1. Cold food original
In late spring, Chang 'an city is full of songs and dances, and countless flowers fall. The east wind of the Cold Food Festival blows on the willow trees in the royal garden. As night fell, the palace was busy lighting candles, and smoke drifted to the house of the prince and the marquis.
2. Vernacular translation
In Chang 'an in spring, there is no place where flowers are falling and dancing. Cold food festival, east wind oblique palace wicker. The Cold Food Festival should have banned fire, but at dusk, the palace gave candles to light a fire, and the light smoke of candles was scattered in the home of Minister Venus.
3. Creative background
Cold food is a traditional festival in ancient China. In this festival, the ancients did not make a fire for three days before and after, but only ate ready-made cold food, hence the name. According to Xijing Miscellanies, in the Han Dynasty, although fire was banned in the whole country during the Cold Food Festival, the emperor gave the nobles of Houmen candles and licensed lighting to show their favor. Tang system, following the old practice, also spread candles on cold food to show gratitude.
The exact year of this poem is unknown. If it was written in Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, "Five Emperors" refers to Yang Guifei's brother Yang and his sisters. If it is after the Anshi Rebellion, it refers to the eunuch political group with growing power since Tang Daizong. They were good at politics, which made the politics in the middle Tang Dynasty increasingly corrupt, just like the world at the end of Han Dynasty. Seeing that the favor of the royal family only benefits the upper class, Han Yi reveals a trace of irony in this poem.
4. Literature appreciation
The first two sentences describe the scenery during the day, describing the charming spring scenery and the scenery of catkins flying and falling red in the palace garden in Chang' an city; The last two sentences are about the night scene. Although fire is forbidden in the Cold Food Festival, favored officials can get candles specially given by the emperor, and light smoke fills the air at home. The poem is full of intoxication of the imperial city's spring scenery and praise of prosperity and tranquility, and at the same time it implies euphemistic irony.
5. The influence of future generations
According to Meng Meng's Skill Poem in the Tang Dynasty, Tang Dezong appreciated this poem of Han Yi very much, so he specially gave the frustrated poet a prominent position and told him to open a doctor and know how to patent. At that time, because the secretariat of Jianghuai was also called Han Yi, Dezong wrote this poem in calligraphy and approved: "This is Han Yi." Become a popular story for a while. Han Yi was also told through the ages because of the poem Cold Food.