[updated September 2022]
Act As a Crane
代 鹤
我 本 海 上 鹤
偶 逢 江 南 客。
感 君 一 顾 恩
同 来 洛 阳 陌。
洛 阳 寡 族 类
皎 皎 唯 两 翼。
貌 是 天 宇 高
色 非 日 浴 白。
主 人 城 可 恶
其 奈 轩 庭 窄。
饮 啄 杂 鸡 群
年 深 损 标 格。
故 乡 渺 何 处
云 水 重 重 隔。
谁 念 深 笼 中
七 换 摩 天 翮。
Dai He
Wo ben hai shang he
Ou feng jiang nan ke.
Gan jun yi gu en
Tong lai luo yang mo.
Luo yang gua zu lei
Jiao jiao wei liang yi.
Mao shi tian yu gao
Se fei ri yu bai.
Zhu ren cheng ke wu
Qi nai xuan ting zhai.
Yin zhuo za ji qun
Nian shen sun biao ge.
Gu xiang miao he chu
Yun shui chong chong ge.
Shei nian shen long zhong
Qi huan mo tian he.
Act As a Crane
Originally I flew with other cranes over the ocean
Once I traveled and met a man from Jiangnan.
I felt you were kind and knew how to take care of me.
Took me to the Luoyang footpaths between the flooded fields.
Luoyang has very few birds like me
Both of my white wings are very bright.
My appearance so heavenly that I associate with the best
My color white without the need of daily washings.
My master loves and treats me well
Too bad his dignified front courtyard is narrow and small.
Drink and eat with a mixed flock of chickens
For years being here has damaged my pattern of flying alone above the treetops.
Lost track of where my hometown is
It is at a distance past layer upon layer of clouds and rivers.
Who can think of me in the middle of this cage
Been here through seven complete feather moltings.
Commentary:
Bai Juyi and this crane are one and the same.