[updated September 2022]
Blaming My Sons
责 子
白 发 被 两 鬓 鬓
肌 肤 不 复 实。
虽 有 五 男 儿
总 不 好 纸 笔。
阿 舒 已 二 八
懒 惰 故 无 匹。
阿 宣 行 志 学
而 不 爱 文 术。
雍 端 年 十 三
不 识 六 与 七。
通 子 垂 九 龄
但 觅 梨 与 栗。
天 运 苟 如 此
且 进 杯 中 物。
Ze Zi
Bai fa bei liang bin bin
Ji fu bu fu shi.
Sui you wu nan er
Zong bu hao zhi bi.
E shu yi er ba
Lan duo gu wu pi.
E xuan xing zhi xue
Er bu ai wen shu.
Yong duan nian shi san
Bu shi liu yu qi.
Tong zi chui jiu ling
Dan mi li yu li.
Tian yun gou ru ci
Qie jin bei zhong wu.
Blaming My Sons
White hair has covered both temples
Skin not as supple, muscles not as solid.
Even though I have five sons
None of them fond of paper and brush.
My son E Shu is now sixteen years old
His laziness is without equal.
E Xuan is almost fifteen
He does not like to read or write.
Two other sons are thirteen
They don’t know what the classics are.
Youngest son Tongzi is almost nine years old
He only knows how to forage for fruits and nuts.
My destiny is to have sons that are not interested in learning or literature like me
Guess all I can do is just take up a glass of wine.