Mao Zedong – December 1961
(Reading Lu You’s Ode to the Plum Blossom, I reverse its mood)
Wind and rain have sent spring on its way;
Flying snow ushers spring back to stay.
Hundreds of feet of ice cling to the cliff’s steep face –
Yet still a blossom blooms, with graceful grace.
Fair, she vies not for spring’s glowing light;
She merely heralds spring’s approaching sight.
When mountain flowers blaze in full, wild bloom,
Amidst their throng, she smiles, dispelling gloom.
Note
Composed during China’s Three-Year Hardship (1959–1961) and amid rising Sino-Soviet tensions and Western economic blockades. Mao wrote this “counter-lyric” to Lu You’s poem to inspire revolutionary optimism and steadfastness in the face of severe national and international adversity.
Bu Suan Zi:
A classic cipai, or fixed lyric tune pattern, originating in the Tang Dynasty. It typically has 44 characters in 8 lines, with a flexible rhyme scheme.
Lu You (1125–1210):
Famous Southern Song Dynasty poet. His original Bu Suan Zi – Ode to the Plum Blossom portrays a lonely, melancholic plum blossom, reflecting a scholar’s frustration and isolation. Mao’s work rejects this pessimism, reimagining the flower as bold, optimistic, and communal.
Plum Blossom:
The most revered flower in Chinese culture, symbolizing perseverance, resilience, purity, and hope – as it blooms bravely in the harsh winter, preceding all other flowers. It is one of the “Four Gentlemen” (plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum) in Chinese art and poetry.
Wind and Rain / Flying Snow / Hundreds of Feet of Ice:
Metaphors for severe hardships, political adversity, and hostile external pressures.
The Cliff:
Symbolizes a perilous, isolated, and difficult situation.
The Charming Blossom:
Represents unbroken spirit, beauty, and defiance in adversity.
Not Vying for Spring:
Embodies modesty, selflessness, and lack of vanity.
Heralding Spring:
The plum is the traditional “herald of spring” in Chinese culture, signifying hope and the promise of victory after struggle.
Blossoming Mountain Flowers:
Metaphor for final victory, national prosperity, and a bright future.
Smiling in the Throng:
The ultimate symbol of selfless joy, communal happiness, and humble triumph – rejoicing in collective success rather than individual glory.
“Reversing its meaning”:
A deliberate literary act against Lu You’s pessimistic tone. Lu You’s plum is lonely and sorrowful (“Scattered to dust, yet its scent remains”); Mao’s plum is triumphant and communal.
“Even when the cliff is locked in ice a hundred fathoms deep, still the blossom blooms bright and brave”:
Alludes to the classic Confucian ideal of moral fortitude – the ability to maintain virtue and beauty under extreme duress.
“When mountain flowers blaze in full bloom, she smiles amid their radiant throng”:
Draws on the Taoist/Buddhist ideal of selflessness and non-contention, elevating it to a revolutionary ethic of shared victory and modesty in success.
Political Metaphor
- Plum Blossom: The Chinese Communist Party and revolutionary people, steadfast and optimistic.
- Ice & Snow: Domestic economic hardship, Soviet revisionism, and Western imperialism.
- Smiling in Bloom: The ultimate triumph of socialism and collective happiness.
《卜算子-咏梅》
读陆游咏梅词，反其意而用之。
风雨送春归，
飞雪迎春到。
已是悬崖百丈冰，
犹有花枝俏。
俏也不争春，
只把春来报。
待到山花烂漫时，
她在丛中笑。
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