Thirty short classical poems that Chinese children learn first, each with pinyin, an English translation and a copy-the-lines worksheet.
Poem worksheets
Nine of the best-loved poems have their own page with notes; the rest open right here.
- Jing Ye Si (静夜思): Copy Li Bai's 静夜思 (jìng yè sī), Quiet Night Thoughts, line by line with pinyin. 床前明月光 疑是地上霜 举头望明月 低头思故乡
- Chun Xiao (春晓): Copy Meng Haoran's 春晓 (chūn xiǎo), Spring Morning, line by line with pinyin. 春眠不觉晓 处处闻啼鸟 夜来风雨声 花落知多少
- Yong E (咏鹅): Copy Luo Binwang's 咏鹅 (yǒng é), Ode to the Goose, the first poem many children learn. 鹅鹅鹅 曲项向天歌 白毛浮绿水 红掌拨清波
- Deng Guan Que Lou (登鹳雀楼): Copy Wang Zhihuan's 登鹳雀楼 (dēng guàn què lóu), with the famous line 更上一层楼 (gèng shàng yì céng lóu). 白日依山尽 黄河入海流 欲穷千里目 更上一层楼
- Min Nong (悯农): Copy Li Shen's 悯农 (mǐn nóng), the poem about every grain of rice, line by line with pinyin. 锄禾日当午 汗滴禾下土 谁知盘中餐 粒粒皆辛苦
- Jiang Xue (江雪): Copy Liu Zongyuan's 江雪 (jiāng xuě), River Snow, line by line with pinyin. 千山鸟飞绝 万径人踪灭 孤舟蓑笠翁 独钓寒江雪
- Yuan Ri (元日): Copy Wang Anshi's 元日 (yuán rì), the classic Chinese New Year poem, line by line with pinyin. 爆竹声中一岁除 春风送暖入屠苏 千门万户曈曈日 总把新桃换旧符
- You Zi Yin (游子吟): Copy Meng Jiao's 游子吟 (yóu zǐ yín), the classic poem about a mother's love, with pinyin. 慈母手中线 游子身上衣 临行密密缝 意恐迟迟归
- Shui Diao Ge Tou (水调歌头): Copy the best-known lines of Su Shi's Mid-Autumn poem 水调歌头 (shuǐ diào gē tóu), with pinyin. 明月几时有 把酒问青天 不知天上宫阙 今夕是何年
About these worksheets
Chinese children grow up reciting short classical poems, many of them written more than a thousand years ago in the Tang and Song dynasties. These thirty are the ones they meet first: Li Bai looking at the moon in 静夜思 (jìng yè sī), Meng Haoran waking to birdsong in 春晓 (chūn xiǎo), the white goose of 咏鹅 (yǒng é), the farmer's sweat in 悯农 (mǐn nóng) and Wang Anshi's firecrackers in 元日 (yuán rì). Most are just four lines of five or seven characters, which makes them perfect for handwriting practice. Each worksheet sets the poem out line by line with pinyin above every character: copy each line in the grids, then cover the model and write the poem from memory. Every poem also comes with simplified and traditional text, an English translation written for learners, and notes on tricky readings, such as why schools now teach 斜 (xié) in 山行 (shān xíng) rather than the older rhyming xiá. Start with the short, playful poems, then move on to the festival poems for Chinese New Year, Qingming and the Mid-Autumn Festival. Print any sheet free or save it as a PDF.
