现代 现代 · 词 Ci lyric
沁园春·长沙
Qinyuanchun · Changsha
独立寒秋，湘江北去，橘子洲头。
看万山红遍，层林尽染；
漫江碧透，百舸争流。
鹰击长空，鱼翔浅底，万类霜天竞自由。
怅寥廓，问苍茫大地，谁主沉浮？
携来百侣曾游。
忆往昔峥嵘岁月稠。
恰同学少年，风华正茂；
书生意气，挥斥方遒。
指点江山，激扬文字，粪土当年万户侯。
曾记否，到中流击水，浪遏飞舟？
I see a thousand hills red, layer on layer of forests dyed; the whole river translucent green, a hundred barges race.
Eagles strike the vast sky, fish glide the shallow bottom, all creatures in the frosty sky compete for freedom.
Vast and boundless, I ask this earth, who rules the rise and fall?
I brought a hundred companions to roam; I recall those crowded, extraordinary years.
Just then we were classmates young, in the flower of our age; scholars with spirit, bold and free.
Pointing at the rivers and mountains, stirring our writing, treating the marquises of those days as dung.
Do you remember, swimming at midstream, waves stayed the flying boats?
Meaning
Standing alone at Orange Isle on a cold autumn day, the poet surveys the magnificent autumn scenery of the Xiang River, recalls his youthful revolutionary companions, and asks who truly controls the fate of the nation.
独自站立在寒秋之中，湘江向北流去，恰在橘子洲头。看那群山一片红遍，层层树林尽被染红；满江澄碧透亮，百船争相竞流。雄鹰搏击长空，游鱼轻翔水底，万物在霜天里竞相自由。怅望这辽阔宇宙，试问苍茫大地，究竟由谁来主宰沉浮？曾带百位战友同游。回忆往昔，不平凡的岁月何等稠密。正当同学少年，风华正茂；书生怀抱意气，奔放刚健。指点江山，激扬文章，视当年万户侯如粪土。可曾记得，到江心击水，浪涛阻遏飞舟？
Appreciation
Written in 1925, this is a representative work of Mao's youth. The first stanza depicts the grand autumn scenery from mountains, forests, river, boats, eagles and fish, culminating in the philosophical question 'who rules the rise and fall.' The second stanza recalls the extraordinary years of classmates, their bold spirit and contempt for the powerful, ending with the heroic image of swimming against the waves. The whole piece blends magnificent scenery, lofty ambition and heroic spirit, a timeless work combining natural beauty with social ideals.
【白话串讲】 “独立寒秋，湘江北去，橘子洲头”——毛泽东站在橘子洲头。“看万山红遍，层林尽染；漫江碧透，百舸争流”——“怅寥廓，问苍茫大地，谁主沉浮”——他问：谁主沉浮？“恰同学少年，风华正茂”——他回忆青年时代。 【意象与手法】 上片写寒秋湘江的壮丽图景，由“看”字领起，山、林、江、舸、鹰、鱼层层铺展，以“万类霜天竞自由”收束，并由景及问提出“谁主沉浮”的诘问；下片忆往昔“同学少年”的峥嵘岁月，以“指点江山、激扬文字、粪土万户侯”写一代新人的抱负，结以“中流击水、浪遏飞舟”的豪情。融壮景、壮志、壮怀于一炉。 【情感与主旨】 毛泽东青年时代的代表作，气象恢宏、意境高远，把自然美与社会理想完美结合，是中国现代诗词中的不朽篇章。 【名句点睛】 常考“怅寥廓，问苍茫大地，谁主沉浮”以诘问写少年壮志；“恰同学少年，风华正茂”以峥嵘岁月写一代新人。
Background
Composed in the autumn of 1925, after Mao had been organizing peasant movements in his hometown Shaoshan and had narrowly escaped arrest, he passed through Changsha and revisited Orange Isle. At a time when the Great Revolution was surging, he recalled his youthful years in Changsha (1911–1923), when he studied, founded the Xinmin Society, and led protests. The poem reflects the profound thoughts of advanced youth on the country's fate. It was later included in 'Mao Zedong's Poems' and became a classic.
