Yuan Dynasty
鹦鹉曲·渔父
冯子振
沙鸥滩鹭褵依住，镇日坐钓叟纶父。
趁斜阳晒网收竿，又是南风催雨。
绿杨堤忘系孤桩，白浪打将船去。
想明朝月落潮平，在掩映芦花浅处。
Translation
Sand gulls and shoal egrets dwell close together, while the old fisherman sits all day with his line. In the slanting sun he dries his nets and gathers his rod, just as the south wind hurries in rain. By the green-willow bank he forgets to tie the boat to its lone stake; white waves beat it away. Perhaps tomorrow, when the moon sets and the tide grows calm, it will rest in the shallows screened by reed flowers.
Analysis
This song portrays the fisherman’s life as intimate with natural rhythms. Gulls, egrets, the old angler, sunset, wind, rain, waves, and reeds all belong to one waterside world. The forgotten boat stake creates a small comic disturbance, yet the speaker does not panic; he imagines the boat resting tomorrow among reed flowers. The fisherman thus becomes a figure of ease, acceptance, and quiet reclusion.
About the Author
Feng Zizhen, styled Haisu, was a Yuan sanqu poet. He often used figures such as fishermen, woodcutters, and gardeners to explore reclusion, freedom, and the quiet humor of life outside official society.