Minnong
[Tang] Li Shen
original text
At noon in summer, the sun is very hot, farmers are still working, and beads are dripping into the soil.
Who knows that every grain of Chinese food is hard?
"Chu River" (or "Compassion for Farmers") is a Tang poem, which was selected into the Chinese textbook of primary school (grade two). The author is from the Tang Dynasty, and some people think it was written by Nie. This poem depicts the scene of working in farmers' fields at noon in the scorching sun, summarizes the hard work life of farmers all year round, and finally expresses the poet's heartfelt sympathy for farmers with far-reaching aphorisms. The language of the whole poem is popular and simple, and the syllables are lively and catchy, which is widely circulated and known to women and children. Among them, "Who knows that every grain is hard" is a traditional "housekeeping motto" in China, reminding people to pay attention to saving and cherish the fruits of labor.
This poem is generally considered to be the work of Li Shen, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, and some people think it is the work of Nie.
Compared with those famous poems, this little poem is not a famous one in the flowery Tang Dynasty, but it is widely spread, known to all women and children, and it is not unreasonable to be recited by people.
First of all, the content expressed in this poem is the most familiar thing that people often come into contact with. However, you don't really know what you are most familiar with. There are many things in life that you turn a blind eye to. If someone tries to enlighten you, explain the essence, or point out some truth involved, you will feel very eye-catching and clear, thus deepening your understanding. This little poem has vitality, so it makes sense.
"Chinese food on the plate" was once a food that people must contact every day, but no one thought of linking this food with the sweat of farmers under the scorching sun. The poet observed it keenly and condensed it into a poem "Every grain is hard". This enlightens people, makes them think about the truth, and makes those who do not know how to cherish food deeply educated.
Secondly, when the poet expounds the above contents, he does not use vague abstractions, but uses vivid images and profound contrasts to expose problems and explain the reasons, so that people can easily accept and understand them. In the first two sentences, the author didn't say how hard it is for farmers to farm and how hard it is for crops to grow. He just made a vivid rendering of the plot of farmers sweating in the hot sun, which made people make this hard and hard taste more concrete, profound and real. Therefore, the poet finally said in a rhetorical tone that "every grain is hard", which is very convincing. In particular, comparing the grain to a drop of sweat is really subtle and vivid.
Finally, the language of the poem is simple, the syllables are harmonious and lively, catchy and easy to recite, which is also the reason why this little poem has been circulated among the people for a long time.