–Mao Zedong, 1934–1935 (On the Long March)
I
Peaks!
On galloping steeds we ride, never weak.
Look back – we stand
Three feet from Heaven’s hand.
II
Peaks!
Like raging seas, great billows break.
They surge and race –
Ten thousand steeds in fierce chase.
III
Peaks!
You pierce the blue sky; your edge still speaks.
Should Heaven fall,
You prop it, standing tall.
Note
Composed during the Long March (1934–1935), amid harsh mountain marches after the Xiang River battle. Though facing military and political pressure, he infused the verses with revolutionary courage and optimism.
Long March Mountains
The poems depict towering mountains in Hunan, Guizhou, etc. – major obstacles for the Red Army. The “mountains” symbolize both natural peril and the Red Army’s indomitable spirit.
Shiliu Ziling (Three Short Lyrics to the Tune of Shiliu Ziling – Sixteen Characters)
A very short ci (song lyric) form: 16 characters total, monotune, 4 lines. It’s compact, dynamic, ideal for bold, urgent expression.
Mountain as Heroic Symbol
In Chinese culture, mountains represent steadfastness, loftiness, and power. Here,
mountains = the Red Army
high, unbreakable, life-sustaining.
Three feet from Heaven
From a local folk rhyme Mao cited:
“Above is Skull Mountain, below Eight Treasures Mountain – three feet from Heaven. Men bow, horses dismount.”
Mao twists it: we do NOT dismount – defying danger, claiming supremacy.
“Ten thousand steeds in fierce chase”
Metaphor: rolling ranges = charging armies. Evokes battle fury, revolutionary momentum.
“Prop it, standing tall”
Alludes to Chinese myth: “Heaven pillars break”* (《淮南子》) when Gong Gong struck Mount Buzhou. Mao reimagines: these mountains are the unbroken pillars holding up the world – the Red Army as the pillar of revolution.
“Pierce the blue sky; your edge still speaks”
Mountains = invincible swords. Symbolizes the Army’s sharp, undamaged fighting will.
十六字令三首
毛泽东 – 1934–1935 年（长征途中）
其一
山，快马加鞭未下鞍。惊回首，离天三尺三。
其二
山，倒海翻江卷巨澜。奔腾急，万马战犹酣。
其三
山，刺破青天锷未残。天欲堕，赖以拄其间。
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