Nian Nu Jiao (念奴娇) — Zhang Xiaoxiang
A free printable Chinese handwriting worksheet for Zhang Xiaoxiang's Song dynasty lyric "Nian Nu Jiao (念奴娇)", with pinyin, stroke-order guides, and Chinese writing practice grids.
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Original Poem
洞庭青草，近中秋、更无一点风色。
玉鉴琼田三万顷，著我扁舟一叶。
素月分辉，明河共影，表里俱澄澈。
悠然心会，妙处难与君说。
应念岭海经年，孤光自照，肝肺皆冰雪。
短发萧骚襟袖冷，稳泛沧浪空阔。
尽吸西江，细斟北斗，万象为宾客。
扣舷独笑，不知今夕何夕。
Pinyin
dòng tíng qīng cǎo， jìn zhōng qiū、 gèng wú yī diǎn fēng sè。
yù jiàn qióng tián sān wàn qǐng， zhù wǒ piān zhōu yī yè。
sù yuè fēn huī， míng hé gòng yǐng， biǎo lǐ jù chéng chè。
yōu rán xīn huì， miào chù nán yǔ jūn shuō。
yìng niàn lǐng hǎi jīng nián， gū guāng zì zhào， gān fèi jiē bīng xuě。
duǎn fà xiāo sāo jīn xiù lěng， wěn fàn cāng làng kōng kuò。
jìn xī xī jiāng， xì zhēn běi dòu， wàn xiàng wèi bīn kè。
kòu xián dú xiào， bù zhī jīn xī hé xī。
English Meaning
Dongting and Qingcao lakes, near Mid-Autumn — not a breath of wind, not a shade of color. Thirty thousand qing of jade-mirror fields, bearing my one leaf of a boat. The white moon shares its radiance; the Milky Way casts our joined shadow — within and without, all limpid. The heart meets it serenely; the wonder is hard to tell you. I think of my years among the southern hills and seas: a lone light shone through me — lungs and liver all ice and snow. Short hair thin in the cold, sleeves chilled, I float steady on the vast grey waves. I would drain the West River dry, ladle the Dipper for a cup, and bid all creation be my guests. Slapping the oar I laugh alone — what night is this, that I do not know?
Key Vocabulary
Each term links to its word page with more readings and examples.
Practice the Characters
Every character page has a stroke-order animation, step-by-step breakdown, and common words.
About the Poem
Zhang Xiaoxiang's (1132–1170) Mid-Autumn meditation on Dongting Lake, written after dismissal from office. The purity of the lake and of his conscience — 'lungs and liver all ice and snow' — merge in one of Song ci's grandest toasts.
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