Translation
Meng Jiao (751-814) | 孟郊 |
Song of a Traveling Son | 遊子吟 |
Tender mother, thread in hand to mend | 慈母 手中線 |
The jacket and clothes of her traveling son. | 遊子 身上衣 |
He’s leaving soon and she’s working diligently, carefully | 臨行 密密 縫 |
Worried about his slow return: | 意恐 遲遲歸 |
Whoever said the heart of tiny grass | 誰言 寸草 心 |
Could repay the sunshine of spring’s three months? | 報得 三春 輝 |
Notes:
1. The poem was written when Meng was working in Liyang, Jiangsu Province, as a county official. He welcomed his mother’s visit to Liyang. He was already 50 when writing this poem.
2. This poem about a mother’s sincere love for her children, is widely spread from generation to generation. Almost every Chinese remembers this poem, showing its popularity. The last two verses are now a common metaphor of motherly love.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
孟郊 | 孟郊 | Mèng jiāo |
遊子吟 | 游子吟 | Yóu zǐ yín |
慈母手中線， | 慈母手中线， | Cí mǔ shǒu zhōng xiàn, |
遊子身上衣； | 游子身上衣; | Yóu zǐ shēn shàng yī; |
臨行密密縫， | 临行密密缝， | Lín xíng mì mì fèng, |
意恐遲遲歸。 | 意恐迟迟归。 | Yì kǒng chí chí guī. |
誰言寸草心， | 谁言寸草心， | Shuí yán cùn cǎo xīn, |
報得三春輝？ | 报得三春辉？ | Bào dé sān chūn huī? |
Literal Translation
孟郊 | Eldest-brother Suburb=Meng Jiao(751-814) |
遊子吟 | Travelling son hum [hum= Ying, a genre of poetry] |
[Traveling son= man travelling away from home] | |
慈母手中線， | Kind/tender mother hand midst-of thread |
遊子身上衣； | Traveling son body on clothes [body on clothes= the clothes wearing; on clothes = jacket or outer garments] |
臨行密密縫， | Upon/on/close/near travel/leaving dense/close dense sew/mend [dense/close dense= the mother she’s sewing carefully and diligently] |
意恐遲遲歸。 | Meaning/feeling worry late/slow late return |
誰言寸草心， | Who said inch/tiny grass heart |
報得三春輝？ | Reward/recompense for three spring sunshine/splendor |
[three spring sunshine= metaphor as mother’s love; three months of spring sunshine/splendor] | |
The notes, character table, and literal translation were prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.
Year:
2012
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