"Trace" means the duckweed cut open by the boat, leaving a clear and obvious trace of the waterway.
"Sky" means small boat.
"Duckweed" means an aquatic plant with oval leaves floating on the water, fibrous roots underneath the leaves, and white flowers in summer.
"Cai" means picking.
Original text:
Chishang
Author: Bai Juyi
Dynasty: Tang Dynasty
The little baby holds the boat, Picking white lotus secretly.
If you don’t hide the traces, the duckweeds will bloom together.
Translation:
A child held a boat and secretly picked white lotus flowers. He didn't know how to hide his traces, but there was a trace of a boat on the duckweed on the water.
Extended information:
The first two sentences of the poem introduce the outline of the story: a child secretly went to collect lotus and returned while the adults were not paying attention, highlighting the child's cuteness. The word "steal" is used very vividly, showing the children's naughty, cunning, and even a little adventurous spirit.
The word "pick" and "hui" in the second sentence indicate that the child secretly picked a white lotus and returned in a hurry, because he did not want adults to discover his risky move.
The word "hide" in the third sentence shows that the child neither wants to be discovered nor knows how to hide his traces, showing his innocence and cuteness.
The word "kai" in the fourth sentence represents a waterway drawn on the duckweed, exposing the child's secret. This kind of kind ridicule adds to the child's childish and cute nature.
The whole poem embodies innocence and childlike interest, has a strong flavor of life, and is catchy to read.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Chishang