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Translation
Mao Zedong (1893-1976) | 毛澤東 |
Double Yang (to the tune of “Picking Mulberries”) | 采桑子·重陽 |
Man grows old but Heaven does not; | 人生易老天難老 |
And year after year, the Double Yang comes, | 歲歲重陽 |
And now again, another one. | 今又重陽 |
On the battlefield, chrysanthemums smell superb; | 戰地黃花分外香 |
And each year, the autumn wind will blow again. | 一年一度秋風勁 |
It is not at all like spring—instead | 不似春光 |
Surpassing the springtime light. | 勝似春光 |
This boundless land from ancient Liao, From river to heaven—and all is frost. | 廖廓江天萬裏霜 |
Commentary
The Double Yangor Double Nine festival occurs on the ninth day of the ninth month. According to the Chinese classic book, I Ching, nine is a yang number. Yin and yang represent opposing concepts in Chinese philosophy: the moon and the sun, weakness and strength, etc. Too much of either one causes problems, so we must strive to keep them in balance. Since the ninth day of the ninth month causes too much yang to occur, Chinese people hold a festival and perform rituals to balance the yang with yin.
Mao wrote this poem on the Double Yang day to the tune of the song, “Picking Mulberries.” It reflects on how little and slowly nature changes while man changes quickly, using the theme of recurring Double Yangdays to illustrate it. Contrasting the image of yellow chrysanthemum flowers with that of a battlefield illustrates this further; the sweet-smelling flowers are an everlasting presence in nature, regardless of how many men have died on the battlefield—in a sense, feeding the flowers that grow from their blood.
Although it is not like spring—the ninth lunar month would be about October—Mao actually prefers the extraordinary natural scene, with frost everywhere, boundless from river to sky, covering the land that used to be the ancient Liao State, a Zhou Dynasty vassal state during the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history (771-476 BC). The reference to this period further reinforces Mao’s contrast between spring and autumn and has political significance as the period had internal fighting between local powers and there were reforms implemented, including the elimination of the then-existing feudal system.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
毛澤東 | 毛泽东 | Máo Zédōng |
采桑子·重陽 | 采桑子·重阳 | Cǎi sāng zǐ · zhòng yáng |
人生易老天難老， | 人生易老天难老， | Rén shēng yì lǎo tiān nán lǎo， |
歲歲重陽。 | 岁岁重阳。 | Suì suì zhòng yáng。 |
今又重陽， | 今又重阳， | Jīn yòu zhòng yáng， |
戰地黃花分外香。 | 战地黄花分外香。 | Zhàn dì huáng huā fēn wài xiāng。 |
一年一度秋風勁， | 一年一度秋风劲， | Yī nián yī dù qiū fēng jìn， |
不似春光。 | 不似春光。 | Bù sì chūn guāng。 |
勝似春光， | 胜似春光， | Shèng sì chūn guāng， |
廖廓江天萬裏霜。 | 廖廓江天万里霜。 | Liào kuò jiāng tiān wàn lǐ shuāng。 |
Translation Notes
毛澤東 | Fur Marsh Eastern [Mao Zedong (1893-1976)] |
采桑子·重陽 | Pluck Mulberry Fruit · Double Yang [Double Yang = Double Ninth or Double Yang festival, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month; nine is a yang (the male principle) number, in contrast to yin (the female principle). As a result of the day being a double nine, Chinese people perform ritual to achieve a balance of yin and yang.] [“Picking Mulberries” is the tune, “Double Yang” is the poem title] |
人生易老天難老， | Person life change old heavens difficult old [Person life = one’s life on earth] [Old heavens = God or Heaven] |
歲歲重陽。 | Years years double yang |
今又重陽， | Now also double yang |
戰地黃花分外香。 | Wars earth yellow flower divide outside fragrant [Wars earth = battlefields] [Divide outside = exceptionally or one’s responsibility] |
一年一度秋風勁， | One year one degree autumn wind strong |
不似春光。 | Not resemble spring light [Spring light = scenes of spring] |
勝似春光， | Victory/excel resemble spring light/shine [Victory resemble = to surpass] |
廖廓江天萬裏霜。 | Liao(ancient state) broad river heaven ten-thousand within frost |
Year:
2013
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