Ninth Month, Ninth Day, Year of the Rooster
己酉岁九月九日
靡 靡 秋 已 夕
凄 凄 风 露 交。
蔓 草 不 复 荣
园 木 空 自 凋。
清 气 澄 余 滓
杳 然 天 界 高；
哀 蝉 无 留 响
丛 雁 鸣 云 霄。
万 化 相 寻 绎
人 生 岂 不 劳 ？
从 古 皆 有 没
念 之 中 心 焦。
何 以 称 我 情？
浊 酒 且 自 陶。
千 载 非 所 知
聊 以 永 今 朝。
Ji You Sui Jiu Yue Jiu Ri
Mi mi qiu yi xi
Qi qi feng lu jiao.
Man cao bu fu rong
Yuan mu kong zi diao.
Qing qi cheng yu zi
Yao ran tian jie gao.
Ai chan wu liu xiang
Cong yan ming yun xiao.
Wan hua xiang xun yi
Ren sheng qi bu lao ?
Cong gu jie you mei
Nian zhi zhong xin jiao.
He yi chen wo qing ?
Zhuo jiu qie zi tao.
Qian zai fei suo zhi
Liao yi yong jin zhao.
Ninth Month, Ninth Day, Year of the Rooster
Sunset, end of autumn, leaves falling
Very cold and desolate wind, dew forming.
Once lush, the vegetables on a vine in decline
Garden trees empty, naturally withered.
Clear air, transparent and without dust
Sky silent and still, horizons tall.
Cicadas without any sounds
Formations of wild geese honk across the clouds and sky.
The ten thousand worldly things transform into each other
How can human experience be without hard work?
From ancient times everything appears and disappears
Thinking of these things my main concern.
What matches with my situation?
Content to drink crude wine for a long time by myself.
After I die, in one thousand years, do not know where I will be
For now, only need to sing and drink.
Notes:
Year of the Rooster: The year 409 AD. In this year Tao Yuanming’s mother and sister died.