Springtime Watch Small Children Play With Their Clay Oxen
观 小 儿 戏 打 春 牛
小 儿 着 鞭 鞭 土 牛
学 翁 打 春 先 打 头。
黄 牛 黄 蹄 白 双 角
牧 童 绿 蓑 笠 青 箬。
今 年 土 脉 应 雨 膏
去 年 不 似 今 年 乐。
儿 闻 年 登 喜 不 饥
牛 闻 年 登 愁 不 肥。
麦 穗 即 看 云 作 帚
稻 米 亦 复 珠 盈 斗。
大 田 耕 尽 却 耕 山
黄 牛 从 此 何 时 闲。
Guan Xiao Er Xi Da Chun Niu
Xiao er zhao bian bian tu niu
Xue weng da chun xian da tou.
Huang niu huang ti qing ruo
Mu tong lu suo li qing ruo.
Jin nian tu mai ying yu gao
Qu nian bu si jin nian le.
Er wen nian deng xi bu ji
Niu wen nian deng chou bu fei.
Mai sui ji kan yun zuo zhou
Dao mi yi fu zhu ying dou.
Da tian geng jin que geng shan
Huang niu cong ci he shi xian.
Springtime Watch Small Children Play With Their Clay Oxen
Small children watch the local clay oxen suffer light whippings
In the early spring they imitate the old men tapping the oxen’s head.
Yellow clay-colored oxen and their hooves with a pair of white horns
Groups of children wearing their large green conical straw rain hats and green bamboo ponchos.
This year we should have enough rainfall to invigorate the land’s veins and arteries
Not like last year’s weather, this year has more happiness.
Children heard this year’s harvest will ripen large, so they won’t go hungry
Oxen also heard about the harvest, with sadness as they will have to work hard and not fatten up as much.
Every stalk of wheat and grain tassels appear like large clouds
Rice paddies with pearled grain will fill the silos.
Large fields already plowed, now able to cultivate small parcels in the foothills
Wonder which season will the yellow oxen be able to enjoy some leisure.
Notes:
The clay oxen are playthings for the children, as well as a source of respect for, and as a god to receive the prayers for a good harvest from the adults.