蓬头稚子学垂纶
A tousle-haired child is learning to fish,
侧坐莓苔草映身
Sitting sideways, half hidden by grass.
路人借问遥招手
A passerby asks; the child waves from afar,
怕得鱼惊不应人
Afraid to scare the fish, he does not reply.
What the poem means
A tousle-haired child sits among the grass, learning to fish. When a passerby asks a question, he gestures instead of answering, afraid of startling the fish.
Meet the poet
Hu Lingneng was a Tang poet. This poem notices a focused child’s quiet gesture.
Hu Lingneng · More poems →