Yóuzǐ Yín
游子吟

Mèng Jiāo (Táng)
孟郊(唐)

Címǔ shǒu zhōng xiàn,
慈母手中线,
yóuzǐ shēn shang yī.
游子身上衣。
Lín xíng mìmì féng,
临行密密缝,
yìkǒng chíchí guī.
意恐迟迟归。
Shuí yán cùncǎo xīn,
谁言寸草心,
bào dé sānchūn huī
.
报得三春辉。

Evaluation

游子”:出门远游的人。“吟”相当于歌,诗歌中的一种。“恐”是“担心”的意思。“寸草”是“小草”。“三春晖”是春天的阳光,比喻母亲的养育之恩。
"游子(yóuzǐ)" refers to the sons traveling far from home. In Chinese "吟(yín)" is equal to a chant as a type of classical poetry. "恐(kǒng)" means "to worry", and "寸草(cùncǎo)" indicates the tender grass. "三春晖(sānchūn huī)" means the spring sunshine. Metaphorically, it refers to the the love and care received from one's mother.

慈爱的母亲手里穿针引线,做着将要出游的儿子穿的衣服。临走的时候一针一线密密地缝制,是因为担心他迟迟不能返回。谁说小草的那一点点的绿意,就能报答得了整个春天里太阳那博大的光辉呢?
The loving mother is putting thread into the needle, ready to make clothes for her son who is going to leave home for a far-away place. She sews the clothes very carefully and pays extreme attention to every single stitch, for she dreads that her son would be delayed for coming back. Who knows if the heart of this young sprout can ever repay the spring's warm sunshine?

这首诗从母亲为游子缝制衣服这最普通的事情,写母亲与游子的骨肉之情,表现了母亲对游子深厚的关爱,歌颂了母爱的伟大。
This poem sings high praises of the intense maternal love seen from a mother stitching clothes for her son who is going to travel far.

Explanation

养育(yǎngyù)v. raise
(ēn)n. love; kindness
(zhēn)n. needle
线(xiàn)
缝制(féngzhì)v. sew
光辉(guānghuī)n. brilliance
报答(bàodá)v. reward


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