Seven-Character Octave – Arriving in Shaoshan [Mao’s Poems]

–Mao Zedong, June 1959

Faint dreams of old days curse time’s swift flowing tide,
My homeland’s scenes recall thirty-two years’ pride.
Red flags unfurl; serf’s halberds rise far and wide,
Black hands hold high tyrant’s whips, cruel and applied.

Because of sacrifice, lofty aspirations abide,
We dare to make sun and moon transform heaven’s side.
Joyful to see rice and beans in thousand waves bide,
Heroes from fields return ‘neath evening smoke’s guide.

Note

Mao Zedong returned to Shaoshan (his hometown in Hunan Province) on June 25, 1959, after 32 years (since 1927, when he left to lead the revolution). The poem recalls revolutionary struggles and celebrates the new socialist countryside.

Seven-Character Octave (Qilu)

A strict classical Chinese poetic form: 8 lines, 7 characters each, tonal harmony, parallelism, and consistent rhyme. It suits grand, reflective themes (history, struggle, homeland).

Shaoshan

Mao Zedong’s birthplace and hometown; a cradle of the early peasant movement.

Thirty-two years

The period from 1927 (Mao’s last visit before 1959) to 1959, spanning the Chinese Revolution, War of Resistance, Liberation, and early socialist construction.

Serfs

Refers to oppressed, exploited peasants in old China; here they rise as revolutionary fighters.

Black hands

Metaphor for the reactionary ruling class, warlords, and Kuomintang (KMT) forces that brutally suppressed peasants.

Tyrant’s whips

Symbol of feudal and reactionary violence, oppression, and terror (e.g., the 1927 “May 21st Incident” / “Horse Day Incident” in Hunan).

Rice and beans

Staple crops; symbol of agricultural prosperity and rural life in the new era.

Evening smoke

Rural sunset scene with cooking smoke; depicts peaceful, hardworking life after revolution.

Cursing the passing stream

Derived from Confucius’ saying in The Analects – Zi Han:

“The Master stood by the river and said: ‘Time passes away like this, never ceasing day or night.’”

Mao uses “curse” to express hatred for the old society and sorrow over revolutionary sacrifices.

《七律-到韶山》
毛泽东, 一九五九年六月

别梦依稀咒逝川，
故园三十二年前。
红旗卷起农奴戟，
黑手高悬霸主鞭。
为有牺牲多壮志，
敢教日月换新天。
喜看稻菽千重浪，
遍地英雄下夕烟。