Snow
Learn Chinese - Chinese Literature

Snow By Mao Zedong
North country scene:
A hundred leagues locked in ice,
A thousand leagues of whirling snow.
Both side of the Great Wall
One single white immensity.
The Yellow River's swift current
Is stilled from end to end.
The mountains dance silver snakes
And the highland charge like wax-hued elephants.
Vying with heaven in stature.
On a fine day, the land,
Clad in white, adorned in red,
Crows more enchanting.

This land so rich in beauty
Has made countless heroes bow in homage.
But alas! Qin Shihuang and Han Wudi
Were lacking in literary grace,
And Tang Taizong and Song Taizu
Had little poetry in their souls;
That proud son of Heaven,
Genghis Khan,
Knew only shooting eagles, bow outstretched.
All are past and gone!
For truly great men
Look to this age alone.

沁园春　雪　毛泽东

北国风光，千里冰封，万里雪飘。
望长城内外，惟馀莽莽；大河上下，顿失滔滔。
山舞银蛇，原驰蜡象，欲与天公试比高。
须晴日，看红妆素裹，分外妖娆。

江山如此多娇，
引无数英雄竞折腰。
惜秦皇汉武，略输文采；唐宗宋祖，稍逊风骚。
一代天骄，成吉思汗，只识弯弓射大雕。
俱往矣，数风流人物，还看今朝。
 
【原注】
“原”指高原，即秦晋高原。

【注释】
秦皇汉武、唐宗宋祖：秦始皇，汉武帝，唐太宗和宋太祖。
风骚：《诗经·国风》和屈原的《离骚》，泛指文学。
天骄：汉朝人称匈奴为“天之骄子”，见《汉书·匈奴传》。
成吉（ki）思汗（han2）：建立了横跨欧亚的大帝国的蒙古征服者。
射雕：《史记·李广传》称匈奴善射者为“射雕者”。

【题解】
题解∶一九四五年八月二十八日，毛泽东从延安飞重庆，同国民党进行了四
十三天的谈判。其间柳亚子屡有诗赠毛，十月七日，毛书此词回赠。随即发表在
重庆《新华日报》上，轰动一时。

【作法】
这词的“成吉思汗”和《十六字令》的“离天三尺三”，一个不是汉名，一
个是直接引用民谣，都不必拘守平仄。