Late in the Year of Poverty, Did Not Register My Name
岁 暮 贫 甚 戏 书
阿 堵 元 知 不 受 呼
忍 贫 闭 户 亦 良 图。
曲 身 得 火 才 微 直
槁 面 持 杯 只 暂 朱。
食 案 阑 干 堆 苜 蓿
褐 衣 颠 倒 著 天 吴。
谁 知 未 减 粗 豪 在
落 笔 犹 能 赋 两 都。
Sui Mu Pin Shen Xi Shu
A du yuan zhi bu shou hu
Ren pin bi hu yi liang tu.
Qu shen dei huo cai wei zhi
Gao mian chi bei zhi zan zhu.
Shi an lan gan dui mu xu
He yi dian dao zhu tian wu.
Shei zhi wei jian cu hao zai
Luo bi you neng fu liang dou.
Late in the Year Poverty, Did Not Register My Name
Usually know I cannot receive retirement stipends without showing up
Good to endure poverty by staying behind closed doors.
Cold and crooked life with a small fire where one can stretch out straight
Withered face, only with a modest stove and wine can my face turn red.
Across my long table, piled up weeds and greens are my food
Layered coarse clothes with old government emblems patched here and there.
Who knows by my looks that I can still produce powerful poems
My writing brush still endowed with capital city qualities.
Notes:
[For the last two years Lu did not go and register his name at a government grain storehouse in order to receive his retirement rations.]