From "Qi Jue: Revised Xixiang Longsheng's Poetry for My Father", it is a seven-character quatrain composed by Mao Zedong in 1910. The original text is as follows:
The child is determined to leave the country, and he vows to become famous if he fails to learn. No return.
There is no need for a mulberry land to bury the bones, there are green hills everywhere in life.
The translation is as follows:
The child made up his mind to leave his hometown and vowed not to return until he achieved success in his studies.
Why should you be buried in your hometown after death? Life is full of green hills where bones can be buried.
Words and sentences are annotated as follows:
1. Saigo Takamori: Living from 1828 to 1877, he was a samurai, soldier, politician and reformer of the Satsuma Domain at the end of the Edo period (the end of the Tokugawa period) in Japan. He, Kido Takayun (Kasura Kogoro) and Okubo Toshimichi are known as the "Three Heroes of the Restoration".
2. Xiangguan: that is hometown, hometown. For example, Cui Hao's poem "Yellow Crane Tower": "Where is the hometown at dusk? The Yanbo River makes people sad."
3. Mulberry and Catalpa Land: In ancient times, mulberry and catalpa trees were often planted next to houses. He also said that the mulberry and catalpa trees in his hometown were planted by his parents, and he should show respect to them. Later generations used Sangzi as a metaphor for hometown. "The Book of Songs·Xiaoya·Xiaobian" records: "Huai Sang and Zi must stop respectfully. They look at their father and rely on their mother." This means that seeing Sangzi can easily arouse the memory of one's parents, so one should be respectful. Later generations used Sangzi as the nickname for their hometown.
4. Qingshan: Symbolizing the beauty of the mountains and rivers of the motherland. Life is full of green mountains, which means that the motherland is full of beautiful mountains and rivers, which can be used as a resting place.
Extended information:
In 1910, Mao Zedong’s father Mao Shunsheng asked Mao Zedong to go into business, but Mao Zedong was determined to leave Shaoshan and rush to Xiangxiang County Dongshan Higher Primary School, a new school, to continue his studies. After Mao Zedong's own efforts and the unanimous persuasion of his relatives, friends, and teachers, his father agreed to his request. On the eve of leaving home to study at Dongshan Higher Primary School in Xiangxiang County, Mao Zedong wrote this poem "Qijue·Changed Xixiang Longsheng Poems for Father", which was included in the account book that his father must read every day.
This poem is a manifesto for the young Mao Zedong to leave his hometown and rush to the outside world. It shows his lofty ambitions to have the world in mind and aim in all directions. On the eve of Japan's Meiji Restoration, the poet monk Yuexing wrote two poems on the wall describing his ambitions before leaving his hometown to travel eastward. Later, it was read by Saigo Takamori. He thought that the content of the second poem was in line with his ambitions, so he slightly revised it and kept it for self-encouragement.
In the late Qing Dynasty, China was invaded by Western powers. The country was in ruins and the people were in dire straits. The success of Japan's Meiji Restoration Movement became an example for Chinese aspiring young people to follow, and Saigo Takamori's famous deeds also spread to China. It can be inferred that under these conditions, the young Mao Zedong read Saigo Takamori's version of this narrative poem either from books, newspapers and periodicals, or directly from teachers studying in Japan.
After that, he insisted on leaving home and going to Xiangxiang to receive a higher education and open up a broader world. This caused a serious conflict with his stubborn and conservative father. Under this situation, he changed a few words of the poem and then presented it to his father.
Baidu Encyclopedia - Qi Jue·A modified poem by Xixiang Longsheng as a gift to his father