"Using Life to Tell Tomorrow – A Collection of Poems by Martyrs Who Sacrificed for the New China"

Author: Chief Editor: Zhu Jie Ren
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-07-04
Features: Preface: p; As we are about to bid farewell to the 20th century, the People's Republic has already entered its 50th year of existence. As she embraces the opportunities and challenges of the next century with a mature and steady posture, a retrospective presentation of its formative period in the form of poetry undoubtedly holds greater significance. Therefore, in a timely manner, our publishing house has compiled and published this reader, "Telling Tomorrow with Life——Poetry of Martyrs Who Sacrificed for the New China," as a solemn tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Republic's founding. The selection of poems by revolutionary martyrs in this reader adheres to the principle of unifying revolutionary spirit, artistic quality, historical significance, and contemporary relevance. They are not merely reflections of historical facts and revolutionary ideals but also embody artistic sentiment and contemporary awareness. The collection of poems, images, and descriptive texts was greatly supported by institutions such as the university library, the Longhua Martyrs Memorial Hall, and the Yuhuatai Martyrs Memorial Hall. This ensured not only the inclusion of more poems that meet the aforementioned criteria but also the historical authenticity of the materials. In processing the materials, we emphasized the internal consistency between the era of poetic composition and the development of the Chinese revolutionary history, thereby establishing a thematic and chronological arrangement of poems in this book. This departure from the previous practice of ordering poems by the martyrs' dates of sacrifice offers the advantage of more clearly presenting the progression of Chinese revolutionary history and the characteristics of different stages, thereby creating the effect of reading poetry as reading history. For a few poems whose dates are uncertain, we technically placed them in the corresponding stages based on the aforementioned principles. In the end, we believe that rereading these poems filled with ideals, passion, and the will to live will greatly benefit readers, especially young people living today, in deepening their love for the Republic and their personal reading experience. East China Normal University Press, August 30, 1999
Excerpt: Youth's Journey—Feeling Passing Dongting Lake Cai Hesen (1895—1931), a native of Xiangxiang, Hunan. In 1918, he co-founded the Xinmin Xuehui with Mao Zedong and others and advocated and organized the study-abroad movement to France among Hunan youth. To gather information, he traveled to Beijing and then crossed Dongting Lake amid fierce winds and storms, composing Youth's Journey in response. The original manuscript has been lost, and this poem is based on recollections by others. Cai Hesen went to France in 1919 to study Marxism and actively participate in struggles. As a result, he was expelled from France by the French government in winter 1921. He joined the Communist Party of China in December 1921 and served as the editor of the party's central organ, Xiaodao Weekly, as well as a member of the Central Political Committee and the Minister of Central Propaganda. He also served as the Chinese Communist Party's representative to the Communist International. In 1931, he was sent to Hong Kong as a central representative to guide the Party's work in Guangdong but was arrested by British imperialists and handed over to Guangzhou. In winter 1931, he heroically perished in Guangzhou at the age of 36.
Long and Serpent Rise on the Mainland, Heaven and Earth—A Youth
The homeland is in turmoil,
Winds and rains escort the journey.
In chaos, I govern myself,
My resolve to learn grows firmer.
Seeking teachers far beyond,
I visit friends in literary depths.
With me, the nation will be restored,
Together we bear great hardships.
Loyalty is etched in my heart,
A boundless spirit fills the space.
Though I lack Lu Yang's divine sword,①
I may yet turn the tide.
Leaning on the boat, I weigh the nation's changes,
My will inspires the people.
Tangzhou's people hold high hopes,
Dongting Lake testifies to the source.
Sun Bingwen's Hardship of the Journey① Sun Bingwen (1885—1927), styled Junming, was from Nanxi, Sichuan. During his studies at Peking University, he was expelled for criticizing the university administration for being idle and corrupt. After the 1911 Revolution, Yan Fu, who became the university president, highly praised him and reinstated his student status. In 1911, he joined the Tongmenghui. He served as the editor-in-chief of the Beijing Minguo Daily and the chief writer of the Minbao. His long poem Hardship of the Journey was written after the failure of the, reflecting his conflicted emotions and patriotic aspirations. To seek truth, he went to Germany with Zhu De for studies in October 1922 and joined the Communist Party of China the same year. Returning to China in winter 1925, he served as the Political Director and Chief Instructor of the Whampoa Military Academy. After the Northern Expedition began, he successively held positions such as Secretary-General of the General Political Department of the National Revolutionary Army and Director of the Rear Guard of the General Political Department. On April 16, 1927, he was arrested by the reactionaries of the Nationalist Party in Shanghai and was executed on April 20 at Longhua. Alas! I wish to climb Kunlun and gaze into the sea, yet who can hinder me! I wish to lean on my long sword beyond the heavens, yet who dares refuse me! Hardship of the journey! The sparrows nesting in the walls, the mice lodging in lawsuits,② I can easily turn my back and leave, with my clouds unfurled.③ I mourn the innocent people, finding no peace. Hardship of the journey! The fine land and waters, 400 million united in hatred, I cannot bear to part with you. Dusk brings sorrow to the journey, where will I go next? Look, the giant stork soars over the June sky in the Tianchi.④ How tragic! It is easy to rest in the Tianchi, but I fear the unknown when I return.⑤ To fold my wings is not to delay due to the path's obstruction,⑥ my heart is filled with thought. The moon on the celestial steps is cold, the bright moon rises in the east, tears in confusion. Look, the lone goose has passed the Hengtang. Why am I alone in this room, struggling with mayflies?⑧ Command the clouds and the wind, wait for me with my hall.⑨ Shining hair gazes into the ocean, resting on my grand bed, I swallow the vast wilderness.⑩