Tang Poetry: Mr. Zhu writes poetry to raise the generous birds

By Jia Dao (Tang Dynasty)

The roar of the spring thunder comes on the day of the Awakening of Insects, giving baby swallows quite a scare! These baby sparrows’ parents are flying out. In the sky I saw two adult sparrows with a worm in their beaks, darting through the air. They are looking for a perfect place to build a nest. I’m so sad that these two sparrows are not those baby sparrows’ parents In the evening the sparrow parents still have not returned, leaving their baby sparrows waiting alone for food. A weak chirping sound comes from the nest. The next morning I found that these two big sparrows didn’t return to their nest; instead they come here to find food for the abandoned baby sparrows. They fly about in the air to bring enough food. As time goes by, baby swallows grow up, flying out of the nest one after another, twittering happily in the sky. They must express thanks to the big sparrows. I feel touched by this scene; sparrows are tiny animals but have the same feelings as humans. Animals can’t speak out their feelings, but I can. I take out my pen and record this story.

About the poet: Jia Dao, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, known by his pen name, Liangxian, was born in Fanyan (now around Beijing city) in 779 and died in 843. In his early years, Jia Dao became a monk with the pen name Wuben. In the winter of the 5th year of Zhenguan period (810) in the Tang Dynasty, he went to Changan (capital of Tang Dynasty) and met Zhangji. In the next spring he went to Luoyang and in there he met Hanyu (a famous poet in Tang Dynasty). Jia Dao’s poetry was highly appreciated by Hanyu. After that, he resumed his secular life and took imperial examinations several times but never succeeded.

Source: baike.baidu.com

Translated by Jiang Yilingzi