First poems
Chinese poems for kids: first poems| Poem | English title | Poet | Dynasty | Length |
|---|
| 咏鹅 yǒng é | Ode to the Goose | 骆宾王 Luò Bīnwáng | Tang dynasty | 4 lines |
| 春晓 chūn xiǎo | Spring Morning | 孟浩然 Mèng Hàorán | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 5 |
| 静夜思 jìng yè sī | Quiet Night Thoughts | 李白 Lǐ Bái | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 5 |
| 画 huà | A Painting | 王维 Wáng Wéi | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 5 |
| 悯农（其二） mǐn nóng qí èr | Pity the Farmers (II) | 李绅 Lǐ Shēn | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 5 |
| 登鹳雀楼 dēng guàn què lóu | Climbing Stork Tower | 王之涣 Wáng Zhīhuàn | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 5 |
| 江雪 jiāng xuě | River Snow | 柳宗元 Liǔ Zōngyuán | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 5 |
| 赋得古原草送别（节选） fù dé gǔ yuán cǎo sòng bié jié xuǎn | Grass on the Ancient Plain (excerpt) | 白居易 Bái Jūyì | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 5 |
Seasons and nature
Chinese poems for kids: seasons and nature| Poem | English title | Poet | Dynasty | Length |
|---|
| 小池 xiǎo chí | The Little Pond | 杨万里 Yáng Wànlǐ | Song dynasty | 4 lines of 7 |
| 所见 suǒ jiàn | What I Saw | 袁枚 Yuán Méi | Qing dynasty | 4 lines of 5 |
| 村居 cūn jū | Village Life | 高鼎 Gāo Dǐng | Qing dynasty | 4 lines of 7 |
| 咏柳 yǒng liǔ | Ode to the Willow | 贺知章 Hè Zhīzhāng | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 7 |
| 春夜喜雨 chūn yè xǐ yǔ | Happy Rain on a Spring Night | 杜甫 Dù Fǔ | Tang dynasty | 8 lines of 5 |
| 绝句（两个黄鹂鸣翠柳） jué jù liǎng gè huáng lí míng cuì liǔ | Quatrain: Two Orioles | 杜甫 Dù Fǔ | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 7 |
| 山行 shān xíng | Mountain Walk | 杜牧 Dù Mù | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 7 |
| 江南 jiāng nán | South of the River | 汉乐府 Hàn yuèfǔ | Han dynasty | 7 lines of 5 |
| 鹿柴 lù zhài | Deer Park | 王维 Wáng Wéi | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 5 |
| 寻隐者不遇 xún yǐn zhě bú yù | Looking for the Hermit | 贾岛 Jiǎ Dǎo | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 5 |
| 望庐山瀑布 wàng lú shān pù bù | Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu | 李白 Lǐ Bái | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 7 |
| 早发白帝城 zǎo fā bái dì chéng | Leaving Baidi Early | 李白 Lǐ Bái | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 7 |
Festival poems
Chinese poems for kids: festival poems| Poem | English title | Poet | Dynasty | Length |
|---|
| 元日 yuán rì | New Year's Day | 王安石 Wáng Ānshí | Song dynasty | 4 lines of 7 |
| 梅花 méi huā | Plum Blossoms | 王安石 Wáng Ānshí | Song dynasty | 4 lines of 5 |
| 清明 qīng míng | Qingming | 杜牧 Dù Mù | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 7 |
| 九月九日忆山东兄弟 jiǔ yuè jiǔ rì yì shān dōng xiōng dì | Missing My Brothers on the Double Ninth | 王维 Wáng Wéi | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 7 |
| 古朗月行（节选） gǔ lǎng yuè xíng jié xuǎn | Song of the Bright Moon (excerpt) | 李白 Lǐ Bái | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 5 |
| 水调歌头·明月几时有 shuǐ diào gē tóu míng yuè jǐ shí yǒu | Prelude to Water Melody: When Will the Moon Be Bright? | 苏轼 Sū Shì | Song dynasty | 19 lines |
Family and friends
Chinese poems for kids: family and friends| Poem | English title | Poet | Dynasty | Length |
|---|
| 游子吟 yóu zǐ yín | The Traveler's Song | 孟郊 Mèng Jiāo | Tang dynasty | 6 lines of 5 |
| 赠汪伦 zèng wāng lún | For Wang Lun | 李白 Lǐ Bái | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 7 |
| 回乡偶书（其一） huí xiāng ǒu shū qí yī | Coming Home | 贺知章 Hè Zhīzhāng | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 7 |
| 相思 xiāng sī | Missing Someone | 王维 Wáng Wéi | Tang dynasty | 4 lines of 5 |
The classic first readers
The texts Chinese children learned to read with, line by line with pinyin.
