Mao Zedong Poems

Poetry of Mao Zedong | To the Melody of He Xin Lang ~ 《贺新郎》

《贺新郎》 《贺新郎》  (一九二三年) 毛泽东 挥手从兹去。     更那堪凄然相向,苦情重诉。     眼角眉梢都似恨,热泪欲零还住。     知误会前番书语。     过眼滔滔云共雾,算人间知己吾和汝。     人有病,天知否? 今朝霜重东门路,     照横塘半天残月,凄清如许。     汽笛一声肠已断,从此天涯孤旅。     凭割断愁丝恨缕。     要似昆仑崩绝壁,又恰象台风扫寰宇。     重比翼,和云翥。 这首词最早发表在一九七八年九月九日《人民日报》。 【注释】 ●〔贺新郎〕词牌名。词牌就是词调的名称,如本书中的《沁(qìn揿)园春》、《菩萨蛮》、《西江月》、《清平乐(yuè月)》、《采桑子》、《如梦令》、《减字木兰花》、《蝶恋花》、《渔家傲》、《忆秦娥》、《十六字令》、《念奴娇》、《浣溪沙》、《浪淘沙》、《水调歌头》、《卜算子》、《满江红》等都是词牌名。后来发展成为一种特殊的文学体栽,绝大多数的词调都已失传,变得只能吟诵而不能按原调唱了。词的句子大都有长短,字音平仄和押韵方式都有一定的格律,但也有少数词人在个别地方对格律不太严格(本书对这些地方一般都不加注,免涉烦琐)。词牌最初有一部分是根据词意命名的,后来的作词者大都只按照一定词牌的格律来“填词”,词意不再与词牌有关,而在词牌之外可依词意另标题目。如本书中的《长沙》、《黄鹤楼》、《井冈山》等就是。本词没有另标题目,是写给作者的夫人杨开慧同志的。杨开慧,见《蝶恋花·答李淑一》〔骄杨〕注。 ●〔一九二三年〕这年六月,中国共产党第三次全国代表大会在广州召开。毛泽东同志出席了大会,当选为中央执行委员。大会通过了《关于国民运动及国民党问题的议决案》,决定同国民党合作,建立革命统一战线。九月至十二月,毛泽东同志在湖南从事党的工作,年底奉中央通知由长沙去上海转广州准备参加国民党第一次全国代表大会。据此,本词可能作于这年十二月底离开长沙的时候。当时革命形势在上升,作者“割断愁丝恨缕”而为革命事业献出全副身心的豪情,以及作者所预想的未来革命风暴的猛烈壮阔,在词中“昆仑崩绝壁”、“台风扫寰宇”的比喻中得到强烈的表现。 ●〔挥手从兹去〕本于李白《送友人》:“挥手自兹去”。 ●〔过眼滔滔云共雾〕云雾比误会。本句意为误会再大也只是过眼即逝的云雾。 ●〔横塘〕指长沙东门外的清水塘,清水塘附近有火车站。 ●〔凭〕意思是借以,包含两方,非单“请求”彼方。 ●〔昆仑崩绝壁〕昆仑山的峭壁倒塌。这和下面的“台风扫寰宇”都用来表示“割断愁丝恨缕”,参加革命斗争的强大决心,同时也烘托了未来的大革命的声威。 ●〔重比翼,和云翥〕指在将来的斗争中会晤时再在云霄中比翼双飞。翥(zhù注),鸟飞。   To the Melody of He Xin Lang 1923 Waving adieu hence forth I fare. Hardly can we bear, vis-a-vis with sadness we share, Unbosoming bitter sentiments and meticulous care! […]

Poetry of Mao Zedong | To the Melody of He Xin Lang ~ 《贺新郎》 Read More »

Poetry of Mao Zedong | TWO BIRDS: A DIALOGUE ~ 念奴娇·鸟儿问答

念奴娇·鸟儿问答(1965 秋) TWO BIRDS: A DIALOGUE –to the tune of Nien Nu Chiao Autumn 1965 鲲鹏展翅,九万里,翻动扶摇羊角。 背负青天朝下看,都是人间城郭。 炮火连天,弹痕遍地,吓倒蓬间雀。 怎么得了,哎呀我要飞跃。 The roc wings fanwise, Soaring ninety thousand li And rousing a raging cyclone. The blue sky on his back, he looks down To survey Man’s world with its towns and cities. Gunfire licks the heavens, Shells pit

Poetry of Mao Zedong | TWO BIRDS: A DIALOGUE ~ 念奴娇·鸟儿问答 Read More »

Poetry of Mao Zedong | REASCENDING CHINGKANGSHAN ~ 水调歌头·重上井冈山

水调歌头·重上井冈山 一九六五年五月 REASCENDING CHINGKANGSHAN –to the tune of Shui Tiao Keh Tou May 1965 久有凌云志, 重上井冈山。 千里来寻故地, 旧貌变新颜。 到处莺歌燕舞, 更有潺潺流水, 高路入云端。 过了黄洋界, 险处不须看。 I have long aspired to reach for the clouds And I again ascend Chingkangshan. Coming from afar to view our old haunt, I find new scenes replacing the old. Everywhere orioles sing,

Poetry of Mao Zedong | REASCENDING CHINGKANGSHAN ~ 水调歌头·重上井冈山 Read More »

