Tao Yuanming: Drinking Wine: Twenty Poems: No. 13

Drinking Wine: Twenty Poems: No. 13

饮 酒： 二 十 首

有 客 常 同 止
趣 舍 邈 异 境。
一 士 常 独 醉
一 夫 终 年 醒。

醒 醉 还 相 笑
发 言 各 不 领。
规 规 一 何 愚
寄 言 酣 中 客
日 没 烛 当 秉。

Yin Jiu: Er Shi Shou

(13)

You ke chang tong zhi
Qu she miao yi jing.
Yi shi chang du zui
Yi fu zhong nain xing.

Xing zui huan xiang xiao
Fa yan ge bu ling.
Gui gui yi he yu
Wu ao cha ruo ying
Ji yan han zhong ke
Ri mei zhu dang bing.

Drinking Wine: Twenty Poems: No. 13

My guest and I are staying together
But in different conditions: one to live in seclusion, the other to go out.
One, a scholar often alone and drunk
The other man, all year long is sober and lucid.

The drunk and sober ones laugh at each other
When they speak, do not understand the other.
The sober one foolish, follows all the rules
The drunk, too arrogant and clever
I want to tell the one who gets merrily drunk:
After sunset, light the candles and enjoy.

Notes:

My guest and I: The two are really one and the same person.