yóu zǐ yín
游 子 吟
Wanderer’s Chant

táng mèng jiāo
(唐) 孟 郊
(Tang) Meng Jiao

cí mǔ shǒu zhōng xiàn
慈 母 手 中 线 ，
A loving mother holds the thread in her hand,

yóu zǐ shēn shàng yī
游 子 身 上 衣 。
The wandering child wears the clothes on his body.

lín xíng mì mì féng
临 行 密 密 缝 ，
Before departing, she sews tightly and diligently,

yì kǒng chí chí guī
意 恐 迟 迟 归 。
Fearing that he will return late, much too late.

shuí yán cùn cǎo xīn
谁 言 寸 草 心 ，
Who says the heart of a blade of grass

bào dé sān chūn huī
报 得 三 春 晖 。
Can repay the warmth of three spring months?