Mazu's antithetical couplet culture

Mazu Tempel is spread all over the world, and the crowned works of temples are magnificent, numerous, extensive in content, high in taste, outstanding in artistic achievements and full of distinctive cultural characteristics, which can be called a wonderful work of couplets.

Couplets embody Mazu's prominent and lofty humanistic status. After Mazu ascended to heaven, from the Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, Mazu's deity was praised and titled in all previous dynasties. From "Lady", "Princess", "Queen of Heaven" to "Goddess of Heaven", people and gods promoted Mazu's deity to the extreme. Many Mazu Tempel couplets reflect this feature. For example, the couplet of Ciyou Palace in Songshan District, Taipei: "The Virgin is kind and sincere, and the sea and the country are integrated; The monks are all red, and Xikou Xianning. " The Shanglian Classic says that Mazu is the mother of heaven and the love of the whole world. The bottom line shows that everyone here has a pure heart, and Mazu will give people happiness and peace. The couplet of Jinlong Palace in Lingchuan, Putian: "The female students will see the emperor again, and the immortal will be repaired by the sea." In couplets, Mazu is compared to Nu Wa, who tried to mend the sky by refining stones, and Dayu, who managed floods, with lofty status and boundless merits. Xiapu County Songshan Tianhou Palace couplet: "Good weather, the four seas dragon king towards the Virgin; Wuzhou Chizi Guotai Min 'an worships grandma. "The first part pointed out that the world is peaceful, the wind and rain are timely, and the grain is abundant. The dragon kings from all over the world come to worship Mazu. The Dragon King of the Four Seas was originally a sea god, who commanded the four seas and had great power. Later, the god of Mazu rose, and the status of the Four Seas Dragon King declined and was controlled by it. Mazu ruled the four seas and was above the Four Seas Dragon King.

The couplets reflect Mazu's outstanding achievements in contributing to the world and benefiting the people. Mazu is highly respected and full of great sorrow. He is a god who protects the country and people, and people all over the world are very grateful to him. In this regard, Mazu Tempel couplets generally praised it. For example, Putian Zhongmen Xianliang Port Tianhou Ancestral Temple couplet: "The virtue is the same as the sky, and Fengshan is a bean; The mother instrument is sacred and carries the origin of the snail port. " The first one praises Mazu's kindness and vastness, as vast as the sky; The second part praises Mazu's dignified appearance and is called the Virgin. The couplet of Tianhou Palace in Duliao Island, Keelung, Taiwan Province: "Tianhui built Kerry through the calendar, and Enguang hired fishermen." "Tianhou" is crowned by the name of the palace, highlighting the respect and inferiority, praising Mazu's extensive kindness and benefiting workers, peasants and soldiers and fishermen. Macao Tianhou Palace couplet: "Defend the country and defend the country, showing the sun and the moon with a sigh of relief;" Shi Houze, the guardian of the people, is a great and generous man. "The first part praised Mazu's outstanding contribution to protecting the country, which can shine with the sun and the moon. The second part praised Mazu for protecting the people's generosity and filling the world with great kindness.

Couplets reflect people's good wishes for Mazu to bless peace, harmony and Kangning. For example, Li Yu, a famous opera theorist in the Qing Dynasty, wrote an inscription in "Jiangyang Tian Fei Gate": "There is no water in the world, not only the Yellow River School; It would be a blessing if there is a princess in the sky. Why worry about Bibo? " The bottom line is that Mazu can bless the people, even if the rivers and lakes make waves, don't be afraid. In the Qing Dynasty, Lin Guangxian wrote the couplet of Tianhou Palace in Shanrong Xiaopo, Indonesia: "Shengde towering into the sky, protecting the people and celebrating; After the mother instrument is fully equipped, it will help An Lan in the four seas. " The crown of "Virgin Mary" shows that Mazu's noble virtue can protect people's good fortune and the world is calm. The couplet of Tianhou Palace in Zhang Lin, Guangdong: "The sea does not lift waves, and the road is stable; All the people are happy and the songs are full of goodwill. "The first part means that Mazu has infinite magic, which can make the world calm. The second part means that people live and work in peace and contentment, and praise Mazu's deep kindness and virtue everywhere.

