Song Dynasty
Pure Serene Music · Village Dwelling
Xin Qiji
茅檐低小
溪上青青草
醉里吴音相媚好
白发谁家翁媪
大儿锄豆溪东
中儿正织鸡笼
最喜小儿亡赖
溪头卧剥莲蓬
Translation
The thatched eaves are low and small; beside the creek, the grass grows fresh and green. In my drunkenness, I hear soft Wu-dialect voices speaking fondly to each other — whose old white-haired man and woman are they? The eldest son hoes beans east of the creek; the second son is weaving a chicken coop. Most delightful is the naughty youngest child, lying by the creek, peeling lotus pods.
Analysis
This is one of Xin Qiji's warmest rural lyrics. It does not speak of war, politics, frustrated ambition, or national recovery. Instead, it turns toward a small household in the countryside: a low thatched house, green grass by a creek, an elderly couple, and three children each absorbed in his own world. The opening lines are extremely simple. The house is low and small, suggesting poverty or modest living, but the creek and green grass give the scene freshness and peace. The setting is humble, yet full of life. The phrase 'soft Wu-dialect voices speaking fondly to each other' is especially tender. The elderly couple's affection is not described directly; it is heard in their tone of speech. 'Fondly' here suggests the gentle intimacy of people who have lived together for many years. Xin Qiji lets the reader feel their contentment through sound. The second stanza gives the family a complete structure. The eldest son is old enough to work in the bean field; the middle son makes a chicken coop; the youngest is still playful and carefree. The word 'naughty' does not condemn him. It carries affection, describing a child's harmless mischief and innocence. The detail of him lying by the creek peeling lotus pods is vivid and exact. The poem's beauty lies in its smallness. It shows ordinary rural life as a form of quiet completeness: elderly companionship, children growing into work, and the youngest still free to play. For Xin Qiji, whose life was marked by political frustration and unrealized ambitions, such a scene is not merely charming. It represents a rare vision of peace and human rootedness.
About the Author
Xin Qiji, courtesy name You'an and literary name Jiaxuan, was a major poet and military figure of the Southern Song dynasty. Born in Licheng, Shandong, he joined anti-Jin resistance forces in his youth and later served the Southern Song court. He spent much of his life advocating the recovery of the northern territories, but his political ambitions were repeatedly frustrated. Xin Qiji is often paired with Su Shi as 'Su-Xin' and is known as a master of the bold, heroic style of ci poetry. Yet works such as 'Qing Ping Yue · Village Dwelling' reveal another side of him: tender, observant, and deeply attentive to rural life and family warmth.