Original text:
The child is determined to go to the countryside, or he will not return if he succeeds.
Mulberry fields don't need to bury bones, and life is everywhere.
Translation:
The child has made up his mind to go out of his hometown and never come back until he has achieved something in his studies.
Why bury the bones in the land of my hometown after death? The motherland has beautiful mountains and rivers, which can be used as a resting place.
On the eve of Meiji Restoration in Japan, the poet Yue Xing wrote two poems about his ambition before leaving his hometown to travel eastward. Later, Saigō Takamori read it. He thought the content of the second poem was in line with his own ambition, so after making some revisions, he constantly encouraged himself. At the end of Qing Dynasty, China was invaded by western powers, and the country and people were in dire straits. The success of Meiji Restoration in Japan became an example for aspiring young people in China, and Saigō Takamori's famous deeds also spread to China.
It can be inferred that under this condition, teenagers read Saigō Takamori's version of this narrative poem, either from books or newspapers, or directly from teachers studying in Toyo. After that, he insisted on leaving home to go to Xiangxiang to receive higher education and open up a broader world. This had a serious conflict with his stubborn and conservative father. In this case, he changed a few words in this poem and dedicated it to his father.