画 (huà): A Painting
By Traditionally credited to Wang Wei (uncertain), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 远看山有色， yuǎn kàn shān yǒu sè: From far away, the mountain is full of color;
- 近听水无声。 jìn tīng shuǐ wú shēng: up close, the water makes no sound.
- 春去花还在， chūn qù huā hái zài: Spring is gone, but the flowers are still here;
- 人来鸟不惊。 rén lái niǎo bù jīng: people come close, but the birds aren't frightened.
Traditionally credited to Wang Wei, but the attribution is uncertain. It is a riddle: the answer is a painting.
还: read hái (also huán). 花还在 'the flowers are still here' is hái.
Worksheet: Print 画 (huà) as a copy-the-lines sheet
赋得古原草送别（节选） (fù dé gǔ yuán cǎo sòng bié jié xuǎn): Grass on the Ancient Plain (excerpt)
By 白居易 (Bái Jūyì), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 离离原上草， lí lí yuán shàng cǎo: Thick and green, the grass on the plain
- 一岁一枯荣。 yí suì yì kū róng: withers and grows back once every year.
- 野火烧不尽， yě huǒ shāo bú jìn: Wildfire cannot burn it all away;
- 春风吹又生。 chūn fēng chuī yòu shēng: when the spring wind blows, it grows again.
The first four of the poem's eight lines, the part children learn.
Worksheet: Print 赋得古原草送别（节选） (fù dé gǔ yuán cǎo sòng bié jié xuǎn) as a copy-the-lines sheet
小池 (xiǎo chí): The Little Pond
By 杨万里 (Yáng Wànlǐ), Song dynasty (960-1279).
- 泉眼无声惜细流， quán yǎn wú shēng xī xì liú: The spring trickles silently, as if it treasures every drop;
- 树阴照水爱晴柔。 shù yīn zhào shuǐ ài qíng róu: the trees' shade falls on the water, loving the soft sunshine.
- 小荷才露尖尖角， xiǎo hé cái lù jiān jiān jiǎo: A young lotus leaf has just shown its pointed tip,
- 早有蜻蜓立上头。 zǎo yǒu qīng tíng lì shàng tóu: and a dragonfly is already standing on top.
露: read lù (also lòu). 才露 'just showing' is lù in poetry (lòu is the colloquial reading in some words).
Worksheet: Print 小池 (xiǎo chí) as a copy-the-lines sheet
所见 (suǒ jiàn): What I Saw
By 袁枚 (Yuán Méi), Qing dynasty (1644-1912).
- 牧童骑黄牛， mù tóng qí huáng niú: A cowherd boy rides a yellow ox,
- 歌声振林樾。 gē shēng zhèn lín yuè: his singing ringing through the trees.
- 意欲捕鸣蝉， yì yù bǔ míng chán: Wanting to catch a chirping cicada,
- 忽然闭口立。 hū rán bì kǒu lì: he suddenly stops singing and stands still.
骑: read qí (also jì). Standard Mandarin reads 骑 as qí in every sense; jì is an older reading for 'mounted rider'.
Worksheet: Print 所见 (suǒ jiàn) as a copy-the-lines sheet
村居 (cūn jū): Village Life
By 高鼎 (Gāo Dǐng), Qing dynasty (1644-1912).
- 草长莺飞二月天， cǎo zhǎng yīng fēi èr yuè tiān: In the second month, the grass grows and the orioles fly;
- 拂堤杨柳醉春烟。 fú dī yáng liǔ zuì chūn yān: willows brushing the riverbank sway in the spring mist.
- 儿童散学归来早， ér tóng sàn xué guī lái zǎo: The children come home early from school
- 忙趁东风放纸鸢。 máng chèn dōng fēng fàng zhǐ yuān: and hurry to fly their kites in the east wind.
