Wei Yingwu: Reply to Hydro Engineer Cui

Reply to Hydro Engineer Cui

答 崔 都 水

亭 亭 心 中 人
迢 迢 居 秦 关。
常 缄 素 札 去
适 枉 华 章 还。

忆 在 沣 郊 时
携 手 望 秋 山。
久 嫌 官 府 劳
初 喜 罢 秩 闲。

终 年 不 事 业
寝 食 长 慵 顽。
不 知 为 时 来
名 籍 挂 郎 间。

摄 衣 辞 田 里
华 簪 耀 颓 颜。
卜 居 又 依 仁
日 夕 正 追 攀。

牧 人 本 无 术
命 至 苛 复 迁。
离 念 积 岁 序
归 途 眇 山 川。

郡 斋 有 佳 月
园 林 含 清 泉。
同 心 不 在 宴
樽 酒 徒 盈 前。

览 君 陈 迹 游
词 意 俱 凄 妍。
忽 忽 已 终 日
将 酬 不 能 宣。

甿 税 况 重 叠
公 门 极 熬 煎。
责 逋 甘 首 免
岁 晏 当 归 田。
勿 厌 守 穷 辙
慎 为 名 所 牵。

Da Cui Du Shui

Ting ting xin zhong ren
Tiao tiao ju qin guan.
Chang jian su zha qu
Shi wang hua zhang huan.

Yi zai feng jiao shi
Xie shou wang qiu shan.
Jiu xian guan fu lao
Chu xi ba zhi xian.

Zhong nian bu shi ye
Qin shi chang yong wan.
Bu zhi wei shi lai
Ming ji gua lang jian.

She yi ci tian yan
Hua zan yao tui yan.
Bu ju you yi ren
Ri xi zheng zhui pan

Mu ren ben wu shu
Ming zhi ke fu qian.
Li nian ji sui xu
Gui tu miao shan chuan.

Jun zhai you jia yue
Yuan lin han qing quan.
Tong xin bu zai yan
Zun jiu tu ying qian.

Lan jun chen ji you
Ci yi ju qi yan.
Hu hu yi zhong ri
Jiang chou bu neng xuan.

Meng shui kuang chong die
Gong men ji ao jian.
Ze bu gan shou mian
Sui yan dang gui tian.
Wu yan shou qiong zhe
Shen wei ming suo qian.

Reply to Hydro Engineer Cui

Always thinking of your heart-mind
But you live far away through the Qin mountain passes.
Often a sealed letter to you after our departures
You properly send a sealed reply that is full of splendor.

Recall the times outside the city walls of Feng
Hand and hand we gazed into the distance at the autumnal mountains.
For a long time you disliked that imperial treasury job
At first you enjoyed being off of an official’s salary and having leisure time.

You will have no trouble finding an end-of-the-end position
Together we spent most of our time eating and sleeping.
We did not realize a new season arrived
Forgot how to hang up our work roster and nameplates.

I need to get my clothes ready to leave this countryside
Compared to others, our fancy hairpins radiate.
Choose a place to live that yields to benevolence
For sunsets we look to each other for company.

Majority of people without an art or skill
My destiny is to be transferred again and again.
Think of the sequence of years being away
Far away the roads return through mountains and rivers.

But the prefecture buildings have beautiful views of the moon
Gardens and forests contain pure spring waters.
Government party people not of the same heart-mind
Full wine vessels remain that way.

All poetic words from you are mournful, yet enchanting
Suddenly and quickly the days pass away.
Not able to express a reply to you
Commoner’s tax burdens layered on top of each other.

My government positions like being turned over while being fried in oil
I cannot fulfill government duties to chase down those who flee mandatory government service.
By the end of the year I should return to hometown fields
Would rather follow the flow into poverty than be satisfied with a job.
We need to exercise more care before being pulled into another place.

Notes:

Qin mountain passes:  Also known as the Southern Mountains, an important east-west mountain range in southern Shaanxi Province.

Commentary:

Sounds like our man Wei is done with government service!  And you have got to love the line: “My government positions…”