[updated October 2022]
Melancholy Old Friend
悲 故 交
白 璧 众 求 瑕
素 丝 易 成 污。
万 里 颠 沛 还
高 堂 已 长 暮。
积 愤 方 盈 抱
缠 哀 忽 逾 度。
念 子 从 此 终
黄 泉 竟 谁 诉？
一 为 时 事 感
岂 独 平 生 故。
唯 见 荒 丘 原
野 草 涂 朝 露。
Bei Gu Jiao
Bai bi zhong qiu xia
Su si yi cheng wu.
Wan li dian pei huan
Gao tang yi chang mu.
Ji fen fang ting bao
Chan ai hu yu du.
Nian zi cong ci zhong
Wang quan jing shei su?
Yi wei shi shi gan
Qi du ping sheng gu.
Wei jian huang qiu yuan
Ye cao tu zhao lu.
Melancholy Old Friend
Most people seek jade without any flaws or defects
Plain white silk easily becomes defiled and corrupt.
Up and down, return home from thousands of miles away
Parents have already met and passed their long sunsets.
He still holds anger and resentment for being demoted because of trivial mistakes
Entangled sorrows cannot be unwound. Thinking of you in your youth, now you are dead
Who can you complain to in Yellow Springs?
These times and situations makes one feel
We are not alone suffering this lifetime of pain.
Only see countryside cemeteries wild and overgrown
Uncultivated plants spread with a dawn dew.
Notes:
Yellow Springs: The Chinese underworld.