The full text of Lu Xun's "Wild Grass" is as follows:

When I am silent, I feel full; when I speak, I feel empty at the same time. The life of the past is dead. I rejoice greatly in this death, for by this I know that it once lived. The life of death has decayed. I rejoice greatly in this decay, for by this I know that it is not empty.

It is my sin that the mud of life is abandoned on the ground. No trees grow, only weeds. Weeds have no deep roots and no beautiful flowers and leaves, yet they absorb dew, water, and the blood and flesh of the dead, each of which robs it of its existence. While living, it will still be trampled upon until it dies and decays.

I dedicate this tussock of wild grass as my pledge to friend and foe, man and beast, those I love and those I do not love, between light and darkness, life and death, past and future. I will laugh and I will sing. There is such silence in heaven and earth that I cannot laugh and sing. If heaven and earth were not so peaceful, I might not be able to.

For my own sake, for the sake of friend and foe, man and beast, those whom I love and those whom I do not love, I hope that the decay of this wild grass comes quickly. Otherwise, I have not lived in the first place, which would be truly more unfortunate than death and decay. Go away, weeds, with my inscription!

Extended information:

"Weeds" mainly describes the social state under the rule of the Beiyang warlord government, as well as its passionate call for revolutionary power, deep sympathy for the working people, and the bad character of the people. Unsparing criticism, strict self-dissection, etc.

It also covers life and death, dreams and waking, friends and enemies, love and hate, the past and the future, light and darkness, those who love and those who do not love, silence and speaking, nostalgia and determination, etc. A series of concepts and images of the unity of opposites, hope and despair, caress and revenge, fierce struggle and integration in the struggle.

One of the biggest features that distinguishes "Wild Grass" from Lu Xun's other works is the profound philosophy it hides and the symbolism it conveys. He was not satisfied with the general gossip or lyrical beauty of the time to express his feelings, but gave a beautiful form to the philosophy of life he understood from reality and life experience, creating a unique "monologue" style of lyrical prose poetry.

"Weeds" combines poetry and philosophy, bringing a unique artistic brilliance to the new literary form; it no longer relies on the rhyme of poetry, making prose poetry completely independent from the new poetry and becoming A good beginning for modern Chinese philosophical prose poetry.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Weeds