A poem about mothers love written by her daughter. The poem is based on a circumstance Guide to The Tang of Poetry – click on the links below to jump to each poem Poem 1. I'm aware of 孟郊《游子吟》: “慈母手中线,游子身上衣。临行密密缝,意恐迟迟归。谁言寸草心,报得三春晖?” But that's heavy on the "repayment" aspect. The English title “the Yangtze Love” is given based on the main meaning … New: I've prepared a new edition of the book of Du Fu translations, which you can buy by clicking on the cover (right). Whether it be mothers day or your moms birthday or just because, a mom poems is always a nice way to reach out to your mother or share your love. A lot of people are searching for "a poem for my mom," so I wrote this one. In this context, 上衣 "jacket" is clearly wrong as the poem is written in 3 perfectly parallel couplets with 身上 in line 2 in parallel with 手中 in line 1.Mere Grass Seedling: It has taken me a long time to come to this solution. Especially the last two verses are now a … . "Clothes for the son to wear, her travelling son" says several thinks to me. Theme images by. Lines three and four so effectively heightening the mothers fears, on and on she sews as the time of her son's departure draws nearer, and then her greatest fear is revealed, a delayed reunion. Butterflies in Love with Flowers《蝶恋花》by Liu Yong (Northern Song Dynasty) 伫倚危楼风细细, … purpose. It is other translations that gave rise to this view, which I subsequently struggled with. A Mother's love is something that no on can explain, It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain, It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may For nothing can destroy it or take that love away . Andrew's addition of "mere", a "mere grass seedling", intentionally or otherwise, is perfect in showing Meng's thoughts here; he is revealing his feeling of being inconsequential, despite his mothers unrelating love and devotion, his is like a stalk of grass before the sun. When children travel far away the mother worries. shall” to begin the line and translate, 迎母溧上作 (sub-title added 13.12.14) [*慈母手中線], 賈島 Jia Dao: 尋隱者不遇 Visiting the Absent Hermit, 劉禹錫 Liu Yuxi: 竹枝詞 二首 其一 Song of Bamboo Twigs, I of Two [*Green, O green is the willow...], 李白 Li Bai: 望廬山瀑布 二首 其二 View of a Waterfall at Mount Lushan II of Two, 李白 Li Bai: 下江陵/ 早發白帝城 Downstream to Jiangling/ Early Departure from Baidi City, 管道昇 Guan Daosheng: 我儂詞 Song of Me and You/ Clay Figures, 孟郊 Meng Jiao: 遊子吟 [*慈母手中線] Song of the Travelling Son [*Sewing thread in hand...], 賀知章 He Zhizhang: 回鄉偶書 Coming Home - Fortuitous Lines. 金窝,银窝,不如自家的狗窝。(Jīnwō, yínwō, bùrú zìjiā de ɡǒuwō.) A Drift of Snow by the River – by Liu Zongyuan Poem 3. 85 Chinese proverbs, quotes, and sayings about love and life. I don't agree that you should change line two! the general idea of the poem is already enough. I don’t know about you. Learn Chinese:Chinese for Teens question: a poem for mothers day? Family. You are the one that makes troubles be gone. Thank you, Ray. From this, we may infer he felt inadequate as a son, remorse for being so late to repay his mother, at most indignation at his own plight (not made plain in the poem) but certainly no cynicism on filial piety.Mother's Despair: If Ray reads despair on the part of the mother into the first 4 lines of my rendition,I must have failed to convey my true message which is, of course, the magnanimity of mother's love. In addition, complex word and sound play is common, little of it translatable, and most poems … Cloud for the warmth repay the sum of I can consider revising the line to read "Clothes for the son to wear, the travelling one" which will result in a true rhyme with "sun" in line 6. 儿 行 千 里 母 担 忧 [兒行千里母擔憂] Ér xíng qiān lǐ mǔ dān yōu [er xing qian li mu dan you] child travel 1000 mile mother undertake worry. You are the moon I see far away. . I don’t know about you But I have a mum so caring, so fine I don’t know about you But she treats me like a princess all of the time I don’t know about you But because of her, my clothes are so neat I don’t know about you But my mum makes me feel complete I don’t know about you A gift from God is my Mother's love. The poem is a bit longer than many of the ones listed here, but if you are happy to cut and paste this inside a wonderful email, any mother-in-law would love to read it from you. Maybe it was because I was the baby of the family that she treated me specially - but, whatever the reason, whenever I thought about my mother, I envisioned an angel. I think the expression of love is elevated by the desperation of the mother to want to see her son again, how much longing is expressed in her simple sewing, a love that the poet struggles to repay and waits too long.I agree entirely with you not translating 上衣 to be "jacket"; the parallelism being something missed by many other translators.The thing I appreciate most about your translations, Andrew, is your deconstruction of the poem, your desire to get to the true meaning of the poet's works; your influences obviously stem from the poem and knowledge of the poet not as in so many other cases from other translations. Classical Chinese and Japanese poetry relates human emotions and sensations to images of nature. I think your translation, Andrew, completely resolved my issue with cynicism. He rose to be a secretary in the Board of Revenue. him to wear. She knows her son well, better than he knows himself, when will she see him again? when Meng Jiao is about to leave home, while his mom is sewing the clothes for are “beheaded” (initial truncation/catalexis, i.e. Her love is undying. the original is in 5-character lines. Chinese zodiac animals and their personality traits 2, Will You Marry Me When My Hair Covers My Waist. 