[updated October 2022]
Stay Overnight at Old Woman Xun’s House Near
Five Pines Mountain
宿 五 松 山 荀 媪 家
我 宿 五 松 下
寂 寥 无 所 欢。
田 家 秋 作 苦
邻 女 夜 春 寒。
跪 进 凋 葫 饭
月 光 明 素 盘。
令 人 惭 漂 母
三 谢 不 能 餐。
Su Wu Song Shan Xun Ao Jia
Wo su wu song xia
Ji liao wu ting huan.
Tian jia qiu zuo ku
Lin nu ye chun han.
Gui jin diao hu fan
Yue guang ming su pan.
Ling ren can piao mu
San xie bu neng can.
Stay Overnight at Old Woman Xun’s House Near Five Pines Mountain
I stay overnight under Five Pines mountain
A solitary place without hearing anything of joy.
Autumn fields and houses sit down and cry
Cold spring evening for neighborhood women.
Kneel to pound and grind the scavenged grains and roots
Only one white dish bright in the moonlight.
Ashamed as I do not have the means to pay her like General Han Xin
Several apologies to her, very difficult to eat the food.
Notes:
General Han Xin: (213-196 BC) One of the best military minds in Chinese history, and one of the Three Heroes of the Han Dynasty.