[updated October 2022]
Southern Huzhou, First Day of the Lunar New Year, Beckon Li Yin Who Will Take the County-Level Imperial Exams
湖 南 正 初 招 李 郢 秀 才
行 乐 及 时 时 已 晚
对 酒 当 歌 歌 不 成。
千 里 暮 山 重 叠 翠
一 溪 寒 水 浅 深 清。
高 人 以 饮 为 忙 事
浮 世 除 诗 尽 强 名。
看 著 白 蘋 芽 欲 吐
雪 舟 相 访 胜 闲 行。
Hu Nan Zheng Chu Zhao Li Ying Xiu Cai
Xing le ji shi shi yi wan
Dui jiu dang ge ge bu cheng.
Qian li mu shan chong die cui
Yi xi han shui qian shen qing.
Gao ren yi yin wei mang shi
Fu shi chu shi jin qiang ming.
Kan zhu bai pin ya yu tu
Xue zhou xiang fang sheng xian xing.
Southern Huzhou, First Day of the Lunar New Year, Beckon Li Yin Who Will Take the County-Level Imperial Exams
Unlike you, it may be too late for me to enjoy this season of traveling
Facing each other, I try without success to drink and sing songs with you.
Thousands of miles, layers of green, over-lapping sunset-lit mountains
One shallow cold-water stream deep and clear.
Superior people can drink while attending to busy affairs
Superficial societies eliminate poetry and the names of the brilliant.
View the outstanding white-clover fern buds almost emerge above the water
Superb and leisurely scenery, do not need to visit my friends.
Notes:
The last line is a literary and historical allusion from an old story about a prince who took a boat ride to look for a friend. He did not continue searching for his friend as the scenery he encountered was so beautiful.