2015-05-10

A Chinese Poem about Mother’s Day 母亲节

May 10th. Wish all mothers in the world a Happy Mother’s Day. In Chinese, Mother’s Day is called “母亲节(mǔqīnjié)”. “Happy” is called “快乐(kuàilè)” in Chinese. So, the whole phrase goes:
mǔqīnjié kuàilè
母亲节 快乐
Happy Mother’s Day

Mother’s love is the greatest and most unselfish one in the world. Let’s learn a Chinese poem that songs the greatness of Mother’s love.

《游子吟》 - “A Travel’s Song” was written by a famous poet 孟郊 Meng Jiao in China’s Tang Dynasty. The poem is based on a circumstance when Meng Jiao is about to leave home, while his mom is sewing the clothes for him to wear.

《游子吟》A Travel’s Song
孟郊 Meng Jiao

慈母 手中 线,游子 身上 衣。
A thread is in my fond mother’s hand moving,
For her son to wear the clothes are leaving.

临行 密密 缝,意恐 迟迟 归。
With her whole heart she’s sewing and sewing,
For fear I’ll ever be roving and roving.

谁言 寸草 心,报得 三春 晖。
Who says the little soul of grass waving,
Cloud for the warmth repay the sum of spring.


Due to the fact that most Chinese poems are written in classical Chinese or “ancient Chinese” known as “文言文(wén yán wén”, there is no need to explore to the deeper meaning of each line. Sometimes it is even hard for a native Chinese to know classical Chinese. Getting the general idea of the poem is already enough.

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