青溪口号[1]
[清]查慎行
来船桅杆高，
去船橹声[2]好。
上水厌滩多，
下水惜滩少。
注释：
[1]口号：口吟，即景赋诗。
[2]橹声：摇橹发出的声音。
Orally Composed on the Blue Stream
Zha Shenxing
Ships come afar, we see masts high;
We hear their oars when they pass by.
Upstream we fear the beaches before;
Downstream we like them to be more.
“Qingxi Slogan” is a unique poem by the early Qing poet Cha Shenxing (1650-1727). The author served in the southwest army when he was young, and sought officialdom in Beijing in his old age. He traveled thousands of miles in his life, and his poetry style is vigorous and elegant. The eight poems of “Qingxi Slogan” were written by him when he was collecting folk songs in Chun’an County (formerly known as Qingxi County). The poem integrates the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers with the simplicity of folk customs, and captures the hearty and straightforward style of folk songs, sweeping away the stale habits of literati poetry, which can be said to be unique. The third, sixth, and seventh poems are especially popular because of their strong hometown feelings that can be called out from the mountains and rivers, and they have been passed down.
