LISTEN TO THE TEXTLISTEN TO SHIRLEY PLAY & SING THE POEM

Hi friends, did you have the experience when you were young where you had to leave your hometown and go somewhere far away for many years to work or to study and then when you came back to your hometown, your hair having turned gray (although your local accent had not changed), the local children considered you a guest and wondered where you came from? ... :-)

This is exactly the meaning of one of the poems by Tang Dynasty poet He Zhizhang that I introduced to you last August. At that time I did not have the ability to compose a piece of music to set it to and also I had not set up the database to list the new words and to enable them to be looked up as they arose in other articles. Also, I could not make a new words board... Now, things have changed a lot and I would like to re-edit it and try to improve the quality of this part of the web site.

I have written a piece of music for it and hope you enjoy it. I do hope that my effort is a little help to you in learning more about Chinese culture and language... :-)


MAIN MEANING OF THE POEMLISTEN TO SHIRLEY PLAY & SING THE POEM

I left home when I was young,
I returned when I was old..
My local accent has not changed,
my temples' hair has grown sparse.
Local children meet me and do not know me,
So, they call me guest and ask me with smile,
"Where are you from, stranger?


Attaching a Translation By Hundred Flower Publish House:

On Homecoming

I left home young and now return when I am old;
Not in my speech but thin hair my change would be told.
Boys meet but know me not. They look at me awhile;
“Stranger, where are you from? ” they ask me with a smile.

NEW WORDS AND RONUNCIATION :

Please click on any Chinese character that you need help with to see its Chinese pinyin, pronunciation and meaning, and then follow me to read it.

CHINESE CHARACTERS

回乡偶书

贺之章   （唐）

少小离家老大回，
乡音未改鬓毛衰。
儿童相见不相识，
笑问客从何处来。


LISTEN TO SHIRLEY PLAY & SING THE POEM

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn, or shirleyz004@yahoo.com, You are also welcome to publish your opinions in Forum For Friends.
--Shirley
Written, Sung, Translated and Recorded on Sun, Oct 28, 2006