A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems/The Herd-Boy

by Arthur Waley

THE HERD-BOY

By Lu Yu

In the southern village the boy who minds the ox
With his naked feet stands on the ox's back.
Through the hole in his coat the river wind blows;
Through his broken hat the mountain rain pours.
On the long dyke he seemed to be far away;
In the narrow lane suddenly we were face to face.

---

The boy is home and the ox is back in its stall;
And a dark smoke oozes through the thatched roof.