My horse loves the sandy edge along the river.
Where the grasses and sedges are fresh after rain.
A dormant heart hears a yearning call for return
To plough the fields of hometown together again.
A sea of wormwood and crown daisy in sweet scent,
A land of hemp and mulberry trees in summer glint.
Life’s made easy-breezy working with countrymen.
This mayor used to be a farmhand just like them.
软草平莎过雨新，轻沙走马路无尘。
何时收拾耦耕身？
日暖桑麻光似泼，风来蒿艾气如薰。
使君元是此中人。
This poem painted a pastoral setting, vividly touched with personified details on the subject and the relation between man and nature. The enduring appeal of a country life has been waving to Dongpo ever since his service in the Royal Court, especially so after he was sent to jail in his late 40s. He was not alone in this. It was a popular vibe lingering among the gentlemen who had used to be farmers in the country before settling in the cities. His love for the land is further explored with his yearning to return with his brother back to a simple country life in their hometown Meizhou, Sichuan. In the second stanza, the theme is enhanced with a happy image of his life among the people he governed with love. Su Shi has been indeed always remembered as a great leader of the people.
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
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