[updated September 2022]
Send Off Editor Qiwu, Upon His Giving Up a Government Position To Return to Jiangdong
送 綦 毋 校 书 弃 官 还 江 东
明 时 久 不 达
弃 置 与 君 同。
天 命 无 怨 色
人 生 有 素 风。
念 君 拂 衣 去
四 海 将 安 穷。
秋 天 万 里 净
日 暮 澄 江 空。
清 夜 何 悠 悠
扣 舷 月 明 中。
和 光 鱼 鸟 际
澹 尔 蒹 葭 从。
无 庸 客 昭 世
衰 鬓 日 如 蓬。
顽 疎 暗 人 事
僻 陋 远 天 聪。
微 物 纵 可 采
其 谁 为 至 公？
余 亦 从 此 去
归 耕 为 老 农。
Song Qi Wu Jiao Shu Qi Guan Huan Jiang Dong
Ming shi jiu bu da
Qi zhi yu jun tong.
Tian ming wu yuan se
Ren sheng you su feng.
Nian jun fu yi qu
Si hai jiang an qiong.
Qiu tian wan li jing
Ri mu cheng jiang kong.
Qing ye he you you
Kou xian yue ming zhong.
He guang yu niao ji
Dan er jian jia cong.
Wu yong ke zhao shi
Shuai bin ri ru peng.
Wan shu an ren shi
Pi lou yuan tian cong.
Wei wu zong ke cai
Qi shei wei zhi gong?
Yu yi cong ci qu
Gui geng wei lao nong.
Send Off Editor Qiwu, Upon His Giving Up a Government Position To Return to Jiangdong
For a long time doing the right thing without a superior’s understanding
Same as you, giving up our positions together.
Do not curse or resent what Heaven’s fate has given you
Human experiences have creative source material.
The idea is to shake the dust off your clothes
Whole world challenges the boundaries of contentment and tranquility.
Think of autumn skies totally clean and pure
Sunsets on the unoccupied transparent river.
Nights clear and far away from cares
Pull up the gangplank amid the bright moonlight.
Inside a harmonious landscape of fish and birds
A tranquility where only young reeds crowd together.
A life without having to wait for other’s directions
Days untidy as the disappearing hair on your temples.
Estranged from foolish and secret human affairs
Secluded from imperial power in this humble place.
You can gather and indulge yourself in the small pleasures
Whose to say and judge what’s right and wrong?
From now on I also want to depart
Return to farm work and grow old as a peasant.
Commentary;
Wow! This one poem has summarized Wang’s philosophy of life so completely and well. He has definitely walked away from the insanities of working in the palace, and has embraced a Buddhist life.