江上往来人
People come and go beside the river,
但爱鲈鱼美
Loving only the taste of fresh perch.
君看一叶舟
Look at that tiny, leaf-like boat,
出没风波里
Appearing and vanishing among wind and waves.
What the poem means
People by the river enjoy the taste of fish. The poet turns our attention to the small boat, where a fisherman works among the waves. Each fish carries someone’s hard work.
Meet the poet
Fan Zhongyan was a Song statesman and writer who cared about working people.
Fan Zhongyan · More poems →