The words in italic are an annotation of the Chinese song 时间都去哪儿了 found here at the East Asia Student site. I have taken them and added to them (for better or worse?)
The old tree before the door has grown new shoots,
yet my toenails have grown thick and black;
The dead tree in the yard is blooming again
but each day, I shed more skin;
I’ve held on to so many words over a lifetime,
they are still rattling around,
– stored them in a head of white hair,
– stored them in crow’s feet.
In my memory, a girl with little feet
and a chubby little mouth
Waddling around the yard
where ducks and chickens peck at seeds;
I gave her my love for a lifetime
watching her fly away
All for the sound of “mum” and “dad”
;
all given to the golden prince across the valley;
Where has the time gone?
I was holding on to it so tightly;
I haven’t yet enjoyed youth and I’m already old
my star descending;
Raising sons and daughters for a lifetime
will I meet them again in the next life?
I must tell myself so
My mind is full of children crying and laughing;
my mind, crying and laughing;
Where has the time gone?
I was holding on to it in hope;
I still haven’t taken care of you properly,
and my eyes are already failing;
I will dig a comfortable hole in the earth
for our future;
Daily necessities for a lifetime
now,
it’s your turn;
Do not forget,
in the blink of an eye, all that’s left is a face full of wrinkles,
All that’s left is a dead tree with new shoots.
Today’s Daily Stoic poem:
1994ever 