chinese poems

流在心裡的血 (Liú zài xīn lǐ de xuè)

Blood in my heart → identity flowing inside

澎湃著中華的聲音 (Péngpài zhe Zhōnghuá de shēngyīn)

Surging with China’s voice → imagine a wave shouting “China!”

就算生在他鄉也改變不了 (Jiùsuàn shēng zài tāxiāng yě gǎibiàn bùliǎo)

Born abroad can’t change it → picture yourself in a foreign land still holding a Chinese flag

我的中國心 (Wǒ de Zhōngguó xīn)

My Chinese heart → glowing heart with the Chinese flag

落紅不是無情物 (Luòhóng bù shì wúqíng wù)

Fallen petals still have feeling → imagine red petals falling but protecting new flowers

化作春泥更護花 (Huà zuò chūnní gèng hù huā)

Turned to spring soil, nurturing flowers → visualize petals turning into fertile soil

九州生氣恃風雷 (Jiǔzhōu shēngqì shì fēngléi)

China’s vitality comes from storms → imagine wind & thunder energizing the land

萬馬齊喑究可哀 (Wàn mǎ qí yīn jiù kě’āi)

Silence of ten thousand horses = tragic stagnation → picture horses frozen, sad

須言之有物 (Xū yán zhī yǒu wù)

Writing must have substance → imagine a solid block of ideas

不作無病之呻吟 (Bù zuò wú bìng zhī shēnyín)

Don’t groan without illness → avoid fake whining

務去濫調套語 (Wù qù làndiào tàoyǔ)

Remove clichés → erase overused phrases

自主的而非奴隸的 (Zìzhǔ de ér fēi núlì de)

Independent, not slavish → picture a free bird

進步的而非保守的 (Jìnbù de ér fēi bǎoshǒu de)

Progressive, not conservative → imagine moving forward, breaking chains

輕輕的我走了，正如我輕輕的來 (Qīng qīng de wǒ zǒu le, zhèng rú wǒ qīng qīng de lái)

Quietly I leave, just as quietly I came → imagine tiptoeing

夏蟲也為我沈默，沈默是今晚的康橋 (Xiàchóng yě wèi wǒ chénmò, chénmò shì jīnwǎn de Kāngqiáo)

Even insects are silent for me → picture still summer night

悄悄的我走了，正如我悄悄的來 (Qiāoqiāo de wǒ zǒu le, zhèng rú wǒ qiāoqiāo de lái)

Quietly I leave → like a whisper

我揮一揮衣袖，不帶走一片雲彩 (Wǒ huī yī huī yīxiù, bú dàizǒu yī piàn yúncai)

Wave my sleeve, take no clouds → visualize waving hands at clouds

雪落在中國的土地上 (Xuě luò zài Zhōngguó de tǔdì shàng)

Snow falls on China → picture snow covering the land

我的在沒有燈光的晚上 (Wǒ de zài méiyǒu dēngguāng de wǎnshàng)

My powerless verses, written in dark nights → imagine writing by candlelight

所寫的無力的詩句 (Suǒ xiě de wúlì de shījù)

Powerless lines → imagine words drifting like weak snowflakes

能給你些許的溫暖麼？ (Néng gěi nǐ xiēxǔ de wēnnuǎn me)

Can they give you warmth? → imagine tiny fire in snow

世界上從沒有無能的人，有資格去獲取一切的 (Shìjiè shàng cóng méiyǒu wúnéng de rén, yǒu zīgé qù huòqǔ yīqiè de)

Everyone can achieve → picture a strong woman

所以女人要取得平等，得首先強己 (Suǒyǐ nǚrén yào qǔdé píngděng, děi shǒuxiān qiáng jǐ)

Women must strengthen themselves first → imagine lifting weights

第一、不要讓自己生病 (Dì yī, búyào ràng zìjǐ shēngbìng)

Stay healthy → picture taking medicine

第二、使自己愉快 (Dì èr, shǐ zìjǐ yúkuài)

Stay happy → imagine smiling

第三、用腦子 (Dì sān, yòng nǎozi)

Use your mind → imagine thinking hard

第四、下吃苦的決心，堅持到底 (Dì sì, xià chīkǔ de juéxīn, jiānchí dàodǐ)

Endure hardship to the end → picture climbing a steep mountain

我們要批判、要砸爛一切舊思想、舊文化、舊風俗、舊習慣 (Wǒmen yào pīpàn, yào záluàn yīqiè jiù sīxiǎng, jiù wénhuà, jiù fēngsú, jiù xíguàn)

Smash all old ideas, culture, customs, habits → imagine breaking four walls

我們就是要造舊世界的反 (Wǒmen jiù shì yào zào jiù shìjiè de fǎn)

