[updated September 2022]
Collected Works in a Cabinet
题 文 集 柜
破 柏 作 书 柜
柜 牢 柏 复 坚。
收 贮 谁 家 集？
题 云 白 乐 天。
我 生 业 文 学
自 幼 及 老 年。
前 后 七 十 卷
小 大 三 千 篇。
诚 知 终 散 失
未 忍 遽 弁 捐。
自 开 自 锁 闭
置 在 书 帷 前。
身 是 邓 伯 道
世 无 王 仲 宣。
只 应 分 付 女
留 与 处 孙 传。
Ti Wen Ji Gui
Po bai zuo shu gui
Gui lao bai fu jian.
Shou zhu shei jia ji?
Ti yun bai le tian.
Wo sheng ye wen xue
Zi you ji lao nian.
Qian hou qi shi juan
Xiao da san qian pian.
Cheng zhi zhong san shi
Wei ren ju qi juan.
Zi kai zi suo bi
Zhi zai shu wei qian.
Shen shi deng bo dao
Shi wu wang zhong xuan.
Zhi ying fen fu nu
Liu yu wai sun chuan.
Collected Works in a Cabinet
Old growth cedar used to custom make this book cabinet
This cedar cabinet made very solid and strong.
Whose collection of saved works are stored here?
These works all of Bai Letian (Bai Juyi).
My whole life’s purpose has been literature
Naturally from my youth through the older years.
Over many years there are now seventy scrolls
Works long and short number about three thousand.
Actually realize that eventually they all will fall apart and be lost
Yet I cannot accept to give up this project.
Naturally I open up and lock up again for my own enjoyment
Book collection set-up with a curtain in front.
My life like the path of Deng Bo
Society without the likes of Wang Zhongxuan.
Only have one daughter to tell and instruct on how to preserve my work
Accept that I will pass on this collection to my niece.
Notes:
Deng Bo: From a story about a man who lived during the Jin Dynasty. After a natural disaster, he and his family had to flee to safety. However, on the way they were stopped by bandits who demanded one of the young boys. Deng gave up his own son instead of his nephew because he believed that he could have another son, but his brother could not.
Wang Zhongxuan: aka Wang Can (177-217 AD) Late Eastern Han dynasty poet and politician. Famous for his Jian’an style of poems which was a transition from folk songs to a scholarly poetry. As a youth he was spotted and praised by Cai Yong at a party.
Cai Yong: (132-192 AD) Famous poet and musician during the Eastern Han dynasty. Before he died, his entrusted his collected works to protégé. Unfortunately much of this collection was lost. However, Cai had a daughter known as an accomplished poet and musician. Bai Juyi wishes his collection could wind up with someone like this.
Commentary:
This poem remarkably describes how some ancient Chinese poems have existed over the centuries. I believe Bai Juyi had three copies of his poems left with three different Buddhist temples.