Song of Transplanting Rice Seedlings
插 秧 歌
田 夫 抛 秧 田 妇 接
小 儿 拔 秧 大 儿 插。
笠 是 兜 鍪 蓑 是 甲
雨 从 头 上 湿 到 胛。
唤 渠 朝 餐 歇 半 霎
低 头 折 腰 只 不 答。
秧 根 未 牢 莳 未 匝
照 管 鹅 儿 与 雏 鸭。
Cha Yang Ge
Tian fu pao yang tian fu jie
Xiao er ba yang da er cha.
Li shi dou mou suo shi jia
Yu cong tou shang shi dao jia.
Huan qu zhao can xie ban sha
Di tou she yao zhi bu da.
Yang gen wei lao shi wei za
Zhao guan e er yu chu ya.
Song of Transplanting Rice Seedlings
In the fields the men throw the seedlings, and the women catch them
Small children separate the seedlings, and the larger children transplant them.
Like army helmets, their large conical straw hats, straw rain capes like armor
Beginning with humidity, the rain then falls upon their shoulders.
At dawn the women call out for their families to eat and rest for a while
With bowed heads and alone, the men continue without making a reply.
Seedling roots not yet firm and filled-in, the food can wait
The women go home to mind the young geese and ducklings.