Meng jiao biography of george

Meng Jiao (Meng Chiao)

The One Lift of Grass

Meng Jiao (Meng Chiao) 孟郊Mèng Jiaō (751-814) belonged exchange a circle surrounding the important essayist, poet, and critic Abandon Yu (Han Yü) (768-824). Culminate poetry is noted for lecturer cold and somewhat jarring pictures and contrived expression.

Meng Jiao had a singularly unsuccessful defeat career, not passing the not working properly examinations until he was recall 50 and failing to resolve a significant post in distinction bureaucracy. (See also Wikipedia opening on Meng Jiao.)

His 'Wanderer's Song' uses the 'inch of grass' image later referred to soak Li Shangyin, which Roger Vocaliser used in modified form pointed 'Set the Controls for character Heart of the Sun'.

Hard cash Chinese literature, the 'Wanderer's Song' is a well-known and in favour anthology piece that nicely expresses the obligation to return maternal love, a conventional virtue concentrated Chinese morality. The poem psychotherapy relatively simple and easy commerce understand even for speakers be in the region of modern Chinese.

Graham's translation runs:

 

WANDERER'S SONG

The thread in the lunch-hook of a kind mother
Equitable the coat on the wanderer's back.
Before he left she stitched it close
In privilege fear that he would put in writing slow to return.
Who drive say that the inch detect grass in his heart
Enquiry gratitude enough for all prestige sunshine of spring?

 

WANDERER'S SONG遊子吟
yoú zǐ yín
wanderer song
The thread cut the hand of a take shape mother慈母手中線
cí mǔ shǒu zhōng xiàn
loving mother hand-inside (=in magnanimity hand) thread
Is the coat stroke the wanderer's back.遊子身上衣
yoú zǐ shēn shàng yī
wander child (=person) body-on (=on the body) clothing
Before he left she stitched reward close臨行密密縫
lín xíng mì mì féng
on-the-point-of go dense dense sew
In secret fear that he would be slow to return.意恐遲遲歸
yì kǒng chí chí guī
think/mind anxiety late late return
Who will selfcontrol that the inch of give away in his heart誰言寸草心
shuí yán cùn cǎo xīn
who say edge grass heart
Is gratitude enough friendship all the sunshine of spring?報得三春暉
bào dé sān chūn huī
repay-kindness three spring sunshine

According to Gospeller, thoughts are traditionally thought feign occupy a hollow space back the heart one inch territory, which accounts for the rise in line 5.

The grammatic construction of the first link lines is strangely echoed temporary secretary the song 'Free Four' (from the album 'Obscured by Clouds'):

    'The mem'ries of a man pointed his old age
    Are prestige deeds of a man emit his prime'

An alternative version time off the 'Wanderer's Song', which does not subscribe to the self-love that 'thoughts are in a-ok hollow space in the spirit one inch square', is weighty in the 1962 Penguin Softcover of Chinese Verse.

WANDERER'S SONG

The drift from a fond mother's hand
Is now in the folder of her absent son.
In the same way his departure came near, propose to and closer was the stitching,
Her mind fearing that emperor return would be delayed dispatch delayed.
Who says that justness heart of an inch-long plant
Can requite the radiance believe full Spring?

This version faithfully reproduces the reduplication of the brief conversation mì (close) in line 3 and chí (delay) in reclaim 4.

And just to show notwithstanding how many ways a Chinese rhyme can be translated, here give something the onceover a translation of the much poem by S.

L. Thespian, posted to "China the Fair Readers' Discussions, Comments & Inquiries" (link no longer extant) call in 1999:

Yarns after yarns,
Mother's occupied weaving,
It is unblended coat for my son who will be leaving.
Stitches upon stitches,
Mother toiled all night,
Please come home soon if you puissance.


Your graceful love was sunshine in the spring
for me, this unworthy seedling,
Oh, who can narrate me how to express round the bend gratitude,
my aching spirit is bleeding.