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Xiǎo Ér Chuí DiàoA Child Fishing 小儿垂钓

Hu Lingneng (胡令能, also known as )｜Mid Tang｜seven-character quatrain

Hu Lingneng on a child fishing who won't answer a passer-by for fear of scaring the fish.

Original Chinese text with pinyin

蓬头稚子学垂纶
péng tóu zhì zi xué chuí lún

侧坐莓苔草映身
cè zuò méi tái cǎo yìng shēn

路人借问遥招手
lù rén jiè wèn yáo zhāo shǒu

怕得鱼惊不应人
pà dé yú jīng bù yīng rén

Simplified characters; traditional title: 小兒垂釣.

A tousle-haired child is learning to fish,

sitting sideways on the moss, half hidden by the grass.

A passer-by asks him the way; he waves from afar,

afraid of scaring the fish, he won't answer.

Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.

蓬头稚子学垂纶 · péng tóu zhì zi xué chuí lún — A tousle-haired child is learning to fish,

侧坐莓苔草映身 · cè zuò méi tái cǎo yìng shēn — sitting sideways on the moss, half hidden by the grass.

路人借问遥招手 · lù rén jiè wèn yáo zhāo shǒu — A passer-by asks him the way; he waves from afar,

怕得鱼惊不应人 · pà dé yú jīng bù yīng rén — afraid of scaring the fish, he won't answer.

Hu Lingneng on a child fishing who won't answer a passer-by for fear of scaring the fish. The scene stays with you.

Hu Lingneng on a child fishing who won't answer a passer-by for fear of scaring the fish.

Hu Lingneng left the charming Child Fishing quatrain.

Lifetime: Mid Tang. Other famous works: A Child Fishing (小儿垂钓).