Blossoms of Sorrow: The Poetic Expression of Loss in Chinese Culture
The poem “Banquet at Shan Ting” captures the essence of Song Dynasty lyricism, blending elegance and melancholy in its portrayal of fleeting beauty and profound longing. Its structure, meticulously crafted with ninety-nine characters split into two sections, resonates with the poignancy of imperial loss and the fragility of human emotions amidst nature’s ephemeral splendor.
Section One: Blossoms of Beauty
The poem begins with the meticulous description of pure white silk, delicately layered to resemble the petals of cherry blossoms. Each layer holds the essence of fragrant rouge, enhancing the fashionable attire with vivid colors that blend seamlessly with the surrounding fragrance, nearly surpassing the celestial beauty of the palace maidens from the Rui Zhu Palace. The ephemeral nature of youth’s beauty is easily lost, much like the pain and suffering endured through countless heartbreaks and turbulent times, which one must endure in countless springs and autumns. Who can help me to send away this overwhelming sadness? Even these two flying swallows are unaware of the world’s suffering.
This verse, an interpretation of the beauty of apricot flowers, expresses the author’s personal feelings. The comparison of royal life with that of a prisoner brings forth a heartfelt lament of the nation’s collapse. The first part vividly depicts the beauty of the apricot flowers in full bloom and the devastation caused by storms and rain. The second part expresses the sorrow of separation, portraying the author’s longing for their homeland. The flowers are used to describe people, expressing true feelings. It is deeply emotional, with twists and turns, sorrowful and touching.
Section Two: Longing and Loss
Tang Guizhang’s “Brief Explanation of Tang and Song Lyrics”: This poem was written by Zhao Ji after being captured and seeing apricot flowers. The first six sentences describe the apricot flowers. The first three sentences describe the overlapping of the petals, red and white interspersed. The latter three sentences describe the beautiful appearance of the flowers and the strong fragrance of the flowers. The phrase “shame” in one sentence ties the beauty of apricot flowers. From “easy to get” onwards, it changes to a lamenting tone, pitying flowers and self-pity, with a double meaning. The flowers are easily one layer, the wind and rain destroyed one layer, and the courtyard was unoccupied. The more twists and turns, the deeper the pain, the deeper the pain. The change of head, because I saw the two swallows through the flowers, and then the feeling of loneliness.
The swallow does not understand the human language layer, looking at the old palace layer, sometimes in the dream layer, and the dream does not make a layer, and the question is like a cry, like a complaint. Always have a thousand grievances in my heart, so there is this helplessness, sometimes swallowed, sometimes distant, urgent, returning to the intestines. Kui Huifeng Yun: “True” is the word of the lyrics, if this song and the post-master, all the “true” winners. Song Huizong Zhao Ji (1082-1135) is good at painting and painting. He knows music and words. He is one of the few talents among emperors of all ages, but in politics, he is a stupid and dying prince, and his father and son are captured by the enemy. This poem and Li Yu’s “Yu Meiren” belong to the same national music. This poem was written by Huizong Emperor of the Song Dynasty when he saw apricot flowers while being captured and heading north. On the way north, Song Huizong suddenly saw apricot flowers blooming like fire, and could not help but feel overwhelmed, writing this poem like a cry and complaint. The first part clearly writes apricot blossoms, using apricot blossoms’ beauty and the fading scenes of being destroyed by wind and rain to symbolize the loss of beautiful things, and to express the painful memories of the imperial life. Also implied is his own situation, loving flowers and self-pity, with a double meaning. The “sorrow and bitterness” of the word after “pity” makes people think of Li Houzhu’s “asking if there are many sorrows, just like a spring river to the east.”
The second part describes the sadness of parting, with layers of swallows and dreams, and from expectations to disappointments, from disappointments to despair of sorrow and sorrow, with “double swallows how, meet people language,” set off the extreme loneliness and sadness. The end of the last few sentences is a consolation that can be seen in the palace of the country in the dream, because even dreams can not be made. Emotional expression has a progressive relationship, sincere and deep, truly crying, heart-breaking sound.