回乡偶书
huí xiāng ǒu shū
Returning Home — An Impromptu Verse
贺知章 (He Zhizhang) · Tang Dynasty · 659–744
Original Text
少小离家老大回，
shào xiǎo lí jiā lǎo dà huí,
乡音无改鬓毛衰。
xiāng yīn wú gǎi bìn máo shuāi.
儿童相见不相识，
ér tóng xiāng jiàn bù xiāng shí,
笑问客从何处来。
xiào wèn kè cóng hé chù lái.
English Translation
I left home young and return old — my local accent unchanged, but my temple hair has thinned. The village children see me but don't recognize me; smiling, they ask: "Visitor, where do you come from?"
Historical Background
He Zhizhang wrote this poem upon returning to his hometown of Yongxing (in modern Zhejiang) after more than 50 years of serving as an official in the capital Chang'an. At age 86, he finally retired and went home, only to find that no one recognized him. The bittersweet humor of being a stranger in your own hometown resonated deeply across Chinese culture.
Literary Analysis
The poem's emotional impact comes from the gap between identity and recognition. The poet knows who he is — his accent hasn't changed — but time has transformed him beyond recognition. The children's innocent question is devastating precisely because it's cheerful: they see a friendly visitor, not a returning native. The poem captures one of life's cruelest ironies: you can go home, but home may not know you anymore.
Details
Form
Seven-character Quatrain (七言绝句)
Theme
Homesickness & Longing
About He Zhizhang (贺知章)
He Zhizhang was an early Tang Dynasty poet and official who served with distinction for over 50 years in the capital. He was known for his wit, his love of wine, and his friendship with Li Bai, whom he famously nicknamed the "Immortal Banished from Heaven" (谪仙人) upon reading his poetry for the first time.
Traditional Chinese
少小離家老大回，鄉音無改鬢毛衰。兒童相見不相識，笑問客從何處來。