Reply to Li Shuyi explained

Reply to Li Shuyi is a poem written on May 11, 1957 by Mao Zedong to Li Shuyi, a friend of Mao's first wife Yang Kaihui and the widow of the executed Communist leader Liu Zhixun. In the poem, "poplar" refers to Yang Kaihui, whose surname Yang means "poplar", and who also had been executed; and "willow" is the literal meaning of Liu's surname. Wu Gang is a man who, according to Chinese legend, lives on the moon, and was forced by the gods to fell a laurel tree forever.

Original ChineseChinese: 我失骄杨君失柳 杨柳轻扬直上重霄九 问讯吴刚何所有 吴刚捧出桂花酒 寂寞嫦娥舒广袖 万里长空且为忠魂舞 忽报人间曾伏虎 泪飞顿作倾盆雨

PinyinChinese: Wǒ shī jiāo yáng jūn shī liǔ Yáng liǔ qīng yáng zhí shàng chóng xiāo jiǔ Wèn xùn wú gāng hé suǒ yǒu Wú gāng pěng chū guì huā jiǔ Jì mò cháng'é shū guǎng xiù Wàn lǐ cháng kōng qiě wèi zhōng hún wǔ Hū bào rén jiān céng fú hǔ Lèi fēi dùn zuò qīng pén yǔ

Schram's English Translation^[1] I lost my proud poplar, and you your willow,
Poplar and willow soar lightly to the heaven of heavens.
Wu Kang, asked what he has to offer,
Presents them respectfully with cassia wine.

The lonely goddess in the moon spreads her ample sleeves
To dance for these faithful souls in the endless sky.
Of a sudden comes word of the tiger's defeat on earth,
And they break into tears of torrential rain.

Barnstone's English TranslationI lost my proud poplar and you your willow.
As poplar and willow they soar straight up
into the ninth heaven
and ask the prisoner of the moon, Wu Gang, what is there.
He offers them wine from the cassia tree.

The lonely lady on the moon, Chang E,
spreads her vast sleeves
and dances for these good souls in the unending sky.
Down on earth a sudden report of the tiger's defeat.
Tears fly down from a great upturned bowl of rain.

Notes and References

1. Book: Schram, Stuart . Stuart R. Schram . Mao Tse-Tung . 1966 . Simon & Schuster . London . 978-0-14-020840-5 . registration . 352.