Listen to this article浣溪沙《和柳亚子先生》
一九五零年十月
REPLY TO MR. LIU YA-TZU
–to the tune of Wan Hsi Sha
October 1950
一九五零年国庆观剧，柳亚子先生即席赋浣溪沙，因步其韵奉和。
At a song and dance performance during the National Day celebrations of 1950, Mr. Liu Ya-tzu wrote an impromptu poem to the tune of Wan Hsi Sha, to which I replied, using the same rhyme sequence.
长夜难明赤县天，
百年魔怪舞翩跹。
人民五亿不团圆。
The night was long and dawn came slow to the Crimson Land.
For a century demons and monsters whirled in a
wild dance,
And the five hundred million people were disunited.
一唱雄鸡天下白，
万方乐奏有于阗，
诗人兴会更无前。
Now the cock has crowed and all under heaven is bright,
Here is music from all our peoples, from Yutien too,
And the poet is inspired as never before.
*********
柳亚子原词：浣溪沙
LIU YA-TZU’S POEM
–to the tune of Wan Hsi Sha
十月三日之夕于怀仁堂观西南各民族文工团、新疆文工团、吉林省延边文工团、内蒙古文工团联合演出歌舞晚会，毛主席命填是阕，用纪大团结之盛况云尔！
On October 3, I attended a soirée in Huai Jen Tang. Performances were given by ensembles from the various nationalities in the Southwest, Sinkiang, Yenpien in Kirin Province, and Inner Mongolia. At Chairman Mao’s request, I composed the following poem to celebrate the great unity of the nationalities.
火树银花不夜天，
弟兄姐妹舞翩跹，
歌声唱彻月儿圆。
Displays of fiery trees and silver flowers, a night without darkness.
Brothers and sisters skip by gracefully in dance.
The strains of The Full Moon* rise with joyful swell.
不是一人能领导，
那容百族共骈阗？
良宵盛会喜空前！
But for one man’s wise leadership,
How could the hundred nationalities assemble?
This merry eve’s festive gathering surpasses all!
*LlU YA-TZU’S NOTE:
There is a Kazakh folk song in Sinkiang called The Full Moon.