此词写于一九二五年秋。此前毛泽东回韶山养病并领导农民运动，遭赵恒惕密令逮捕，于九月赴广州途中重游长沙橘子洲头。时值大革命风起云涌，作者独立寒秋，面对如画秋江，回想一九一一年至一九二三年在长沙求学、组新民学会、驱张运动等火热的青年岁月，心潮起伏，遂成此篇。词中谁主沉浮之问，正是那个时代先进青年对国家命运的深沉思考；下片同学少年等句，则是对早期共产主义者群体风采的写照。一九二五年也是作者确立马克思主义信仰后不久，词中豪情既是个人的青春记忆，更是一个新生阶级登上历史舞台的宣告，具有强烈的时代与传记双重意义。橘子洲、湘江水，自此成为现代革命诗词中青春与壮阔的象征。一九二五年的中国，军阀割据、思潮激荡，青年毛泽东于长沙旧地重临，触景生情，故有此作。词中独立二字，既是实写一人立于洲头，也是隐喻一种不随流俗、独立思考的精神姿态。此后数十年，此词一直被视为青年毛泽东精神世界的钥匙，反复被引用与阐释。此词后收入《毛主席诗词》，成为红色经典的滥觞；其青年气象与问天气魄，深刻塑造了现代读者对长沙、对湘江、对一代革命者的集体想象。
Art
The art lies in the fusion of scene, feeling and aspiration, and in the grand structure. The first stanza opens with 'Alone in the cold autumn' and uses the leading word 'see' to unfold a panorama, ending with 'compete for freedom' and the question of who rules. The second stanza turns to memory with 'then,' portraying the companions' spirit and their contempt for lords. The leading words 'see' and 'then' organize two pictures, one of nature, one of human heroes, mutually illuminating. It is a model of blending scene and feeling, and a creative transformation of classical heroic-ci style.
此词艺术之妙在景、情、志的高度融合与大开大合的结构。上片起笔独立寒秋三句，以人立景中、景随人展，奠定孤高宏阔的基调；看字领起七句，由山而林、由江而舸、由鹰而鱼，远近上下、动静交织，万类霜天竞自由一句将景物升华至自由哲理；随即以怅寥廓三句由景入思，提出谁主沉浮，景语顿化哲学诘问。下片携来百侣转忆，恰字领起七句写少年意气，粪土万户侯见其傲骨；曾记否以问收束，中流击水回应上片江景，首尾圆合。全词以壮阔意象承载宏大命题，用领字（看、恰、怅）提掇全篇，气脉奔放而章法森然。其由实入虚、由景及问、由忆及誓的层递，使一首记游之作升华为时代的宣言，是豪放词在现代的巅峰。上片写景如展长卷，自远山而近水、自天空而渊深，红染碧透、动静交辉，末以竞自由振起，遂使景物皆带哲思；下片写人如列群像，少年书生、指点江山、中流击水，气概逼人。景与人两相对照，自然之壮与人物之豪互相发明，是情景交融的典范，亦开现代山水词新境。上片之看与下片之恰，两领字提挈两幅画卷，一写自然之壮、一写人物之豪，景与志互文，是中国古典豪放词在现代最完整的创造性转化。
Allusions
The imagery draws on earlier sources with innovation. Orange Isle was a famous scenic spot since the Tang dynasty. 'Ten thousand hills red' echoes Du Mu's 'frost leaves redder than spring flowers.' 'Eagles strike the sky' uses the tradition of the eagle from the Book of Songs; 'fish glide' transforms Liu Zongyuan's 'Small Stone Pool.' 'Competing in the frosty sky for freedom' connects classical autumn themes with modern concepts of liberty. 'Swimming midstream' alludes to Zu Ti's 'beating the oars at midstream' from the Book of Jin, but here expresses youthful courage. 'Treating the feudal lords as dung' uses classical expressions to show contempt for power. These allusions are renewed with contemporary meaning, showing the poet's command of past and present.
词中意象多有所本而能新变。橘子洲为长沙湘江中名洲，自唐以来为登临胜地；万山红遍暗承杜牧停车坐爱枫林晚、霜叶红于二月花及毛泽东故乡韶山一带秋山红叶之实。鹰击长空用《诗经·大明》维师尚父、时维鹰扬及后世咏鹰传统，鱼翔浅底化用柳宗元小石潭记而翔字写鱼之轻快为新创。万类霜天竞自由化用《庄子》与近代自由观念，赋予古典秋景以现代精神。中流击水用《晋书》祖逖中流击楫而誓之典，原表北伐决心，此处写青年破浪之勇，浪遏飞舟则以夸张写豪情。粪土万户侯用《后汉书》及李白诗粪土之词，极写对权贵的蔑视。故实皆化入时代新意，旧典新声，最见作者驱遣古今之才。中流击水暗用祖逖击楫，然此处不写收复失地之誓，而写青年破浪之勇，古典新用，意趣一变。粪土万户侯则汇融李杜轻富贵之语与近代平等思想。万类霜天竞自由更将古典秋兴直接衔接近代自由观念，使一首记游词霎时具有了现代性的精神光谱，是旧形式新内容结合的佳例。竞自由三字，将古典秋兴直接接通近代启蒙话语，使一首记游词具有了现代性的精神光谱；旧瓶装新酒，而酒味醇厚，是毛词成功的根本。
Commentary
The first stanza opens with the poet standing alone, the river flowing north, establishing a vast space. 'See' introduces the red hills, dyed forests, green river, racing boats; then 'eagles strike, fish glide' expands to all creatures, ending with 'compete for freedom.' The question 'who rules the rise and fall' elevates the scene to a philosophical challenge. The second stanza recalls the hundred companions, their youth, their writings, their disdain for lords. The closing question 'Do you remember swimming midstream, waves staying the boats?' answers implicitly that it is these bold youths who will rule. The poem opens and closes with the river, with a circular structure, and is the most vigorous self-portrait of the young Mao.
