From: Xiaofu <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1993 18:39:42 CDT

Translated by Professor Xu Yuan Zhong.
Please don't archive.

苏轼　　　　　沁圆春

赴密州，早行，马上寄子由。

孤馆灯青，野店鸡号，旅枕梦残。
渐月华收练，晨霜耿耿；
云山　扌离　锦，朝露团团。
世路无穷，劳生有限。似此区区长鲜欢。
微吟罢，凭征鞍无语，往事千端。

当时共客长安，似二陆初来俱少年。
有笔头千字，胸中万卷；
致君尧舜，此事何难！
用舍由时，行藏在我，袖手何妨闲处看？
身长健，但优游卒岁，且斗樽前。

Su Shi

Written to My brother Ziyou on My Way to Mizhou*

Tune: "Spring in the Garden of Qin"

The Lamp burns with green flames in an inn's lonely hall;
Wayfareres' dreams are broken by the cock's loud call.
Slowly the blooming moon rolls up her silk dress white;
The frost begins to shimmer in the soft daylight;
The cloud-crowned hills outspread their rich brocade
And morning dewdrops gleam like pearls displayed.
As the way of the world is long,
But toilsome life is short,
So, for a man like me, joyless is oft my sort.
After humming this song,
Silent, on my saddle I lean
Brooding over the past, scene after scene.

Together to the capital we came,
Like the two Brothers Lu of literary fame.
A fluent pen combined
With a widely read mind,
Why could we not have helped the Crown
To attain great renown？
As times require,
We advance or retire;
With folded arms we may stand by.
If we keep fit,
We may enjoy ife before we lose it.
So drink the wine cup dry!

*Mizhou was a poor district where officials under a cloud were
sent.