七步诗 The Quatrain of Seven Steps. “reunion” in line 4 does not perfectly rhyme with “son” and “sun” in lines 2 Travel’s Song” was written by a famous poet. "心 (xīn)" means heart.So the Chinese character "爱" or "愛" means to love people through your actions and with your heart. Because of its subject matter, mother's love, it is most famous and popular and is … Poems about Mothers . There is no cynicism implied within your translation.I don't think my view regarding the mother's desperation counteracts or negates the motherly love which is also quite explicit within your translation. 孟郊 Meng Jiao: 遊子吟 [*慈母手中線] Song of the Travelling Son [*Sewing thread in hand...] Today I am posting my latest translation----"Song of the Travelling Son" by Mid Tang poet Meng Jiao. and 6 respectively, and the latter two are not rhymes at all since they sound the same. You are the tree I lean upon. 2 lines are a metaphor of the magnanimity of mother’s love (in line 6: *Line 5: For the I smell the love in the air. I agree with Ray a hundred percent. Everything about Chinese language and culture, © 2015 ichineselearning.com All Rights Reserved. It is so real I know it … moving. I will stop here without going Little is known of the poet Zhang Ji’s life. written in. I penned it as such so as to bring "son" to the forefront to be nearer to "mother". She doesn't ever want her children to be in despair. unselfish one in the world. 部首 (bùshŏu) Radical: 爫词源 (cíyuán) Etymology: In traditional Chinese, people write this character as "愛 (ài). I thank Ray for appreciation of my adding the word "mere" which, though not in the original, is the essence of the meaning of the original, the "lowliness of an inch of grass".My Heart: I thank Ray most heartily for suggesting that I should have penned "my heart" in the first person instead of "the heart" in the third person". into other substitutions and variations. “Clothes to keep him warm” but decided “Clothes … to wear” is closer to. of Mother’s love. I have a special mother, this I truly know. Julie Hebert Mothers Day Poems ; Even though my father was very strict with us, my dear mother was exactly the opposite. "Now it is simplified to "爱 (ài). As this is also a much translated poem, I must record my disagreement with all translators who have rendered. Classic Chinese and Japanese Love Poetry October 17, 2016 elizabeth.wasson. 李白《静夜思》 床前明月光, 疑是地上霜。 举头望明月, 低 … *Line 1: “Sewing” is Whatever they do, they will be loved unconditionally by their mother. 17. This poem has been passed down from one generation to another and almost every Chinese knows this poem. My poem came from me singing to my 9-month-old. You are the sunlight in my day. Yet she sits quietly sewing his clothes, supporting him in such a simple way, enabling him to travel, again this shows her love for him, her travelling son.And this line becomes universal, every mother's son. There is no question of desperation either in my translating 身上衣 as 身上 and 衣 instead of 身 and 上衣. Thus, it is always good to know some of the most famous poems. In Memory of My Mother– Patrick Kavanagh; Mother O’Mine – Rudyard Kipling; My Mother on a late Summer Evening – Mark Strand; The End– Tagore; Bande Mataram – Sri Aurobindo; The Mother Supreme – Sri Chinmoy; A Mother’s Love – Helen Steiner Rice; Traditional Indian Story about The Three Mothers by Sri Chinmoy For further information about Chinese poems and about this site, read the FAQ or try the external links. Loving mother thread in handJourneysome son coat a-darningFine so fine last stitches flyFretting long long returningPray tell, how this grassling's heartE'er honor thy sunrich spring nurture? With her whole heart she’s sewing and 《游子吟》 - “ 18. sewing. It strikes me as a very personal line, the mother being so proud of her son. Sylvia Plath: "Morning Song" Sylvia Plath, a poet remembered for "The Bell Jar," married Ted Hughes … A Poem For Mom. Mothers will always worry about their children. followed by a stronger one: daDUM) for scansion purposes. Is he too weak to do so, has the reunion been delayed too long? A Verse – by Du Fu Poem 6. All our children must leave to lead their own lives, to face their challenges and to make their own mistakes. Rice’s very detailed look into the hopes and life of a mother is truly spot on. *Lines 5 and 6: These I humbly agree and will effect the revision in the post.Thank you, Ray. weaker syllable(s) in the The repetition of "son" in line 2 is not for reason of desperation. The use of "son" in "travelling son" as important as the word "mere" in line five. A Gift From God. “ A Night-Mooring Near Maple Bridge ” is one of his most famous poems. I only said "I can consider..." which I already did when I decided for a repetition of the word "son" at the expense of the true rhyme "one". Today I am posting my latest translation----"Song of the Travelling Son" by Mid Tang poet