[updated September 2022]
Praise For the Crane
鹤 叹
园 中 有 鹤 驯 可 呼
我 欲 呼 之 立 坐 隅。
鹤 有 难 色 侧 睨 予
岂 欲 臆 对 如 鹏 乎。
我 生 如 寄 良 畸 孤
三 尺 长 胫 阁 瘦 躯。
俯 啄 少 许 便 有 余
何 至 以 身 为 子 娱。
驱 之 上 堂 立 斯 须
投 以 饼 饵 视 若 无。
戛 然 长 鸣 乃 下 趋
难 进 易 退 我 不 如。
He Tan
Yuan zhong you he xun ke hu
Wo yu hu zhi li zuo yu.
He you nan se ce ni yu
Qi yu yi dui ru xiao
Wo sheng ru ji liang ji gu
San chi chang jing ge shou qu.
Fu zhuo shao xu bian you yu
He zhi yi shen wei zi yu.
Qu zhi shang tang li si xu
Tou yi bing er shi ruo wu.
Jia ran chang ming nai xia qu
Nan jin yi tui wo bu ru.
Praise For the Crane
Crane in the middle of the garden can respond to voices
I call out for him to perch or sit with me.
Solitary crane gave me a sideways glance
Maybe he thinks I am unlucky like a sparrow or hawk.
Our lives depend upon the goodness of others
With skinny and long shin bones.
Only need to peck a little bit of food to survive
So I wonder why he performs some for such little joys.
He comes into the pavilion to wait
I offer him a round flat cake, but he barely looks at it.
Gives out a loud bird cry, then flies away
Not like me, he carefully enters a situation, and if unsatisfied, quickly leaves.