Tao Yuanming: Travel on the Xie River

Travel on the Xie River

游 斜 川

开 岁 倏 五 十
吾 生 行 归 休。
念 之 动 中 怀
及 辰 为 兹 游。

气 和 天 惟 澄
班 坐 依 远 流；
弱 湍 驰 文 鲂
闲 谷 矫 鸣 鸥。

迥 泽 散 游 目
缅 然 睇 曾 丘；
虽 微 九 重 秀
顾 瞻 无 匹 俦。

提 壶 接 宾 侣
引 满 更 献 酬；
未 知 从 今 去
当 复 如 此 不 ？

中 觞 纵 遥 情
忘 彼 千 载 忧。
且 极 今 朝 乐
明 日 非 所 求。

You Xie Chuan

Kai sui shu wu shi
Wu sheng xing gui xiu.
Nian zhi dong zhong huai
Ji chen wei zi you.

Qi he tian wei cheng
Ban zuo yi yuan liu;
Ruo tuan chi wen fang
Xian gu jiao ming ou.

Jiong ze san you mu
Mian ran di ceng qiu;
Sui wei jiu chong xiu
Gu zhan wu pi chou?

Ti hu jie bin lu
Yin man geng xian chou;
Wei zhi cong jin qu
Dang fu ru ci fou ?

Zhong shang zong yao qing
Wang bi qian zai you.
Qie ji jin zhao le
Ming ri fei suo qiu.

Travel on the Xie River

Quickly, five days past the New Year
My life will go back to a place of rest.
Thinking of this, changes the middle of my heart
Good time to make a trip along this part of the river.

Weather is mild, sky and water clear
Regular seating arrangements, we wander down the river;
Gentle rapids, well-marked sunfish thrash about
Unoccupied and wide valley opens up, seagulls caw;

Remote wetlands disperse as far as the eye can see
So far away, the mountain appears as a hill;
It does not have elegant, many-layered peaks
Turn around, look ahead, this scenery is without equal.

Take a hold of the wine pot, pass it around among my companions
Proposing toasts, have to refill it again and again;
After today, do not know when we can do this again
When can we be like this again?

Inside wine cups, let loose distant emotions
Forget the worries about death;
From dawn, we have found great pleasures
Tomorrow, do not have to strive for a particular place.