English中文
On a Painted Rooster
头上红冠不用裁
A natural red comb crowns its head.
满身雪白走将来
Snow-white, it walks toward us.
平生不敢轻言语
It does not lightly raise its voice.
一叫千门万户开
One crow, and doors everywhere open.
Meaning
A rooster has a natural red comb and snow-white feathers. Usually quiet, its crow welcomes morning across many homes.
About the poet
Traditionally attributed to Tang Yin, a Ming painter and poet; the poem’s attribution is not certain.