SNOW

--to the tune of Chin Yuan Chun

February 1936

North country scene:

A hundred leagues locked in ice,

A thousand leagues of whirling snow.

Both sides of the Great Wall

One single white immensity.

The Yellow River’s swift current

Is stilled from end to end.

The mountains dance like silver snakes

And the highlands* charge like wax-hued elephants,

Vying with heaven in stature.

On a fine day, the land,

Clad in white, adorned in red,

Grows more enchanting.

This land so rich in beauty

Has made countless heroes bow in homage.

But alas! Chin Shih-huang and Han Wu-ti

Were lacking in literary grace,

And Tang Tai-tsung and Sung Tai-tsu

Had little poetry in their souls;

And Genghis Khan,

Proud Son of Heaven for a day,

Knew only shooting eagles, bow outstretched

All are past and gone!

For truly great men

Look to this age alone.

*AUTHOR’S NOTE:

The highlands are those of Shensi and Shansi.

沁園春 雪

一九三六年二月

北國風光 千里冰封 萬里雪飄 望長城內外 惟余莽莽

大河上下 頓失滔滔 山舞銀蛇 原馳蠟象 欲與天公試比高

須晴日 看紅裝素裹 分外妖嬈

江山如此多妖 引無數英雄競折腰 惜秦皇漢武 略輸文采

唐宗宋祖 稍遜風騷 一代天驕 成吉思汗 只識彎弓射大雕

俱往矣 數風流人物 還看今朝