Translation
| Meng Haoran (689-740) | 孟浩然 |
| Stopping By an Old Friend’s Farmhouse | 過故人莊 |
| | |
| An old friend prepares a feast of chicken and millet, | 故人 具雞黍 |
| Welcoming me to his farmhouse. | 邀我 至田家 |
| Green trees and plants, near the village edge, | 綠樹 村邊合 |
| The green hills slope outside the city walls. | 青山 郭外斜 |
| The balcony opens to face the garden; | 開軒 面場圃 |
| We raise a glass, talking of mulberries and hemp. | 把酒 話桑麻 |
| Waiting for the arrival of the Double Ninth Festival, | 待到 重陽日 |
| We will come again to drink chrysanthemum wine. | 還來 就菊花 |
Notes
The poet is visiting his friend in his farmhouse in the outskirts of the city. Chicken and millet is a traditional banquet offering when hosting friends visiting one’s farmhouse. Green hills and greenery is symbolic of the good life. Mulberries and hemp is an idiom for the work of crop cultivation.
The Double Ninth Festival occurs on September 9 of the lunar calendar (9/9). In Daoist thought, nine is a number heavy in yang, meaning masculine or light energy in the concept of yin and yang. Daoists believe that yin and yang must be balanced, but because of the double nine, the day is considered too heavy in yang, so they make offerings to honor their ancestors and drink wine made from chrysanthemum flowers.
Original Chinese
| Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
| | | |
| 孟浩然 | 孟浩然 | Mèng Hào Rán |
| 過故人莊 | 过故人庄 | Guò gù rén zhuāng |
| | | |
| 故人具雞黍， | 故人具鸡黍， | Gù rén jù jī shǔ, |
| 邀我至田家。 | 邀我至田家。 | Yāo wǒ zhì tián jiā. |
| 綠樹村邊合， | 绿树村边合， | Lǜ shù cūn biān hé, |
| 青山郭外斜。 | 青山郭外斜。 | Qīng shān guō wài xiá. |
| 開軒面場圃， | 开轩面场圃， | Kāi xuān miàn chǎng pǔ, |
| 把酒話桑麻。 | 把酒话桑麻。 | Bǎ jiǔ huà sāng má. |
| 待到重陽日， | 待到重阳日， | Dài dào chóng yáng rì, |
| 還來就菊花。 | 还来就菊花。 | Huán lái jiù jú huā. |
Literal Notes
| 孟浩然 | Elder-brother/first Grand/great Shape/pledge=Meng Haoran(689-740) |
| 過故人莊 | Go-across/pass/pass-through old/former person village/farmstead |
| | [old person = old friends] |
| 故人具雞黍， | Old person provide/draw-up chicken millet [chicken millet= refers to the banquet that farmers prepared for the guests.] |
| 邀我至田家。 | Invite/welcome me arrive/reach field/farm house/home/family |
| 綠樹村邊合， | Green tree/plant village/hamlet edge/border close-to |
| 青山郭外斜。 | Green hills/mountain outer-city-wall out/outside slanting/sloping/inclined [Green hills = a hint of good life or mood] |
| 開軒面場圃， | Open/start balcony/pavilion/carriage face open-space/field garden/cultivated-field/orchard |
| 把酒話桑麻。 | Hold/take/raise wine/spirits speech/talk mulberry-tree hemp [Hold wine = raise one’s cup, fill someone’s glass with wine], [mulberry-tree hemp = these two items are closely related to silkworm raising, so it is a common metaphor for husbandry.] |
| 待到重陽日， | Treat/entertain/wait go-to/arrive Double Ninth/Sun Day [Double Ninth = Chongyang Festival, which falls on September 9th (9/9) of the lunar calendar. Nine is a positive/sun number (opposite to negative). It is a memorial festival to honor one’s ancestors.] |
| 還來就菊花。 | Still/yet come/coming/return/returning just/simply/to-come/go-to/approach/near chrysanthemum flowers [chrysanthemum flower = it is a tradition to drink chrysanthemum wine on that festival.] |
Year:
2012
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