Various Poems: Twelve Poems: No. 8
杂 诗 ： 十 二 首
(8)
代 耕 本 非 望
所 业 在 田 桑。
躬 亲 未 曾 替
寒 馁 常 糟 糠。
岂 期 过 满 腹
但 愿 饱 粳 粮。
御 冬 足 大 布
粗 絺 以 应 阳。
正 尔 不 能 得
哀 哉 亦 可 伤！
人 皆 尽 获 宜
拙 生 失 其 方。
理 也 可 奈 何
且 为 陶 一 觞。
Za Shi: Shi Er Shou
(8)
Dai geng ben fei wang
Suo ye zai tian sang.
Gong qin wei ceng ti
Han nei chang zao kang.
Qi qi guo man fu
Dan yuan bao jing liang.
Yu dong zu da bu
Cu chi yi ying yang.
Zheng er bu neng de
Ai zai yi ke shang!
Ren jie jin huo yi
Zhuo sheng shi qi fang.
Li ye ke nai he
Qie wei tao yi shang.
Various Poems: Twelve Poems: No. 8
Very hopeful my choice to plow and cultivate was correct
My occupation to tend fields and mulberry trees.
Attend to this work personally
But I live with cold hunger and the chaff.
Would be satisfied with just enough
If only I could have my fill of rice and grains.
Have adequate winter clothes
And thin, cool clothes for the summer heat.
Even these simple needs hard to obtain
Such sorrow! Such pain!
Most can fulfill their basic desires
My skills are so poor, life gets lost along the way
If this is true, then I will be content with a single cup of wine.