1. “Vast and desolate, I ask the boundless earth: Who shall decide the rise and fall?” [2] This line refers to the period before the Northern Expedition, when warlords ruled China: which class would ultimately determine the country’s fate?

2. “To strike the waters at midstream” [2]. “Striking the waters” means swimming in the Xiang River.
At that time, I composed a poem with two lines that I still remember: “Confident in life for two hundred years, I shall stride three thousand li upon the waves.”
Back then, there was a man named Yin Shizi (Jiang Weiqiao) who promoted a form of meditation through seated practice.

3. “Banners are visible down the mountain; drums and bugles resound from the heights.” [3] Both “banners” and “drums and bugles” refer to our own forces.
The Huangyang Boundary is very steep: our positions were midway up the slope, command was at the summit, while the enemy attacked from below.
The area at the foot of the mountain had not been entirely occupied by the enemy—things were not yet that severe.
The “banners in sight” were actually rolled up, not flying in the wind. [4]

4. “The Yellow Millet Dream reappears,” referring to the warlords’ vain ambitions.

5. “A single song of international sorrow.” [5] Here, “sorrow” carries a connotation of tragic grandeur.

6. “Withered trees and rotten stumps all join in the effort.
Amidst a forest of guns, the Flying General descends from the high heavens.” [6] “Withered trees and rotten stumps” does not refer to the enemy but to our own side—nature itself can aid us.
“Amidst a forest of guns” likewise pertains to our own forces.
The phrase employs an inverted structure: “The Flying General descends from the high heavens amidst a forest of guns.” [7]

7. “Do not say you set out early.”
In “you set out early,” the “you” refers to myself, not to others; it should be translated as a singular pronoun.
Huichang has many high mountains, and I would climb them before dawn.

8. “Three feet and three inches from heaven.” [8] This is a folk song from Changde, Hunan.

9. “The west wind howls; wild geese cry across the long sky as frost gilds the morning moon… The mighty pass stretches like iron, yet now we take another step forward, starting anew.” [9] The upper and lower sections of this ci poem do not describe two separate assaults on Lou Shan Pass, but rather a single engagement.
To the north lie the Daba Mountains, and between the Yangtze and Wu Rivers there are also ranges that block the wind, so January and February were not particularly cold.
The “geese crying” and the “frosty morning” depict the scene at that time.
The Yunnan–Guizhou region is like this: Kunming, in particular, enjoys spring-like weather all year round.
After the Zunyi Conference, the Red Army moved north, preparing to cross the Yangtze River, but encountered strong resistance.
In order to throw off the enemy, strike unexpectedly, and deliver a counterblow, the Red Army turned back toward Zunyi, successfully capturing Lou Shan Pass for a second time and retaking Zunyi.
By the time they passed through Lou Shan Pass, the sun had not yet set.

10. “The Five Ridges undulate like tiny waves; the Wumeng Mountains surge like mud balls.” [10] Comparing the mountains to “tiny waves” and “mud balls” conveys a sense of ease and nonchalance. [11]

11.
“If Heaven had feelings, even Heaven would grow old.”
This is a quotation borrowed from Li He.
Compared with the human world, Heaven is eternal.
In truth, however, Heaven too undergoes birth, development, and decay.
Heaven is part of nature, including the organic realm—bacteria, animals, and so forth.
Both the natural world and human society experience processes of emergence and demise.
Social classes arise and eventually disappear.

12. “Not a single expanse of water is to be seen—toward whom shall I turn?” [12] This refers to the disappearance of fishing boats. [13]

13. “Tears burst forth as torrential rain,” indicating tears of joy. [14]

14.
“Sitting still, one travels eighty thousand li a day; gazing afar into the heavens, one beholds a thousand rivers.”
A person seated on the planet Earth need not purchase a ticket to travel through the universe.
The distance traveled due to Earth’s rotation equals the distance one covers.
With a diameter of over 12,700 kilometers, multiplying by pi yields the length of the equator—approximately forty thousand kilometers—which converts to roughly eighty thousand Chinese li.
Thus, within twenty-four hours, a person effectively journeys eighty thousand li. [14]

15. “The Cowherd wishes to inquire about the Plague God.” The tale of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl originates from the Jin Dynasty. [14]

16.
“Red rain, as it pleases, turns into waves; green hills deliberately transform into bridges.”
“Red rain” refers to peach blossoms.
This line sets the stage for the following one.
“Green hills deliberately transform into bridges” means that the hills have been pierced to form a passage, creating a bridge.
These two lines evoke images of water and bridges.

17.
“Faintly, in a dream, I curse the river of passing days; my homeland lies thirty-two years behind… A black hand holds aloft the whip of domination.” [15] “Cursing the river of passing days” and “thirty-two years ago” refer to the failure of the Great Revolution and the reactionary forces’ suppression of the revolution.
The “dominator” here is Chiang Kai-shek. [16]

18. “Gazing coolly upon the ocean, one surveys the world.” “Gazing coolly upon the ocean” is akin to “meeting with a stern brow.” [16]

19.
“Clouds stretch across nine streams, floating like yellow cranes.”
The “yellow crane” does not refer to the Yellow Crane Tower.
“Nine streams” denotes the rivers in this region, which are tributaries of the Yangtze.
During the Ming dynasty, Li Panlong composed a farewell poem titled “Recalling Mingqing”: “Looking westward toward Yuzhang, among the colorful clouds, Nine Streams—the Yangtze—Nine Folds of Mountains.
No need to lie low and peer into a stone mirror; autumn winds have left the courtiers’ faces wan.”
Li Panlong was one of the “Later Seven Masters.”
The Ming dynasty produced fine poetry, though the anthology “Comprehensive Collection of Ming Poetry” is less commendable than “Selected Poems of the Ming.” [16]

20. “White smoke rises from the waves over the Three Wu regions.” The “white smoke” represents water.

