–Mao Zedong, July 1, 1959
A peak thrusts up by the Great River’s side,
We climb four hundred bends through green and wide.
Cool eyes gaze out across the ocean’s tide,
Warm winds bear rain o’er river skies abide.
Clouds cross Nine Streams; Yellow Crane seems to glide,
Waves roll to Three Wu, white mists far and wide.
Where is Magistrate Tao now? Let’s inquire –
In Peach Blossom Spring, doth he still till the mire?
Note
Mao Zedong ascended Lu Shan (Mount Lu) in northern Jiangxi Province to attend the 8th Plenum of the 8th Central Committee. The poem blends majestic landscape, global outlook, and classical allusion, expressing confidence amid domestic and international challenges.
Seven-Character Octave (Qilu)
Strict classical form: 8 lines, 7 characters each, tonal parallelism, end rhymes.
Magistrate Tao (Tao Ling):
- Refers to Tao Yuanming (365–427 CE), also called Tao Qian.
- A famed Eastern Jin poet, he served briefly as magistrate of Pengze (near Lu Shan), hence “Tao Ling”.
- Symbol of reclusive idealism; he retired to farm and write pastoral poetry.
Lu Shan
Famous mountain between the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake, celebrated in Chinese art and poetry.
Great River
The Yangtze River (Chang Jiang), China’s longest river.
Four Hundred Bends
The mountain road to Lu Shan (built 1953) has ~400 hairpin turns, showing the mountain’s steepness.
Nine Streams
Ancient term for the Yangtze’s tributaries in Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi.
Yellow Crane
Alludes to Yellow Crane Tower (Wuhan), made iconic by Tang poet Cui Hao’s verses.
Three Wu
Ancient regions: Eastern Wu (Suzhou), Central Wu (Changzhou), Western Wu (Huzhou) → lower Yangtze delta.
Peach Blossom Spring
From Tao Yuanming’s The Peach Blossom Spring: an idyllic, isolated utopia of peace and farming.
Cool eyes gaze out across the ocean’s tide
“Cool eyes” = calm, critical perspective on global affairs (Western anti-China pressure).
Warm winds bear rain o’er river skies abide
“Warm winds/rain” = vitality, progress, optimism for China’s future.
In Peach Blossom Spring, doth he still till the mire?
Rhetorical question: Is old-fashioned reclusion still relevant? Contrasts utopian escapism with modern revolutionary action.
《七律-登庐山》
一山飞峙大江边，
跃上葱茏四百旋。
冷眼向洋看世界，
热风吹雨洒江天。
云横九派浮黄鹤，
浪下三吴起白烟。
陶令不知何处去，
桃花源里可耕田？
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