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Cūn JūVillage Life 村居

Gao Ding (高鼎, also known as Kao Ting)｜Qing｜seven-character quatrain

Gao Ding on children flying kites in the east wind after school in the second month.

Original Chinese text with pinyin

草长莺飞二月天
cǎo zhǎng yīng fēi èr yuè tiān

拂堤杨柳醉春烟
fú dī yáng liǔ zuì chūn yān

儿童散学归来早
ér tóng sàn xué guī lái zǎo

忙趁东风放纸鸢
máng chèn dōng fēng fàng zhǐ yuān

Simplified characters; traditional title: 村居.

Grass grows, orioles fly — the second month;

willows brushing the dike, drunk on spring mist.

The children came home from school early,

hurrying to fly kites in the east wind.

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

草长莺飞二月天 · cǎo zhǎng yīng fēi èr yuè tiān — Grass grows, orioles fly — the second month;

拂堤杨柳醉春烟 · fú dī yáng liǔ zuì chūn yān — willows brushing the dike, drunk on spring mist.

儿童散学归来早 · ér tóng sàn xué guī lái zǎo — The children came home from school early,

忙趁东风放纸鸢 · máng chèn dōng fēng fàng zhǐ yuān — hurrying to fly kites in the east wind.

Gao Ding on children flying kites in the east wind after school in the second month. The scene stays with you.

Gao Ding on children flying kites in the east wind after school in the second month.

Gao Ding's Village Life kite poem is a favorite children's poem.

Lifetime: Qing. Other famous works: Village Life (村居).