Back to the Country

sowing beans / below southern hills
grasses thriving / beans scarcely sprouting
Sun rise / weeding overgrown wasteland
Moon rise / carrying hoe home
narrow path / trees grass tall
evening dew / moisten my clothes
wet clothes / I don't mind
merely makes me / more determined

-- 陶渊明 [Táo Yuānmíng] -- Translation by 白狐 [Bái Hú] --

zhòng dòu nán shān xià
căo shèng dòu miáo xī
chén xīng lĭ huāng huì
dài yuè hè chú guī
dào xiá căo mù cháng
xī lù zhān wŏ yī
yī zhān bù zú xī
dàn shĭ yuàn wú wéi

sow bean south hill below
grass thrive bean seedling sparse/scarce
morning start tidy-up wasteland hideous/overgrown
carry Moon carry hoe return
way narrow grass tree long/tall
evening dew moisten my clothes
clothes moisten not enough grudge
merely result-in desire not disobey
[> one's convictions/intentions]

wúhuì = overgrown with weeds

source > http://www.chinese-poems.com/young2.html
[Returning to Live in the South -- Tao Qian]

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