孟郊诗
Poems of Meng Jiao
Index
列仙文清虚真人
List of the Immortals: Refined and peaceful sages
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欻驾空清虚 徘徊西华馆 琼轮暨晨抄 虎骑逐烟散 |
With a crash, vain, refined, and peaceful, They dither in the best of restaurants. Precious by turns, stealing others' brilliance, Riding the tiger in pursuit of drifting smoke. |
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惠风振丹旌 明烛朗八焕 解襟墉房内 神铃鸣璀璨 |
A gentle wind ruffles their red banners. Bright candles fill their rooms with light. They loosen up in their forted houses Where spirit bells chime like precious jewels. |
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栖景若林柯 九弦空中弹 遗我积世忧 释此千载叹 |
Lonely landscape, like a forest of bare trunks. Nine silk strings, played in vain. I leave my testament of this world's sadness, An explanation written in age-long sighs. |
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怡眄无极已 终夜复待旦 |
A joyful glance, already empty of desires. A long night spent waiting on the dawn. |
-- 孟郊
废话
This is the second in Meng Jiao's brief List of the Immortals. I think I was both right and wrong in my judgment of the first one. These are not only self-effacing satires. They are also criticism of the literary world. It seems to me that Meng Jiao includes himself in this criticism, even though he distances himself from the more vain literati. He may point out that others are fiddling while Rome burns. But he always asks himself, "And what are you doing about it?"