上片独立寒秋，湘江北去，橘子洲头，三句顿入：一人独立，江水北流，洲头苍茫，人、水、地三者构成宏阔空间。看万山红遍，层林尽染；漫江碧透，百舸争流，由高及低、由远及近，红染碧透、山林江船，色彩与动态交辉。鹰击长空，鱼翔浅底，万类霜天竞自由，更推及天地万物，击翔二字极写生机，竞自由三字点出宇宙间蓬勃向上的总则。怅寥廓，问苍茫大地，谁主沉浮，由景骤转为思，怅非衰颓而是深思后的激昂，这一问把秋景提升为对历史主宰者的诘问，是全词灵魂。下片携来百侣曾游，忆往昔峥嵘岁月稠，由今之独立遥接昔之群游。恰同学少年，风华正茂；书生意气，挥斥方遒，写一代青年之俊采；指点江山，激扬文字，粪土当年万户侯，写其以文章经世、以权贵为土的决心。曾记否，到中流击水，浪遏飞舟，以问句收，既实写当年畅游湘江之勇，亦象征破浪前进、主此沉浮的自信，与上片江景、诘问遥相呼应。全词以独立起、以击水问收，首尾皆系于江，结构圆融。上片由看而怅、由景而问，把秋色升华为谁主沉浮的天问；下片由忆而誓、由群而己，把青春坐实为粪土侯爵、浪遏飞舟的行动。上下片一问一答、一思一行，虽未明言答案，而自信已溢于言表，是青年毛泽东最酣畅的自我写照。独立与中流击水首尾呼应，谁主沉浮的诘问，在粪土万户侯、浪遏飞舟处隐隐作答。全词气盛而言宜，是青年毛泽东精神肖像最传神的一帧。
Prosody
Line by line
看万山红遍，层林尽染；漫江碧透，百舸争流。
These four lines are the most brilliant section of the first stanza. 'See' introduces the mountains red, forests dyed, the river transparent green, and a hundred boats racing. The contrasts of mountain/river, red/green, static/dynamic create a vivid and expansive picture, symbolizing a thriving, competitive era.
A thousand peaks are red all over, layer upon layer of woods dyed crimson; the river is a sheer green, and a hundred boats race on the current.
这四句（实跨两句）是上片最绚烂的幅面。看字领起，万山红遍、层林尽染写山间枫叶经霜尽赤，红与染二字把秋山写得如火如荼，暗喻革命形势的燎原之势；漫江碧透、百舸争流写湘江澄碧、百船竞发，透与争写出水的清澈与人的奋发。四句两组对仗，一山一水、一红一碧、一静一动，色彩对比强烈而气势开阔。它不只是写景，更是以自然之红潮碧流象征一个生机勃勃、万物争逐的时代。这图景因此既是长沙秋色，也是大革命前夕中国社会的精神写照，景语即政论。
These lines (in effect two verses) are the most radiant panorama of the first stanza, opened by the character 'behold.' 'Ten thousand mountains, all red; tier on tier of forests in their dye' writes the frosted maple hills glowing crimson, the words 'red' and 'dye' turning the autumn mountains into a scene of fire, secretly imaging the spreading revolutionary tide. 'The wide river run through with green, a hundred sails contending on the flood' writes the Xiang River's clarity and the boats competing, the words 'through' and 'contending' rendering the water's transparency and human striving. Two pairs of couplets, mountain and water, red and green, stillness and motion, the color contrast intense and the sweep grand. It is not mere scenery but a symbolic natural red tide and green current, imaging an age of life and struggle—a political argument written as landscape.
怅寥廓，问苍茫大地，谁主沉浮？
These three lines are the philosophical pivot. In face of the boundless universe, the poet asks who controls the rise and fall of nations. This transcends personal sentiment and directs the poem to the era's decisive question, anticipating the people's agency in history.
Lost in the vastness, I ask of the boundless earth: who decides your rise and fall?
