Millet is a kind of grain. In the Tang dynasty it was considered better than rice or wheat, so when a guest came and you wanted to offer them your best food, you would serve chicken and rice.
All this is not very obvious to us today, so I've actually edited this line again. In the new version, I've now got:
You killed a chicken, offered me a bed
In your idyllic sanctuary.
I think that makes it a little clearer, even though we've lost a bit of detail.
Thanks for this!
I like your commentary about brains and a comparison with this poem. What is millet chicken?
Millet is a kind of grain. In the Tang dynasty it was considered better than rice or wheat, so when a guest came and you wanted to offer them your best food, you would serve chicken and rice.
All this is not very obvious to us today, so I've actually edited this line again. In the new version, I've now got:
You killed a chicken, offered me a bed
In your idyllic sanctuary.
I think that makes it a little clearer, even though we've lost a bit of detail.
Phil,
All you have to do is add "and" between millet and chicken. I'm familiar with millet.