Four songs of the beginning of the summer solar term: April Weixia, summer wood into yin
I used to wonder when the concept of the four seasons was formed, and when people began to talk about spring, summer, autumn and winter.
The earliest written record is the "Yao Dian" handed down in the Zhou Dynasty, saying that it is the period of Emperor Yao, who used the method of observing the height of the sun to determine the middle point of spring, summer, autumn and winter, and has always divided the length of the year and the four seasons. It is important to note that the concept of the four seasons was not created here, but rather the length of time that is precisely divided into the four seasons.
That is, the concept of spring, summer, autumn and winter, which existed before the Yao era, but it was not so precise.
Archaeology on paper, it is easy to fall into a misunderstanding, who invented the discovery of spring, summer, autumn and winter, it is necessary to pull out a piece of evidence or a person.
It wasn't until I saw that the unwritten tribes of Africa continue to this day, until I discovered that the history of many ethnic minorities, a few decades ago, was slave societies. As a human being, millions of years ago, it had evolved into what it is today, and tens of thousands of years ago, it had a brain capacity similar to that of modern humans, and I suddenly became enlightened. Because the ancients were no worse than us in perceiving changes in the outside temperature and climate, or because the material conditions were thinner and harder, they made their perception more sensitive.
Before there was writing, there was language, and there was communication, and in the age of no matter the age, what was desolate was only words and records, but not real life and survival. The most scorching period of the sun, the coldest period of ice and snow, there must be hardships brought by survival, to put it in words, the period when all things grow, the season when the fruit is stored, and there must be the joy of stretching and telling each other.
Therefore, the perception and description of the four seasons, about spring, summer, autumn and winter, long before the origin of writing.
But Yao's credit lies in further accuracy. This is done by observing the movement of the sun and making the time accurate. It is human beings who are conquering nature and climate and finding out the laws.
Therefore, in the Yao period, "the middle of the day, the star bird, to Yin Zhongchun", "the sun, the star, to the midsummer", "the night, the star is empty, to Yin Zhongqiu", "the day is short, the star is empty, to the midwinter", the middle point of spring, summer, autumn and winter has been divided, of course, the starting point of spring, summer, autumn and winter has been determined at that time.
And "Lixia" is the starting point of summer, and summer is established. It's just that Lixia, as the twenty-four solar terms, is widely known after the Zhou Dynasty.
It can be known that the earliest established days about time and the middle of the year in ancient times were the summer solstice and winter solstice. Because the summer solstice is the highest angle of the sun on the earth, while the winter solstice is the lowest angle of the sun on the horizon.
During the Yao period, the sun was worshipped, because the movement of the sun brought about distinct seasons, and the plants and trees grew and matured. This is particularly important in primitive agriculture. The leader or lord of the country regards himself as the incarnation of the sun god, then the summer solstice and the winter solstice are important nodes, symbolizing the unshakable power of the king. Emperor Yao was known as the emperor who was as bright as the sun by later generations. Later generations were the last feudal dynasties, and they all had the greatest ceremonies to worship the heavens on the solstice.
Yao Shunyu is known in the history books for the throne of Chan, and of course will inherit this legacy of mixed science and royal power.
Then to the son of Dayu, the first hereditary dynasty in China was established, which was the Xia Dynasty. Of course, why this Xia Dynasty is called the Xia Dynasty still has many different academic opinions. For example, Xia is a place name, Xia is the totem of a tribe, Xia Dynasty or not calling itself Xia Dynasty, is the name of the surrounding tribes and Fang countries, and Xia Dynasty is the definition of later generations.
However, I would like to emphasize a difference here.
The summer solstice is a major astronomical time determined in the Yao era, and it is inseparable from royal power and agricultural prosperity. As the son of Dayu and Dayu, who inherited the astronomical and political legacy, it is really unreasonable not to use "Xia" to show his noble throne and bless the eternal prosperity of the country. I believe that the people of the Xia Dynasty know that they are the people of Great Xia and are proud of it.
Just like we know that we are a Chinese nation, and we are proud of it.
Summer, that is, summer, is the season when the sun is the warmest, the period when the grass and trees are the most vigorous, the harvest season of wheat, the vigorous period of rice, and the season when fruits are continuous and warm. Great, my fathers, my country.
Of course, the time of the start of summer is just as important as the summer solstice.
In the beginning of the Yao period, the stars and the height of the sun echoed each other, but it was already quite accurate. In the middle of mid-spring and mid-summer.
As for whether the Xia Dynasty had a grand ceremony in Lixia, it is not found in writing and archaeology. But how can a country named after the summer and the capital of the supreme god with the sun be without ceremony?
However, in the Zhou Dynasty, the ceremony of Lixia can be described as grand.
