Ode to New Year's Day
By Cangsan Muyun
Preface
Yuan denotes the genesis of heaven and earth; Dan signifies the dawn of sun and moon. The handle of the Big Dipper turns to the Tiger position, and heaven and earth renew their order; the armillary sphere tracks the passage of time, and all things take on a new look. I compose this Ode to New Year's Day not merely to eulogize the shift of seasons, but truly to trace the root of civilization, uphold the aspiration of heaven and earth, and give rein to the soul of the times. This serves as the preface.
The Yuan of Astronomy, the Prime of Yin and Yang
The stars align with the Big Dipper, its pointer resting on the Tiger position, stirring the vital force of spring; the pitch pipes resonate with the Yellow Bell tone, awakening the first lunar month and nurturing the ascent of yang energy. In remote antiquity, Xihe fixed the calendar by observing celestial phenomena to tell time; in the Han court, Zhang Heng crafted astronomical instruments to measure shadows and calculate the sundial. Once, the Taichu Calendar rectified the lunar year, establishing the first spring month as the start of the year; today, the whole world shares a common calendar, blending Chinese and Western wisdom into universal clarity. I hold this truth: Heaven moves with immutable regularity, and the seasons proceed with impartiality. Man abides by the way of heaven, and civilization endures thereby.
The Vitality of Humanity, the Origin of Purity and Virtue
The three ancient dynasties observed different lunar epochs, yet the Xia Dynasty set the first spring month as the new year; hundreds of kings reformed the calendar, and Emperor Wu of Han unified it as one. On New Year's Day, virtue was proclaimed in the Hall of Brightness, and all people prayed for blessings in their villages. Peach wood talismans warded off evil spirits, spicy pepper wine prolonged longevity; ancestors were honored to cherish the past, and court gatherings fostered harmony. Though rituals and customs differ across ages, the sincere heart behind them remains the same: to honor the end and bid farewell to the old, to reverence antiquity and usher in the new. Today, two calendars coexist, the old and the new interweave; the past and present enlighten each other, and our civilization stands in unshakable confidence. To honor tradition is not blind conservatism, but the pivotal wisdom of adapting to change.
The Heart of Heaven and Earth, the Course of Sun and Moon
Ice thaws and fish swim upward, geese return and grass buds sprout. Yin fades to the utmost, and yang rises anew—heaven’s way cycles unceasingly like a ring; cold reaches its peak, and warmth follows—vitality surges silently like a spring. The I Ching states: "The hexagram of Fu reveals the heart of heaven and earth." The true meaning of New Year's Day lies in gathering strength in quietude, ready to bloom in its destined hour. Thus, the hibernation of winter is the foundation of spring’s growth, and serene stillness is the prelude to vigorous vitality. All things in nature are complete within this law, and all lands under heaven follow this eternal rhythm.
The Nature of the Soul, the Root of Life
Of old, Zengzi reflected on himself thrice a day, and Master Cheng contemplated his inner heart. The essence of New Year's Day is to cleanse the stains of the past and paint a new blueprint for the future. We burn the old calendar to bid farewell to days gone by, unfurl a new scroll to greet the light ahead; we shed our flaws like a snake casting its skin, and embrace the present truth as if reborn. We should follow the inscription of King Tang: "Renew yourself each day", and uphold the Great Learning’s teaching: "Renovate the people". A pure and bright heart can illuminate the darkest corners of mountains and rivers; lofty aspirations that pierce the clouds can transcend the bounds of heaven and earth. The renewal of each individual converges into the surging tide of the times.
The Wind of the Times, the Momentum of the Present
Once, we observed the stars to tend the farmlands; now, we navigate the world by the Dipper’s light. Once, we sacrificed to heaven to pray for a bountiful year; now, we erect stations in the firmament. The Yuan of antiquity meant aligning with heaven and heeding the people; the Yuan of today means shaping heaven and earth with wisdom and courage. The BeiDou satellites cruise the sky, continuing the epic of reaching for the moon; quantum entanglement subtly echoes the law of Yin and Yang. I proclaim this: Civilization never perishes, for it inherits the torch of the past and forges ahead with reform; a prosperous age endures forever, only through self-strengthening and adaptation to change. New Year's Day is not merely a marker of the passing year, but a clarion call for forging ahead, a war drum for national rejuvenation! Pan composed a couplet in praise, which reads:
As stars shift and the Dipper turns, a new year dawns;
A mighty long wind sweeps away the dust of the old.
