When I questioned your pupil, under a pine-tree, " My teacher," he answered, " went for herbs, But toward which corner of the mountain, How can I tell, through all these clouds? "
Original Poem:
《寻隐者不遇》
松下问童子，言师采药去。
只在此山中，云深不知处。
Interpretation:
The poet lived in the middle and late Tang Dynasty, when society was in ruins, the court was in darkness, and the clans and towns were divided. Against this background, Jia Dao's poems paid little attention to reflecting the reality of life, but mostly expressed his feelings of farewell and nostalgia or wrote about the scenery. This poem is a scene from the poet's search for the hermit, which he had not yet encountered.
The first two lines: Under the pine tree, I inquired about the hermit's disciple, who said that his master had gone to the mountains to collect medicine.
Under the pines I questioned the young schoolboy; he said that his master had gone to the mountains to collect medicine. This poem is characterized by a question and an answer.
The last two lines: I only know that he is in this big mountain, but the mountain is cloudy and I don't know exactly where he is.
He also said to me, “I know he is in this mountain, but the forest is so deep and the clouds are so dense that I don't know his whereabouts. Here again, the question “where to collect medicine” is omitted, the question is included, and finally, “the mountains are full of clouds and mist and I don't know where he is” is the boy's reply to the question of whether the medicine is collected in front of the mountain, behind the mountain, at the top of the mountain, or at the foot of the mountain.
The whole poem is concise and simple, with a long rhythm. The question and answer under the pine, the beautiful scenery in the mountain, the sincere friendship of the friend and the regret of not meeting him are all condensed in this short poem, which makes people read it with a deep memory.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
Jia Dao (贾岛), 779 - 843 AD, was a native of Daxing, Beijing. He was a monk in his early years, and later traveled to the eastern capital, where he was recognized by Han Yu and returned to secularism. Jia Dao's poems were mostly about the scenes of loneliness and sadness, and he was famous for his bitter poems at that time.
