[updated September 2022]
From Luoyang, Go to Zhejiang
自 洛 之 越
遑 遑 三 十 载
书 剑 两 无 成。
山 水 寻 吴 越
风 尘 厌 洛 京。
扁 舟 泛 湖 海
长 揖 谢 公 卿。
且 乐 杯 中 物
谁 论 世 上 名！
Zi Luo Zhi Yue
Huang huang san shi zai
Shu jian liang wu cheng.
Shan shui xun wu yue
Feng chen yan luo jing.
Bian zhou fan hu hai
Chang yi xie gong qing.
Qie le bei zhong wu
Shei lun shi shang ming!
From Luoyang, Go to Zhejiang
Busy, in haste, thirty years have gone
Unsuccessful in both the government bureaucracy and legal positions.
Travel to the hills and river scenery of Wu
Disgusted with Luoyang, the capital, and with the blowing dust of unstable societies.
Small flat boats float on lakes and seas
Long farewell with a bow, and hands clasped, thanks to senior government official friends.
For a long time happy to have drinking wine a priority
Follow the Analects, and not the famous and powerful.
Notes:
Luoyang: City to the east of Chang’an (Xi’an). Occasional eastern capital of Imperial China.
Zhejiang: Modern province of China on the central eastern coast.
Wu: Ancient nation-state in southern Jiangsu, northern Zhejiang provinces.