Living
The Waterman
Translated by Isaac Taylor Headland (1900) · From Chinese Mother Goose Rhymes (1900)
Living
My brother waterman,
Listen, I request,
On the south river bank
You sit and rest.
When the day is bright,
You carry all you can;
And when the day is dark,
You're a lazy old man.
Cite this poem
MLA
Anonymous Chinese nursery rhymes. “The Waterman.” Translated by Isaac Taylor Headland. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-chinese-nursery/25/.
Chicago
Anonymous Chinese nursery rhymes. “The Waterman.” Translated by Isaac Taylor Headland. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-chinese-nursery/25/.
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