21.
“Tao Yuanming, no one knows where he has gone; may one still till the fields within Peach Blossom Land?” [16] Tao Yuanming envisioned an ideal world called Peach Blossom Land, free from taxes and oppression.

22. In the seven-character regular verse “Reply to a Friend,” who is the “friend”? The “friend” is Zhou Shizhao.

23. “White clouds drift over Mount Jiuyi.” [17] “Mount Jiuyi,” also known as Mount Cangwu, is located in southern Hunan Province.

24. “Ten thousand crimson clouds, layered garments.” [17] “Crimson clouds” symbolize the imperial prince’s robes.

25.
“The waves of Dongting Lake surge, merging with the snowy heavens.” [17] The reference to “Dongting Lake” comes from the “Nine Songs·Lady Xiang” section of the “Songs of Chu”: “The waves of Dongting Lake rise as leaves fall.”

26.
“Poetry that moves the earth, sung by the people of Changdao Island.” [17] “Changdao” refers to Shuiliu Isle, also known as Orange Isle, after which Changsha derives its name—just as Hankou is named for its location at the mouth of the Han River.

27.
“In the Land of Hibiscus, all faces are bathed in morning light.” [17] “Land of Hibiscus” refers to Hunan, as seen in Tan Yongzhi’s poem “Autumn winds blow across ten thousand li of the Land of Hibiscus.”
“Hibiscus” here denotes the tree hibiscus, not the water hibiscus, which is the lotus flower.
Tan’s poem can be found in the “Complete Tang Poems.” [18]

28. “As dusk deepens, I gaze upon the resilient pines; though chaotic clouds sweep by, I remain composed.” It is the clouds that are calm, not the pines. [19]

29.
“Monks, though ignorant, may yet be instructed; but demons and specters will surely bring disaster.”
Guo Moruo’s original poem was directed at the Tang Monk.
It ought instead to target the Bone Spirit.
The Tang Monk is an unenlightened figure, deceived by others.
My response poem refutes Mr. Guo’s. [20]

30. “Ants, clinging to a locust tree, boast of a great kingdom.” The “Great Kingdom of Locust Tree” is a story from Tang Xianzu’s “The Story of the Southern Bough.”

31.
“The west wind blows, leaves fall in Chang’an; arrows fly and whistles sound.” [20] “Arrows fly and whistles sound” signifies our offensive.
“The west wind blows, leaves fall in Chang’an” indicates that insects fear autumn and winter.
The situation was rapidly evolving: back then it was “a hundred zhang of ice,” whereas today it is “the four seas surge with raging clouds and waters, and the five continents tremble with thunder and lightning.”
Since last year, we have been on the offensive, beginning in September with articles criticizing the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union’s open letter.

32.
“Heaven and earth revolve; time presses.
Ten thousand years is far too long; let us seize each fleeting moment.” [20] You wish to proceed slowly; I insist on moving swiftly—taking the opposite approach.
Do you truly intend to live for ten thousand years?
That is unrealistic.
I seek immediate clarity, a decisive outcome, and will brook no evasions.
Yet, in fact, time is on our side; despite saying “seize each fleeting moment,” we are not overly hasty.
Printed according to the 1996 edition of “Collected Poems of Mao Zedong” published by the Central Literature Publishing House.
Notes [1] Following the 1963 publication of “Poems of Chairman Mao,” the Foreign Languages Press organized the translation and publication of an English edition.
In January 1964, at the request of the translators, Mao Zedong provided oral explanations for certain phrases in his poems.
The present document contains key excerpts from the record of those explanations. [2] See “Ode to the Spring Garden·Changsha.” [3] See “Moon Over the Western River·Jinggang Mountain.” [4] See “Pleasant Calm·The Jiang-Gui War.” [5] See “Butterfly Loves Flowers·From Tingzhou to Changsha.” [6] See “Fisherman’s Pride·Against the Second Major ‘Encirclement and Suppression’ Campaign.” [7] See “Pleasant Calm·Huichang.” [8] See “Three Six-Character Instructions.” [9] See “Remembering Qin·Lou Shan Pass.” [10] See “Seven-Character Regular Verse·The Long March.” [11] See “Seven-Character Regular Verse·The People’s Liberation Army Occupies Nanjing.” [12] See “Waves Washing Sand·Beidaihe.” [13] See “Butterfly Loves Flowers·Reply to Li Shuyi.” [14] See “Two Seven-Character Regular Verses·Sending Off the Plague God.” [15] See “Seven-Character Regular Verse·To Shaoshan.” [16] See “Seven-Character Regular Verse·Ascending Mount Lu.” [17] See “Seven-Character Regular Verse·Reply to a Friend.” [18] See “Quatrain·Inscribed on a Photograph of the Immortal Cave on Mount Lu Taken by Comrade Li Jin.” [19] See “Seven-Character Regular Verse·In Response to Comrade Guo Moruo.” [20] See “Full River Red·In Response to Comrade Guo Moruo.”