Seven-Character Octave – Winter Clouds [Mao’s Poems]

–Mao Zedong, December 26, 1962

Snow weighs on winter clouds; white downflakes fly,
Myriad blooms fade fast, now rare and shy.
High heaven’s icy currents roll and roar,
Yet earth breathes soft warm winds, hope’s gentle core.

Only heroes drive out tigers and leopards grim;
No hero fears black bears whose rage is dim.
The plum blossom revels in snow’s wide spread;
That flies freeze to death – no cause for dread.

Note

Written on December 26, 1962 (Mao’s 69th birthday, 4 days after the Winter Solstice).

Composed during China’s Three-Year Hardship (1959–1961) recovery, amid severe Sino-Soviet split, Western economic blockades, and a massive international anti-China campaign led by Soviet revisionism. Mao wrote this birthday poem to declare revolutionary defiance, strategic confidence, and optimism in crisis.

Seven-Character Octave (Qilu):
Classical Chinese poetic form: 8 lines, 7 characters each, strict tonal patterns, parallel couplets, end rhymes.

Winter Solstice Cosmology:
Traditional Chinese philosophy: after extreme Yin (cold/darkness) comes the return of Yang (warmth/light) – core to the poem’s optimism.

Winter Clouds / Snow / Falling Flowers:
Metaphors for grave political pressure, economic crisis, and global isolation.

Rolling Cold Currents:
Symbolizes Soviet revisionist attacks, Western imperialism, and reactionary forces.

Soft Warm Winds:
Alludes to the ancient Chinese saying “Winter Solstice gives birth to positive Yang” – hope, resilience, and rising revolutionary forces.

Heroes:
Represents Mao, the CCP, the Chinese people, and revolutionary Marxists.

Tigers, Leopards, Bears:
Ancient Chinese imagery for ferocious, powerful enemies – imperialism, revisionism, reactionaries.

Plum Blossom:
The supreme symbol in Chinese culture of perseverance, purity, and courage in adversity. Here it stands for undaunted China and revolutionary spirit.

Flies:
Contemptuous metaphor for weak, cowardly, opportunist forces that collapse under pressure.

Political Allegory (1962)

• Cold Currents: Soviet-led anti-China ideological offensive.
• Warm Winds: Emerging economic recovery and Third World liberation movements.
• Plum Blossom: China’s unyielding independence and revolutionary will.
• Flies: Opportunist parties/nations surrendering to foreign pressure.

《七律-冬云》

雪压冬云白絮飞，
万花纷谢一时稀。
高天滚滚寒流急，
大地微微暖气吹。
独有英雄驱虎豹，
更无豪杰怕熊罴。
梅花欢喜漫天雪，
冻死苍蝇未足奇。