Línxíngmìmìféng, yìkǒngchíchíguī, zhè shì měi wèi mǔqīn de xīn.
Stitching close and tight before departure, fearing his late return - this is every mother's heart.
Tips
history
From Meng Jiao's (孟郊) Mid-Tang poem 游子吟 (Song of the Wandering Son): 慈母手中线，游子身上衣。临行密密缝，意恐迟迟归。谁言寸草心，报得三春晖。 The most famous Chinese poem about a mother's love. 密密 reduplication conveys painstaking closeness of the stitches - she sews tight so the garment will hold through however long he's gone.
usage
Always paired with the next line 意恐迟迟归. Standard elementary-school memorized poem. Often recited on Mother's Day and in filial contexts.
