Reply to Li Shuyi

Reply to Li Shuyi' (Chinese: 答李淑一) 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.

蝶 恋 花
答 李 淑 一

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。

I lost my proud Poplar and you your Willow,
Poplar and Willow soar to the Ninth Heaven.
Wu Gang, asked what he can give,
Serves them a laurel wine.

The lonely moon goddess spreads her ample sleeves
To dance for these loyal souls in infinite space.
Earth suddenly reports the tiger subdued,
Tears of joy pour forth falling as mighty rain.

Da Li Shuyi

Wo shi jiao yang jun shi liu,
yang liu qing yang zhi shang zhong xiao jiu.
wen xun Wu Gang he suo you,
Wu Gang ju chu gui hua jiu.

Kou mo Chang E shu kuang xiu,
wan li chang kong qie wei zhong hun wu.
Hu bao ren jian ceng fu hu,
lei fei dun zuo qing pen yu.