[updated September 2022]
Written On My Host’s Wall in Chang’an
题 长 安 主 人 壁
久 废 南 山 田
叨 陪 东 阁 贤。
欲 随 平 子 去
犹 未 献 “ 甘 泉”。
枕 藉 琴 书 满
褰 帷 远 岫 连。
我 来 如 昨 日
庭 树 忽 鸣 蝉。
促 织 惊 寒 女
秋 风 思 长 年。
授 衣 当 九 月
无 褐 竟 谁 怜！
Ti Chang’an Zhu Ren Bi
Jiu fei nan shan tian
Tao pei dong ge xian.
Yu sui ping zi qu
You wei xian “Gan Quan”.
Zhen jie qin shu man
Qian wei yuan xiu lian.
Wo lai ru zuo ri
Ting shu hu ming chan.
Cu zhi jing han nu
Qiu feng si chang nian.
Shou yi dang jiu ming
Wu he jing shei lian!
Written on My Host’s Wall in Chang’an
For a long time away from my southern mountains and fields
Favored with the friendship of peers using the eastern side door.
I want to go and follow Pingzi
But I have yet to submit myself to “Guan Quan” .
Books, poetry manuscripts, and musical scores cluttered about in my small room
Lift up the curtain, see distant mountain ranges.
Arrive just like yesterday
Front courtyard trees already have chirping cicadas.
Loud crickets signal the onset of cold autumn weather
Autumn winds, missing my hometown family.
Should have received winter clothes by September
Without winter clothes, a sad state of affairs.
Notes:
Pingzi: a famous scientist in the Han dynasty, who also was not a palace crowd follower
Eastern side door: The place where workers and the non-elite come and go into and out of the Imperial Palace. Meng Haoran was not a part of this inner circle. Could also mean a code word for Buddhism, so he is in the company of sages.
“Guan Quan”: Literally means “Sweet Spring”, an imperial collection of resumes, people who have sent their cover letters and information in order to petition for palace positions.
Commentary:
Meng Haoran was in the capital city of Chang’an waiting to take the high level imperial examinations. They were given shortly after the lunar new year. Meng was not successful in passing the exams. Probably too old and too set in his ways. Not malleable enough for the power elite!