Chang Ge poem 长歌行(literal translation a long teaching song poem)

The Chang Ge song is a poem of an ancient chinese song written during the Han dynasty and was written in the Imperial Music Bureau style or “Yuefu” style. This is a style that comprises of ancient folk song elements. Some other famous works written in this style includes the poem “The Ballad of Mulan” which tells the legendary chinese female general Mulan.  It is a poem that is written to encourage it’s listeners to work hard. It speaks of treasuring the time when you are young, work hard, to be able to achieve something of your own.

The poem

Chinese

青青园中葵，朝露待日晞。

阳春布德泽，万物生光辉。

常恐秋节至，焜黄华叶衰。

百川东到海，何时复西归?

少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲

Literary translation:

Within the vegetable patch the chinese mallow (1) turns a melancholy green,

The glistening morning dew drips from it’s leaves as it welcomes the sun,

Spring brings hope to the entire country/world,

Leading to the flourishing life around.

Fearing for the arrival of the fierce autumn wind

As the leaves of the leaves will brown, die and rot

The major rivers gushes into the Eastern ocean(2)

When will it’s waters return to the West?

If you do not work hard whilst you are young,

In the end you will only regret it when you turn old.

Notes:

1: a type of vegetable that was one of the most important staple food in the ancient chinese diet

2: China only borders a sea in the East

Appreciation of the work

This poem borrows different analogies to try and describe the last two lines. For example, comparing the chinese mallow, spring and life to youth and then the inevitable coming of autumn which will bring this all to an end. That is parallel to the human life too where death is inexorable.

Video

A modern song inspired by the poem sung by Wan Yuan from the TF boys. (The poem is included in the 1st stanza and last)