Poetry Buds · 听古诗

OPEN POETRY LIBRARY · S01 / 051

The Cowherd

牧童 · Lü Yan · Tang dynasty

草cǎo铺pū横héng野yě六liù七qī里lǐ

Grass spreads six or seven li across the fields;

笛dí弄nòng晚wǎn风fēng三sān四sì声shēng

A few flute notes play with the evening breeze.

归guī来lái饱bǎo饭fàn黄huáng昏hūn后hòu

Home and well fed, after dusk has fallen,

不bù脱tuō蓑suō衣yī卧wò月yuè明míng

He rests in moonlight, still in his straw cape.

What the poem means

Grass stretches across the fields and a cowherd's flute drifts through the evening breeze. After eating, he rests under the moon without even removing his straw cape.

Meet the poet

Lü Yan was a Tang poet. Grass, flute notes and moonlight create a restful scene.

Lü Yan · More poems →