When autumn comes, the Mountain-climbing Day is nigh;
My flower blows when other blooms come to an end.
In battle array its fragrance rises sky-high,
The capital with its golden armor will blend.
Original Poem:
「不第后赋菊」
黄巢
待到秋来九月八，我花开后百花杀。
冲天香阵透长安，满城尽带黄金甲。
Interpretation:
This poem is an aria, using the technique of simile to give the chrysanthemum a heroic appearance and noble character, taking the chrysanthemum as a symbol of the vast number of oppressed people, and figuratively displaying the resolute and firm spirit of the leader of the peasants' insurrection.
The first two lines: When the Chongyang Festival comes in September in the fall, chrysanthemums bloom and then other flowers wither away.
Examining the turbulence of the poem, the poet writes this point in time not only for the sake of rhyming, but also reveals a kind of impatience, calling for the storm of uprising to come soon. Then the poet shows the readers an irresistible law of nature, using the strong contrast between the golden chrysanthemum blooming in full bloom and the flowers withering away in the face of frost, showing the vitality of the chrysanthemum's tenacious vitality, and on the other hand implying that once the storm of the peasants' revolt arrives, the corrupt Tang dynasty will immediately turn into withered leaves just like the flowers encountering the frost.
The third and fourth sentences: the fragrance of the blooming chrysanthemums permeates the whole Chang'an, and there are golden yellow chrysanthemums like armor all over the place.
This is a vision of the chrysanthemum's victory, showing that the golden chrysanthemum will never bloom alone in victory, but will be honored by all groups of people, which contains the simple but profound concept of peace in the world. The last sentence says that all the chrysanthemums in Chang'an, without exception, are clad in golden armor. Clad in gold armor, standing in the soughing west wind, frost half cold, proudly blossom, the image is how heroic! How handsome!
This poem is a metaphor for chrysanthemum, through the image of chrysanthemums, chrysanthemums, singing the praises of the mighty spirit of the author to wait for the time to change the heroic spirit of the world. When the “Chung Yeung Festival” of the Peasants' Uprising came, the feudal ruling class lost its prestige, and withered like those “hundred flowers”, didn't it? When the righteous army marched into Chang'an, weren't the righteous soldiers in military uniforms like the chrysanthemums that filled the city with golden splendor and majestic spirit? This chrysanthemum poem is an ode to the heroes of peasant uprisings in feudal society.
Poem translator:
Xu Yuan-chong (许渊冲)
About the poet:
Huang Chao (黄巢), 820 - 884 A.D., a native of Heze, Shandong Province, was a leader of peasant revolts at the end of the Tang Dynasty. Huang Chao came from a family of salt merchants, good at horseback riding and shooting, with a rough knowledge of writing and ink, and little poetic talent. Huang Chao could read poems at the age of five, but as an adult, he failed to pass the exams. In 884 AD, Huang Chao was defeated and died in Wolf Tiger Valley.
