mǐn nóng
悯 农
唐·李绅
chú hé rì dāng wǔ ，hàn dī hé xià tǔ.
锄 禾 日 当 午 ，汗 滴 禾 下 土。
shuí zhī pán zhōng cān ， lì lì jiē xīn kǔ!
谁 知 盘 中 餐 ，粒 粒 皆 辛 苦！
Sympathy for Farmers
By Li Shen
Hoeing grain in the blaze of noon,
Sweat drops fall — grain to earth,
Who knows food in the plate,
How toilful each granule is!
Thanslated by Xu Yuanchong
Ode to Sympathy for Farmers was written by Tang Dynasty poet Li Shen. Having endured famine and times of great hunger, it’s inherent in Chinese culture that all have an appreciation for food. This poem represents an grateful attitude that we should all have, an appreciation for the difficulty and toil of growing and preparing food.
