金沙水拍云崖暖

金沙水拍雲崖暖

jīnshāshuǐpāiyúnyá'nuǎn

phrase

Meanings

1 the Jinsha River slaps against the cloud-wrapped cliffs — and they seem warm
2 (fig.) a triumphant note in the Long March: even harsh terrain felt friendly after the crossing
3 (lit.) Jinsha waters slap cloud-cliff warm

Characters

sand (金沙 = Jinsha, upper Yangtze)

cliff (云崖 = cloud-wreathed cliff)

暖

nuǎn

warm

Examples

回顾长征，毛泽东写下金沙水拍云崖暖，大渡桥横铁索寒。

Huígù Chángzhēng, Máo Zédōng xiě xià jīnshā shuǐ pāi yún yá nuǎn, Dàdù qiáo héng tiěsuǒ hán.

Reflecting on the Long March, Mao Zedong wrote 'Jinsha's waters slap the cloudy cliffs — warm; Dadu's iron-chain bridge lies across — cold.'

这首《长征》里的金沙水拍云崖暖一句气势磅礴。

Zhè shǒu 《Chángzhēng》lǐ de jīnshā shuǐ pāi yún yá nuǎn yī jù qìshì pángbó.

The line 'Jinsha's waters slap warm against the cloudy cliffs' in this poem 'The Long March' has majestic force.

Tips

history

From 毛泽东《七律·长征》(Mao Zedong, 'Seven-character regulated verse: The Long March,' 1935): 红军不怕远征难，万水千山只等闲...金沙水拍云崖暖，大渡桥横铁索寒。更喜岷山千里雪，三军过后尽开颜 (The Red Army fears no hardship of the long march... Jinsha's waters slap the cloud-cliffs warm; Dadu's iron-chain bridge hangs cold. Happier still — Mount Min's thousand li of snow, past which all three armies broke into smiles). Written soon after the Red Army completed the 1934–35 Long March.

usage

The 暖 (warm) / 寒 (cold) contrast across the couplet is deliberate — Jinsha's crossing was successful (= warm), Dadu's iron-chain bridge was a near-disaster (= cold). Always quoted together with 大渡桥横铁索寒.

Stroke Order

金 jīn

沙 shā

水 shuǐ

拍 pāi

云 yún

崖 yá

暖 nuǎn