[updated September 2022]
Approaching Old Age Departure
垂 老 别
四 郊 未 宁 静
垂 老 不 得 安。
子 孙 阵 亡 尽
焉 用 身 独 完？！
投 杖 出 门 去
同 行 为 辛 酸。
辛 有 牙 齿 存
所 悲 骨 髓 乾。
男 儿 既 介 胄
长 揖 别 上 官。
老 妻 臥 路 啼
岁 暮 衣 裳 单。
孰 知 是 死 别
且 复 伤 其 寒！
此 去 必 不 归
还 闻 劝 加 餐。
土 门 壁 甚 坚
杏 园 度 亦 难。
势 异 鄴 城 下
纵 死 时 犹 宽。
人 生 有 离 合
岂 择 衰 盛 端？
忆 昔 少 壮 日
迟 迴 竟 长 叹。
万 国 尽 征 戎
烽 火 被 岡 峦。
积 尸 草 木 腥
流 血 川 原 丹。
何 乡 为 乐 土？
安 敢 尚 盘 桓！
弃 绝 蓬 室 居
塌 然 摧 肺 肝。
Chui Lao Bie
Si jiao wei ning jing
Chui lao bu de an.
Zi sun zhen wang jin
Yan yong shen du wan?
Tou zhang chu men qu
Tong xing wei xin suan.
Xin you ya chi cun
Suo bei gu sui qian.
Nan er ji jie zhou
Chang ji bie shang guan.
Lao qi wo lu ti
Sui mu yi chang dan.
Shu zhi shi si bie
Qie fu shang qi han!
Ci qu bi bu gui
Huan wen quan jia can!
Tu men bi shen jian
Xing yuan du yi nan.
Shi yi ye cheng xia
Zong si shi you kuan.
Ren sheng you li he
Qi ze shuai cheng duan?
Yi xi shao zhuang ri
Chi hui jing chang tan.
Wan guo jin zheng rong
Feng huo bei gang luan.
Ji shi cao mu xing
Liu xue chuan yuan dan.
He xiang wei le tu?
An gan shang pan huan!
Qi jue peng shi ju
Ta ran cui fei gan.
Approaching Old Age Departure
[Story of an old man who wants to do something to help his country, even though he is well past the age of soldiers. His wife implores him to stay with her.]
Four directions, the outskirts not calm and pacified
Getting so old, he is still not feeling secure.
Most children and grandchildren have fallen in battle
Body still intact, what to do with too much solitude?
Threw his canes away, go out from the house
Makes the neighbors sad and painful to see him go with the army.
Luckily he has survived with all of his teeth
But bone marrow has dried out.
Even our young boys are wearing armor
With hands clasped, he needs to bow to officials as he leaves.
His old wife lied down on the road to cry
At year’s end, she continues wearing her thin and simple clothes.
Who knows if she will ever see him again
Like another, suffering from the cold and wounds.
Not certain he will ever return again
Persuaded him to always carry some food with him.
He will go to a place of very solid gates and earthworks
Be a difficult place for the enemy to enter our apricot orchards.
This strong garrison compares well to common city walls
You will have time to relax, and will probably die much later from natural causes.
Coming together and parting is a universal human experience
Is it our choice to live during times of prosperity or decline?
Recall the old days, when there were more peaceful times
Long sigh, we circle back to experience our youth.
Throughout the country, most either pay taxes or carry weapons
Encounter beacon fires upon the strong mountain ranges.
Stacked corpses produce a fish-like smell upon the grasses and trees
Bloodshed turning the rivers bright red.
Where is our hometown full of happiness and joy?
Paced back and forth, the pervasive calm around here is uncomfortable.
He is done with this thatched hut living
Without a country to live in, our lungs and liver will also collapse.