慈母手中线 (cí mǔ shǒu zhōng xiàn, the thread in a loving mother's hands) begins 游子吟 (yóu zǐ yín), The Traveler's Song, by the Tang poet Meng Jiao, the best-loved Chinese poem about mothers. A mother sews her son's coat with tight, careful stitches the night before he leaves, afraid he will be slow to come home, and the poem ends by asking how a little blade of grass could ever repay the warmth of spring sunshine. Schools read it for Mother's Day, and a copied-out version makes a moving card for any parent. This worksheet sets out the six five-character lines with pinyin for copying and then writing from memory, followed by a translation and notes on 游子 (yóu zǐ, a traveler far from home), 寸草心 (cùn cǎo xīn, the heart of a blade of grass) and 三春晖 (sān chūn huī, spring sunshine). Print it free or save the PDF, and copy it out for someone you love.
游子吟 (yóu zǐ yín) with pinyin and English
- 慈母手中线， cí mǔ shǒu zhōng xiàn: The thread in a loving mother's hands
- 游子身上衣。 yóu zǐ shēn shàng yī: becomes the coat her traveling son wears.
- 临行密密缝， lín xíng mì mì féng: Before he leaves, she sews it with tight, close stitches,
- 意恐迟迟归。 yì kǒng chí chí guī: afraid that he will be slow to come home.
- 谁言寸草心， shuí yán cùn cǎo xīn: Who can say that a little blade of grass
- 报得三春晖。 bào dé sān chūn huī: could ever repay the warm spring sunshine?
About the poem
游子吟 (yóu zǐ yín), The Traveler's Song: by 孟郊 (Mèng Jiāo), Tang dynasty (618-907).
谁: read shuí (also shéi). Poems are usually recited with shuí; everyday speech uses shéi.
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Frequently asked questions
What does 游子吟 (yóu zǐ yín) mean?
游子吟 (yóu zǐ yín) means 'Song of the Traveler'. A mother sews her son's clothes with tight stitches the night before he leaves, afraid he will be slow to return, and the poem asks how a blade of grass could ever repay the spring sunshine.
Who wrote 游子吟 (yóu zǐ yín)?
游子吟 (yóu zǐ yín) was written by 孟郊 (Mèng Jiāo), a Tang poet who wrote it about his own mother. Meng Jiao wrote it in the Tang dynasty.
How long is 游子吟 (yóu zǐ yín)?
游子吟 (yóu zǐ yín) has six lines of five characters, 30 characters in all. Copied out neatly, it makes a thoughtful card for Mother's Day. The worksheet gives each line its own row of grids with pinyin above.
What does 谁言寸草心 (shuí yán cùn cǎo xīn) mean?
谁言寸草心 (shuí yán cùn cǎo xīn) asks 'who says the heart of an inch of grass', and the last line finishes it: 报得三春晖 (bào dé sān chūn huī), 'could repay the sunshine of spring?' The grass is the child and the sunshine is the mother's love.
Is this worksheet free to print?
Yes. The 游子吟 (yóu zǐ yín) worksheet is free to print or save as a PDF, with no account or email needed, and you can print as many copies as you like for a class. Choose A4 or US Letter before you press Print or Save PDF.