The children wander, wearing clothes made by their mother.
The mother sews, hoping to see the children's return.
Hymn of the Traveller by Meng Jiao
(translated by Chris Pereira)
Threads adeptly brandished by a loving mother,
sewed into garments for a son so soon to depart.
Her sewing picks up pace as the date approaches,
worries of belated return echoing in her heart.
Who dare claim that the green grass
might somehow repay the sun for its warm hearth?
Note: warmth of the sun and green grass is a metaphor in traditional Chinese literature, to describe the love and care parents give to their children.
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