Passing through my old friend’s village
Tang Dynasty: Meng Haoran
My old friend brought chicken and millet and invited me to Tian’s house.
The green trees are adjacent to the village, and the green mountains and hills are sloping outside.
Open a dining room and chat over wine.
On the Double Ninth Festival, I will come to see chrysanthemums.
Translation:
An old friend prepared a sumptuous meal and invited me to his farmhouse as a guest.
Green woods surround the village, and a line of green hills looms faintly outside the city walls.
Open the window and face the farm and vegetable garden, drink wine and chat about farming.
When the Double Ninth Festival comes, I will come here to watch the chrysanthemums.
Notes:
Past: visit. Old Friend's Village: The farm of an old friend. Village, farm.
Tools: preparation, purchase. Chicken millet: Refers to the sumptuous meal (literally chicken and yellow rice) served by farmers for entertaining guests.
Millet (shǔ): yellow rice, considered to be the best grain in ancient times.
Invite: Invite. To: Arrive.
Together: surround.
Guo: The ancient city wall had two layers: the inner and outer walls. The inner part was the city and the outer part was the Guo. This refers to the outer wall of the village.
Xié: tilted. There is also an ancient sound called xiá.
Open: open, turn on. Xuan: window. Face: facing.
Changpu: field, threshing floor, rice field; garden, vegetable garden.
Gangjiu: Holding wine utensils refers to drinking. To pick up: to pick up. Pick up.
Hua Sang Ma: Chatting about farming.
Sangma: mulberry tree and hemp. This generally refers to crops.
Double Ninth Day: refers to the ninth day of September in the lunar calendar. The ancients had the custom of climbing high and drinking chrysanthemum wine on this day.
Huán: return, come.
Just chrysanthemum: refers to drinking chrysanthemum wine, which also means appreciating chrysanthemums. Just, to get close, to do something.