吳蠶已三眠；
我家寄東魯，
The silkworms thrice in sleep must have been. In Eastern Lu my family stay still.
誰種龜陰田？
春事已不及，
Who’d help to sow our fields north of Lu Hill? It’s now too late to do farmwork of spring.
江行復茫然；
南風吹歸心，
What then am I to do while travelling? The southern wind is blowing without stop,
飛墮酒樓前。
樓東一株桃，
My heart flies back to my old familiar wine-shop. East of the shop there’s a peach tree I’ve missed,
枝葉拂青煙；
此樹我所種，
Its branches must be waving in bluish mist. It is the tree I plant’d three years ago,
別來向三年。
桃今與樓齊，
我行尚未旋。
If it has grown to reach the roof, I don’t know. I have not been at home for three long years.
嬌女字平陽，
折花倚桃邊；
I can imagine my daughter appears Beside the tree and plucks a flower pink.
折花不見我，
淚下如流泉。
Without seeing me, she must have, I think, Shed copious tears. My younger son has grown
小兒名伯禽，
與姐亦齊肩；
Up to his sister’s shoulders. ’Neath full-blown Peach tree they stand side by side. But who’s there
雙行桃樹下，
撫背復誰怜。
To pat them on the back? I feel, whence’er I think of this, so painful that I write
念此失次第，
肝腸日憂煎；
裂素寫遠意，
因之汶陽川。
And send to them this poem on silk white.