— by Tao Yuanming (Jin Dynasty) White hair drapes across both my temples,My skin and flesh are firm no more.Though I have five sons,Not one takes pleasure in paper and brush.A-Shu has reached twice eight,Yet in laziness he has no equal.A-Xuan approaches the age of aspiring to learn,But has no love for letters and…
— by Tao Yuanming (Jin Dynasty) Disheartened and resentful, I walk home alone with my staff,Traversing rugged paths through tangled thickets.The mountain stream is clear and shallow –Enough to wash my feet.I filter my newly brewed wine,And invite my close neighbors with a single chicken.When the sun sets, the room grows dark;I light brushwood…
The year is Dingmao (丁卯), and the month corresponds to Wushe (无射, the ninth lunar month). The weather is cold, the nights are long, and the wind is bleak and desolate. The wild geese are migrating, and the grass and trees have turned yellow and shed their leaves. I, Master Tao, am about to…
Human life must follow a certain path;Clothing and food are undeniably its foundation.Who can neglect these basic needs,And yet hope to find peace of mind?When spring arrives, I attend to my regular farm work;As the year progresses, the harvest becomes rewarding.I go out at dawn to apply my modest toil,And return at sunset carrying…
I remember my youth and prime,When, without any specific cause, my heart was naturally filled with joy.My fierce ambitions soared beyond the four seas;Like a bird spreading its wings, I longed to fly far into the sky.But as the years slipped away and my vigor faded,This spirit gradually departed from me.Even when encountering joy,…
– by Tao Yuanming (Jin Dynasty) Long have I been away from wandering the mountains and streams;Now I roam freely, finding joy in the boundless woods and fields.Gathering my children and nephews, I take them along,Pushing aside the brambles to walk through the ruined village.Wandering among the burial mounds,I linger affectionately by the sites…
— by Tao Yuanming (Jin Dynasty) Prince Dan of Yan was skilled at nurturing brave retainers,With a will to take vengeance against the mighty Qin.He gathered the finest among a hundred men,And at the year’s end, he found Master Jing.A gentleman dies for his soulmate;Drawing his sword, he departed from the capital of Yan.White…