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Dreaming of Li Bai: Part 2
English Poetic Translation
Floating clouds drift across the sky all day,
the wanderer fails to come, long past delay.
Three nights running you visit in my sleep,
a sign of bonds that keep our spirits deep.
You whisper parting words, hurried and brief,
of how hard it was to journey through grief:
across lakes and rivers where wild winds rave,
your fragile skiff dreads the dark, whelming wave.
At the doorway, I scratch my whitening head,
as though my life's great vows have all bled.
High officials fill the capital's grand street,
while you alone endure this wretched defeat.
Who says heaven's net lets nothing slip through?
In age, it is virtue that pays the dues.
A thousand years of glorious, immortal fame—
what use to the dead, but an empty name?
the wanderer fails to come, long past delay.
Three nights running you visit in my sleep,
a sign of bonds that keep our spirits deep.
You whisper parting words, hurried and brief,
of how hard it was to journey through grief:
across lakes and rivers where wild winds rave,
your fragile skiff dreads the dark, whelming wave.
At the doorway, I scratch my whitening head,
as though my life's great vows have all bled.
High officials fill the capital's grand street,
while you alone endure this wretched defeat.
Who says heaven's net lets nothing slip through?
In age, it is virtue that pays the dues.
A thousand years of glorious, immortal fame—
what use to the dead, but an empty name?
Classical Chinese & Pinyin
浮雲終日行，遊子久不至。
三夜頻夢君，情親見君意。
告歸常侷促，苦道來不易。
江湖多風波，舟楫恐失墜。
出門搔白首，若負平生志。
冠蓋滿京華，斯人獨顦顇。
孰雲網恢恢，將老身反累。
千秋萬歲名，寂莫身後事。
三夜頻夢君，情親見君意。
告歸常侷促，苦道來不易。
江湖多風波，舟楫恐失墜。
出門搔白首，若負平生志。
冠蓋滿京華，斯人獨顦顇。
孰雲網恢恢，將老身反累。
千秋萬歲名，寂莫身後事。
Philological Direct Translation
Floating clouds all day long travel, traveler for long does not arrive.
Three nights frequently dream of you, emotional closeness shows your intent.
Announcing return always constrained, bitterly saying coming was not easy.
Rivers and lakes have many wind and waves, boat and oar fear losing and sinking.
Going out the door scratching white hair, as if failing lifelong ambition.
Caps and carriages fill the capital, this man alone is haggard and distressed.
Who says the net of heaven is vast yet catches nothing, growing old the person on the contrary is burdened.
Thousand autumns and ten thousand years fame, lonely and desolate after-death matters.
Three nights frequently dream of you, emotional closeness shows your intent.
Announcing return always constrained, bitterly saying coming was not easy.
Rivers and lakes have many wind and waves, boat and oar fear losing and sinking.
Going out the door scratching white hair, as if failing lifelong ambition.
Caps and carriages fill the capital, this man alone is haggard and distressed.
Who says the net of heaven is vast yet catches nothing, growing old the person on the contrary is burdened.
Thousand autumns and ten thousand years fame, lonely and desolate after-death matters.