Tang Dynasty
回乡偶书
少小离家老大回，
乡音无改鬓毛衰。
儿童相见不相识，
笑问客从何处来。
Translation
I left home when I was young and returned only in old age. My native accent has not changed, though the hair at my temples has grown thin and grey. The children of the village see me but do not know who I am; smiling, they ask from where this guest has come.
Analysis
“Returning Home by Chance” is a poem about homecoming, yet it avoids overt sentimentality. Its power lies in the quiet contrast between what remains and what has changed. The poet’s accent still belongs to his native place, but his body has aged; his voice preserves the past, while his appearance bears the mark of time. The final scene is simple and devastating: children of the village, too young to know him, ask where this “guest” has come from. The word “guest” is the emotional center of the poem. The poet has returned to the place he calls home, but time has made him a stranger there. The poem’s restraint is exactly what gives it depth. Instead of declaring sorrow, it allows a small human encounter to reveal the distance between memory and reality.
About the Author
He Zhizhang was a Tang dynasty poet and calligrapher, known for his free-spirited temperament and elegant simplicity of expression. He served in official posts and in later life called himself the “Mad Guest of Siming.” Although relatively few of his poems survive, his best-known works are admired for their clarity, naturalness, and emotional precision. “Returning Home by Chance” is his most famous poem, transforming a small encounter after returning to his native place into a profound meditation on time, aging, and estrangement.