长: read zhǎng (also cháng). 草长 'grass grows' is zhǎng.
Worksheet: Print 村居 (cūn jū) as a copy-the-lines sheet
鹿柴 (lù zhài): Deer Park
By 王维 (Wáng Wéi), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 空山不见人， kōng shān bú jiàn rén: In the empty mountains I see no one,
- 但闻人语响。 dàn wén rén yǔ xiǎng: but I hear the sound of voices.
- 返景入深林， fǎn yǐng rù shēn lín: The evening light slants into the deep forest
- 复照青苔上。 fù zhào qīng tái shàng: and shines again on the green moss.
柴: read zhài (also chái). 鹿柴 is a place name; 柴 here is an old form of 寨 (zhài, enclosure).
景: read yǐng (also jǐng). 返景 is the evening sunlight; 景 here is an old form of 影 (yǐng). Some modern editions print jǐng.
Worksheet: Print 鹿柴 (lù zhài) as a copy-the-lines sheet
相思 (xiāng sī): Missing Someone
By 王维 (Wáng Wéi), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 红豆生南国， hóng dòu shēng nán guó: Red beans grow in the southern lands;
- 春来发几枝。 chūn lái fā jǐ zhī: when spring comes, how many new sprigs appear?
- 愿君多采撷， yuàn jūn duō cǎi xié: I hope you will pick plenty of them:
- 此物最相思。 cǐ wù zuì xiāng sī: nothing says 'I miss you' better.
Worksheet: Print 相思 (xiāng sī) as a copy-the-lines sheet
寻隐者不遇 (xún yǐn zhě bú yù): Looking for the Hermit
By 贾岛 (Jiǎ Dǎo), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 松下问童子， sōng xià wèn tóng zǐ: Under the pine tree I asked the boy;
- 言师采药去。 yán shī cǎi yào qù: he said his teacher had gone to gather herbs.
- 只在此山中， zhǐ zài cǐ shān zhōng: "He is somewhere on this mountain,
- 云深不知处。 yún shēn bù zhī chù: but the clouds are too thick to know where."
Worksheet: Print 寻隐者不遇 (xún yǐn zhě bú yù) as a copy-the-lines sheet
春夜喜雨 (chūn yè xǐ yǔ): Happy Rain on a Spring Night
By 杜甫 (Dù Fǔ), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 好雨知时节， hǎo yǔ zhī shí jié: A good rain knows its season;
- 当春乃发生。 dāng chūn nǎi fā shēng: it comes just when spring begins.
- 随风潜入夜， suí fēng qián rù yè: It slips in with the wind at night,
- 润物细无声。 rùn wù xì wú shēng: soaking everything gently, without a sound.
- 野径云俱黑， yě jìng yún jù hēi: Clouds turn the country paths dark;
- 江船火独明。 jiāng chuán huǒ dú míng: only a boat's lamp glows on the river.
- 晓看红湿处， xiǎo kàn hóng shī chù: At dawn, look where everything is red and wet:
- 花重锦官城。 huā zhòng jǐn guān chéng: the flowers hang heavy all over Chengdu.
重: read zhòng (also chóng). 花重 'flowers heavy (with rain)' is zhòng.
Worksheet: Print 春夜喜雨 (chūn yè xǐ yǔ) as a copy-the-lines sheet
望庐山瀑布 (wàng lú shān pù bù): Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu
By 李白 (Lǐ Bái), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 日照香炉生紫烟， rì zhào xiāng lú shēng zǐ yān: Sunlight on Incense Burner Peak raises a purple haze;
- 遥看瀑布挂前川。 yáo kàn pù bù guà qián chuān: from far away, the waterfall hangs like a river in front of me.
- 飞流直下三千尺， fēi liú zhí xià sān qiān chǐ: It flies straight down three thousand feet,
- 疑是银河落九天。 yí shì yín hé luò jiǔ tiān: as if the Milky Way were falling from the highest sky.