"It's the moon, and it's the beginning of the summer. On the third day of the first summer, the son of heaven of the great history said: On a certain day, the summer is born, and Shengde is on fire. The Son of Heaven is Qi. On the day of the beginning of summer, the Son of Heaven personally commanded the three princes, Jiuqing, and the doctor to welcome the summer in the southern suburbs. Return, reward, and seal the princes. Congratulations followed, all of them were happy. It is a musician who learns the ritual music. Ordered to be a captain, praise Junjun, be virtuous, grow up, and be a knight, and he will be in his position. ”
Three days before the beginning of summer, the historian told the emperor that three days later, the beginning of summer. The Son of Heaven then prepared to lead the ministers of the court to the open space outside the capital to meet the summer god on the day of the beginning of summer. After coming back, he began to reward his meritorious deeds once a year, and gave knighthoods and commendations to courtiers who had made meritorious contributions for a year. This is the happiest time of the year, because it has been a busy year, and it happens to be idle after agricultural spring ploughing, the sun is shining, the grass and trees are verdant, the green mountains and green waters, comfortable and relaxed. Encouraging the merits and achievements of the past, facing a new round of work, who is not euphoric, bless the empire like the sun, forever like the summer sun, to the middle of the sky?
There's no reason not to love summer, especially when it's a bright and fresh early summer.
"Summers in April, summers in June.
Ancestors bandits, Hu Ning endured.
There are Jiahui in the mountains, Hou Li and Hou Mei.
Waste is a thief, I don't know what it is
There are ferns in the mountains, and there are berries in the mountains.
The gentleman sings and mourns. "Excerpt from the Book of Poetry "April".
There are 10 million ways to read the Book of Songs.
This is a folk poem of the Zhou Dynasty, which begins with the arrival of summer in April.
Because in April of the lunar calendar, there is the beginning of summer with seasons.
The beginning of summer and the early summer are the most abundant seasons of vegetation.
April is the most beautiful summer, because in the sixth month of the lunar calendar, the most unbearable summer days come.
However, the author of the poem must be a frustrated man walking in the wilderness of the mountains, enjoying the best early summer, but also lamenting his wandering and sadness.
I walked in the early summer of April, knowing that in two months, there would be a scorching heat.
This early summer is good, compared to autumn, everything is withering, the cold wind is cold, and now it is so comfortable.
This early summer is good, compared to winter, the cold wind is blowing, there is no food, this season is so abundant.
You see, this mountain is full of chestnut and plum trees, but they have been destroyed by the war.
You see this spring flowing, sometimes clear, sometimes turbid, but I came here because of detractors.
This mountain of bracken and vetch is luxuriant, and the wolfberry trees of this valley are so luxuriant.
It's just that I can't help but rejoice and grieve.
As I said, there are many interpretations of the Book of Songs. For example, the poet was obviously on the way to exile, or he knew that he would face greater hardships and disasters, but during this period, the natural and abundant April landscape brought him tranquility and sadness after tranquility.
However, the blossoms, the chestnut and plum trees that grow, the gurgling springs, and the vigorous wild plants growing on the roadside all show the relaxation of early summer, a kind of forest beauty. How nice would it be if it was always such a light summer?
Does this poem have the meaning of nostalgia and longing for the Xia Dynasty? I think there is. Chinese worship the ancient, the Xia Dynasty is more than a thousand years away from the Zhou Dynasty, speaking of Dayu, people are also called Xia Yu, that is a clear and prosperous era in the eyes of future generations.
Therefore, "April Summer" has become a famous phrase for the arrival of summer. It's summer.
"This year is a leap month, and spring shines in summer.
The scenery downstairs is late, and the banquet in the corner of the city is rewarded.
Nine songs to promote political dignitaries, six dances scattered in court clothes.
When the day is happy, people and things are not violated.
The ceremony is generous, and the joy is slight.
Don't enjoy the balcony music, the rain flies in the early evening. "Tang Dynasty · Li Longji "The First Summer Calyx Tower, Watching the Ministers Feasting Ning Wangshan Pavilion, Returning to the Downstairs and Applying for Poetry with Appreciation"
Lixia, in the Tang Dynasty, the official nickname "Shouxia", of course, is another name for Lixia. The first day of summer.
The emperor would still lead his ministers to the outskirts to meet the summer god.
However, at this time, the economy and agriculture were developed, and there was no need to worship God to the extreme, as in the Yao Shunyu or Xia Shang periods. Tang Xuanzong led his courtiers, which was simply another grand spring outing. Go to the suburbs to symbolically welcome the summer god, and then return to the calyx tower in Chang'an, and set up a banquet to entertain the ministers, which is actually the centripetal force of the courtiers. Go to see the landscape of the imperial capital in early summer, the farmland scenery in the suburbs, and when you come back, you will be more loyal to the empire and do a good job in the construction of the Tang Dynasty.
Tang Xuanzong's poem is also bright and atmospheric.
