望洞庭湖赠张丞相
孟浩然
八月湖水平， 涵虚混太清。
气蒸云梦泽， 波撼岳阳城。
欲济无舟楫， 端居耻圣明。
坐观垂钓者， 空有羡鱼情。
a message from lake dongtin to premier zhang
meng haoran
here in the eighth-month the waters of the lake
are of a single air with heaven,
and a mist from the yun and meng valleys
has beleaguered the city of youzhou.
i should like to cross, but i can find no boat.
...how ashamed i am to be idler than you statesmen,
as i sit here and watch a fisherman casting
and emptily envy him his catch.