Mulberry leaves in Southern land are green;
The silkworms thrice in sleep must have been.
In Eastern Lu my family stays still.
Who'd help to sow our fields north of Lu Hill?
It's now too late to do farm work of spring.
What then am I to do while traveling?
The southern wind is blowing without stop;
My heart flies back to my old familiar wine-shop.
East of the shop there's a peach tree oft missed;
Its branches must be waving in bluish mist.
It is the tree I planted three years ago;
If it has grown to reach the eaves, I don't know.
I have not been at home for three long years;
I can imagine my daughter appears
Beside the tree and plucks a flower pink,
Without seeing me, she must have, I think,
Shed copious tears.
My younger son has grown
Up to his sister's shoulders.
Beneath full-blown
Peach tree they stand side by side.
But who's there
To pat them on the back?
I feel, whene'er
I think of this, so painful that I write
And send to them this poem on silk white.
Original Poem:
「寄东鲁二稚子」
李白
吴地桑叶绿，吴蚕已三眠。
我家寄东鲁，谁种龟阴田？
春事已不及，江行复茫然。
南风吹归心，飞堕酒楼前。
楼东一株桃，枝叶拂青烟。
此树我所种，别来向三年。
桃今与楼齐，我行尚未旋。
娇女字平阳，折花倚桃边。
折花不见我，泪下如流泉。
小儿名伯禽，与姊亦齐肩。
双行桃树下，抚背复谁怜？
念此失次第，肝肠日忧煎。
裂素写远意，因之汶阳川。
Interpretation:
In 744 CE (the third year of the Tianbao era), the poet Li Bai wrote this poem during his stay in Jinling after leaving Chang'an, where he faced marginalization by powerful figures at court. This is a poem of longing, expressing the poet’s profound yearning for his homeland and family.
First Couplet: “吴地桑叶绿，吴蚕已三眠。”
(The mulberry leaves in the land of Wu are already flourishing, and the silkworms have undergone their third molting.)
The poet vividly portrays the springtime vibrancy in the south, depicting the bustling agricultural activity and the vitality of the season.
Second Couplet: “我家寄东鲁，谁种龟阴田？”
"My home is in the east of Lu; who now tills the fields by Mount Gui?"
(My distant home lies in Eastern Lu—who now tends the fields below Mount Gui?)
This couplet reveals the poet’s deep concern for his homeland, reflecting his anxiety about his untended farm and a sense of helplessness as a wanderer.
Third Couplet: “春事已不及，江行复茫然。”
(The season for spring farming has already passed, yet I continue on my uncertain journey.)
The poet laments the missed agricultural season, expressing regret and an overwhelming sense of uncertainty and aimlessness.
Fourth Couplet: “南风吹归心，飞堕酒楼前。”
(The south wind fans my deep longing, as if it carries me home to the familiar inn near my village.)
Through this imaginative depiction, the poet conveys an intense desire to return home, evoking a warm and heartfelt picture of reunion.
Fifth Couplet:“楼东一株桃，枝叶拂青烟。”
(The peach tree near the inn has grown lush, its branches blending with the swirling cooking smoke.)
The poet uses delicate imagery to describe his cherished memories of home, with the peach tree becoming a symbol of nostalgia.
Sixth Couplet: “此树我所种，别来向三年。”
(This peach tree was planted by my own hands, and it has grown for three years since I left.)
The tree’s growth marks the passage of time, intensifying the poet’s deep sense of longing and his attachment to home and family.
Seventh Couplet: “桃今与楼齐，我行尚未旋。”
(The peach tree has grown to match the height of the inn, but I am still wandering far from home.)
The tree’s height symbolizes the thriving homeland, contrasting starkly with the poet's prolonged absence and deepening his sorrow.
Eighth Couplet: “娇女字平阳，折花倚桃边。”
(My young daughter, Pingyang, plays under the peach tree, picking its blossoms.)
The poet depicts a lively, innocent scene of his daughter’s playfulness, suffused with familial warmth.
Ninth Couplet: ”折花不见我，泪下如流泉。“
(She picks flowers and misses me, her tears falling in sorrow for my absence.)
The poet tenderly portrays his daughter’s yearning for her father, evoking deep emotional resonance.
Tenth Couplet: ”小儿名伯禽，与姊亦齐肩。“
(My son, Boqin, has grown tall, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his sister, Pingyang.)
The children’s rapid growth, unnoticed by the absent poet, underscores his profound regret and guilt.
Eleventh Couplet: ”双行桃树下，抚背复谁怜？“
(The siblings walk together under the peach tree, but who is there now to comfort them tenderly?)
The poet reflects on his children’s motherless state, amplifying his yearning for reunion and familial bonds.
Twelfth Couplet: ”念此失次第，肝肠日忧煎。“
(Thinking of this leaves my mind in turmoil, and my heart burns with worry and sorrow.)
The poet's longing for home and worry for his children intertwine, showcasing his profound and heartfelt paternal love.
Thirteenth Couplet: ”裂素写远意，因之汶阳川。“
(Tearing silk to pen my yearning, I send my words to my homeland by the Wenyang River.)
This act of writing symbolizes his unwavering connection to home, embodying a tangible expression of love and longing.
Features of the Poem
- Fusion of Emotion and Scenery
The poet blends personal emotions with the natural world, skillfully intertwining the springtime vibrancy of Wu with his deep yearning for home. - Imaginative Touches
Lines like "the south wind stirs my longing for home" create vivid, emotionally charged images that blur the line between reality and imagination. - Delicate Descriptions
The poet’s depiction of his children’s actions and emotions is vivid and heartfelt, evoking a deep sense of familial connection. - Structural Cohesion
The poem transitions seamlessly from the lively spring landscape to intimate familial reflections, layering its emotional depth with a coherent structure.
Overall Appreciation
This poem, a masterpiece of Li Bai’s yearning for home, combines artistic imagination with sincere emotion. Through detailed imagery, the poet vividly portrays his love for his homeland and family, capturing the bittersweet ache of separation. The intricate interplay of longing and memory, coupled with the poet’s exquisite language, enhances the poem’s artistic beauty and emotional depth.
Inspiration
This poem reminds us to treasure family and the warmth of home, urging us to appreciate moments of togetherness. It also reveals the universal power of nostalgia and longing, demonstrating how art can transform personal emotions into timeless expressions of humanity.
Poem translator:
Xu Yuan-chong(许渊冲)
About the poet:
Li Bai (李白), 701 ~ 762 A.D., whose ancestral home was in Gansu, was preceded by Li Guang, a general of the Han Dynasty. Tang poetry is one of the brightest constellations in the history of Chinese literature, and one of the brightest stars is Li Bai.
