孟郊诗
Poems of Meng Jiao
Index
答韩愈李观别因献张徐州
Answering Han Yu and Li Guan who are taking their ideas to Xuzhou
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富别愁在颜 贫别愁销骨 懒磨旧铜镜 畏见新白发 |
Fortune leaves and worries are skin deep. Poverty leaves, worries cut to the bone. Lazily polishing an old bronze mirror, I'm afraid I'll see new white hairs. |
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古树春无花 子规啼有血 离弦不堪听 一听四五绝 |
In an old tree with no spring blossoms, A cuckoo cries tears of blood. I can't bear to hear your parting tune -- I hear only a few hopeless notes. |
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世途非一险 俗虑有千结 有客步大方 驱车独迷辙 |
Life is not without its dangers and Wordly cares bind with a thousand knots. Some travelers walk into the wilds or Drive their carts down lonely, enchanted tracks. |
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故人韩与李 逸翰双皎洁 哀我摧折归 赠词纵横设 |
My old friends, Han and Li, wield their Bright brushes like a pair of moonbeams. Pity me, if frustrated for your return, I send you poems like an ancient diplomat. |
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徐方国东枢 元戎天下杰 祢生投刺游 王粲吟诗谒 |
Xu Kingdom was once the hub of the east, First known for the prowess of its warriors. When Master Mi drowned in the river The bright king chanted poems in his honor. |
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高情无遗照 朗抱开晓月 有土不埋冤 有仇皆为雪 |
Their high feeliings leave no remnant gleam, Like moonlight embraced by morning's beam, Or dust that cannot bury the injustice, Enemies that we all should avenge. |
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愿为直草木 永向君地列 愿为古琴瑟 永向君听发 |
May the towering trees and blossoms Forever array themselves about you. May the ancient music of qin and se Forever ring in your ears. |
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欲识丈夫心 曾将孤剑说 |
If you want to know this man's heart, Forever listen to the voice of his lonely sword. |
-- 孟郊
废话
I can't find a Li Guan. This could be another name for Li Ao who was one of Han Yu's intellectual circle.
Those who doubt the first two lines have never known true poverty, the kind with no hope and no food.
Remember -- the cuckoo is a symbol of yearning for someone's return.
We return to the Warring States in this poem. 纵横 is the short form for the School of Diplomacy. This is a grand name for two schools of thought: one allying against the Qin, one allying with. "Schools" is a fancy name for groups of opportunists who tried to sell their plots and conspiracies. Ah, the Warring States -- happy memories of mass murder and betrayals.
Master Mi ( or Mi Sheng? 祢生 ) is possibly Qu Yuan the poet who drowned himself in protest of injustice and wrote Songs of Chu (at least some of them). But I can't link the two names. So it could be somebody else. No clues as to the "bright king" either.