Huanxisha seems familiar before Yan returns

Huanxisha seems familiar. Before Yan returned, he had no choice but to let the flowers fall.

Original text of the work:

Huanxisha·A new song with new lyrics and a glass of wine

Song Dynasty? Yan Shu

A new song with new lyrics and a glass of wine. Last year's weather old pavilion. When does the sun set?

There is no choice but the flowers fall away, and the familiar swallow returns. The fragrant path in the small garden wanders alone.

Vernacular translation

Write new lyrics and enjoy a glass of fine wine. The seasonal weather remains the same, the pavilions, pools and pavilions remain the same. When will the sunset in the west turn around? Helplessly, the flowers wither away again, and the familiar spring swallow returns again, wandering alone in the flower-scented path.

Literary Appreciation

This is the most popular chapter among Yan Shu’s poems. The whole poem expresses the feeling of mourning the dying spring, and expresses the sadness that time is fleeting and difficult to recover.

Start with the sentence "A new song with a glass of wine, the weather last year is the same pavilion." Write about the current situation of drinking and listening to songs. From the intricate sentence patterns and the brisk and fluent tone, we can feel that when the poet faced the current situation, he initially had a relaxed and joyful feeling, with a carefree and leisurely attitude. It seemed that the protagonist was very obsessed with feasting. The joy of chanting. Indeed, as the "Taiping Prime Minister" who enjoys great honor and advocates elegance, singing and drinking is one of the ways of entertainment that the author is accustomed to and is willing to ask about. But while listening and drinking, this current situation unexpectedly triggered the recollection of a similar state experienced "last year": it was the same late spring weather as "this year", and we faced the same buildings and pavilions as before. The same clear song and fine wine. However, under the appearance that everything remains the same, it is clear that something has undergone irreversible changes. This is the passing years and a series of personnel events related to it. This sentence contains a sense of nostalgia where the scenery remains the same but the people are completely different. This sense of nostalgia is mixed with a deep sadness for the present. In this way, even though the author is full of emotions, he feels a little sad. So the poet sighed like this from the bottom of his heart: "When will the sunset come back?" The sunset is in the foreground. But what the poet triggered by this was his lingering on beautiful scenery and love affairs, his confusion about the passage of time, and his faint hope for the recurrence of beautiful things. This is an instant feeling, but what is felt is actually not limited to the immediate situation, but extends to the entire life, which not only contains perceptual activities, but also contains some kind of philosophical contemplation. There is no way to stop the setting sun. We can only hope that it will rise again in the east. However, the passage of time and changes in personnel can never be repeated. Carefully studying the words "when will you return" seems to reflect a kind of careless mentality of looking forward to returning, but knowing that it is difficult to return.

About the author

Yan Shu (991-1055), named Tongshu, was born in Linchuan, Fuzhou. Famous writer and politician in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Born in the second year of Chunhua, Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty (991), he entered the examination as a child prodigy at the age of fourteen. He was given the same background as a Jinshi, and was ordered to be Secretary Sheng Zhengzi. From the official position to the right, he admonished the officials, and was a bachelor of Jixian Palace. Tongping Zhangshi was concurrently the privy envoy, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Criminal Affairs, and the Great Scholar of Guanwendian knew Yongxingjun and the Minister of the Ministry of War. He died of illness in Beijing in 1055 and was granted the title of Duke of Linzi. His posthumous title was Yuanxian, and he was known as Yan Yuanxian in the world.

Yan Shu is famous in the literary world for his poetry, especially Xiaoling, with a subtle and graceful style. Together with his son Yan Jidao, they are called "Dayan" and "Xiaoyan", and together with Ouyang Xiu, they are called "Yan Ou"; He was also good at poetry and prose. The original collection has been lost. There are surviving fragments of "Zhu Yu Ci", "Yan Yuan Xian's Posthumous Documents" and "Lei Yao".