February 16, 2010

Mao Zedong "Snow" poem written in 1936


Thanks everyone for helping, I now have the translation. I found this "book" in a local Chinese shop and just had to have it.
The poems title is "Snow" written by Mao Zedong in 1936
North country scene:
A hundred leagues locked in ice,
A thousand leagues of whirling snow.
Both sides of the Great Wall One single white immensity.
The Yellow River's swift current Is stilled from end to end.
The mountains dance like silver snakes
And the highlands* charge like wax-hued elephants, Vying with heaven in stature.
On a fine day, the land, Clad in white, adorned in red, Grows more enchanting.
This land so rich in beauty Has made countless heroes bow in homage.
But alas! Chin Shih-huang and Han Wu-ti Were lacking in literary grace,
And Tang Tai-tsung and Sung Tai-tsu Had little poetry in their souls;
And Genghis Khan, Proud Son of Heaven for a day, Knew only shooting eagles, bow outstretched
All are past and gone!
For truly great men Look to this age alone.

5 comments:

  1. The first one is upside-down, second is right side up. It's in traditional characters (I think you chopped off a bit of Mao's name), and reads from right to left, top to bottom (北國 is the first word of the poem, and ‘今朝' is the last)

    I can't translate it for you, but I think you should be able to find it online. Looks like it's written by Mao Zedong (i.e., Chairman Mao), and the title is something like “沁圓春-雪”

    You can get a rough translation at:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poetry_of_Mao_Zedong#Snow_.281936.02.29

    Chinese text here:
    http://news.xinhuanet.com/ziliao/2003-09/02/content_1058360.htm

    Maybe some other folks can provide more historical context.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm sorry to say this isn't very old -- pretty new, in fact. It's a poem by Mao.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It was a poem "SNOW" (written in February 1936 by Mao Zedong (Chairman Mao) and published in Oct 1945.

    It should be positioned as Picture 2, and red from Left to Right and Up Down.

    Please find the translation and more background info on the following Wiki post:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poetry_of_Mao_Zedong#Snow_.281936.02.29

    ReplyDelete
  4. It was a poem "SNOW" (written in February 1936 by Mao Zedong (Chairman Mao) and published in Oct 1945.

    It should be positioned as Picture 2, and red from Left to Right and Up Down.

    Please find the translation and more background info on the following Wiki post:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poetry_of_Mao_Zedong#Snow_.281936.02.29

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks everyone. Now I know where to go for a translation.

    ReplyDelete