孟郊诗
Poems of Meng Jiao
Index
同溧阳宰送孙秀才
With Liyang's minister, accompanying Graduate Sun
|
废瑟难为弦 南风难为歌 幽幽拙疾中 忽忽浮梦多 |
A worn-out lute is hard to tune and It's hard to sing in the southern way. As if from a distance, awkward and sick, I'm dazed as if floating through dreams. |
|
清韵始啸侣 雅言相与和 讼闲每往招 祖送奈若何 |
In pure tones, I start to scream at my companions. In elegant words, my companions join in. Arguing uselessly, each in his own way, so what If you agree with convention? What then? |
|
牵苦强为赠 邦邑光峨峨 |
Leading the bitter is a strength of mine. Those city lights up ahead, aren't they glorious? |
-- 孟郊
废话
Sounds like a nice trip. Two men escorting a provincial exam graduate to the big city. The three of them arguing about something (everything?) the whole way. Meng Jiao trying to settle them all down with some music. But that doesn't work either. The only upside is that their destination is finally in sight. I somehow doubt that Meng Jiao shared this poem with these two men.