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.
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.
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 Wǒ shī jiāo yáng jūn shī liǔ Yáng liǔ qīng yáng zhí shàng chóng xiāo jiǔ Wèn xùn wú gāng hé suǒ yǒu Wú gāng pěng chū guì huā jiǔ
Jì mò cháng'é shū guǎng xiù Wàn lǐ cháng kōng qiě wèi zhōng hún wǔ Hū bào rén jiān céng fú hǔ Lèi fēi dùn zuò qīng pén yǔ I lost my proud poplar, and you your willow,Poplar and willow soar lightly to the heaven of heavens.Wu Kang, asked what he has to offer,Presents them respectfully with cassia wine.The lonely goddess in the moon spreads her ample sleevesTo dance for these faithful souls in the endless sky.Of a sudden comes word of the tiger's defeat on earth,And they break into tears of torrential rain.
I lost my proud poplar and you your willow.As poplar and willow they soar straight upinto the ninth heavenand ask the prisoner of the moon, Wu Gang, what is there.He offers them wine from the cassia tree.The lonely lady on the moon, Chang E,spreads her vast sleevesand dances for these good souls in the unending sky.Down on earth a sudden report of the tiger's defeat.Tears fly down from a great upturned bowl of rain.