STUDY IN CHINA GLOBAL (SCG)Below Southern Mountains, Meet With an Old Farmer to Discuss How to Grow Melons
南 山 下 與 老 圃 期 種 瓜
樵 牧 南 山 近
林 闾 北 郭 赊。
先 人 留 素 业
老 圃 作 鄰 家。
不 種 干 柱 橘
惟 资 五 色 瓜。
邵 平 能 就 我
開 徑 前 蓬 麻。
Nan Shan Xia Yu Lao Pu Qi Zhong Gua
Qiao mu nan shan jin
Lin lu bei guo she.
Xian ren liu su ye
Lao pu zuo lin jia.
Bu zhong gan zhu ju
Wei zi wu se gua.
Shao ping neng jiu wo
Kai jing qian peng ma.
Below Southern Mountains, Meet With an Old Farmer to Discuss How to Grow Melons
Woodcutters and shepherds near the Southern Mountains
Living a ways from the northern edge of the city to forest points of entry.
My ancestors remained here to farm their old land holdings
An old farmer made his house nearby.
I did not plant a thousand tangerine trees like Li Wei
Only hope to grow a five-color variety of melon like Shao Ping.
Like Shao Ping, the old farmer can teach me
Need to open footpaths, then trim and clear away the natural vegetation.
Notes:
Southern mountains: Mountain range south of the capital city of Chang’an.
Li Wei: During the Three Kingdoms time (220-280 AD), a man by the name of Li Wei was a local mayor. With money, probably from corruption, he bought a mountainside and planted one thousand tangerine trees to leave as a family legacy.
Shao Ping: During the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), a ruler of the Eastern empire fell from power after the dynasty collapsed. With his remaining land, Shao Ping planted melons.
Commentary:
Meng Haoran and his family did have a large stand of tangerine trees. What he is saying here, is that they did not use bribe money to buy and plant them.
