Visiting Shanxi Village
Lu You [Song Dynasty]
Mo Xiao’s farmhouse is full of wax and wine, and in good years there are enough chickens and dolphins for visitors.
The mountains and rivers are full of doubts and there is no way out, and there is another village with dark willows and bright flowers.
The flutes and drums follow the spring society, and the clothes and clothes are simple and ancient.
From now on, if I am allowed to take advantage of the moonlight, I will knock on the door all the time and night with my stick.
Translation
Don’t laugh at the fact that the wine made by farmers in the twelfth lunar month is turbid and not mellow. In the harvest years, farmers entertain guests with rich dishes.
With the overlapping mountains and twists and turns of the water, I was worried that I would have no way to go. Suddenly, another mountain village appeared among the colorful willows and flowers.
The day of playing the flute and playing the drum in the Spring Society is approaching. The simple ancient customs of plain clothes and plain hats are still preserved.
If I can still take advantage of the beautiful moonlight to go out for leisure in the future, I will knock on your door at any time with a cane.
Notes
Lajiu: wine brewed in the twelfth lunar month.
Tún: It means preparing sumptuous dishes. Sufficient: sufficient, abundant. Pig, piglet, refers to pork in the poem.
Mountains and rivers overlap: mountains and rivers overlap one after another.
The willows are dark and the flowers are bright: the willows are dark green and the flowers are red.
Xiaogu: Play the flute and drum.
Spring Society: In ancient times, the fifth Wu day after the beginning of spring was regarded as the Spring Society Day. People worshiped She Gong (God of the Earth) and the God of Grains to pray for a good harvest.
Ancient customs: retaining the simple ancient customs.
Ruoxu: If so.
Take advantage of the moonlight: Come by the moonlight when you have free time.
No time: There is no certain time, that is, anytime.
Knock (kòu): knock on the door.