Chenmou Wu: Elon Musk tweets an Ancient Chinese Poetry

Elon Musk tweets an Ancient Chinese Poetry

<The Seven Step Verse> 

曹植 《七步诗》

(中英文对照)

煮豆燃豆萁，豆在釜中泣。

本是同根生，相煎何太急？

        When beans were boiling on a beanstalks fire, a crying voice of the beans rose from the pot: “As both of us sprang from the selfsame root, why do you destroy me with such impatience?”

When beans were boiling on a beanstalks fire; 

煮豆燃豆萁，

A crying voice of the beans rose from the pot.

豆在釜中泣。

As both of us sprang from the selfsame root;

 本是同根生，

Why do you destroy me with such impatience? 

相煎何太急？

说明： 

       全球首富，特斯拉创始人，马斯克在推特上诡异地用中文发布曹植的诗，立刻引起全球粉丝的追捧热议。 在台海局势日趋紧张的特殊时刻，此诗的寓意不言而喻。

      On Nov 1, 2021, the richest man globally, Tesla founder Elon Musk strangely tweeted <The Seven Step Verse> in Chinese on Twitter, which is a classical Chinese poem published in 220 A D. Nowadays, when China mainland is shouting to invade Taiwan Island, as a result, the Taiwan Strait crisis rises enormously. Elon Musk's Twitter instantly became a hit with thousands of fans; subsequently, his meaning has been profound and arresting worldwide.

创作背景：

       黄初元年（220年）正月，六十六岁的曹操病死，曹丕由世子荣升魏王；同年十月，汉献帝被迫禅让帝位，曹丕上位，称帝为魏文帝。由于争封太子这段经历让曹丕无法释怀，在他称帝后，他仍对曹植耿耿于怀。他担心这个有学识又有政治志向的弟弟会威胁自己的皇位，就想着法子要除掉他。曹植知道哥哥存心陷害自己，可自己无法开脱，只好在极度悲愤中七步之内应声成诗。据《世说新语·文学》记载：“文帝（曹丕）尝令东阿王（曹植）七步中作诗，不成者行大法（杀），应声便为诗……帝深有惭色。” 

Creative background:

       In January 220 A D, the Emperor of Cao Cao died of illness at 66 years old, and Cao Pi, one of his sons, was promoted to be the new king. Cao Zhi, the second son of Cao Cao, was brilliant and political savvy; therefore, Cao Pi wanted to kill his younger brother after he got into power. 

       Cao Pi had an insidious way of letting his brother have no excuse to fight against him. Consequently, Cao Pi ordered his brother to compose a poem in seven steps; otherwise, Cao Zhi must die immediately. 

      Cao Zhi, a genius man,  sang out this poem successfully within seven steps; conversely, the rude king felt very ashamed and finally pardoned his brother. Cao Zhi became a very famous poet in Chinese history.

One translation from online:

The poem is known as "The Seven Steps Verse" and is translated as follows:

"Beanstalks are ignited to boil beans,
The beans in the pot cry out.
We are born of the selfsame root,
Why should we incinerate each other with such impatience?"

Argument: 

      Cao Pi was a very powerful emperor; however, Cao Zhi was in a weak position person. The king had absolute advantages to strike down a husbandman; furthermore, a common people had no fair platform to fight against a ruler. So "incinerate each other" might not be correct. Vegetables should not use "born"; instead, using "spring" will be more accurate in this poem. 

Translated and edited by Chenmou Wu