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Three Chinese New Year Poems

People rely on poems to express their own emotions. In the festive mood, there are some lyric verses to sing about life.

1. New Year’s Day - by Wang Anshi

yuán rì
元日
New Year’s Day
wáng ān shí
王安石
By Wang Anshi

bào zhú shēng zhōng yí suì chú
爆竹声中一岁除，
The New Year is coming amid the sound of firecracker,

chūn fēng sòng nuǎn rù tú sū
春风送暖入屠苏。
The spring breeze has wafted the warm breath with Tusu wine.

qiān mén wàn hù tóng tóng rì
千门万户瞳瞳日，
While the rising sun shines thousands of houses,

zǒng bǎ xīn táo huàn jiù fú
总把新桃换旧符。
New peach wood charms replace the old ones.

Good to know:

Tusu wine was medical liquor in the old days, and was infused with Chinese herbs and then placed in a thatched cottage that was decorated with an herb named Tusu, hence the name of this wine. Its functions were driving out the chill and protecting from plague and epidemic.

Peach wood charms are the images of the door gods or their names hanging on the gate to ward evil off.

The author, Wang Anshi, a famous reformer and prime minister in the North Song Dynasty, wrote this poem having implemented the new policies. He had confidence in this reform, and firmly believed the new would eventually take the place of the old. The poem suggests the political reform will bring a promising start for people’s life.

2. New Year’s Day for the Farmer Family - by Meng Haoran

tián jiā yuán rì
田家元日
New Year’s Day for the Farmer Family
mèng hào rán
孟浩然
By Meng Haoran

zuó yè dǒu húi běi jīn zhāo suì qǐ dōng
昨夜斗回北，今朝岁起东；
The old year passed with the handle of the Big Dipper turning toward east yesterday, and Today is a new start,

wǒ nián yǐ qiáng zhuàng wú lù shàng yōu nóng
我年已强壮，无禄尚忧农。
Though I am not an official even in my 40’s, I still worry about farming.

sāng yé jiù gēng fù hé chú sí mù tóng
桑野就耕父，荷锄随牧童；
Work as a farmer in the field of mulberry trees along with buffalo boy.

tián jiā zhàn qì hòu gòng shuō cǐ fēng niān
田家占气候，共说此年丰。
People divine by zodiac that it will be a bumper harvest this year.

Good to know:

The author regretted that he could not take any official position, but the main point expresses his leisurely and comfortable mood.

3. Chinese New Year

xīn niān
新年
Chinese New Year
(Sourced from internet)

xīn chūn dào chū jié hào
新春到，春节好
New Year is coming,

jiā jiā hù hù dōu rè nào
家家户户都热闹，
And each household is bustling.

tiē chūn lián fàng biān pào
贴春联，放鞭炮，
Red couplet pasting and firecracker spluttering,

jiā jiā hù hù gān zuò jiào
家家户户赶做饺。
Every family hurries to make dumplings.

xiǎo dì di xiǎo měi mei
小弟弟，小妹妹，
Brothers and sisters,

chuān shàng xīn yī dài xīn mào
穿上新衣带新帽。
Put on new hat and clothes happily.

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