Tao Yuanming: Praise For Humble Scholars: Seven Poems: No. 5

Praise For Humble Scholars: Seven Poems: No. 5

咏 贫 士：七 首

(5)

袁 安 困 积 雪
邈 然 不 可 干。
阮 公 见 钱 人
即 日 弃 其 官。

刍 藁 有 常 温
采 莒 足 朝 餐。
岂 不 实 辛 苦
所 惧 非 饥 寒。

贫 富 常 交 战
道 胜 无 戚 颜。
至 德 冠 邦 闾
清 节 映 西 关。

Yong Pin Shi: Qi Shou

(5)

Yuan an kun ji xue
Miao ran bu ke gan.
Ruan gong jian qian ren
Ji ri qi qi guan.

Chu gao you chang wen
Cai ju zu zhao can.
Qi bu shi xin ku
Suo ju fei ji han.

Pin fu chang jiao zhan
Dao sheng wu qi yan.
Zhi de guan bang lu
Qing jie ying xi guan.

Praise For Humble Scholars: Seven Poems: No.5

Yuan An suffered hardships in the heavy snow
Stayed inside his remote house, waited out the storm.
Ruan Gong, instead of accepting improper money
Abandoned his government official job.

I keep warm by sleeping with the hay
Gather alfalfa to help make the morning meal.
Isn’t this life difficult and exhausting
My fear is not hunger and cold (but to work for the government).

Inner battle between having money and having peace of mind
Choosing to follow the Way, no sadness for me.
Yuan An’s morality and virtue made him nationally famous
Ruan Gong’s reputation lit the western mountain passes.

Notes:

Yuan An: Man famous for staying inside his snow-bound house. Government officials wanted him to come out and work with them for the emperor.  Metaphorically, Tao Yuanming is doing the same thing.

The Way: The Dao