Worksheet: Print 望庐山瀑布 (wàng lú shān pù bù) as a copy-the-lines sheet
早发白帝城 (zǎo fā bái dì chéng): Leaving Baidi Early
By 李白 (Lǐ Bái), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 朝辞白帝彩云间， zhāo cí bái dì cǎi yún jiān: At dawn I left Baidi, high among the colored clouds;
- 千里江陵一日还。 qiān lǐ jiāng líng yí rì huán: Jiangling, a thousand li away, I reached in a single day.
- 两岸猿声啼不住， liǎng àn yuán shēng tí bú zhù: On both banks the monkeys kept on calling,
- 轻舟已过万重山。 qīng zhōu yǐ guò wàn chóng shān: as my light boat slipped past ten thousand mountains.
朝: read zhāo (also cháo). 朝 'morning' is zhāo.
还: read huán (also hái). 还 'return' is huán.
重: read chóng (also zhòng). 万重山 'layer upon layer of mountains' is chóng.
Worksheet: Print 早发白帝城 (zǎo fā bái dì chéng) as a copy-the-lines sheet
绝句（两个黄鹂鸣翠柳） (jué jù liǎng gè huáng lí míng cuì liǔ): Quatrain: Two Orioles
By 杜甫 (Dù Fǔ), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 两个黄鹂鸣翠柳， liǎng gè huáng lí míng cuì liǔ: Two orioles sing in the green willows;
- 一行白鹭上青天。 yì háng bái lù shàng qīng tiān: a line of white egrets climbs into the blue sky.
- 窗含西岭千秋雪， chuāng hán xī lǐng qiān qiū xuě: My window frames the snow of a thousand years on the western peaks;
- 门泊东吴万里船。 mén bó dōng wú wàn lǐ chuán: at my door are boats from Eastern Wu, ten thousand li away.
行: read háng (also xíng). 一行 'a row' is yì háng.
Worksheet: Print 绝句（两个黄鹂鸣翠柳） (jué jù liǎng gè huáng lí míng cuì liǔ) as a copy-the-lines sheet
九月九日忆山东兄弟 (jiǔ yuè jiǔ rì yì shān dōng xiōng dì): Missing My Brothers on the Double Ninth
By 王维 (Wáng Wéi), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 独在异乡为异客， dú zài yì xiāng wéi yì kè: Alone in a strange land, a stranger,
- 每逢佳节倍思亲。 měi féng jiā jié bèi sī qīn: at every festival I miss my family twice as much.
- 遥知兄弟登高处， yáo zhī xiōng dì dēng gāo chù: Far away, I know my brothers are climbing the hills,
- 遍插茱萸少一人。 biàn chā zhū yú shǎo yì rén: all wearing sprigs of dogwood, with one of us missing.
Worksheet: Print 九月九日忆山东兄弟 (jiǔ yuè jiǔ rì yì shān dōng xiōng dì) as a copy-the-lines sheet
清明 (qīng míng): Qingming
By 杜牧 (Dù Mù), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 清明时节雨纷纷， qīng míng shí jié yǔ fēn fēn: At Qingming the rain falls on and on;
- 路上行人欲断魂。 lù shàng xíng rén yù duàn hún: travelers on the road feel heartbroken.
- 借问酒家何处有， jiè wèn jiǔ jiā hé chù yǒu: "Where can I find an inn?" I ask,
- 牧童遥指杏花村。 mù tóng yáo zhǐ xìng huā cūn: and a cowherd boy points far off to Apricot Blossom Village.
Worksheet: Print 清明 (qīng míng) as a copy-the-lines sheet
山行 (shān xíng): Mountain Walk
By 杜牧 (Dù Mù), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 远上寒山石径斜， yuǎn shàng hán shān shí jìng xié: A stone path slants far up the cold mountain;
- 白云生处有人家。 bái yún shēng chù yǒu rén jiā: where white clouds rise, there are homes.