This year, because there was a leap month last year, so the beginning of summer is relatively early, when the beginning of summer, the scenery is still with spring, the weather is not so hot, it happened that Tang Xuanzong also said, it rained yesterday, today is sunny, and the rain is beautiful after the sunny day.
Back to the calyx building, followed by a singing and dancing banquet, the sky is beautiful, and the people are peaceful.
So there is no sense of fatigue, the courtiers write poems, and they are also in a good mood, and they write poems with a pen.
Of course, he is in a good mood, and for the emperor, he has a summer solstice, summer, and summer complex. This is the psychological home of the emperor.
"If you want to know spring and summer, Zhonglu Qi Zhu Ming.
Earthworms who teach, Wang Hu is born from the same together.
The curtain silkworm is cocoon-like, and the forest bird feeds the chicks.
I gradually felt that the cloud peak was good, and slowly took the rain. "Zhongtang · Yuan Zhi "Song of the Twenty-four Qi Poems Lixia April Festival"
The Yuan Zhen of the Tang Dynasty mainly used the correspondence between the solar terms and nature to write the characteristics and beauty of the summer solstice solar terms.
Do you know how to distinguish between spring and summer? That is, when summer comes, the sun will become warmer and stronger, and the climate will be warm and humid.
At the beginning of summer, you will see more and more earthworms crawling out of the soil.
At the beginning of summer, you will see the king gourd climbing the vine quickly, and the mushroom grass by the river is plump.
When you go to the countryside, this is the time when the silkworm babies form cocoons, the trees are full of green leaves, birds can be heard everywhere, and birds are feeding their offspring.
If you stand in the suburbs, you will notice that the clouds at this time are different from spring, because the clouds increase and move slowly, bringing large-scale abundant rainfall.
What a green, wet season.
The beginning of summer is the season when plants and trees grow wildly. Jiangnan and most of China, enter the rainy season. Sunlight and water grow together, and fruit trees set and swell, while some early-fruiting trees, such as cherries and loquats, have already begun to harvest.
Summer is the season of growth, the season of growth, and the season of harvest.
Therefore, the people of the Xia Dynasty have their own pride, and the Chinese people also have such pride.
People are in the middle of summer.
"Change the order and read Fangchen, tired and tired forever.
Xia Mu has become yin, and the public gate is quiet during the day.
The long wind begins to float the pavilion, and the clouds are stacked before the ridge.
If you want to leave the house, you should cherish the situation. "Zhongtang · Wei Yingwu "Remembering the Brothers of Beijing in Summer"
Lixia, in the Tang Dynasty, was a holiday. If you combine the officials' ten-month break, there will be about two days. After the Middle Tang Dynasty, there were also holidays, so during the Middle Tang Dynasty, there were about two or three days off before and after the beginning of summer.
The day before the beginning of summer is, of course, a spring day, and Bai Juyi Han has more spring poems about going out to drink.
On the day of the beginning of summer, of course, it is no exception, those who want to go out, climb high and look far, step on the green mountains and green waters, and those who don't want to go out, stay at home and enjoy the green leaves.
For example, Wei Yingwu lived in such a quiet and leisurely Lixia in the residence of the official office.
The beginning of summer is here, and this is a good day, but the temperature is relatively high on this day, the sun is relatively large, and there is sweat on the body.
Fortunately, the trees have stretched out and shaded, and I am here, where I work, no one comes during the day, and it is quiet and leisurely.
I went up to the top of the building and saw the wind coming from the wilderness and blowing here, and I saw dark clouds gathering on the mountains in the distance. It's going to rain.
I returned to my quiet room and thought of my brothers in the capital. They're reading at this point.
Early summer is a wonderful day to read.
The quiet under the green shade is just right to read and cherish people.
But Wei Yingwu's poem also conveys a message, that is, under his governance, the people of this place live and work in peace and contentment, and there are few lawsuits and disputes, which makes his office so peaceful.
And this is exactly what the Tang Dynasty officials were pursuing.
Tree-lined and full of greenery is the seasonal feature of summer and one of the most beautiful scenery in early summer.
The traditional summer season starts with the beginning of summer and ends before the beginning of autumn.
In the traditional summer, there is not only the heat of summer, but also the beauty of the fresh greenery of early summer, and the lotus flowers bloom in midsummer.
Modern summer, divided by temperature, often makes summer give people a hot and depressing feeling.
But it wasn't the beginning of summer of the solar terms.
The beginning of summer is light and green, fresh and vigorous, is the first exhibition of green shade, the plum is green, is the green after the flowers, the mountains and rivers are green, green and pleasant, it is the farmland wheat shake, the rice is green and new. Stronger than spring, more comfortable than midsummer.
It's a charming and pleasant time of day.
Hatsui Katsuyuki interprets the love and beauty in the poems for you. #立夏#