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Hardships of the Road: III
English Poetic Translation
If you have ears, wash them not in Yingchuan's stream;
If you have a mouth, pluck not Shouyang's fern.
Better to hide your light and drift among the crowd nameless,
Than proudly match your height against the clouds and moon.
I look back through the ages at the brilliant and the wise:
Having achieved success, those who failed to retire met violent ends.
Wu Zixu was cast away upon the river of Wu,
And Qu Yuan at last plunged into the Xiang's tide.
Could Lu Ji's towering genius save his own head?
Or Li Si quit his carriage before it was too late?
Can the crane's cry at Huating ever be heard again?
And what are the gray hawks of Shangcai worth telling?
Have you not seen Zhang Han of Wu, a master of life,
Who felt the autumn wind and straightway turned for home?
Better to relish the single cup of wine before us now,
Than chase a thousand years of fame when we are dust.
If you have a mouth, pluck not Shouyang's fern.
Better to hide your light and drift among the crowd nameless,
Than proudly match your height against the clouds and moon.
I look back through the ages at the brilliant and the wise:
Having achieved success, those who failed to retire met violent ends.
Wu Zixu was cast away upon the river of Wu,
And Qu Yuan at last plunged into the Xiang's tide.
Could Lu Ji's towering genius save his own head?
Or Li Si quit his carriage before it was too late?
Can the crane's cry at Huating ever be heard again?
And what are the gray hawks of Shangcai worth telling?
Have you not seen Zhang Han of Wu, a master of life,
Who felt the autumn wind and straightway turned for home?
Better to relish the single cup of wine before us now,
Than chase a thousand years of fame when we are dust.
Classical Chinese & Pinyin
有耳莫洗潁川水，有口莫食首陽蕨。
含光混世貴無名，何用孤高比雲月。
吾觀自古賢達人，功成不退皆殞身。
子胥既棄吳江上，屈原終投湘水濱。
陸機雄才豈自保，李斯稅駕苦不早。
華亭鶴唳詎可聞，上蔡蒼鷹何足道。
君不見吳中張翰稱達生，秋風忽憶江東行。
且樂生前一杯酒，何須身後千載名。
含光混世貴無名，何用孤高比雲月。
吾觀自古賢達人，功成不退皆殞身。
子胥既棄吳江上，屈原終投湘水濱。
陸機雄才豈自保，李斯稅駕苦不早。
華亭鶴唳詎可聞，上蔡蒼鷹何足道。
君不見吳中張翰稱達生，秋風忽憶江東行。
且樂生前一杯酒，何須身後千載名。
Philological Direct Translation
With ears do not wash in Yingchuan's water, with mouth do not eat Shouyang's bracken.
Hiding brilliance mingling with the world values being without name, why use solitary loftiness to compare with cloud and moon.
I look from antiquity wise and enlightened men, merits accomplished not retreating all ruined their bodies.
Zixu was already discarded upon the Wu river, Quyuan ultimately threw himself into Xiang water's bank.
Lu Ji's magnificent talent how could he himself protect, Li Si unharnessed his carriage suffering not early enough.
Huating's crane cry how can it be heard, Shangcai's grey hawk what is there to mention.
You do not see Wu's Zhang Han called an enlightened life, autumn wind suddenly remembered Jiangdong journey.
For now enjoy before life a single cup of wine, why need after death a thousand years of fame.
Hiding brilliance mingling with the world values being without name, why use solitary loftiness to compare with cloud and moon.
I look from antiquity wise and enlightened men, merits accomplished not retreating all ruined their bodies.
Zixu was already discarded upon the Wu river, Quyuan ultimately threw himself into Xiang water's bank.
Lu Ji's magnificent talent how could he himself protect, Li Si unharnessed his carriage suffering not early enough.
Huating's crane cry how can it be heard, Shangcai's grey hawk what is there to mention.
You do not see Wu's Zhang Han called an enlightened life, autumn wind suddenly remembered Jiangdong journey.
For now enjoy before life a single cup of wine, why need after death a thousand years of fame.