- 停车坐爱枫林晚， tíng chē zuò ài fēng lín wǎn: I stop my carriage because I love the maple woods at dusk:
- 霜叶红于二月花。 shuāng yè hóng yú èr yuè huā: the frosted leaves are redder than spring flowers.
斜: read xié (also xiá). Schools now teach xié. Older readers say xiá so that it rhymes with 家 and 花; xiá is a rhyming reading, not a separate word.
Worksheet: Print 山行 (shān xíng) as a copy-the-lines sheet
江南 (jiāng nán): South of the River
By Anonymous Han-dynasty folk song (yuefu), Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE).
- 江南可采莲， jiāng nán kě cǎi lián: South of the River, we can pick lotus;
- 莲叶何田田。 lián yè hé tián tián: the lotus leaves spread so wide and green!
- 鱼戏莲叶间。 yú xì lián yè jiān: Fish play among the lotus leaves:
- 鱼戏莲叶东， yú xì lián yè dōng: fish play east of the leaves,
- 鱼戏莲叶西， yú xì lián yè xī: fish play west of the leaves,
- 鱼戏莲叶南， yú xì lián yè nán: fish play south of the leaves,
- 鱼戏莲叶北。 yú xì lián yè běi: fish play north of the leaves.
A Han-dynasty folk song (yuefu); its author is unknown.
Worksheet: Print 江南 (jiāng nán) as a copy-the-lines sheet
咏柳 (yǒng liǔ): Ode to the Willow
By 贺知章 (Hè Zhīzhāng), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 碧玉妆成一树高， bì yù zhuāng chéng yí shù gāo: Dressed in green jade, the tall willow stands;
- 万条垂下绿丝绦。 wàn tiáo chuí xià lǜ sī tāo: ten thousand branches hang down like green silk ribbons.
- 不知细叶谁裁出， bù zhī xì yè shuí cái chū: Who cut out these fine little leaves?
- 二月春风似剪刀。 èr yuè chūn fēng sì jiǎn dāo: The spring wind of the second month is a pair of scissors.
谁: read shuí (also shéi). Poems are usually recited with shuí; everyday speech uses shéi.
Worksheet: Print 咏柳 (yǒng liǔ) as a copy-the-lines sheet
回乡偶书（其一） (huí xiāng ǒu shū qí yī): Coming Home
By 贺知章 (Hè Zhīzhāng), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 少小离家老大回， shào xiǎo lí jiā lǎo dà huí: I left home young and came back old;
- 乡音无改鬓毛衰。 xiāng yīn wú gǎi bìn máo shuāi: my accent hasn't changed, but my hair has thinned.
- 儿童相见不相识， ér tóng xiāng jiàn bù xiāng shí: The children see me but don't know who I am;
- 笑问客从何处来。 xiào wèn kè cóng hé chù lái: smiling, they ask, "Visitor, where are you from?"
衰: read shuāi (also cuī). Current textbooks read shuāi. Older books give cuī (to rhyme with 回 and 来, meaning 'thinning').
Worksheet: Print 回乡偶书（其一） (huí xiāng ǒu shū qí yī) as a copy-the-lines sheet
赠汪伦 (zèng wāng lún): For Wang Lun
By 李白 (Lǐ Bái), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 李白乘舟将欲行， lǐ bái chéng zhōu jiāng yù xíng: I, Li Bai, was on the boat, about to set off,
- 忽闻岸上踏歌声。 hū wén àn shàng tà gē shēng: when I heard singing and stamping feet on the shore.
- 桃花潭水深千尺， táo huā tán shuǐ shēn qiān chǐ: Peach Blossom Pool is a thousand feet deep,
- 不及汪伦送我情。 bù jí wāng lún sòng wǒ qíng: but not as deep as Wang Lun's friendship as he sees me off.
