Here at the frontier, the leaves fall like rain. Although my neighbors are all barbarians, and you, you are a thousand miles away, there are still two cups at my table.


Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn, a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter. If your mind isn't clouded by unnecessary things, this is the best season of your life.

~ Wu-men ~


Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The 300 Tang Dynasty Poems, #45: A Traveller's Song

The Tang Dynasty was a high point of culture in ancient China. Especially esteemed were poems. 


Some of the best poems of that period have been collected into an anthology known as The 300 Tang Dynasty Poems. A online version of the anthology may be found here.


For now, let us enjoy #45, A Traveller's Song.


A TRAVELLER'S SONG



The thread in the hands of a fond-hearted mother
Makes clothes for the body of her wayward boy;
Carefully she sews and thoroughly she mends,
Dreading the delays that will keep him late from home.
But how much love has the inch-long grass
For three spring months of the light of the sun?

2 comments:

The Strongest Karate said...

Fitting.

As I've grown older I've looked back on my mother's decisions and marveled at how she never throttled me.

I wonder if obliviousness to all that our parents do for us when we are young is almost "the way it should be" so to prepare us for when our own children take us for granted.


-Brett

Rick Matz said...

An interesting insight!