[updated October 2022]
Heart-Felt Writing, Send to Those Who Come and Go From the Capital
书 怀 寄 中 朝 往 还
平 生 自 许 少 尘 埃
为 吏 尘 中 势 自 回。
朱 绂 久 惭 官 借 与
白 头 还 叹 老 将 来。
须 知 世 路 难 轻 进
岂 是 君 门 不 大 开。
霄 汉 几 多 同 学 伴
可 怜 头 角 尽 卿 材。
Shu Huai Ji Zhong Zhao Wang Huan
Ping sheng zi xu shao chen ai
Wei li chen zhong shi zi hui.
Zhu fu jiu can guan jie yu
Bai tou huan tan lao jiang lai.
Xu zhi shi lu nan qing jin
Qi shi jun men bu da kai.
Xiao han ji duo tong xue ban
Ke lian tou jiao jin qing cai.
Heart-Felt Writing, Send to Those Who Come and Go From the Capital
All my life, I naturally praised those above the dust in the air
But the circumstances of a petty official inherently involves dusty work.
For a long time felt ashamed as I hung around as a government worker wearing the vermilion silk ribbons
Sigh, now have old white hair and no future.
Must have known society’s roads difficult, yet easy to enter
The doors to the imperial palace do not have wide openings.
Had too many classmates and friends in the upper levels
Such a pity that during youthful brilliance, many senior officials tried to bring me along.
Notes:
Vermilion silk ribbons: Government officials wore these when they were around the middle rank of five (5), out of nine (9) ranks for identification.