On Poor Scholars
咏贫士七首
All things grow up from roots on which to lie,
Except the lonely cloud high in the sky.
It vanishes as winds begin to blow,
Leaving not a trace of faintest glow.
When mist has been dispersed by rosy dawn,
The birds in flocks are flying in the mom.
其一
万族各有托，孤云独无依。
暧暧空中灭，何时见馀晖。
朝霞开宿雾，众鸟相与飞。
The solitary bird would leave the forest last
And come back home before the day is passed.
It knows itself and keeps routes as of old,
And so, it starves and suffers from the cold.
If I can find no one to share my thought,
Why should I feel the woe and grief for naught!
迟迟出林翮，未夕复来归。
量力守故辙，岂不寒与饥？
知音苟不存，已矣何所悲。
At year’s end when the chilly wind blows hard,
I sit in coarse dress in the sun-lit yard.
My southern garden has no patch of green;
My northern orchard is a littered scene.
In the jugs there’s not a drop of wine;
On the stove there’s not a dish to dine.
其二
凄厉岁云暮，拥褐曝前轩。
南圃无遗秀，枯条盈北园。
倾壶绝馀沥，闚灶不见烟。
As the classics are now not what I need,
I sit all day without the time to read.
“To live but not to starve,” as I can judge,
That is why I cannot help but grudge.
How can I console myself at length?
Poor scholars in the old days give me strength.
诗书塞座外，日昃不遑研。
闲居非陈厄，窃有愠见言。
何以慰吾怀，赖古多此贤。
The old Rong Qiqi, in a girdle crude,
Played the zither in a cheerful mood.
Yuan Zisi,in his shoes through wear and tear,
Raised his voice and sang an ancient air.
The good old days have long since passed their prime;
Poor scholars are now found from time to time.
其三
荣叟老带索，欣然方弹琴。
原生纳决履，清歌畅商音。
重华去我久，贫士世相寻。
I wear the threadbare garments as my dress
And often eat wild herbs in times of stress.
Not that I do not like to wear light fur.
But that I hate to see a scholar err.
In spite of honeyed words the wise may say,
They fail to understand me, try as they may.
弊襟不掩肘，藜羹常乏斟。
岂忘袭轻裘，苟得非所钦。
赐也徒能辨，乃不见吾心。
IV
Honest poverty was honoured long ago.
Such an ancient scholar was Qian Lou.
“I neither yearn good jobs to earn my bread,
Nor covet handsome gifts to me，”he said.
When on his wretched bed he breathed his last,
At his rags the mourners stood aghast.
其四
安贫守贱者，自古有黔娄。
好爵吾不荣，厚馈吾不酬。
一旦寿命尽，弊服仍不周。
Not that he did not know that he was poor,
But that Tao was his chief concern for sure.
Since his death, it’s been a thousand years;
Ne'er a man like the poor Qian Lou appears.
When he lived a worthy life by day,
At night he'd gladly die and turn to clay.
岂不知其极，非道故无忧。
从来将千载，未复见斯俦。
朝与仁义生，夕死复何求。
V
Cold and starved in days of heavy snow，
Yuan An would by no means go begging, though.
As soon as he heard of bribery on the way，
Ruan Gong resigned from office on that day.
The dried hay might provide warmth and heat
While taros might be served as food to eat.
其五
袁安困积雪，邈然不可干。
阮公见钱入，即日弃其官。
刍槁有常温，采莒足朝餐。
Although their life was tough and rough indeed,
Of cold and hunger they did not take heed.
Afflicted by the choice of rich and poor,
He found ideals the most effective cure.
He topped above his countrymen in worth,
And spread his virtue in his place of birth.
岂不实辛苦，所惧非饥寒。
贫富常交战，道胜无戚颜。
至德冠邦闾，清节映西关。
VI
Zhang Zhongwei was content with wretched life;
With wild grass and weeds his yard was rife.
Far from the madding crowd he lived alone,
And wrote excellent poems of lofty tone.
There were no patrons whom he got along,
Except his lifelong bosom friend Liu Gong.
其六
仲蔚爱穷居，绕宅生蒿蓬。
翳然绝交游，赋诗颇能工；
举世无知者，止有一刘龚。
Why did this scholar lead a lonely life?
Few men behaved like him in worldly strife.
He went along the course he’d like to go，
Never caring for his weal and woe.
I'm dull at dealing with the worldly affair,
And take Zhang as ideal without compare.
此士胡独然？实由罕所同；
介然安其业，所乐非穷通。
人事固以拙，聊得长相从。
VII
Huang Zilian，a scholar in the ancient days,
Was once a magistrate and won much praise.
When he withdrew from the worldly strife,
He came back home and lived the poorest life.
His benign wife was sad in famine years,
Sobbing out her worries in a flood of tears:
“A man who has magnificent ideal
Should also care about his children’s weal.”
His friend Huisun was moved but felt confused
When his handsome presents were refused.
Who says that honest poverty won’t last?
I keep in mind exemplars in the past.
其七
昔在黄子廉，弹冠佐名州。
一朝辞吏归，清贫略难俦。
年饥感仁妻，泣涕向我流。
丈夫虽有志，固为儿女忧。
惠孙一晤叹，腆赠竟莫酬。
谁云固穷难，邈哉此前修。