Rebel against old world → imagine raising a flag against old buildings

被推翻的反動階級不甘心他們的死亡，總是要頑強地表現自己 (Bèi tuīfān de fǎndòng jiējí bù gānxīn tāmen de sǐwáng, zǒng shì yào wánqiáng de biǎoxiàn zìjǐ)

Overthrown classes resist → imagine stubborn people refusing to leave

落紅不是無情物 (Luòhóng bù shì wúqíng wù)

Fallen petals still have feeling → imagine red petals falling but protecting new flowers

化作春泥更護花 (Huà zuò chūnní gèng hù huā)

Turned to spring soil, nurturing flowers → visualize petals turning into fertile soil

九州生氣恃風雷 (Jiǔzhōu shēngqì shì fēngléi)

China’s vitality comes from storms → imagine wind & thunder energizing the land

萬馬齊喑究可哀 (Wàn mǎ qí yīn jiù kě’āi)

Silence of ten thousand horses = tragic stagnation → picture horses frozen, sad

須言之有物 (Xū yán zhī yǒu wù)

Writing must have substance → imagine a solid block of ideas

不作無病之呻吟 (Bù zuò wú bìng zhī shēnyín)

Don’t groan without illness → avoid fake whining

務去濫調套語 (Wù qù làndiào tàoyǔ)

Remove clichés → erase overused phrases

自主的而非奴隸的 (Zìzhǔ de ér fēi núlì de)

Independent, not slavish → picture a free bird

進步的而非保守的 (Jìnbù de ér fēi bǎoshǒu de)

Progressive, not conservative → imagine moving forward, breaking chains

輕輕的我走了，正如我輕輕的來 (Qīng qīng de wǒ zǒu le, zhèng rú wǒ qīng qīng de lái)

Quietly I leave, just as quietly I came → imagine tiptoeing

夏蟲也為我沈默，沈默是今晚的康橋 (Xiàchóng yě wèi wǒ chénmò, chénmò shì jīnwǎn de Kāngqiáo)

Even insects are silent for me → picture still summer night

悄悄的我走了，正如我悄悄的來 (Qiāoqiāo de wǒ zǒu le, zhèng rú wǒ qiāoqiāo de lái)

Quietly I leave → like a whisper

我揮一揮衣袖，不帶走一片雲彩 (Wǒ huī yī huī yīxiù, bú dàizǒu yī piàn yúncai)

Wave my sleeve, take no clouds → visualize waving hands at clouds

雪落在中國的土地上 (Xuě luò zài Zhōngguó de tǔdì shàng)

Snow falls on China → picture snow covering the land

我的在沒有燈光的晚上 (Wǒ de zài méiyǒu dēngguāng de wǎnshàng)

My powerless verses, written in dark nights → imagine writing by candlelight

所寫的無力的詩句 (Suǒ xiě de wúlì de shījù)

Powerless lines → imagine words drifting like weak snowflakes

能給你些許的溫暖麼？ (Néng gěi nǐ xiēxǔ de wēnnuǎn me)

Can they give you warmth? → imagine tiny fire in snow

世界上從沒有無能的人，有資格去獲取一切的 (Shìjiè shàng cóng méiyǒu wúnéng de rén, yǒu zīgé qù huòqǔ yīqiè de)

Everyone can achieve → picture a strong woman

所以女人要取得平等，得首先強己 (Suǒyǐ nǚrén yào qǔdé píngděng, děi shǒuxiān qiáng jǐ)

Women must strengthen themselves first → imagine lifting weights

第一、不要讓自己生病 (Dì yī, búyào ràng zìjǐ shēngbìng)

Stay healthy → picture taking medicine

第二、使自己愉快 (Dì èr, shǐ zìjǐ yúkuài)

Stay happy → imagine smiling

第三、用腦子 (Dì sān, yòng nǎozi)

Use your mind → imagine thinking hard

第四、下吃苦的決心，堅持到底 (Dì sì, xià chīkǔ de juéxīn, jiānchí dàodǐ)

Endure hardship to the end → picture climbing a steep mountain

我們要批判、要砸爛一切舊思想、舊文化、舊風俗、舊習慣 (Wǒmen yào pīpàn, yào záluàn yīqiè jiù sīxiǎng, jiù wénhuà, jiù fēngsú, jiù xíguàn)

Smash all old ideas, culture, customs, habits → imagine breaking four walls

我們就是要造舊世界的反 (Wǒmen jiù shì yào zào jiù shìjiè de fǎn)

Rebel against old world → imagine raising a flag against old buildings

被推翻的反動階級不甘心他們的死亡，總是要頑強地表現自己 (Bèi tuīfān de fǎndòng jiējí bù gānxīn tāmen de sǐwáng, zǒng shì yào wánqiáng de biǎoxiàn zìjǐ)

Overthrown classes resist → imagine stubborn people refusing to leave