Su Dongpo: Introduction To a Collection of Poems During Our Southern Journey

Introduction to a Collection of Poems During
Our Southern Journey

南 行 前 集 叙

夫 昔 之 为 文 者
非 能 为 之 为 工
乃 不 能 不 为 之 为 工 也。
山 川 之 有 云 雾

草 木 之 有 华 实
充 满 勃 郁，而 见 于 外
夫 虽 欲 无 有，其 可 得 耶？
自 少 闻 家 君 之 论 文

以 为 古 之 圣 人 有
所 不 能 自 已 而 作 者。
故 轼 与 弟 辙 为 文 至 多
而 未 尝 敢 有 作 文 之 意。

己 亥 之 岁 侍 行 适 楚
舟 中 无 事 弈 饮 酒
非 所 以 为 闺 门 之 欢。
而 山 川 之 秀 美

风 俗 之 朴 陋
贤 人 君 子 之 遗 迹
与 凡 耳 目 之 所 接 者
然 有 触 于 中

而 发 于 咏 叹。
盖 家 君 之 作，与 弟 辙 之 文 皆 在
凡 一 百 篇 谓 之 “ 南 行 集”。
将 以 识 一 时 之 事

为 他 日 之 所 寻 绎
且 以 为 得 于 谈 笑 之 间
而 非 勉 强 所 为 之 文 也。
时 十 二 月 八 日。江 陵 驿 书。

Nan Xing Qian Ji Xu

Fu xi zhi wei wen zhe
Fei neng wei zhi wei gong
Nai bu neng bu wei zhi wei gong ye.
Shan chuan zhi you yun wu

Cao mu zhi yu hua shi
Chong man bo you, er jian yu wai
Fu sui you wu you, qi ke de ye?
Zi shao wen jia jun zhi lun wen

Yi wei gu zhi sheng ren you
Suo bu neng zi yi er zuo zhe.
Gu shi yu di zhe wei wen zhi duo
Er wei chang gan you zuo wen zhi yi.

Ji hai zhi sui shi xing shi chu
Zhou zhong wu shi yi yin jiu
Fei suo yi wei gui men zhi huan.
Er shan chuan zhi xiu mei

Feng su zhi pu lou
Xian ren jun zi zhi wei ji
Yu fan er mu zhi suo jie zhe
Ran you chu yu zhong

Er fa yu yong tan.
Gai jia jun zhi zuo, yu di zhe zhi wen jie zai,
Fan yi bai pian wei zhi “Nan Xing Ji”.
Jiang yi shi yi shi zhi shi

Wei ta ri zhi suo xun yi
Qie yi wei de yu tan xiao zhi jian
Er fei mian jiang suo wei zhi wen ye.
Shi shi er yu ba ri. Jiang ling yi shu.

Introduction to a Collection of Poems During Our Southern Journey

In former times, writers wrote beautiful songs of many people
Those not able to do this became common workers
They did not understand how to accomplish writing these songs
Mountains and rivers produce clouds and fog.

Grasses and trees make many seeds and fruits
They thrive and are fragrant inside, which becomes their expression
This energy cannot be hidden or redirected
When I was young we had the Analects of Confucius.

I began to understand the ancient sages
And their inability to keep their essence latent and unexpressed
From time past, my brother and I on the road wrote many books
But never thought we would have the experience of our father and his writings.

This year we followed our father in mourning, traveled through Chu
During the boat journey without anything to do we played go, and drank wine
Not like at home, behind a door of many joys
These elegant mountains and rivers.

We visited many with naïve, simple and backward customs
Offer as a gift, poems about able and virtuous people, men of noble character
We observed every place with eyes and ears
All together developed feelings and were touched.

Enough to create this collection of poems from my father, brother, and I
Have one hundred pages of poems called the “Southern Journey Collection”
Our task was to know and record the current times
Later will sort out and organize everyday, every place.

These poems resulted from our discussions, laughter,
And by hearing many stories
Did not need or require any arguments or efforts
Today, December 8th, 1101 AD, at the Jiang Ling way station.

Notes:

This poem was written by Su while he and his brother were traveling together on a riverboat.  The date was added by his brother, as Su had died just a few months before.