Seven-character Regulated Verse: Hongdu (1965)

Arriving once more at Hongdu, a year has passed,
Zu Sheng’s oar-striking vow is still handed down.
Hearing the cockcrow, I long listened to the southern rain;
Astride my horse, I once brandished the northern whip.
Frosty hair flies in, turning me into useless waste;
But rosy clouds endure, and there will be new skies.
Year after year, the waves behind drive on the waves ahead;
The river grasses, the river flowers, fresh everywhere.

Printed according to the *People’s Daily* of December 26, 1994. (With Mao Zedong’s manuscript)

[1] Refers to Nanchang, Jiangxi Province.