The original text and translation of Long Songs are as follows:

In the green garden, the sunflower is exposed to the sun.

in the spring, everything is brilliant.

I'm always afraid that the autumn festival will come, and the yellow flowers will wither.

when will a hundred rivers go east to the sea and return to the west?

if the young don't work hard, the old will be sad.

Translation:

In the morning, there are green sunflower seeds in the garden, and the crystal morning dew is waiting to be dried in the sun. Spring has spread the hope of happiness all over the earth, so all living things have shown a thriving vitality. I often worry that the cold autumn will come, and the flowers and leaves will turn yellow and decline.

thousands of rivers are rushing eastward into the sea. when can they flow westward again? If you don't know how to be strong when you are young, it will be useless to be sad when you are gray-haired and accomplish nothing in old age.

Extended information

Long Songs is selected from Volume 3 of Yuefu Poems, which belongs to the genus and is a flat tune in the lyrics. Poems of Yuefu is a collection of Yuefu poems compiled by Guo Maoqian in the Song Dynasty, with 1 volumes and 12 categories. From the Han and Wei Dynasties to the Five Dynasties, there are more than ten ballads before Qin Dynasty.

This is a song about life. Singing life starts from the sunflower in the garden, which is called "supporting things to arouse interest" in writing, that is, "saying other things first to cause the words to be sung" The main meaning is that the seasons change quickly and the time is gone forever, so people are advised to cherish their youth and work hard to make a difference.

The whole poem expresses feelings with scenery, and makes sense from feelings. It entrusts the philosophy of life that "the young and the young don't work hard, but the old are sad" in vivid images such as the morning dew is easy to dry, the leaves of Qiu Lai fall, and the hundred rivers go east. With the help of the morning dew, the flowers of Ye Qiu fall, and the flowing water goes east and does not return, there is a sigh that time is fleeting and life is short, encouraging people to firmly grasp the life that flies with time.

Different from other literati poems in Han Dynasty, this poem "Long Song Xing" laments the shortness of life and advocates eating, drinking and enjoying in time. It is a poem that plays the devil's advocate and is a rare masterpiece.