Year
Gathering kudzu there,
I do not see her for a day,
But it is like three months.
Gathering sagebrush there,
I do not see her for a day,
But it is like three autumns.
Gathering mugwort there,
I do not see her for a day,
But it is like three years.
Note: The flowers of a kudzu have a kind of red-purple and are said to remind people of the complexion of a young girl.
After an anonymous Chinese poem.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
采葛 | 采葛 | cǎi gé |
彼采葛兮， | 彼采葛兮， | bǐ cǎi gé xī ， |
一日不見， | 一日不见， | yī rì bù jiàn ， |
如三月兮！ | 如三月兮！ | rú sān yuè xī ！ |
彼采蕭兮， | 彼采萧兮， | bǐ cǎi xiāo xī ， |
一日不見， | 一日不见， | yī rì bù jiàn ， |
如三秋兮！ | 如三秋兮！ | rú sān qiū xī ！ |
彼采艾兮， | 彼采艾兮， | bǐ cǎi ài xī ， |
一日不見， | 一日不见， | yī rì bù jiàn ， |
如三歲兮！ | 如三岁兮！ | rú sān suì xī！ |
Translation Notes
采葛 | Gathering Kudzu-beans |
彼采葛兮， | There collect kudzu xi, |
一日不見， | One day no see, |
如三月兮！ | Like three months xi! |
彼采蕭兮， | There collect Artemisia xi, |
一日不見， | One day no see, |
如三秋兮！ | Like three autums xi! |
彼采艾兮， | There collect mugwort xi, |
一日不見， | One day no see, |
如三歲兮！ | Like three years xi! |