Chu Ci Image Text

Author: Wu Guangping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features:
Gushing flows my spirit, as if I cannot keep pace,
Fear the years will not wait for me.
Morning I pluck the orchids on the slopes,
Evening I gather the fragrant herbs by the waters.
[Notes]
① Gushing (yu): Chu dialect, meaning "flowing swiftly." Here it refers to time flowing like a fast stream. Not keeping pace: Unable to catch up.
② Not waiting for me: Inverted form of "not waiting for me." These lines express the poet's fear that time will pass without him accomplishing his mission for the state.
③ Plucking (qian): Chu dialect, meaning "to pick." Slopes (pi): Chu dialect, meaning "large hills." Orchids: A fragrant tree, also known as the yellow-hearted tree, purple magnolia, with bark similar to cassia and a shape like the camphor tree, towering several meters high. Legend says it survives even if its bark is stripped.
④ Gathering (lan): To pick. Isle: Land in the water. Fragrant herbs that survive winter: A kind of grass that can grow even if its heart is pulled out. The orchid tree does not die when its bark is stripped, and the fragrant grass does not die when its heart is pulled out. Both remain fragrant, symbolizing self-cultivation.
The days and nights pass swiftly,
Spring and autumn take turns.
Only the grass and trees wither,
Fear the beauty will grow old.
[Notes]
① Swiftly: Passing quickly. Drowning (yan): Staying long.
② Take turns: Replace each other.
③ Only: Thinking. Withering: Falling, drifting.
④ Beauty: This term has varied interpretations in ancient and modern times. Some say it refers to King Huai, some say the poet himself, some say it represents prime youth, and some say it refers to virtuous scholars in general. From the following context, it is most likely referring to King Huai. Delayed: Refers to aging. These four lines express the poet's fear that King Huai will not act promptly, delaying the future of Chu. The word "fear" fully conveys the poet's sense of crisis regarding state affairs, especially his urgent anxiety for the nation's future and his deep worry about the nation's destiny.
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