Yòu Nǚ CíA Little Girl 幼女词
Shi Jianwu on a six-year-old girl copying adults bowing to the new moon.
Original Chinese text with pinyin
幼女才六岁
yòu nǚ cái liù suì
未知巧与拙
wèi zhī qiǎo yǔ zhuō
向夜在堂前
xiàng yè zài táng qián
学人拜新月
xué rén bài xīn yuè
Simplified characters; traditional title: 幼女詞.
English translation
The little girl is just six years old,
she doesn't yet know clever from clumsy.
At nightfall, before the hall,
she copies grown-ups, bowing to the new moon.
Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.
Line by line
幼女才六岁 · yòu nǚ cái liù suì — The little girl is just six years old,
未知巧与拙 · wèi zhī qiǎo yǔ zhuō — she doesn't yet know clever from clumsy.
向夜在堂前 · xiàng yè zài táng qián — At nightfall, before the hall,
学人拜新月 · xué rén bài xīn yuè — she copies grown-ups, bowing to the new moon.
Meaning and imagery
Shi Jianwu on a six-year-old girl copying adults bowing to the new moon. The scene stays with you.
Background
Shi Jianwu on a six-year-old girl copying adults bowing to the new moon.
Key words
- 幼女 yòu nǚ
- key word in the poem
- 才六 cái liù
- key word in the poem
- 未知 wèi zhī
- key word in the poem
About the poet: Shi Jianwu
Shi Jianwu left charming sketches such as Song of a Little Girl.
Lifetime: Mid Tang. Other famous works: A Little Girl (幼女词).