观村童戏溪上 - 陆游
Watching Village Children at Play by the Stream - Lu You
Childlike Joy Beside Rising Waters
雨余溪水涨柴扉，
村童戏水并相依。
举手欲扶船上客，
不知他意在鱼肥。
村童戏水并相依。
举手欲扶船上客，
不知他意在鱼肥。
In this concise, four-line poem, Lu You paints a lighthearted scene set shortly after rainfall—when the stream’s water rises near a humble, rustic gate. Village children, drawn by both curiosity and playful energy, gather at the water’s edge.
The lines highlight the children’s apparent eagerness to 'help' a passing boatman: one child raises his hand, as if to assist the traveler. Yet the poet wryly suggests a hidden motive—perhaps these youngsters are more focused on the possibility of fish coming into the swollen creek. This everyday scenario, common in rural life, becomes a moment of quiet humor and insight.
Lu You’s attentiveness to small, unassuming details (like children’s mischief after a rain) contrasts with his better-known patriotic or introspective works. Instead, he captures a scene of innocence and subtle cunning, reflecting how practical concerns (food, fish) naturally intertwine with childlike fun in the countryside. The poem’s final note of gentle irony underscores how even good-natured gestures may hold a touch of self-interest.
Overall, “Watching Village Children at Play by the Stream” exemplifies Lu You’s broader talent: he can pivot from grand, nationalistic verses to humble snapshots of rural life, all the while preserving an eye for revealing human nature in its simplest forms.
Key points
• Depicts a post-rain countryside scene, focusing on children’s playful energy.
• Contrasts simple ‘helpfulness’ with possible ulterior motives—demonstrating the quiet humor in daily life.
• Reflects Lu You’s flair for capturing both grand, patriotic themes and small, unassuming vignettes.
• Suggests that rural life is shaped by practical needs (like fishing) yet imbued with childhood wonder.
Comments
Burning PantherLong (nowaday): modern media occasionally highlights how children’s unbridled happiness can overshadow adult anxieties in times of crisis—like illusions overshadowed by the hush-laden vow that seeing youthful energy can restore a sense of hope. The poem’s heartbreak recedes in the face of playful innocence, forging a vow that sorrow, however real, can remain overshadowed by gentle scenes of everyday wonder.
SilentShorShort (nowaday): it’s reminiscent of how modern city-dwellers watch children in urban parks, illusions overshadowing adult worries. The hush-laden hearts see new beginnings in young, carefree spirits, forging a vow that heartbreak can gently recede amid laughter and mild acceptance.
EchoHarbinLong (compare): one can also see parallels with Li Qingzhao’s hush-laden heartbreak in ‘声声慢(寻寻觅觅),’ though her illusions overshadow personal sorrow in drifting gloom. Here, illusions overshadow heartbreak in a more cheerful hush—young villagers frolicking in a pastoral setting. Both revolve around parted hopes overshadowed by daily life’s rhythms, forging distinct emotional climates: Li Qingzhao’s subdued gloom vs. Lu You’s mild vow of acceptance shaped by communal joy.
Abstract NovaMiddle (compare): illusions parted overshadow heartbreak in ‘观村童戏溪上,’ forging a vow of calm acceptance. In ‘钗头凤(红酥手),’ heartbreak surges more personally, overshadowing illusions of romance with deeper anguish. Both poems revolve around parted hopes, but while ‘钗头凤’ wields sharper emotional edges, this poem stands in the hush of a country scene, overshadowing sorrow with children’s untroubled delight.
Fusion LogicShort: illusions of a carefree youth swirl in each line, overshadowed by the poet’s wistful gaze at children’s laughter—a hush-laden vow that heartbreak can coexist quietly with gentle scenes of play.
Sturdy IbexMiddle (compare): reading it alongside Lu You’s ‘示儿,’ which merges heartbreak with patriotic longing, reveals how illusions overshadow sorrow in distinct ways—‘示儿’ harnesses a vow for national cause, while here illusions yield softly to the hush of daily rural life, forging gentle acceptance rather than solemn duty.
Fierce Red TigerLong (compare): illusions soared in earlier poems like ‘书愤(早岁那知世事艰),’ overshadowing heartbreak with fierce resolve. In ‘观村童戏溪上,’ the poet leans on a different hush—children’s carefree energy overshadowing sorrow. Both revolve around parted hopes, yet here illusions fade softly in a vow of gentle acceptance shaped by the humility and calm of rural scenes, a notable shift from the righteous fervor found in Lu You’s more patriotic verses.
Majestic LeopardShort (compare): in contrast to Lu You’s storm-laced “十一月四日风雨大作(其一),” which merges heartbreak with raging weather, ‘观村童戏溪上’ channels parted hopes through the calm hush of rural children’s laughter. Both revolve around illusions overshadowed by personal sorrow, yet here the poet’s vow is gentler, resting on the simple joy of youth rather than battling fierce gales.
Candid BeetleMiddle (nowaday): people often retreat to countryside getaways seeking hush-laden solace, illusions overshadowing heartbreak with the playful scenes of local kids near streams. The poem’s vow resonates with that quiet sense of parted hopes receding amid the innocence of simpler environments.
