游子吟
yóu zǐ yín
Song of the Wandering Son
孟郊 (Meng Jiao) · Tang Dynasty · 751–814
Original Text
慈母手中线，
cí mǔ shǒu zhōng xiàn,
游子身上衣。
yóu zǐ shēn shàng yī.
临行密密缝，
lín xíng mì mì féng,
意恐迟迟归。
yì kǒng chí chí guī.
谁言寸草心，
shéi yán cùn cǎo xīn,
报得三春晖。
bào dé sān chūn huī.
English Translation
A loving mother's thread is in her hand — clothes for her wandering child. Before he leaves, she sews with close, dense stitches, fearing he will be long in returning. Who says the heart of an inch of grass can repay the warmth of three springs of sunshine?
Historical Background
Meng Jiao wrote this poem after finally passing the imperial examination at age 46. The poem is a tribute to his mother, who supported and believed in him through decades of failure and poverty. It has become the quintessential Chinese poem about maternal love and is recited on Mother's Day throughout the Chinese-speaking world.
Literary Analysis
The poem creates its emotional power through a single concrete image: a mother sewing clothes for her departing son. The "close, dense stitches" reveal her anxiety — as if sewing more tightly could somehow keep him closer or protect him longer. The closing metaphor compares the child's ability to repay his mother to a blade of grass trying to repay the sun for three seasons of warmth — an impossible debt of gratitude.
Details
Form
Ancient Verse (古体诗)
Theme
Love & Devotion
About Meng Jiao (孟郊)
Meng Jiao was a Tang Dynasty poet known for his austere, emotionally intense style. He struggled in poverty for much of his life and did not pass the imperial examinations until age 46. His poetry often reflects themes of hardship, family bonds, and moral earnestness.
Traditional Chinese
慈母手中線，遊子身上衣。臨行密密縫，意恐遲遲歸。誰言寸草心，報得三春暉。