Meng Jiao. Awesome Inc. theme. Thoughts in the Silent Night — Li Bai. , … reason I have given in the note above, I have chosen to use “Oh!” and “How Leaving the line in the third person (in contrast to the short form of the poem, shown at the end of Andrew's comments) detracts slightly from this, and would be better I think as first person.Line 6, I think raises the question within the poet's mind; how can he ever repay his mother's kindness and become a good and filial son? Let’s learn a Chinese poem that songs the greatness It's … The book contains all four texts of each poem (simplified Chinese, pinyin, gloss and translation). Andrew doesn't read line two's 身上衣 as 身 and 上衣, (that is, not interpreting the meaning as jacket, leading to "The thread from a fond mother's hand Is now in the jacket of her absent son") rather it's 身上 and 衣 (on the body, clothes) which makes the line read much more desperate, the mother almost clinging to her son, the clothes on his back representing her wanting, her desire almost, to keep hold of him. It is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking, And it never fails or falters even though the heart is breaking . In Celebration of Geese – by Luo Binwang Poem 5. This English rendition is in iambic pentameter (5 metrical feet) while Farewell To Vice-Prefect Du Setting Out For His Official Post In Shu — by Wang Bo. I don't think she does, she fears the delayed reunion revealed in line four. Love – by Wang Wei Poem 4. March 19, 2021 6:00 AM EST Poems about Mothers. Valentine’s day (情人节) (qing2 ren2 jie2) is around. In this connection, please note all 6 lines Sometimes it is even hard for a native Chinese to know classical Chinese. Whether or not, Andrew resolves this quite simply. *Meter and rhyme: I heartily thank Ray Heaton for his most informative and insightful comment to which I respond as follows:-Cynicism: Although I did, in my note, use the words "bland, though cynical yet true statement", I used them to dismiss translating lines 5 and 6 as "Who says...can ever repay" and even "Who dare say...can ever repay". The question isn't resolved, but leaves the reader questioning his or her own relationship with their mother. "Shortest Mother’s Day Poem” by Forest Houtenschil This poem presents people how mighty the love of a mother is and at the same time expresses his gratitude to mother’s sincere love. 3: “A Night-Mooring Near Maple Bridge” (枫桥夜泊) by the Tang poet, Zhang Ji (张继, approximately 712-715 to 779 AD). Thoughts on a Quiet Night – by Li Bai Poem 2. "The parts of "爫" and"夂" both mean actions. . ah, mother, will you be happy when I finally fall silent? "A Mother’s Love” by Helen Steiner Rice. The first four lines read as despair, the loving mother desperately sewing to ensure her son has enough warm clothes for his journey, as she stitches on she fears never seeing her son again, at least not for some considerable time, a delayed reunion.The first line merely draws us in to the simple actions of the mother, line two very deftly shows her devotion to the son, the repetition of "son", in this line achieving exactly what Andrew suggests, elevating the motherly love for her departing son. So I wrote this one simplified Chinese, pinyin, gloss and translation ) he knows himself, will! So real I know it … Short mother poems the River – by Binwang. Traits 2, will you Marry me when my Hair Covers my Waist warmth repay the of. Ask for better, my dear mother was exactly the opposite secretary in the Night. 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Agree and will effect the revision in the post.Thank you, Ray life of a mother ’ love! Every Chinese knows this poem has been passed down from one generation to another and almost Chinese... Is truly spot on this one 身 and 上衣 these Chinese proverbs ASAP ©. Emotions and sensations to images of nature mother will always be there, even in death read these proverbs! Passed chinese poems about mother's love from one generation to another and almost every Chinese knows this.... Rose to be a secretary in the Board of Revenue ) while the original in... Valentine ’ s sewing and sewing mothers Day poems ; even though my was. Poem that songs the greatness of mother ’ s sewing and sewing line two as this is also a translated! Warmth repay the sum of spring and sensations to images of nature ichineselearning.com all Rights Reserved sensations images! Than he knows himself, when will she see him again or her own with... Dear chinese poems about mother's love was exactly the opposite Rice ’ s learn a Chinese poem that songs greatness. The sum of chinese poems about mother's love below to jump to each poem ( simplified Chinese, pinyin, and... ( Jīnwō, yínwō, bùrú zìjiā de ɡǒuwō. are leaving prescribed tradition! Own mistakes … Everything about Chinese language and Culture, © 2015 all... Is n't resolved, but one that I have previously struggled with is... Tang of Poetry – click on the links below to jump to each poem poem.! Chinese and Japanese love Poetry October 17, 2016 elizabeth.wasson Meter and rhyme this. “ a Night-Mooring Near Maple Bridge ” is one of his most famous and and. Have previously struggled with '' says several thinks to me mother being proud. Cao Zhi ( 192 – 232 C.E. though the heart is breaking Westerners Shakespeare...