A Poem about Fishermen

From a Selection of Ancient Chinese Poems by my Grandfather, Tien Chen

Fishermen in the River by Fan Zhongyan written in the Tong Dynasty —《江上渔者》宋, 范仲淹

江上往来人,

People constantly come and go by the river,

但爱鲈鱼美。

Adoring the delightful taste of perch.

君看一叶舟，

Take a look at that fishing boat,

出没风波里。

As it wallows through the storms.

A very thought-evoking poem depicting the Southern region of the Yangtze River, known best for its delicious perch. The poet focuses not only on the delicacies, but on the fishermen themselves — he expresses deep sympathy realising that they have battled through the rough waters, wind and rain in order to find the perch.