[updated September 2022]
Drawing Up My Own Elegies: Three Poems: No. 1
拟 挽 歌 辞：三 首
有 生 必 有 死
早 终 非 命 促。
昨 暮 同 为 人
今 旦 在 鬼 录。
魂 气 散 何 之？
枯 形 寄 空 木。
娇 儿 索 父 啼
良 友 抚 我 哭。
得 失 不 复 知
是 非 安 能 觉！
千 秋 万 岁 后
谁 知 荣 与 辱。
但 恨 在 世 时
饮 酒 不 得 足。
Ni Wan Ge Ci: San Shou
(1)
You sheng bi you si
Zao zhong fei ming cu.
Zuo mu tong wei ren
Jin dan zai gui lu.
Hun qi san he zhi ?
Ku xing ji kong mu.
Jiao er suo fu ti
Liang you fu wo ku.
De shi bu fu zhi
Shi fei an neng jue !
Qian qiu wan sui hou
Shei zhi rong yu ru.
Dan hen zai shi shi
Yin jiu bu de zu.
Drawing Up My Own Elegies: Three Poems: No. 1
Those who have a birth, must then die
Some who die young, still can have had a full life.
Up to the last day, people exhibit their same behaviors
Upon death, the spirits enter your name into their ledger.
Where does this soul, the spirit’s breath, scatter to?
Decaying body placed into an empty coffin.
Young children search and cry for their father
Good friends cry in mourning.
Success and failure, not regained or known, never to repeat
Will no longer sense right from wrong.
After thousands of years pass
Who will know of your honor or shame.
Only regret during my lifetime:
Not getting enough wine to drink.