MOTHER’S WHITE HAIR
-- A
SONG DEDICATED TO MOTHER’S DAY
(A poem of natural wisdom)
1
Dear
Old
mother
Today
the son you worry night and day
Has
returned home from been far away
Son
Standing
In front of you
In front of you
looking
at
Your
head with completely white hair
Son
Standing
quietly
For
a long time
Cannot
say a word
It is the weathered life
That dyed your hair white
Son
As though sees one more time
Childhood tales in white hair
Right now
Son
Wants to
Use his own hands
To comb
The completely white hair
Right now
Son
Cannot stop
An aging man’s tears
2
Used to remember
The morning of a winter day
The Sun just came out
You already started preparing for the morning
meal
Smoke ashes painted your face
Fire coming out from the stove
Burned your beautiful hair
Used to remember
For son to go to school
You sold the few eggs
That we possessed
In the dark night
Fighting the rain and the snow to return home
Snowflakes fell upon and covered your
beautiful hair
Used to remember
In pouring autumn rain
On his way back from school, son fell
It is you who fought the rain
And held him home
Under the flickering light
The naughty son was playfully counting your
Beautiful hair
That was dripping and stack on your forehead
The winning son was lying
In your warm arms
Entering fairy dreams
Used to remember
Son grabbed ahold of your lapel
To the mountain to collect cottons
Son was playing and catching locust
Carelessly broke his shirt
From a little purse, you took out a needle and
thread
You grinded the needle on your beautiful hair
Then sat beside the field and sewed with care
Son leaned on you
Raised his little face
Looking at
Your beautiful hair
Blowing
in the mountain wind
Used to remember
Son fell ill with fever
You carried him on your back
Walked for twenty miles
To the nearby village for the doctor
Dark night, slippy road
You fell on the mountain trail
Your head was hurt
Blood dyed your
Beautiful hair
3
Dear
Old mother
Today the son you worry night and day
Has returned home from been far away
Time cannot keep
Your youthful and beautiful hair
Today
It turned
White
Your face
Filled with lines
Your hands
Ragged and deformed
Your feet
Walked through the whole mountain road
Your back
Stooped and bent
This life journey
Of long long time
Will never dilute
The memory of your youthful years
In son’s mind
You are in son’s heart
Never aged
Good mother
4
Dear
Old mother
Today the son you worry night and day
Has returned home from been far away
Son
Treasures in his heart
Your plain figure
As the towering mountain
Son
Treasures in his heart
Your pure words
As spring breeze
Son
Treasures in his heart
Your kind character
As rain drops
Son
Treasures in his heart
Your boundless great love
As deep sea
Son
Treasures in his heart
Your selfless heart
As sunshine
Son
Treasures in his heart
Your sacrificing years
As broad earth
Dear
Old mother
Your whole life
Is the praising name of women on earth
Is the display of goodness on earth
Is the exemplar of tradition on earth
Is the fruit of spirit on earth
Dear
Old mother
The sons and daughters on earth
Will carry out for generations
The tradition of good spirit on earth
The sons and daughters on earth
Will forever promote
Natural universe’s splendor of truth
5
Dear
Old mother
Today the son you worry night and day
Has returned home from been far away
Son
Standing
In front of you
Looking at
Your head with completely white hair
Son
Standing quietly
For a long time
Cannot say a word
It is the weathered life
That dyed your hair white
Son
As though sees one more time
Childhood tales in white hair
Right now
Son
Wants to
Use his own hands
To comb
The completely white hair
Right now
Son
Cannot stop
An aging man’s tears
By Shanlin-Tzu