Yang stirs beneath the ice, spring surges in silence;
Man holds a colored brush, to rewrite the annals of history.
Ancient and modern converge in the flame of civilization;
Heaven and earth unite to uphold the stage of fate.
May we turn the first light of dawn into an eternal blaze,
Its radiant glow shining forever over the nine heavens!
Postscript
This ode blends astronomy, humanity and natural principles into one; it embodies the grandeur of Han fu, and embraces the profound philosophy of Song Neo-Confucianism. Five dimensions of Yuan stand united—astronomy, humanity, heaven and earth, the soul, and the times—bound by an unbroken vital force. Once, Lu Ji said: "Fu depicts all things with clarity and radiance." Today, I compose this ode to New Year's Day, not only to depict the things of the four seasons, but more so to polish the discerning eye of millennia, and ignite the eternal lamp of all ages. Yuan is the beginning, and also the root; Dan is the dawn, and also the rise. To uphold the root and embrace the new—this is the eternal way of China. This serves as the postscript.
作者：苍山牧云
序
夫元者，天地之始；旦者，日月之晨。斗柄回寅，玄黄更序；璇玑运晷，万象更新。今赋元旦，非惟颂时序之迁，实欲溯文明之本、立乾坤之心、骋时代之魂也！为序。
天文之元者，阴阳之辰也。夫星分北斗，指寅位而春机动；律应黄钟，启子月而阳气生。观象授时，羲和定历于上古；测影推晷，张衡制仪于汉庭。昔者《太初》正朔，定孟春为岁首；今朝寰球共历，融中西而通明。吾谓之：天行有常，岁序无私；人以法天，文明以继也。
人文之气者，三清之始也。三代异朔，夏正建寅；百王改制，汉武归一。元日布德于明堂，万民祈福于闾里。桃符驱魅，椒酒延龄；祭祖追远，朝会辑睦。然礼俗虽殊，其心一也：慎终而辞旧，尊古以开新。 今者双历并存，旧新交响；古今互鉴，文明自信。非徒守旧，实乃通变之枢机也！
天地之心者，日月之行也。冰泮鱼陟，雁归草萌。阴尽阳生，天道循环如环；寒极暖至，生机暗涌若泉。《易》曰：“复见天地之心。”元日之義，正待蓄力于微，向时而发。故冬藏为春生之基，静默乃勃发之始。 万物皆备于我，四海同此节律也。
心灵之性者，生命之本也。昔曾子三省，程子观心；元日之要，在涤旧染而绘新图。焚历辞往，展卷迎明；去非如蜕，今是若生。当效汤铭“日新”，承《大学》“新民”；心体光明，可照山河之暗；志气凌霄，堪破乾坤之局。 个体之新，汇聚为时代之潮流也！
时代之风者，当下之势也。昔观星以农，今导航以斗；昔祭天祈岁，今建站苍穹。古之元者，顺天应人；今之元者，经纬天地。北斗巡天，续写奔月之章；量子纠缠，暗合阴阳之理。吾谓之：文明不绝，在薪传而鼎革；盛世长存，惟自强以通变。 元日非徒纪岁，实为奋进之号角、复兴之鼓鼙也！潘子联句赞之，辞曰：
星移斗转岁新开，浩荡长风扫旧埃。
阳动冰层春暗涌，人持彩笔史重裁。
古今交汇文明火，天地同襄气运台。
跋
此赋熔天文、人事、物理于一炉，摄汉赋之宏阔，取宋理之精深。五元并立（天文、人文、天地、心性、时代），一气贯通。昔陆机言“赋体物而浏亮”，今赋元旦，非惟体四时之物，更欲擦亮千秋之慧眼、烛燃万世之明灯也。元者，始也，亦本也；旦者，朝也，亦兴也。守本开新，中华之道存焉！是跋。
中国著名作家:苍山牧云（潘成稷）四川省政府文史研究馆特约研究员、职业作家。
Renowned Chinese Writer: Cangsan Muyun (Pan Chengji), Special Research Fellow of the Literature and History Research Institute of Sichuan Provincial Government, Professional Writer.
精华热点 