这三句是上片的哲学落点，也是全词灵魂。怅寥廓写面对无边宇宙而生出的深沉感慨，此怅非伤感而是浩茫之思；问苍茫大地，谁主沉浮以诘问收束上片，把前面的壮丽秋景一举提升为对历史主宰者的终极追问。沉浮本指升降，此处喻国家民族的盛衰命运。这一问超越了个人身世，直指时代命题：在风云激荡的二十世纪，究竟谁才是大地沉浮的真正主人？它既是青年毛泽东的仰天长问，也预示了后来人民当家作主的历史答案。寥寥数语，境界陡然宏大，是古典诗词中极少有的将写景直接转化为历史哲学的名句。
These lines are the philosophical landing of the first stanza and the soul of the whole ci. 'Lost in the vastness' writes the deep stirring before the boundless universe, a怅 that is not sadness but a mighty brooding. 'I ask of the boundless earth: who decides your rise and fall?' closes the stanza with a question, lifting the splendid autumn scene at once to the ultimate inquiry into the lord of history. 'Rise and fall' originally means ebb and flow, here the fate of the nation and people. The question transcends personal fortune, striking at the age's riddle: in the turbulent twentieth century, who is the true master of the earth's destiny? It is at once the young Mao's upward cry and a foreshadowed historical answer—the people become the masters. A few words, the realm suddenly vast, a rare instance in classical verse of landscape turned directly into historical philosophy.
曾记否，到中流击水，浪遏飞舟？
These closing lines ask if the companions remember swimming at midstream, where waves even stopped the flying boats. The allusion to Zu Ti's midstream oath is transformed here into a symbol of youthful courage and self-confidence, implicitly answering the earlier question: the masters of the land are those who dare to brave the waves.
Do you still remember—wading to midstream, we struck the waves till the spray held back the flying boats?
这三句以问句收束全词，余力千钧。曾记否唤起共同记忆，到中流击水写当年与战友畅游湘江、破浪中流，浪遏飞舟以夸张写其气势——激浪竟能阻遏飞驶之舟，极言少年之豪勇。中流击水暗用祖逖中流击楫之典，原表北伐之誓，此处化为青年破浪前进的勇气。这一问既是对同学的深情追忆，更是对上片谁主沉浮的隐性回答：能主沉浮的，正是这些敢于中流击水、浪遏飞舟的新人。以问结篇，不直接道破而信心自见，含蓄而有千钧之力，使全词在昂扬中留不尽之响。
These lines close the whole in a question, the force a thousandweight. 'Do you still remember' summons shared memory; 'wading to midstream, we struck the waves' writes the old swim with comrades through the Xiang, breasting the current; 'till the spray held back the flying boats' uses hyperbole for their daring—the beating waves could check a speeding skiff, extreme in writing the young man's prowess. 'Striking the waves at midstream' secretly uses Zu Ti's allusion of striking the oar at midstream, originally the oath of a northern expedition, here transformed into the courage of youth breasting forward. The question is at once a tender remembrance of classmates and an implicit answer to 'who decides the rise and fall': those who can decide are precisely these new men who dare strike the waves at midstream and hold back the flying boats. Closing in a question, the confidence shows itself without being said, reserved yet weighty, leaving the verse ringing high and bright.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Qinyuanchun · Snow opens with northern snows, comments on emperors, and ends with 'the present supreme figures of style'; Changsha opens with the Xiang River autumn, recalls young comrades, and ends with the question of swimming midstream. Together they reveal Mao's ambition: historical judgment outward and youthful declaration inward.
《沁园春·雪》以北国雪景起，评骘秦皇汉武等千古英雄，结以数风流人物还看今朝；《长沙》以湘江秋景起，忆同学少年，结以中流击水之问。二词同用沁园春长调，皆景—情—议结构、皆以问收束、皆尤韵宏音。差异在：《雪》向外评历史，《长沙》向内写青春；《雪》自信今朝胜千古，《长沙》追问谁主沉浮。合观可见作者壮志的两面：对历史的宏阔论断与对自我的青春宣言，共同构成其诗词的豪放主轴。
登高 Climbing High (Du Fu) 杜甫 · 同写秋景与苍茫之思，杜诗悲慨沉郁，毛词昂扬主宰 Both depict autumn scenery and boundless reflection, but Du Fu's tone is melancholy while Mao's is assertive.Du Fu's 'Climbing High' describes wind, apes, falling leaves, and the rolling Yangtze, ending with his own hardship. Mao, facing similarly vast autumn scenery, transforms sorrow into a question of sovereign mastery, showing a modern creative turn from the Tang-Song tradition of autumn lament.
杜甫《登高》风急天高猿啸哀……无边落木萧萧下，不尽长江滚滚来，亦写秋日登高、宇宙苍茫之叹，结以艰难苦恨繁霜鬓的身世之悲。毛泽东此词同样独立寒秋、仰望寥廓，却以谁主沉浮的诘问取代老病孤愁的哀音。同写秋之浩茫，杜诗是乱离士人的沉郁顿挫，毛词是新生力量的昂扬主宰；一收一放、一悲一豪，恰见唐宋秋兴传统在现代的创造性转化。