Return to Yan'an
1
Oh my heart, don't jump so fast
Oh dust don't block my sight…
I hold yellow soil I hold so tight
Clinging to my warm heart
Several times in dreams I returned to Yan'an
And held Baota Mountain tightly with both hands
Thousands of times I call you there
Oh my mother Yan'an you are here
Dufu River is singing and Liulin village is laughing
The red flag with a smile is waving
White towel on head and red belt around waist
Oh my folks greet me across Yan River
Words full of my heart are choking in throat
I throw myself into the arms of my folks
2
Ershili village sees me off to Liulin village
Separated for ten years I return home again
Treetops tree branches and tree roots
Genial mountains genial water and genial folks
Little lamb sucks milk watching her mother up
Millet brought me up
Corn millet on the east hillside and foxtail millet on the west
The red flag on shoulder and books in hand
Hand in hand they taught me just here
Mother sent us to cross the Yellow River
Revolutionary road stretches thousands miles
No matter where I am I miss you forever…
3
Rice wine oil manti and charcoal fire
We sit around on the kang with cheer
The crowded cave without a stream of chill
On the top of the cave is still echoing the footsteps
Grandpa steps into the cave out of breath
I dreamed that letter brought the good news now really meet
Folks meet each other
Tears in eyes lingering
To defend Yan'an you tried with your utmost endeavor
Years frosted your hair
Party secretary comes in with our village officer
Cowherd of those years has become mature
Red paper-cut pasted on white window paper
Happy children hold hands together
Endless words melt in the rice wine
The mighty rivers arouse waves one after another
In the last decade the revolution developed fast
Oh the countless days and nights we spent
4
Even though I have thousands of legs and thousands of eyes
I can't finish enjoying Yan'an newly fair
The blue sky like a mirror big and bright
Reflects the Yan'an city into my heart:
The broad and flat streets arranged orderly
The new buildings painted freshly
The bright lamps shining resplendently
The green trees greeting the spring wind cheerfully…
I can't recognize you when recalling the past
Mother Yan'an has a brand new face entirely
5
The red flags in Yangjialing county flutter high
Thousands miles of revolutionary road surge high
At the foot of Baota Mountain footprints were left there
Chairman Mao stood on Tiananmen Square
The lights in Zaoyuan lighten up our hearts
Yanhe River surges forward roaring“march on! ”
The Red Guards, the communist youth league and young pioneers
Predecessors stride on the revolutionary road year after year
Stride on the Socialist road
Glorious Yanhe River leads forward
I hope I could fly in the sky
To see my Mother Yan'an once again
He Jingzhi: Male, was born in 1924 in Yi County, Zaozhuang, Shandong Province （now it is Taierzhuang, Shandong Province）. A famous contemporary poet and playwright. Former Vice Minister of the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the CPC and former Acting Minister of Culture. This poem was finished in March 1956. He agrees it to be included specially.