The cattle eat grass and don’t touch each other, and the officials cut off their horns. Original text_Translation and appreciation

The cattle eat grass and don’t touch each other, and the officials cut off their horns. ——Tang Dynasty·Li She's "Shepherd Boy's Poems" The cattle eat grass and don't touch each other, and the officials cut off their horns. Go to herd cattle in the morning, herd cattle down the river.

Grazing cattle at night, herding cattle across the village valley.

The lotus coops come out of the forest, the spring rain is gentle, and the reed pipes blow the green sedge.

If you plant basil and arrows all over your waist, you will not be afraid of tigers bullying the yellow calves. Children's Satire Translation and Notes

Translation

In the morning, I went to graze the cattle and drove them to Jiangwan.

Go to herd cattle in the evening and drive them through the village.

Walking in the rainy woods wearing a raincoat, lying on the green grass with a broken reed pipe and playing a tune.

With short arrows made of basil stuck in his waist, he is no longer afraid of tigers biting the calf. Appreciation

The main idea of ??the poem is: Because the grass and millet are dense around the village, the cattle are afraid of eating the crops, so they are put far away in the pit. Along the bank of the river, there are beautiful springs and licorice. It is really a good place for grazing; there are many cattle here! The cows graze and drink water freely, and the shepherd boy doesn't want to go to the hillside to play with other cowherd boys for a while; but annoying birds are flying in the sky. When they are hungry, they always fly to the back of the cow to peck for lice. How can you leave it alone? Cows are aggressive by nature, especially the little white cow let by the shepherd boy was even more naughty. Sometimes it lowered its head to eat grass, sometimes it raised its head and roared. Could this sound be a signal for someone to find tentacles? It's so worrying that I can't leave it for a moment. At this time, a familiar voice suddenly came to the shepherd boy's ears. Someone was rolling reed leaves and whistling. He knew that his companion was keeping the cows on the other side of the embankment, so he also followed suit, rolling up leaves and blowing them in response to each other; while monitoring the cows that were grazing, he shook the whip in his hand a few times. , and said the following two words of warning to the cow. There is an allusion to this statement.

It turns out that during the Northern Wei Dynasty, Tuoba Hui served as the governor of Wanzhou. On the way from Xindu to Tangyin, he sent people to cut off the horns of cattle everywhere because they needed the horn grease to lubricate the wheels. This scared the people and scared the people away from the cattle. Let it out. This brutal story is widely circulated among the people, and everyone knows it among the shepherd boys. "The official's head is cut off," the shepherd boy said casually as he cracked his whip. Of course, to the ignorant cow, these words are no different than "playing the piano", but to the shepherd boy, they think it is an effective intimidation. This is worth pondering deeply.

Since the An-Shi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, vassal towns have been divided and civil wars have continued. It is very common for the government to seize and kill private cattle for military needs. Yuan Zhen, a poet at the same time as Zhang Ji, reflected this in "Ancient Titles of Yuefu·Tianjia Ci": "In the past sixty years, soldiers have gathered, and grain carts rolled every month. One day, the officers and soldiers collected sea clothes and drove their carts to eat beef." "Even the meat was eaten up, and the two horns on the head were cut off and boiled with horn fat, so it was no problem. This was the objective reality at the time. Regarding this reality, Zhang Ji did not make any description in this poem. At the end, he just used the mouth of a cowherd boy to give a slight nod. The meaning of the writing is vague and non-existent, and the people's fear and resistance to the government , it is conceivable.

The poem consists of ten lines and is a wonderful picture of cattle herding. The first eight sentences vividly and tortuously describe the environmental background of the ranch, the psychological activities of the shepherd boy and the dynamics of the cows, and are full of interest. However, the theme of the poem is not here; it is not until the last two sentences that the reader can see the poet's intention. From the first eight sentences to the last two sentences, it is as easy as picking it up, and the writing is very natural; it combines sharp irony with light ridicule, and the intention is very bright and profound.

Li She (lived around 806), a poet in the Tang Dynasty. His name is unknown, he named himself Qingxizi, and he was from Luo (now Luoyang, Henan). When he was young, he visited Liangyuan. During the war, he took refuge in the south and hid under the Xianglu Peak of Lushan Mountain with his younger brother Li Bo. Later he came out to work as a staff member. During the reign of Emperor Xianzong, he served as Prince Tongshiren. Soon after, he was demoted to Sicang in Xiazhou (now Yichang, Hubei Province) and joined the army. He worked in the gorge for ten years. He was pardoned and released. He returned to Luoyang and hid in his young room. During Emperor Wenzong's reign (827-835), he served as Dr. Guozi, known as "Dr. Li" in the world. He is the author of one volume of "Li She's Poems". Save six poems.

Li She planted trees for ten years and grain for one year, and paid for the children.

After drinking in Dongpo at night, I woke up drunk and came back as if it was midnight. The boy's breath is thundering. Wild boys help the drunken dance, and mountain birds help the singing. The children of the past have grown up, and the relatives and friends of yesteryear are half gone. Silkworm mother washes her cocoons in front of the stream, and the shepherd boy plays the flute and bathes in clothes. When I first saw someone, I was vomiting and mute, and refused to go back to sleep in love with the car. What I like most is when my child dies and I lie down at the head of the stream and peel off the lotus pods. Loves riding a bamboo horse on a bamboo fence, but is too lazy to gather golden sand on a golden land. The child suspected that there were villagers, so he hurried to Chaimen but closed it. The children cook chicken and drink white wine, while the children laugh and hold people's clothes. The eldest son is hoeing beans to the east of the stream, while the middle son is weaving a chicken coop. Passers-by asked and waved, fearing that they would be frightened and ignored. After returning home and having a good meal at dusk, I lie down in the moonlight without taking off my coir raincoat. The gentleman is drunk, and the boy supports him. The rich fortune and old friends' letters are cut off, and the childish look of constant hunger is desolate.