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Xiāng Cūn Sì YuèVillage in the Fourth Month 鄕村四月

Weng Juan (翁卷, also known as Weng Chüan)｜Southern Song｜seven-character quatrain

Weng Juan on the fourth month in the country: silkworms done, then rice planting.

Original Chinese text with pinyin

绿遍山原白满川
lǜ biàn shān yuán bái mǎn chuān

子规声里雨如烟
zi guī shēng lǐ yǔ rú yān

鄕村四月闲人少
xiāng cūn sì yuè xián rén shǎo

才了蚕桑又插田
cái le cán sāng yòu chā tián

Simplified characters; traditional title: 鄕村四月.

Green covers the hills and plains, white fills the streams;

amid the cuckoo's calls, the rain is like mist.

In the village in the fourth month, few are idle:

silkworms just finished, now it's time to plant rice.

Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.

绿遍山原白满川 · lǜ biàn shān yuán bái mǎn chuān — Green covers the hills and plains, white fills the streams;

子规声里雨如烟 · zi guī shēng lǐ yǔ rú yān — amid the cuckoo's calls, the rain is like mist.

鄕村四月闲人少 · xiāng cūn sì yuè xián rén shǎo — In the village in the fourth month, few are idle:

才了蚕桑又插田 · cái le cán sāng yòu chā tián — silkworms just finished, now it's time to plant rice.

Weng Juan on the fourth month in the country: silkworms done, then rice planting. The scene stays with you.

Weng Juan on the fourth month in the country: silkworms done, then rice planting.

Weng Juan was one of the Four Ling of Yongjia.

Lifetime: Southern Song. Other famous works: Village in the Fourth Month (鄕村四月).