There are many poems chanting the "Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal" left in history, most of which are nostalgic and historical. The more famous ones are:
1. Pi Rixiu of Tang Dynasty. Bianhe River Nostalgic for the Past"
Original text: This is the river where the river died in the Sui Dynasty, and it has been connected to the waves for thousands of miles to this day. If there was no dragon boat incident in the Water Palace, Emperor Yu would not have made much merit.
Translation: It is said that the Sui Dynasty perished because of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, but it was also because the Grand Canal achieved thousands of miles of navigation. If Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty hadn't built the dragon boat for pleasure, he would not have made too much concessions to Yu the Great.
2. Li Jingfang of Tang Dynasty's "Ships Entering the Bianhe River Straight"
Original text: The Bianhe River's passage to Huaihe River brings the most benefits, and harms both living and human beings. In the forty-three states in the southeast, this river is where all the ointment is drained.
Translation: After the connection between Bianshui River and Huaihe River is dug, there will indeed be many conveniences. However, the sufferings suffered by the people were also profound. In the vast areas of the forty-three southeastern states, all the people's fat and anointing were carried away by this river and sent to the capital for the royal family to enjoy.
3. "Bianhe Pavilion" by Xu Hun of the Tang Dynasty
Original text
When Emperor Huasheng of Guangling traveled eastward, he first attacked the Kunlun faction. One hundred and two forbidden soldiers resigned from Xiangque, and three thousand palace ladies got off the dragon boat.
The clouds are condensing, the drums are vibrating, the stars are moving, the flags are blowing, the sun and the moon are floating. The righteous teacher from all over the world returns to the right way, and the Lost Tower is still the Jingyang Tower.
Translation
The Qionghua flowers in Yangzhou were in full bloom, and Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty wanted to visit them. He split mountains like Kunlun and created a river. The mighty imperial army bid farewell to the palace, and three thousand concubines and concubines went south together on dragon boats.
The drum music that resounded through the sky stirred the stars in the sky, and the banners on the dragon boats fluttered in the wind day and night. The rebel armies from all over the world have surrendered to the righteous army. The maze of beautiful women is just another luxurious Jingyang Tower of the fallen Southern Qi Dynasty.
4. "Bianshui" by Hu Zeng of the Tang Dynasty
Original text: Once the thousand-mile long river opens, waves will come in nine days. The brocade sail has not left the war, and the melancholy dragon boat has never returned.
Translation: The thousand-mile-long Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was soon excavated, which also brought in many forces to overthrow the tyranny of the Sui Dynasty. Before the luxurious sails could be furled, war started to spread. The dragon boat that came for fun never came back (Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty was killed in Yangzhou, so this is said)
5. Contemporary. Bingxue Hongdou's "Qijue. Grand Canal"
Original text: The south and north of the Yangtze River are linked together. The water has rippled for thousands of years in the Sui Dynasty, sending messages to the geese flying south and returning to the north. The beginning and end of the river are Jiachuan.
Translation: The north and south of the motherland are connected by the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It has been a thousand years since the Sui Dynasty, and the water is still ripples. I told the geese that whether they are flying south for the winter or returning north, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the river of the motherland from beginning to end.
Reference source: Baidu Encyclopedia - Poetry Grand Canal