Can someone help me find this poem?

[littleone]

...or tell me the title, and I'll try to find it myself?

So this poem is about a person (I think a man), he left his village (for reasons I can't remember). Fast forward many years later, as an old man, he decides to pay a visit but no one remembers him.

There's a sad tone to this poem, and I think the meaning behind it is to cherish what you had and have. I first heard of this poem when I was really little, and I really want to find it again. I really hope someone can help!

There's one line I remember (I think!). It goes something like, "hair turning white.." Ok, I'm not positively sure that's the line, but it's about the man's hair turning white, and returning to the village where no one recognized him.

this poem means a lot to me, and I hope someone can help me..

[vampire]

回乡偶书(by 贺知章)

少小离家老大回，乡音无改鬓毛衰。

儿童相见不相识，笑问客从何处来？

[littleone]

Yes! I think that's the poem. I now remember the first line 少小离家老大回. But I remember the poem being much longer?

[florazheng]

But I remember the poem being much longer?

'

Your memory betrays you. It is the complete poem. Please use Google for verification.

[HashiriKata]

But I remember the poem being much longer?

You may be right. There seems to be an extended version of that, with a slightly modified title:

回乡偶书二首

贺知章

少小离家老大回， 乡音无改鬓毛衰。

儿童相见不相识， 笑问客从何处来。

离别家乡岁月多， 近来人事半消磨。

惟有门前镜湖水， 春风不改旧时波。

[Jialihai Jiejie]

But I remember the poem being much longer?

When Jialihai Jiejie was still a young little girl, she always got 清明时节 and 回乡偶书 mixed up. That's because after the last sentence in 回乡偶书, ie, 笑问客从何处来; one could easily link it to 牧童遥指杏花村 in 清明时节?!!

Ha ha... Maybe it's because she memorised these two poems at about the same time. Both of them got a kid who was trying to ask for some directions?

Jialihai Jiejie

[trien27]

That's because after the last sentence in 回乡偶书, ie, 笑问客从何处来; one could easily link it to 牧童遥指杏花村 in 清明时节?!!

Ha ha... Maybe it's because she memorised these two poems at about the same time. Both of them got a kid who was trying to ask for some directions?

笑问客从何处来 = the child is smilingly asking the visitor where he is from.

牧童遥指杏花村 = the shepherd boy nodded and pointed to 杏花村, an unknown area for the asking passerby.

The child was only asking for directions in 回乡偶书, but not the passerby was asking a child for directions in 清明时节

[trien27]

回乡偶书二首

= The second part of the poem 回乡偶书 is included with the first part of the poem 回乡偶书 here. In other words, it's two poems put together as one, so you can think of it as one long poem or two short poems. Edited October 14, 2008 at 02:29 AM by trien27
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