Li Shen
chúhérìdāngwǔ
When weeding is at noon,
hàndīhéxiàtǔ
Sweat dripped on the ground.
the water and the sky blend into one colour/the water and the sky merge in one colour (said of vast expanse of water)
Who knows Chinese food,
lìlìjiēxīnkǔ
Every single grain is the fruit of hard work.
Author background
See the background of the author Benjamin.
Annotation explanation
He: He Miao.
Chinese food on a plate: food in a bowl.
Modern Translation of Ancient Poetry
At noon, when farmers were weeding hard, sweat dripped into the soil under the ears of grain. Who knows that every meal on the plate is the hard work of farmers.
Appreciation of Famous Sentences-"Who knows that every grain of Chinese food is hard?"
The beginning of the poem reminds people of the hard work of farmers in the hot noon, and expresses deep sympathy and respect for farmers. In a very rough style, the poet outlined a scene of working in the field: farmers are not avoiding the scorching sun, but working in a sweat, reminding people that every grain is hard to come by. This scene is very prominent in the poem, and it can also remind us that how many people are enjoying the fruits of farmers' labor in the shade? Those rich people's rich "meals on the plate" are just the sweat of farmers working hard in the wind and rain and under the scorching sun! This sharp contrast shows us the poet's sympathy for the peasants and his dissatisfaction with the unequal reality.