A Qing dynasty Chinese poem 明日歌 Ming ri ge Tomorrow’s Song / Song of Tomorrow: lyrics, pinyin, English translation, analysis and 明日天涯 Ming ri tian ya song

明日歌

明日歌
míngrì gē
Tomorrow’s song
Song of Tomorrow

钱鹤滩
Qián Hètān

or

文嘉
Wén Jiā

明日复明日，
míngrì fù míngrì ，
Tomorrow, again, (another) tomorrow,
明日(tomorrow)复(again)明日(tomorrow)，

明日何其多！
míngrì hé qí duō ！
Tomorrows are such many!
明日(tomorrow)何其(how/such)多(many)！

我生待明日，
wǒ shēng dāi míngrì ，
My life is waiting for tomorrow.
我(my)生(life)待(wait)明日(tomorrow)，

万事成蹉跎。
wànshì chéng cuōtuó 。
All things become wasted times.
万事(all things)成(become)蹉跎(wasted time)

世人苦被明日累，
shìrén kǔ bèi míngrì lèi ，
People of the world are implicated by tomorrows.
世(the world)人(people)苦(bitterly)被(passive indicator ‘by’)明日(tomorrow)累(verb, implicate)，

春去秋来老将至。
chūn qù qiū lái lǎojiàng zhì 。
Spring went and autumn came, old age is going to be upon (us).
春(spring)去(go)秋(autumn)来(come)老(noun, old age) 将(is going to)至(arrive)。

朝看水东流，
cháo kàn shuǐ dōng liú ，
Morning (I) saw water flowing to the east.
朝(morning)看(see)水(water)东(east)流(flow)，

暮看日西坠。
mù kàn rì xī zhuì 。
During sunset, (I) saw the sun falling down to the west.
暮(evening/sunset)看(see)日(sun)西(west)坠(fall down)。

百年明日能几何？
bǎinián míngrì néng jǐhé ？
How can (we) do with a hundred years’ tomorrows?
百(hundred)年(year)明日(tomorrow)能(is able to)几何(similar to modern phrase 怎么样 zě me yàng)？

请君听我明日歌。
qǐng jūn yǐn wǒ míngrì gē 。
(I) invite you to listen to my Song of Tomorrow.
请(invite)君(gentleman)听(listen)我(my)明日(tomorrow)歌(song)。

Poem analysis:

明日复明日，明日何其多！
Tomorrow, again, (another) tomorrow. Tomorrows are such many!
These two lines are the common excuse used by many people to postpone things that they need to do. Since there are so many tomorrows, it is alright to feel ease about today and just to take the pleasure of idling and indulging in something they feel like to do at the moment.

我生待明日，万事成蹉跎。
My life is waiting for tomorrow. All things become wasted times.
This is the poet’s critique for such excuses of procrastination. He thought if our life is always waiting for tomorrows and not focusing on the moment, then everything will bear no fruits at all and all our time will become wasted times.

世人苦被明日累，春去秋来老将至。
People of the world are implicated by tomorrows. Spring went and autumn came, old age is going to be upon (us).
Times fly like spinning wheels and they never stop for anyone or anything. Thus, the idling thinking of relying on tomorrows made people live from one day to another just like bounding balls, from one second to another, from one season to another and all the year ended up gone with nothing accomplished.

朝看水东流，暮看日西坠。
Morning (I) saw water flowing to the east. During sunset, (I) saw the sun falling down to the west.
In China, most of rivers go to the East China sea. The river water is ever lasting and constantly flowing to their destined direction, the sea. The sun is always setting to the west side day after day. No one can stop the motion of rivers or the sun, just like no one can tell the time to stop for a nano second.

百年明日能几何？请君听我明日歌。
How can (we) do with a hundred years’ tomorrows?(I) invite you to listen to my Song of Tomorrow.
If we keep the idling thoughts and retain the waiting for tomorrow attitude day after day, then, even we have one hundred of years to live on, we won’t be able to achieve one thing. Then, how good are those hundred years’ tomorrows? The poet ends this poem by inviting the readers to listen to his Tomorrow’s Song and hope maybe after hearing this song, some people might realize the importance of cherishing time and put the focus on today, the moment, and not those endless, empty tomorrows.

It is interesting that in this poem, there are seven times it mentions about tomorrows. No wonder it is named the Song of Tomorrows. Wish you great tomorrows built upon hard working todays.

Poem translated and analyzed by Shu

There is a very classic Chinese love song called 明日天涯 míngrì tiānyá Tomorrow, the edge of sky. The concept of the song is about the person needed to leave his lover due to severe illness, and wished they will meet each other one day at the edge of sky. A sad song, ah.

青山 -《明日天涯》

殷正洋-明日天涯 with lyrics