長歌行 – 兒童歌曲
长歌行 cháng gē xíng Long song style
长歌行
汉乐府
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。
长歌行
cháng gē xíng
Long song style
汉乐府
hàn yuèfǔ
Han Yue fu
青青园中葵，朝露待日晞。
qīng qīng yuán zhōng kuí ，zhāo lù dāi rì xī 。
Green mallows in the garden wait the sun to dry the morning dews.
青(green)青(green)园(garden)中(within)葵(mallow)，
阳春布德泽，万物生光辉。
yángchūn bù dé zé ，wànwù shēngguāng huī 。
Sunny spring spreads beneficence and all the living things grow brilliance.
阳（sunny)春(spring)布(spread)德泽，万(ten thousand)物(things)生(grow)光辉(brilliance)。
常恐秋节至，焜黄华叶衰。
cháng kǒng qiū jiē zhì ，kūn huáng huá xié cuī 。
Frequently fear that autumn season will arrive soon, and all the bright yellow flowers and leaves are going to wither.
常(frequently)恐(fear)秋(autumn)节(autumn)至(arrive)，焜(bright)黄(yellow)华(flower)叶(leaves)衰(decline)。
百川东到海，何时复西归？
bǎi chuān dōng dào hǎi ，héshí fù xī guī ？
Hundreds river flow eastern to the sea. When they will return to the west?
百(hundred)川(river)东(east)到(to)海(sea)，何时(when)复(again)西(west)归(return)？
少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲。
shàozhuàngbùnǔlì,lǎodàtúshāngbēi 。
if people are lazy in your prime, they’ll be sorry in their old age
少（youthful)壮(robust)不(not)努力(try hard) ，老(old)大(big)徒(to no avail)伤悲(sorrowful)。
Poem analysis:
The genre of Cháng Gē Xíng Poem: Yue fu 乐府
The poetic form of Cháng Gē Xíng belongs to the genre of Yue fu (乐府), Music Bureau. Yue 乐 means music while fu 府 means bureau.
Yue fu are classical Chinese poems that are composed with folk song style. In 汉 Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), in the government, there was a music bureau that was dealing with music management, and it was in charge of collecting, writing the lyrics as well as performing folk songs and ballad. Afterward, people started naming poems which were composed in that folk song style Yuefu.
The poem lines of Yue fu have uneven length, however, generally speaking, a line with five characters is the most common. The term Yue fu covers original folk songs of ancient China which were written by common people, court imitations which were written by scholars who were serving the court, as well as poets of later Dynasties’ versions which were made with this kind folk song style. Among them, the most known poet is Li Bai (701-762).
青青园中葵，朝露待日晞。
qīng qīng yuán zhōng kuí ，zhāo lù dāi rì xī 。
Green mallows in the garden wait the sun to dry the morning dews.
青(green)青(green)园(garden)中(within)葵(mallow)，
These two lines describe a beautiful garden scene.– luscious green mallows are growing brightly under the sun, and the dews on the leaves of mallows are waiting the sun to be evaporated to blue sky. These two lines hint living beings grow fast and time flies in a haste, just like morning dews are destined to be gone in no time.
阳春布德泽，万物生光辉。
yángchūn bù dé zé ，wànwù shēngguāng huī 。
Sunny spring spreads beneficence and all the living things grow brilliance.
阳（sunny)春(spring)布(spread)德泽，万(ten thousand)物(things)生(grow)光辉(brilliance)。
Spring is the season of growth and hope due to the shining sun that provides all the energy to earth and all the things live upon it. Everything came out of winter’s misery and went into a stage of fast developing. The spirit is high and the joyfulness is in the sight.
常恐秋节至，焜黄华叶衰。
cháng kǒng qiū jiē zhì ，kūn huáng huá xié cuī 。
Frequently fear that autumn season will arrive soon, and all the bright yellow flowers and leaves are going to wither.
常(frequently)恐(fear)秋(autumn)节(autumn)至(arrive)，焜(bright)黄(yellow)华(flower)叶(leaves)衰(decline)。
However, no thing is ever lasting or remains forever. The thought of worrying is constant. The worry is about the arrival of autumn season, the season of decaying and withering. The used to be bright color flowers and leaves will be darkened and will be gone soon.
百川东到海，何时复西归？
bǎi chuān dōng dào hǎi ，héshí fù xī guī ？
Hundreds river flow eastern to the sea. When they will return to the west?
百(hundred)川(river)东(east)到(to)海(sea)，何时(when)复(again)西(west)归(return)？
In the western part of China, it has mountains and high plateaus, in its east areas, the land slopes into broad plains and deltas. Therefore, most of rivers of China flow to East China seas or South China sea. Seeing the river rushing to the sea, the poet could not help but to wonder “When the rivers will return to the west?” The answer is clear – there is no way or there is never such day that the rivers will flow back. It is used as a metaphor to show the passing of time is like the running river. When it is gone, it is gone forever.
少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲。
shàozhuàngbùnǔlì,lǎodàtúshāngbēi 。
If people are lazy in your prime, they’ll be sorry in their old age
少（youthful)壮(robust)不(not)努力(try hard) ，老(old)大(big)徒(to no avail)伤悲(sorrowful)。
The main point of the poem lies in these two conclusion lines – If people did not try hard when they were youthful or in their prime, when they are getting old, all they can do is just to lament about their fruitless life and end up spending their remaining years in endless sadness. These two lines became a popular Chinese proverb and are frequently are quoted in daily conversation or writing.
Translated and analyzed by Shu