Ouyang Xiu was a famous poet of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). One of his poems, Happy Rural Life Poems, Part II, is one of the best depictions of rural life in Grain Buds Time.

In the poem, he describes the winds that blow all weeds, the small cottage in the deep woods, the earring wheat and the silkworms that have eaten themselves full with mulberry leaves. He writes that farmers are too busy expecting a good harvest to notice the beautiful scenes around them. The last two sentences are about his emotions. He laments that it is too late now for him to see this through and to know the benefits of living a quiet rural life. He thinks he should have withdrawn from society and lived in solitude to enjoy this beautiful rural life when he was young.

Source: Sanqin Daily

Translated by Chen Yanqiu

Editor: Wen Yi