Mazu's contribution to the country and people is also reflected in couplets. For example, Putian Pinghaitian Hougong couplet: "A spoonful of spring water is sweet, which is a real journey; Half a robe is wet and will clear the whole Taiwan. " The first part said that General Shi Lang was stationed in Pinghai City, and Mazu gave Ji the right to be his teacher. The second couplet said that General Shi Lang led the boatmen to attack Penghu, and Mazu appeared to help, and his robes were half wet. In Qing Dynasty, Lin Lin wrote a couplet on the Ryukyu Palace in Japan: "Repeatedly overlapping magical powers, climbing down the Lijiang River, moving and condensing, and red lights frequently appear;" Chongze offered to welcome the prosperous times, and Huang Hua came to Ma Ya, pulling clothes and worshipping, and Yongjing Bihai Wu Yaojiao. "

History: In the 22nd year of Qing Emperor Kangxi, the emperor sent imperial envoys Wang Ji and Lin to Ryukyu for conferring titles. The journey is long, stormy and dangerous, but the boat is closed out of the Minjiang estuary and enters the vast sea, but it can ride the wind and waves and travel thousands of miles at sea, and it takes only three days and nights to reach its destination-Naha Port. It turned out that Mazu appeared as a guard, commanding two big fish to lead the way during the day and ten thousand seabirds to sail back to Xiang at night. Wang and Lin are very grateful to them. After the ceremony, they immediately went to Jiumi Village to burn incense and worship in the palace. To this end, Wang Hao gladly inscribed the plaque "Chao Zong Yong Lai", and Lin Lin wrote the above-mentioned long couplets magnificently. Many famous cities in Mazu Tempel are located in important transportation places, and the beautiful scenery makes people linger. The couplet vividly describes this feature. For example, Fuzhou Mawei Tianhou Palace couplet: "Be careful to control Ou Wu, watch Dajiangdong go to the river, and wash your hearts with the kings, there is this water; God was a filial friend at first, and he has been fine for thousands of years. He hopes that future generations will stand on the road and be innocent. "

There are more than 5,000 temples in Mazu Tempel in the world, with a considerable number of couplets, each with its own characteristics and high artistic level. First of all, couplets are exquisite, concise, small and exquisite, with endless implications. For example, the couplet of Tianhou Palace in Yantai, Shandong Province: "The land is near Penglai, and the fairy mountain in the sea city reflects the guest's words; God is coming, and the green banyan is the heart of my hometown. " A few words vividly describe the wonderful scene where the temple is located: the palace is like a mirage, and the banyan tree in Mazu's hometown of Meizhou is lush and red, but it is better than Penglai fairyland, intoxicating and desirable.

Meizhou Mazu ancestral temple couplet: "Four seas make waves, and five continents are full of fragrance." From the part of speech, the four seas of Lianzhong are nouns relative to the five continents, Bourne is a noun relative to incense, and Puhai is a noun relative to Meizhou. "Ode" is a verb opposite to "zu", in which "zu" is a conative usage. In sentence structure, Four Waves, Song and Puhai are subject-predicate structures, Four Waves are positive structures, and Song and Puhai are verb-object structures. The bottom link has exactly the same structure as the top link. In the aspect of leveling, the antithesis is steady, the rhyme is harmonious, the cadence is cadence, and the rhythm is beautiful. Thirdly, couplets use various rhetorical devices, the most common one is embedding, which improves the interest, flexibility and appeal of couplets. For example, in Putian Port, the couplet of Lingci Xigong reads: "Lingze Fengtong is foreign, and Ciyun Yang Zili Xigong." This couplet is embedded in the palace name "Lingci", which is called Zangtou couplet. Another example is the flower exploration in the Ming Dynasty. Dai Dabin's couplet in the sleeping hall of Meizhou Ancestral Temple reads: "Qi Qi, Qi Qi and Qi Jie, facing the DPRK." The association adopts the method of changing categories. The upper couplet "Qi" is connected with the ancient word "Zhai"; The word "tide" is connected with the word "tide". It can be read as: "Qi Qizhai, Qi Qizhai, Qi Zhai, Qi Zhai; Super, super, super, super, super. " It can also be read as: "Qi Zhai, Qi Zhai, Qi Zhai, Qi Qi Zhai; Super, super, super, super, super. " Together, it means: believers have fasted and worshipped Mazu devoutly; The tide rises and falls, and the sound of plum rains becomes a scene. This strange connection is necessary.