weather	:		sunny
outside	:		22°C
mood	:		affected

I didn't really mean for this to be my Father's Day tribute, but this poem has the distinguished honour of being the very first piece of literature to make me cry.

送 sòng	楊 yáng	氏 shì	女 nǚ		To My Daughter, On Her Marriage Into The Yang Family
韋 wéi	應 yìng	物 wù			Wei Yingwu
永 yǒng	日 rì	方 fāng	慼 qī	慼 qī	My heart has been heavy all day long
出 chū	行 xíng	復 fù	悠 yōu	悠 yōu	Because you have so far to go.
女 nǚ	子 zi	今 jīn	有 yǒu	行 xíng	The marriage of a girl, away from her parents,
大 dà	江 jiāng	泝 sù	輕 qīng	舟 zhōu	Is the launching of a little boat on a great river.
爾 ěr	輩 bèi	苦 kǔ	無 wú	恃 shì	You were very young when your mother died,
撫 fǔ	念 niàn	益 yì	慈 cí	柔 róu	Which made me the more tender of you.
幼 yòu	為 wéi	長 zhǎng	所 suǒ	育 yù	Your elder sister has looked out for you,
兩 liǎng	別 bié	泣 qì	不 bù	休 xiū	And now you are both crying and cannot part,
對 duì	此 cǐ	結 jié	中 zhōng	腸 cháng	Which makes my grief the harder to bear;
義 yì	往 wǎng	難 nán	復 fù	留 liú	Yet it is right that you should go.
自 zì	小 xiǎo	闕 quē	內 nèi	訓 xùn	Having had from childhood no mother to guide you,
事 shì	姑 gū	貽 yí	我 wǒ	憂 yōu	How will you honour your mother-in-law?
賴 lài	茲 zī	託 tuō	令 lìng	門 mén	It's an excellent family; they will be kind to you,
仁 rén	卹 xù	庶 shù	無 wú	尤 yóu	They will forgive you your mistakes —
貧 pín	儉 jiǎn	誠 chéng	所 suǒ	尚 shàng	Although ours has been so pure and poor
資 zī	從 cóng	豈 qǐ	待 dài	周 zhōu	That you can bring them no great dowry.
孝 xiào	恭 gōng	遵 zūn	婦 fù	道 dào	Be gentle and respectful, as a woman should be,
容 róng	止 zhǐ	順 shùn	其 qí	猷 yóu	Mindful of word and look, observant of good example.
別 bié	離 lí	在 zài	今 jīn	晨 chén	After this morning we separate,
見 jiàn	爾 ěr	當 dāng	何 hé	秋 qiū	There's no knowing for how long...
居 jū	閑 xián	始 shǐ	自 zì	遣 qiǎn	I always try to hide my feelings —
臨 lín	感 gǎn	忽 hū	難 nán	收 shōu	They are suddenly too much for me,
歸 guī	來 lái	視 shì	幼 yòu	女 nǚ	When I turn and see my younger daughter
零 líng	淚 lèi	緣 yuán	纓 yīng	流 liú	With the tears running down her cheek.

To My Daughter,
On Her Marriage Into The Yang Family

Wei Yingwu

My heart has been heavy all day long
Because you have so far to go.
The marriage of a girl, away from her parents,
Is the launching of a little boat on a great river.
You were very young when your mother died,
Which made me the more tender of you.
Your elder sister has looked out for you,
And now you are both crying and cannot part.
This makes my grief the harder to bear;
Yet it is right that you should go.
Having had from childhood no mother to guide you,
How will you honour your mother-in-law?
It's an excellent family; they will be kind to you,
They will forgive you your mistakes —
Although ours has been so pure and poor
That you can bring them no great dowry.
Be gentle and respectful, as a woman should be,
Mindful of word and look, observant of good example.
After this morning we separate,
There's no knowing for how long...
I always try to hide my feelings —
They are suddenly too much for me,
When I turn and see my younger daughter
With the tears running down her cheek.

孝恭遵婦道   Be gentle and respectful, as a woman should be,
容止順其猷   Mindful of word and look, observant of good example.