Worksheet: Print 赠汪伦 (zèng wāng lún) as a copy-the-lines sheet
梅花 (méi huā): Plum Blossoms
By 王安石 (Wáng Ānshí), Song dynasty (960-1279).
- 墙角数枝梅， qiáng jiǎo shù zhī méi: In the corner by the wall, a few sprigs of plum
- 凌寒独自开。 líng hán dú zì kāi: bloom on their own in the bitter cold.
- 遥知不是雪， yáo zhī bú shì xuě: Even from far away I know they are not snow,
- 为有暗香来。 wèi yǒu àn xiāng lái: because a faint fragrance drifts my way.
Worksheet: Print 梅花 (méi huā) as a copy-the-lines sheet
古朗月行（节选） (gǔ lǎng yuè xíng jié xuǎn): Song of the Bright Moon (excerpt)
By 李白 (Lǐ Bái), Tang dynasty (618-907).
- 小时不识月， xiǎo shí bù shí yuè: When I was little I didn't know what the moon was;
- 呼作白玉盘。 hū zuò bái yù pán: I called it a white jade plate.
- 又疑瑶台镜， yòu yí yáo tái jìng: Or I thought it was a mirror from the fairy palace,
- 飞在青云端。 fēi zài qīng yún duān: flying above the blue clouds.
The opening four lines of a longer poem, the part children learn.
Worksheet: Print 古朗月行（节选） (gǔ lǎng yuè xíng jié xuǎn) as a copy-the-lines sheet
More to practice
- Chinese New Year worksheets: Lunar New Year 2027 is on Saturday, February 6, and opens the Year of the Goat, 羊年 (yáng nián), also called the Year of the Sheep or Ram. Free printable sheets for every age, with pinyin and English.
- Mid-Autumn Festival: Moonlit reunion words for 中秋节 (Zhōngqiūjié): mooncakes, lanterns, and family. 中秋节 月亮 月饼 家人
- Chinese worksheets for kids: Free printable Chinese worksheets for children from kindergarten to Primary 3: big tracing boxes, pinyin and English on every sheet.
Chinese worksheet generator: type any words and print your own tracing sheet.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most famous Chinese poems for kids?
Children usually start with 咏鹅 (yǒng é, Ode to the Goose), 春晓 (chūn xiǎo, Spring Morning), 静夜思 (jìng yè sī, Quiet Night Thoughts), 悯农 (mǐn nóng, Pity the Farmers) and 登鹳雀楼 (dēng guàn què lóu). All are short Tang-dynasty poems of four lines.
How many characters are in a Tang poem?
The short Tang poems children learn are quatrains, 绝句 (jué jù): four lines of five or seven characters, so 20 or 28 in all. 静夜思 (jìng yè sī) has 20 characters and 望庐山瀑布 (wàng lú shān pù bù) has 28. Longer forms have eight lines or more.
Which Chinese poems go with which festivals?
元日 (yuán rì) is the Chinese New Year poem, 清明 (qīng míng) belongs to the Qingming Festival in spring, 九月九日忆山东兄弟 (jiǔ yuè jiǔ rì yì shān dōng xiōng dì) is for the Double Ninth Festival, and 静夜思 (jìng yè sī) and 水调歌头 (shuǐ diào gē tóu) are read at the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Should children learn Chinese poems with pinyin?
Yes, at first. Pinyin above each character lets a child read the poem aloud before knowing every character, and reciting is how Chinese children learn poems, such as 静夜思 (jìng yè sī). Once a poem is memorized, cover the pinyin and copy it from the characters alone.
Are these poems in simplified or traditional characters?
Both. Each poem is shown in simplified and traditional characters, checked line by line rather than converted automatically, and every worksheet can be switched to traditional before printing, so 静夜思 (jìng yè sī) prints as 靜夜思 (jìng yè sī).
Are these Chinese poem worksheets free to print?
Yes. Every worksheet linked on this page is free to print or save as a PDF, with no account or email needed, and you can print as many copies as you like for a class. Choose A4 or US Letter before you print.