Poetry of Mao Zedong | REPLY TO COMRADE KUO MO-JO ~ 满江红·和郭沫若同志

满江红·和郭沫若同志 一九六三年一月九日 REPLY TO COMRADE KUO MO-JO –to the tune of Man Chiang Hung January 9, 1963 小小寰球, 有几个苍蝇碰壁。 嗡嗡叫, 几声凄厉, 几声抽泣。 蚂蚁缘槐夸大国, 蚍蜉撼树谈何易。 正西风落叶下长安, 飞鸣镝。 On this tiny globe A few flies dash themselves against the wall, Humming without cease, Sometimes shrilling, Sometimes moaning. Ants on the locust tree assume a great-nation swagger And

Poetry of Mao Zedong | REPLY TO COMRADE KUO MO-JO ~ 满江红·和郭沫若同志 Read More »

Poetry of Mao Zedong | WINTER CLOUDS ~ 七律 冬云

七律 冬云(1962年12月26日) WINTER CLOUDS –a lu shih December 26, 1962 雪压冬云白絮飞,万花纷谢一时稀。 高天滚滚寒流急,大地微微暖气吹。 独有英雄驱虎豹,更无豪杰怕熊罴。 梅花欢喜漫天雪,冻死苍蝇未足奇。 Winter clouds snow-laden, cotton fluff flying, None or few the unfallen flowers. Chill waves sweep through steep skies, Yet earth’s gentle breath grows warm. Only heroes can quell tigers and leopards And wild bears never daunt the brave. Plum blossoms welcome the

Poetry of Mao Zedong | WINTER CLOUDS ~ 七律 冬云 Read More »

Poetry of Mao Zedong | ODE TO THE PLUM BLOSSOM ~ 卜算子·咏梅

V1:卜算子·咏梅 一九六一年十二月 ODE TO THE PLUM BLOSSOM –to the tune of Pu Suan Tzu December 9,1961 读陆游咏梅词,反其义而用之。 On reading Lu Yu’s Ode to the Plum Blossom, I countered it with the following lines. 风雨送春归, 飞雪迎春到, 已是悬崖百丈冰, 犹有花枝俏。 俏也不争春, 只把春来报。 待到山花烂漫时, 她在丛中笑。 V1: Wind and rain escorted Spring’s departure, Flying snow welcomes Spring’s return. On the

Poetry of Mao Zedong | ODE TO THE PLUM BLOSSOM ~ 卜算子·咏梅 Read More »

Poetry of Mao Zedong | REPLY TO COMRADE KUO MO-JO ~ 七律·和郭沫若同志

七律·和郭沫若同志 一九六一年十一月十七日 REPLY TO COMRADE KUO MO-JO –a lu shih November 17, 1961 一从大地起风雷, 便有精生白骨堆。 僧是愚氓犹可恕, 妖为鬼蜮必成灾。 金猴奋起千钧棒, 玉宇澄清万里埃。 今日欢呼孙大圣, 只缘妖雾又重来。 A thunderstorm burst over the earth, So a devil rose from a heap of white bones. The deluded monk was not beyond the light, But the malignant demon must wreak havoc. The Golden Monkey

Poetry of Mao Zedong | REPLY TO COMRADE KUO MO-JO ~ 七律·和郭沫若同志 Read More »

Poetry of Mao Zedong | THE FAIRY CAVE (INSCRIPTION ON A PICTURE TAKEN BY COMRADE LI CHIN) ~ 七绝·为李进同志题所摄庐山仙人洞照

七绝·为李进同志题所摄庐山仙人洞照 一九六一年九月九日 THE FAIRY CAVE (INSCRIPTION ON A PICTURE TAKEN BY COMRADE LI CHIN) –a chueh chu September 9, 1961 暮色苍茫看劲松, 乱云飞渡仍从容。 天生一个仙人洞, 无限风光在险峰。 Amid the growing shades of dusk stand sturdy pines, Riotous clouds sweep past, swift and tranquil. Nature has excelled herself in the Fairy Cave, On perilous peaks dwells beauty in her

Poetry of Mao Zedong | THE FAIRY CAVE (INSCRIPTION ON A PICTURE TAKEN BY COMRADE LI CHIN) ~ 七绝·为李进同志题所摄庐山仙人洞照 Read More »

Poetry of Mao Zedong | REPLY TO A FRIEND ~ 七律·答友人

七律·答友人 1961年 REPLY TO A FRIEND –a lu shih 1961 九嶷山上白云飞, 帝子乘风下翠微。 斑竹一支千滴泪, 红霞万朵百重衣。 洞庭波涌连天雪, 长岛人歌动地诗。 我欲因之梦寥廓, 芙蓉国里尽朝晖。 White clouds are sailing above Mount Chiuyi; Riding the wind, the Princesses descend the green hills. Once they speckled the bamboos with their profuse tears, Now they are robed in rose-red clouds. Tungting Lake’s snow-topped waves surge

Poetry of Mao Zedong | REPLY TO A FRIEND ~ 七律·答友人 Read More »

Poetry of Mao Zedong | MILITIA WOMEN INSCRIPTION ON A PHOTOGRAPH ~ 七绝·为女民兵题照

七绝·为女民兵题照 一九六一年二月 MILITIA WOMEN INSCRIPTION ON A PHOTOGRAPH –a chueh chu February 1961 飒爽英姿五尺枪, 曙光初照演兵场。 中华儿女多奇志, 不爱红装爱武装。 How bright and brave they look, shouldering five-foot rifles On the parade ground lit up by the first gleams of day. China’s daughters have high-aspiring minds, They love their battle array, not silks and satins.

Poetry of Mao Zedong | MILITIA WOMEN INSCRIPTION ON A PHOTOGRAPH ~ 七绝·为女民兵题照 Read More »