"Inscribed on Lin'an Residence"

Lin Sheng

The outer building of Qingshan Tower outside the mountain,

When will the singing and dancing in West Lake close?

The warm wind makes tourists drunk,

Hangzhou is called Bianzhou.

Author: Lin Sheng, whose dates of birth and death are unknown, named Mengping, was born in Pingyang, Zhejiang Province today.

[Notes]

1. Lin'an: The capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, now Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province.

2. Di: Inn, hotel.

3. Bianzhou: Bianliang (now Kaifeng City, Henan Province), the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty.

[Brief Analysis]

This is a poem written on the wall of a hotel in Lin'an City.

In 1126 AD, the Jin people captured Bianliang, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, and captured the two emperors Huizong and Qinzong. The entire Central Plains territory was occupied by the Jin people. Zhao Gou fled to the south of the Yangtze River and ascended the throne in Lin'an, known as the Southern Song Dynasty in history. The small court of the Southern Song Dynasty did not accept the painful lesson of the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty and worked hard to improve itself. The people in power did not want to regain the lost territory of the Central Plains, but only wanted to live in peace. They surrendered externally and brutally persecuted Yue Fei and other patriots internally. They were politically corrupt and incompetent, and the high-ranking officials were blind to it. Indulge in sensuality and have fun. This poem was written in response to this dark reality. It pours out the indignation in the hearts of the people and expresses the poet's deep concern for the fate of the country and the nation.

The first two sentences of the poem "Beyond the mountains are green hills, the buildings are outside the buildings, when will the West Lake singing and dancing end?" capture the characteristics of Lin'an City: overlapping green hills, rows of terraces and endless singing and dancing, and write The false prosperity and peace of that year. The poet was so moved by the scene that he couldn't help but sigh: "When will the singing and dancing in West Lake stop?" When will the obscene singing and dancing by the West Lake stop people's fighting spirit against gold?

The last two sentences, "The warm wind makes tourists drunk, and they call Hangzhou Bianzhou" are the poet's further expression of his feelings. "Warm breeze" is a pun, referring to both the spring breeze in nature and the lustful wind in society. It is this "warm wind" that blows people's minds as if they are drunk. "Tourists" cannot be understood as ordinary tourists. It specifically refers to the ruling class of the Southern Song Dynasty who forgot about the national crisis, lived in peace and had fun. The words "Xun" and "Drunk" are used very delicately in the poem, vividly depicting the mental state of those dignitaries who indulged in sex and harmed the country and the people. At the end, "Hangzhou is always regarded as Bianzhou" directly accuses the Southern Song Dynasty government of forgetting the hatred of the country and the family, and treating the temporarily peaceful Hangzhou as the old capital Bianzhou. The bitter satire contains great anger and endless worries.