書法寫於1978年7月

 

《燕詩示劉叟》是唐代詩人白居易所作的一首詩，全名是《燕詩示劉叟》。這首詩表面上是在描寫燕子哺育小燕、養育牠們長大的過程，實際上藉燕子來比喻人間父母的養育之恩，具有深厚的勸孝意義。詩中的「劉叟」是白居易的一位鄰居，年老無子，因此詩人藉詩表達自己對孝道的重視和對劉叟的同情。

 

下面是詩的全文：

 

《燕詩示劉叟》  唐 · 白居易

 

梁上有雙燕，翩翩雄與雌。

銜泥兩椽間，一巢生四兒。

四兒日夜長，索食聲孜孜。

青蟲不易捕，黃口無飽期。

觜爪雖欲敝，心力不知疲。

須臾十來往，猶恐巢中饑。

辛勤三十日，母瘦雛漸肥。

喃喃教言語，一一刷毛衣。

一旦羽翼成，引上庭樹枝。

舉翅不回顧，隨風四散飛。

雌雄空中鳴，聲盡呼不歸。

卻入空巢裡，啁啾終夜悲。

燕燕爾勿悲，爾當返自思。

思爾為雛日，高飛背母時。

當時父母念，今日爾應知。

 

這是我的解釋。俊如寫的跟我有同感，籍著小燕的成長過程反映出母愛的偉大、辛苦地養育兒女。全詩一百五十字，但提到雄燕只有兩回。

 

 

 

A Poem for the Swallows  《燕詩》

 Translation by KS Vincent POON 潘君尚. Feb. 7, 2018

 

Historical information

A Poem for the Swallows (《燕詩》 /《燕詩示劉叟》) was written by the renowned poet Bai Juyi (白居易, 772-846AD) of the Tang Dynasty. It is a very popular poem in traditional Chinese culture as the poem reflects on the Confucian concept of filial piety (孝). According to a preamble of the poem, this work was composed by Bai Juyi for one sad elderly gentleman, Lau, whose son left him without a trace:

 

Two swallows were upon a wooden beam,

a he and a she stood elegantly as a team.

Clays amassed by their beaks rested between two wooden pilings,

a nest that hatched four offspring.

The four offspring grew by the day and night,

demanding food endlessly as they chirp with all their might.

Fresh worms were not easy to catch as preys,

and the young mouths seemed not to be satiated by any day.

 

Beaks and talons were about to be tattered,

yet the minds and bodies knew no tired.

In an instant, making ten flights to and fro,

still fearing starvation in the nest might take hold.

Working hard for thirty days,

the mother became thin while the chicks gradually gained more weight.

Murmuring to teach them how to speak,

brushing every one of their feathery coats to keep them neat.

Once their wings had grown and could expand,

it was time to lead them to a straight tree branch;

the youngsters all spread their wings without looking back,

taking flight and dispersed with the wind leaving no tracks.

She and he cried out for the little ones in midair,

yet not even one return as their voices exhausted in despair;

the couple returned to the empty nest,

tweeting all night sad.

O dear swallows you both should not have been so sad,

you should have reflected upon yourselves instead:

the days when you were also little chick toddler,

you too once took flight and turned your back on your mother.

Back then, your parent’s thoughts of sorrow,

this day, you shall fully know!