar with the city life at that time, Zhang Chao wrote this poem "Walking in the South of the River" to express the thoughts and feelings of the merchant woman.