The seven-character quatrain of an ancient poem about honoring parents is as follows:

1. Shang recalled that there were many happy things in the previous dynasty, and the Emperor Xiao once opened two palaces.

Translation: At this time, the hall of my home in Yuyao was brightly lit and all the brothers were here. My parents must also miss me being alone in a far away place.

2. It’s a miserable snowy night in Chaimen. It’s better to have children than not to have children at this time.

Translation: On this windy and snowy night, I couldn’t fulfill my filial piety by my mother’s side but had to cover my mother’s door and walk away miserably. I couldn’t help but sigh: What’s the use of raising a son? It’s better not to have one.

3. Mother farewells son, son bids farewell to mother, crying in pain when there is no light in the day.

Translation: The mother bids farewell to her son, and the son bids farewell to his mother. The sunshine during the day seems to have lost its luster due to sadness, and the cries are filled with infinite misery.

4. The white-headed old mother covers the door and cries, and rolls up the broken sleeves of her shirt.

Translation: The old mother with white hair closed the door and cried. You can't keep the sleeves even if you pull them off.

5. If you can be filial to your parents, you will be a good son if you are filial; if you are filial to your mother-in-law, you will be filial and you will be virtuous.

Translation: To be filial to parents is to be a good son, to be filial to father-in-law and mother-in-law is to have a reputation of being both filial and virtuous.