I'm afraid this should start with the origin of the cuckoo's name. In folklore, there is such a story. It is said that a long time ago, there was a diligent monarch in Shu named Du Yu. He often goes to the fields in person to urge everyone to cherish spring scenery and cultivate crops. Even after his death, he didn't abandon his people. He became a beautiful bird, and when he was sowing seeds, he crowed everywhere to remind everyone that this kind of bird was called Du Yu by later generations, also called cuckoo and cuckoo.
From this story, we can know why this bird is called cuckoo, because it is related to birds in Du Yuhua, and it inspires people to cuckoo. However, this folklore shows us the image of a diligent king. Even if people are sad because they miss him, it will not remind people of the sadness of leaving, as described in some poems. Therefore, I suspect that this story has been processed by ordinary people. For ordinary people, spring sowing is the most important thing, so I modified and polished the myths and legends, leaving only the part related to urging seeds.
In that case, what is the unique version of this Du Yu legend? In Yang Xiong's Biography of the King of Shu, a completely different story is described for us. In Yang Xiong's version, Du Yu established himself as the King of Shu, nicknamed him, and appointed a man named "Ling" as the prime minister. At that time, there was a flood in Shu, which caused great loss of life. Thanks to the help of the spiritual body, the gap in Yushan was opened and disaster was avoided.
"If Yushan is flooded with water, I hope the emperor can't cure it, so that the spirit can settle Yushan and the people can be safe." However, this Wang Di did a very bad thing. He uses his mind to control water and communicate with his wife. Fortunately, he woke up in time. It is "shame, self-respect, not as good as spirit, but entrusted by the state, like Yao's Zen." "When looking at the emperor, the son sings, so the Shu people mourn the son and think of looking at the emperor; Wang Di, Du Yu also. " This is another version of the story between Wang Di Du Yu and Du Fu. In this story, Du Yu took the initiative to meditate because he was ashamed of his virtue.
In addition, Wang Mo's Notes on Geography of Han and Tang Dynasties in the Qing Dynasty, and Tao's Talking about Money in the Yuan Dynasty all quoted some articles and told a similar story. Although the sentences are different, they all refer to "water control" and "Zen position" to some extent.
However, there are some different opinions about why Wang Di meditates. Some people say that Wang Di "accumulated more than one hundred years old" and felt old, so he meditated. Some people say that it was because he did something immoral, but he repented and was willing to meditate by himself. Others said that it was because the courtiers usurped his throne and exiled him to the mountains, or that he fled to the mountains in a hurry.
However, in any case, Wang Di is a king worthy of mourning for him. Therefore, when Sichuanese hear the cuckoo's cry, they will involuntarily associate it with Wang Di.
In folklore, people often use the phoenix as a metaphor for the king of birds. But now, for various reasons, Du Yu has become a bird. How can this not make people feel sad? After learning such a story, people can better understand why this bird is always so sad in poetry.
But I've always wondered why this bird is also called "cuckoo" and "Du Yu", which is easy to understand, because the legendary king is called "Du Yu" and "cuckoo", which I can understand, because it is similar to the sound of birds, and people think that its sound is related to urging sowing, so it is called "Du Yu". So, what about "azaleas"? What does it have to do with azaleas, using names?
I never understood this point, but then I saw a poem by a poet in the Tang Dynasty and suddenly had an epiphany. This poem reads: "cuckoo, what is the credit?" It is suspected that the blood in the mouth drips into the flowers on the branches. "It is said that the cuckoo's mouth is red, which is estimated to be similar to the color of azaleas. Therefore, the imaginative ancients associated it with the red azaleas all over the mountain, thinking that the reason why azaleas are so red is because the blood in the mouth of azaleas drips on them.
I think so too. If we are connected with the ancient king named Du Yu again, we will feel even sadder and sadder. That Du Yu's soul turned into a bird. She cried and cried, and her mouth was dripping with blood. She worked so hard to dye the azaleas with such thrilling purples. I think this is what Li Shangyin meant by "Wang Chunxin's cuckoo crow" in his famous Jinse.
In my opinion, this little cuckoo that flew out of myths and legends flew into poetry. Although it is not as mysterious as the legendary sun god, nor as noble as the jade bird of the Empress Dowager Yaochi, it is definitely the most romantic and poetic of all birds. Who let it fly into the poem?
What's more, the sun and the bluebird are just a beautiful legend. Cuckoo is different. Every spring, it will quietly fly out of poetry and fly to us ordinary people. "Goo goo-"Listen, isn't that what it is singing? However, it is listening to the sad voice, the pain of homesickness, or the impulse to sow. Anyway, I just like this bird flying from poem to poem.