[updated September 2022]
Reply to My Brother Ziyou, Heard About Zi Zhan, Who Will Go to the Southern End of Taiping Xitang in Order to Study
和 子 由 闻 子 瞻 将 如 终 南 平 宫 溪 堂 读 书
役 名 则 已 勤
殉 身 则 已 媮。
我 诚 愚 且 拙。
身 名 两 无 谋。
始 者 学 书 判
近 亦 知 问 囚。
但 知 今 当 为
敢 问 向 所 由。
士 方 其 未 得
惟 以 不 得 忧。
既 得 又 忧 失
此 心 浩 难 收。
譬 如 倦 行 客
中 路 逢 清 流。
尘 埃 虽 未 脱
暂 憩 得 一 漱。
我 欲 走 南 涧
春 禽 始 嘤 呦。
鞅 掌 久 不 决
尔 来 已 徂 秋。
桥 山 日 月 迫
府 县 烦 差 抽。
王 事 谁 敢 愬
民 劳 吏 宜 羞。
中 间 罹 早 暵
欲 学 喚 雨 鸠。
千 夫 换 一 木
十 步 八 九 休。
渭 水 涸 无 泥
菑 堰 旋 插 修。
对 之 食 不 饱
余 事 更 遑 求。
近 日 秋 雨 足
公 余 试 新 篘。
劬 劳 幸 已 过
朽 钝 不 任 锼。
秋 风 迫 吹 帽
西 阜 可 纵 游。
聊 为 一 日 乐
慰 此 百 年 愁。
He Zi You Wen Zi Zhan Jiang Ru Zhong Nan Tai Ping Gong Xi Tang Du Shu
Yi ming ze yi qin
Xun shen ze yi yu.
Wo cheng yu qie zhuo
Shen ming liang wu mou.
Shi zhe xue shu pan
Jin yi zhi wen qiu.
Dan zhi jin dang wei
Gan wen xiang suo you.
Shi fang qi wei de
Wei yi bu de you.
Ji de you you shi
Ci xin hao nan shou.
Pi ru juan xing ke
Zhong lu feng qing liu.
Chen ai sui wei tuo
Zan qi de yi shu.
Wo yu zou nan jian
Chun qin shi ying you.
Yang zhang jiu bu jue
Er lai yi cu qiu.
Qiao shan ri yue po
Fu xian fan chai chou.
Wang shi shei gan su
Min lao li yi xiu.
Zhong jian li zao han
Yu xue huan yu jiu.
Qian fu huan yi mu
Shi bu ba jiu xiu.
Wei shui he wu ni
Zi yan xuan cha xiu.
Dui zhi shi bu bao
Yu shi geng huang qiu.
Jin ri qiu yu zu
Gong yu shi xin chou.
Qu lao xing yi guo
Xiu dun bu ren sou.
Qiu feng po chui mao
Xi fu ke zong you.
Liao wei yi ri le
Wei ci bai nian chou.
Reply to My Brother Ziyou, Heard About Zi Zhan, Who Will Go to the Southern End of Taiping Xitang in Order to Study
To work for my name, already industrious
Sacrificing my body does not please me.
Honestly, I am foolish and clumsy
Both fame and health without a plan.
At first I learned how to interpret books and documents
Now I also have to interrogate prisoners.
Only know that now I should perform a good service
The bold question: where, and for what should I follow.
Before I entered government service I was unaccomplished
But also without these worries of acquisition.
Since then I concern myself with risk and loss
This heart-mind has great difficulty collecting itself.
For example, like a worn out traveling visitor
Who in the middle of a journey comes upon a clear stream.
Even though it is not big enough to shed all of the dirt and dust
But can now rest a bit and wash up.
I hope to visit this southern valley
Listen to their spring time birds chirp their greetings.
For a long time do not have the opportunity to really clean up
Before I know it, autumn has arrived.
Imperial cemetery, for days and months the workers slave to make ready
Even have to use prison labor.
Wonder who can and should do the people’s work
Now even those who work in the palace join in.
Between the extremes of weather, we suffer from drought
Want to learn how the turtledoves summon the rain.
Takes one thousand people to move one tree
Of every ten steps, must rest on eight or nine of them.
Wei River ran dry, dirt crusted over
Now is the time to repair the stone weirs.
But here we are working on the cemetery
After seeing these things, hard for me to eat.
No thoughts of rest or leisure
Finally adequate autumn rains arrive.
After the public work projects done, time to try some new homemade,
bamboo-strained rice wine
Overworked and exhausted, fortunate to have finished the work.
Body trying to recover, no more work
Autumn winds blow off my hat.
Able now to travel back and forth to Xifu.
Barely able to make this one day happy
Feel relieved to lay down my worries and cares.
Notes:
Wei River: Largest tributary and major river in Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It winds its way around the ancient capital city of Chang’an (Xi’an).
Xifu: City in Shandong Province.