STUDY IN CHINA GLOBAL (SCG)According to the book of 24 solar terms, “Dong (winter), is the end, the collection of everything.” This means that the autumn crops have been harvested and animals have hidden to prepare for hibernation. Around the Start of Winter, the surface of the earth has stored some heat after a summer of exposure. Thus the weather is not cold. Even in the sunny days, people feel like it’s spring. The weather, neither hot nor cold, is very pleasant, and good for the growth of the winter crops. Of course, after Start of Winter Day, the cold air from Siberia will come unexpectedly, leading to strong wind, dropping temperatures, snow and rain. In a sense, the Start of Winter is a reminder for people to concern themselves with the change of weather and life.
There are many ancient poems about the Start of Winter. In The Start of Winter, by Wang Zhi, a poet of Ming Dynasty, he writes:
“The autumn wind blows on the old tree in the courtyard, The guest comes through the flying leaves of yellow and red. A light in the temple and a half moon beside it, Tonight is colder than last.”
The winter comes after the autumn, and all leaves have fallen to the ground. The lonely traveler is accompanied only by the moon. The weather is colder when one is alone.
The great poet Li Bai of Tang Dynasty also has a poem about the “Start of Winter”:
“My writing brush has gotten frozen, New poems are hard to write; Close to the stove, I heat my wine now and then. In drunkenness, I saw the white moonlight on the ground, As the snow covers the whole country.”
Two Poems about the Start of Winter by Chou Yuan
The Start of Winter (Ⅰ)
The drizzle brings to get cold, Frost has not yet been seen. Leaves of the tree in the front yard, Half yellow, half green. The late autumn has just left, Where’s the fragrance of plum blossoms?
The Start of Winter (Ⅱ)
The aroma of tea circles the magnificent mountain, The drizzle dampens the felt. The winter comes early this year, My brown robe has not been filled with cotton yet.
About the poet: Chou Yuan (1247-1326), also named Renjin or Renfu, lived in the late Song Dynasty (960-1279) and the early Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). He was born in Zhejiang province. As he lived in the Chou Mountain, he addressed himself as “Shancun Min” (a person of the mountain). He was a famous litterateur and calligrapher. As an old adherent of the past dynasty, it was hard for him to find his position in the new dynasty, which was founded and led by the Mongolian nationality. At that time, authority was held by the other nationality, so most litterateurs had no chance to be officials. Moreover, they were loyal to the dynasty of when they were born. Chou Yuan would lose himself in nature most of the time. However, in the lines of his poems, the melancholy feeling still can be seen.
Proverbs about the Start of Winter
The ancient Chinese are accustomed to use the solar terms to forecast the weather of the future.
Thunder on the Start of Winter forecasts a wet spring. (North areas)
Thunder on the Start of Winter, cattle might be frozen to death. (North areas)
Fog on the Start of Winter? Plant radishes in the paddy field. (North areas) The north wind on the Start of Winter forecasts much snow; South wind on the Start of Winter forecast no rain and snow. (Nationwide)
Cold Start of Winter forecasts a cold year. (North areas)
Turn the soil before the winter, you will harvest gold; after it, you will get silver, while after the Start of Spring, you will harvest iron. (The Hakkas)
The sun on the Start will last all the winter; The rain on the Start will last all winter. (The Hakkas)
The rain on the Start will ruin the winter; The firewood and crops will run out. (The southeast)
The northeast wind on the Start of Winter will blow away all the clouds of the winter. (The southeast)
South wind and rainy Start, there will be no dry soil in winter.
Rainy Start will bring a rot winter; sunny Start will bring a dry spring. (The southeast)
If it is not rainy on the Start of Winter, it will be dry all the winter. (Jiangxi)
Slight Snow follows the Start of Winter closely, thus in the winter the soil preparation is the most important. (The south areas)
The wind on the Start of Winter will bring rain on the Start of Spring. (Shanxi)
Sow the pea on Start of Winter, and you will harvest exactly the same. (The south areas)
If there are three layers of snow on the winter wheat, next year you can take the mantou as your pillow. (Nationwide)
Appreciation of Poems about the Start of Winter
The winter, rain and snow can always touch a nerve in poets. They left thousands of wonderful lines about the scene for us to appreciate.
Express His Will by Describing the Snow
“I like the snowflake not only for its lightness, But also its birth in the cold place, not like the common flower; After the poetess Xie, who would care about its beauty? It drifts aimlessly. In the chilly moonlight; It flies on the west wind to the endless desert.”
The poet Nalan Xingde was born into a noble family in the Qing Dynasty. He was famous for his special style of poems. This poem uses the snow to express his will. He appreciates the pure and noble nature of the snow. The snow is born in the high place, just as a person who is born in a powerful family. But the snow is so pure and elegant without any taint, just like him. However, no one can appreciate the noble nature and the snow (or the poet himself) wants to find a wider place to show his talent.
The Reality Mingled with the False
Nalan Xingde’s appreciation of the snow shows a noble nature, while “The Snow of Jiangpu in My Dream” of Yan Shen is also very touching:
“The sky is too high to reach, Even in the tall tower. I fell asleep when I was drunk. In my dream the poplar blossom flew thousands of miles.”
The first two lines of the poem describe the real scene, while the latter describe the dreamed scene. The snow before the author has turned into the beautiful scene of his hometown. The snow of thousands of miles has turned into the poplar blossom. The atmosphere created by the author can compare with that of the famous “Fishing in Snow” of Liu Zongyuan: “A straw-cloaked man afloat, behold! He is fishing snow on river cold.”
Artistic Conception is the Most Beautiful
In the poems singing the praises of snow, Ye Yong’s “Egret Standing in the River” is a beautiful Chinese painting:
“The fishes hide under the green moss of the white stones, An egret standing in the rain all day waits. It is dim in the evening, It looks like the snow on the river.”
The short lines of the poem describe the gesture and charm of the egret. The poet compares the egret with the snow, because the purity of the snow and the perseverance of the egret are similar in a way. The scene could only be found in a dream.
“An Invitation to My Friend Liu 19” by Bai Juyi is more close to real life:
“The vessel contains dry, brown, green wine, The clay stove red and hot. The dusk appears to snow, Why not chat over cups in my hut?”
In the bitter cold weather, the best thing is to invite a couple of friends, drink the wine, have some food and talk freely. What a happy life!
