Learn by Songs 1 — Day 2 — Ode to the Goose
Luo Binwang (c. 619–687?) reportedly composed this poem at the age of seven, making it one of the most famous child-prodigy poems in Chinese history. It simply describes a goose swimming and singing — bright, playful, and one of the very first poems taught to Chinese kindergarteners.
Today's Vocabulary
鹅
goose
鹅鹅鹅，
É, é, é,
Goose, goose, goose,
天
sky
曲项向天歌。
qū xiàng xiàng tiān gē.
curving its neck, it sings to the sky.
白
white
白毛浮绿水，
Bái máo fú lǜ shuǐ,
White feathers float on the green water,
绿水
green water
白毛浮绿水，
Bái máo fú lǜ shuǐ,
White feathers float on the green water,
红
red
红掌拨清波。
hóng zhǎng bō qīng bō.
red webbed feet paddle the clear ripples.
Today's Grammar
Notice the playful repetition '鹅鹅鹅' (goose, goose, goose) that opens the poem, imitating a goose's honking — an early, simple example of onomatopoeia and rhythm in Chinese verse, which is why small children love reciting it.
鹅鹅鹅，
Goose, goose, goose,
曲项向天歌。
curving its neck, it sings to the sky.
白毛浮绿水，
White feathers float on the green water,
红掌拨清波。
red webbed feet paddle the clear ripples.