文／唐．賀知章（659～744）

少小離家老大回，鄉音無改鬢毛衰。

兒童相見不相識，笑問客從何處來。

離別家鄉歲月多，近來人事半消磨。

惟有門前鏡湖水，春風不改舊時波。

──選自《全唐詩》

Two Casual Poems on

Returning Home

He Zhizhang (659 - 744, Tang Dynasty)

English translation:Venerable Zhi Yue

Leaving home in one’s youth

And returning in old age,

One’s hometown accent unchanged,

Though now turned gray.

Greeted by children, who do not recognize,

Laughing, they ask where I am from.

Many years has passed

since leaving home,

Half the people have now vanished,

Only the lake’s reflection

in front of the house

Remains unchanged despite

the ripples from the wind.

── from Quan Tang Shi

(Complete Collection of Tang Poems)