[updated October 2022]
Government Officials Dao Yi, Cun Zhi, and Ting Mei all Learned Scholars Depend Upon the Great Wisdom and Insight of Our Current Ruler, Naturally Heaven Has Given Us All Many Blessings These Past Years, I Am Becoming Poor and Ill, My Last Chance For a Government Assignment, Want Good Songs and Poems to Be Remembered, So I Made These Lines of Four Sweet Sounds For the Three Men of Noble Character
道一大尹,存之学士,庭美学士,简于圣明,自致霄汉,皆与舍弟昔年还往,牧支离穷悴,窃于一麾,书美歌诗,兼自言志,因成长句四韵,呈上三君子
九 金 神 鼎 重 丘 山
五 玉 诸 侯 杂 佩 环。
星 座 通 霄 狼 鬣 暗
戌 楼 吹 角 虎 牙 闲。
斗 间 紫 气 龙 埋 狱
天 上 洪 炉 帝 铸 颜。
若 念 西 河 旧 交 友
鱼 符 应 许 出 函 关。
Dao Yi Da Yin, Cun Zhi Xue Shi, Ting Mei Xue Shi, Jian Yu Sheng Ming, Zi Zhi Xiao Han, Jie Yu She Di Xi Nian Huan Wang, Mu Zhi Li Qiong Cui, Qie Yu Yi Hui, Shu Mei Ge Shi, Jian Zi Yan Zhi, Yin Cheng Chang Ju Si Yun, Cheng Shang San Jun Zi
Jiu jin shen ding chong qiu shan
Wu yu zhu hou za pei huan.
Xing zuo tong xiao lang lie an
Xu lou chui jiao hu ya xian.
Dou jian zi qi long mai yu
Tian shang hong lu di zhu yan.
Ruo nian xi he jiu jiao you
Yu fu ying xu chu han guan.
Government Officials Dao Yi, Cun Zhi, and Ting Mei all Learned Scholars Depend Upon the Great Wisdom and Insight of Our Current Ruler, Naturally Heaven Has Given Us All Many Blessings These Past Years, I Am Becoming Poor and Ill, My Last Chance For a Government Assignment, Want Good Songs and Poems to Be Remembered, So I Made These Lines of Four Sweet Sounds For the Three Men of Noble Character
Many golden and divine incense holders for our mountains and fields
High-level officials all wear five different waist jade pendants.
Our stars and constellations bright, evil wolf stars are in hiding
Guard towers blowing their horns, the tigers and generals are all relaxed and unoccupied.
I struggle to serve the sage emperors, but instead I am an imprisoned dragon
Heaven can throw me into their vast furnace to recast me for imperial service.
Am like living among the western rivers, for a long time think of me as your friend
If you go out the gated mountain passes near the Great Wall, promise to take along this credentialed government servant.
Notes:
Wolf stars: Group of stars in the mid-southern sky.