The first line of 咏鹅 (yǒng é) is just one word said three times: 鹅鹅鹅 (é é é), "goose, goose, goose!" Tradition says Luo Binwang wrote this poem when he was seven years old, in the Tang dynasty. In four short lines he paints a white goose on green water: its neck curves as it sings to the sky and its red feet paddle the clear ripples. Because it is short, playful and full of colors (白 bái, 绿 lǜ, 红 hóng), it is usually the first poem Chinese children learn. This worksheet sets out each line in grids with pinyin, so kids can copy the poem and then write it from memory. The English translation and notes on 曲项 (qū xiàng, a curved neck) and 拨 (bō, to paddle) follow below. Print it free or save the PDF, and act out the goose as you read it aloud.
咏鹅 (yǒng é) with pinyin and English
- 鹅，鹅，鹅， é é é: Goose, goose, goose!
- 曲项向天歌。 qū xiàng xiàng tiān gē: It bends its neck and sings to the sky.
- 白毛浮绿水， bái máo fú lǜ shuǐ: Its white feathers float on the green water;
- 红掌拨清波。 hóng zhǎng bō qīng bō: its red feet paddle the clear ripples.
About the poem
咏鹅 (yǒng é), Ode to the Goose: by 骆宾王 (Luò Bīnwáng), Tang dynasty (618-907).
Tradition says Luo Binwang wrote this poem when he was seven.
More Chinese poems for kids
- Chinese poems for kids: Thirty short classical poems that Chinese children learn first, each with pinyin, an English translation and a copy-the-lines worksheet.
- 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
- 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
Frequently asked questions
What does 咏鹅 (yǒng é) mean?
咏鹅 (yǒng é) means 'Ode to the Goose'. It opens with 鹅，鹅，鹅 (é é é), 'goose, goose, goose', then shows the goose curving its neck to sing to the sky, its white feathers on green water and its red feet paddling the clear ripples.
Who wrote 咏鹅 (yǒng é)?
咏鹅 (yǒng é) was written by 骆宾王 (Luò Bīnwáng), an early Tang poet who, tradition says, wrote it at the age of seven. Luo Binwang wrote it in the Tang dynasty.
How long is 咏鹅 (yǒng é)?
咏鹅 (yǒng é) has four lines and 18 characters: the first line is just 鹅，鹅，鹅 (é é é) and the other three have five characters each. The worksheet gives each line its own row of grids with pinyin above.
Did Luo Binwang really write 咏鹅 (yǒng é) at seven?
That is the tradition, and it is one reason the poem is taught to small children, but no record from the time proves his age. 骆宾王 (Luò Bīnwáng) became a well-known Tang poet as an adult, and 咏鹅 (yǒng é) has been credited to his childhood for centuries.
Is this worksheet free to print?
Yes. The 咏鹅 (yǒng é) worksheet 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 press Print or Save PDF.