Mao Zedong Poem Double Ninth Introduction | Generated by AI
Question: Use English to introduce Mao Zedong’s poem “Cai Sang Zi · Chong Yang” (采桑子·重阳)
Answer:
Introduction to Mao Zedong’s “Cai Sang Zi · Chong Yang” (Butterfly Loves Flowers · Double Ninth Festival)
“采桑子·重阳” (Cǎi Sāng Zǐ · Chóng Yáng) is one of Mao Zedong’s most famous and widely loved ci (lyric) poems. Written in 1929 during the early period of the Chinese Communist revolution, it is also commonly known simply as “Double Ninth” or “Manjianghong” style Double Ninth in popular memory.
Original Chinese Text
重阳
人生易老天难老，岁岁重阳。
今又重阳，战地黄花分外香。
一年一度秋风劲，不似春光。
胜似春光，寥廓江天万里霜。
English Translation (common modern version)
Double Ninth
Man ages easily, Heaven ages not;
Year after year the Double Ninth comes again.
Today once more the Double Ninth—
On the battlefield the yellow chrysanthemums smell especially sweet.
The autumn wind is fierce once every year,
Unlike the spring’s gentle light.
Yet it surpasses spring’s light—
Vast river and sky, ten thousand miles of frost.
Background & Meaning
- Time: Autumn 1929, during the early days of the Jiangxi Soviet base area.
- Occasion: The traditional Chinese Double Ninth Festival (9th day of the 9th lunar month), a day for climbing high places, viewing chrysanthemums, and remembering the elderly.
- Mood: Instead of the usual melancholy and nostalgia associated with the festival (and with autumn in classical Chinese poetry), Mao turns it into a vigorous, optimistic, and even heroic expression.
Key Artistic Features
-
Contrast between man and nature
“人生易老天难老” — humans grow old quickly, but nature (Heaven) remains eternally young — a very philosophical opening line. -
Revolutionary battlefield chrysanthemums
“战地黄花分外香” — the most famous line of the poem. Yellow chrysanthemums blooming on the battlefield are not just beautiful — their fragrance is especially intense because of the revolutionary struggle. -
“Not like spring light, yet better than spring light”
Mao boldly claims that the severe, frosty, and vigorous autumn scene of revolution is actually superior to the tender beauty of spring. This reflects the revolutionary confidence and the belief that hardship and struggle produce greater value.
Historical & Literary Significance
This short 44-character ci poem is frequently cited as one of the best examples of Mao Zedong successfully combining classical Chinese poetic forms with modern revolutionary spirit. It is widely taught in Chinese schools and remains one of the most recognizable and frequently quoted of his works.
In literary terms, it demonstrates Mao’s mastery of the ci form while completely subverting the traditional sentimental tone of Double Ninth poetry (such as that of Du Mu or Wang Wei) into something bold, masculine, and forward-looking.
References:
- None (classical poem text and widely accepted historical context)