浣溪沙 . 麻叶层层苘叶光 What’s better than coming into a village

浣溪沙 . 麻叶层层苘叶光（其二）

苏轼

麻叶层层苘叶光，

谁家煮茧一村香?

隔篱娇语络丝娘。

垂白杖藜抬醉眼，

捋青捣麨软饥肠，

问言豆叶几时黄?

Nothing beats arriving at a village (PoemTwo）

- to the tune of Huanxisha

Chinese original: Su Dongpo

English version: Julia Min (2025)

Nothing beats arriving at a village

filled with the aroma of boiling cocoons,

and strolling through a piemarker’s foliage,-

lush green fields glowing on a sunny afternoon.

Women laugh as they chat through the fences,

while winding cane giant katydids to the full.

A tipsy elder leans on his goosefoot cane,

gathering some green grain to pound it for food.

I asked if the bean leaves would go golden soon.

Appreciation:

For appreciation, please go to the last poem in this series: "Blossoms of date trees rain down on shirts and kerchiefs"

Reference:

1. Old version: Blooming Alone in Winter by Gordon Osing, Julia Min, and Huang Haipeng， published by the People's Publication House Henan Province in 1990 (《寒心未肯随春态》戈登.奥赛茵，闵晓红，黄海鹏) – “Through dense foliage of hemp, brushing aside branches of piemarker, shining and luxuriant./What’s better than coming to a village filled with the fragrance of boiling cocoons?/The ladies go on chatting through the fences, winding all the while cane giant katydids./A white-haired fellow on his goose-foot cane raises drunk eye-lids/And goes on gathering the green grain to pound for food for hungry bellies/ I can’t help asking how soon the bean leaves will turn yellow.”

2. baike.baidu.com (百度百科)

3. picture selected from Google search.

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