The Song of Striking the Ground
The Song of Striking the Ground, how can I, gazing up and down, comprehend it all?
In the Western Sea, I polish the moon as a mirror;
In the Eastern Sea, I toy with the sun as a pearl.
A long whistle makes heaven and earth grow old;
I pray you, listen to my song—what is it like?
Have you not seen the shepherd boy of Danxi,
Who fed on poria and pine, entering Jinhua?
And have you not seen the fisherman of Wuling,
Who moored his boat by green banks, seeking peach blossoms?
When a noble man departs, the world's fortune tilts;
Some cling to power like hungry eagles.
Moreover, in the east, the sky is not yet bright—
It's not the cock's crow, but the buzzing of flies.
Gathering at dawn with the rich, by dusk with the powerful;
Like midges in a mirror, they entrust life and death.
Rhinoceros-hide shields and ivory bows suit the times' taste,
While swords like Ganjiang and Moye lie buried in Fengcheng.
To lose is not enough for grief,
To gain is not enough for surprise.
After autumn flowers fall, spring blossoms bloom;
What in this world escapes withering and flourishing?
Ten years of wandering until now,
Utterly destitute, like an ape retreating to the woods.
All my life, rolling and unrolling like clouds without intent;
Even if my persuasive tongue remains, I'd rather stay silent.
Alas! In boots of boar bristle, in robes of green rhinoceros hide,
A single jest and talk, and instantly one is enfeoffed.
The later fish only weeps for the former fish;
What I give is not kindness, what is taken is not enmity.
For present wealth and honor, one must be young;
I am growing old and shall soon cease my endeavors.
Cease, cease, cease!
Looking down on this eight-foot frame,
It's but a tiny grain in the vast sea.
I recall when I was nine years old,
Tugging at clothes, seeking plums and chestnuts.
Turning back, my graying hair is so desolate;
A hundred years' time passes like a revolving candle.
Thus I sing: Not weaving thatch, I dwell among white clouds;
Not shedding my straw cloak, I lie beside a yellow calf.
Striking a pottery jar, I cry 'Wu-wu' to the sky;
Holding a leather flask, I offer fine wine.
And then I continue the song: Summoning Boyi and Shuqi to gather ferns,
Pulling along Master Dongyuan and Master Qili to eat magic mushrooms.
I invite Ziling to don his sheepskin robe;
I send a message to Qu Yuan to adorn himself with jasper branches.
I dare ask you, gentlemen, if you were in the court's corridors,
With a feast spread before you and hundreds of concubines attending—
Having attained your aims, would you act, or would you not?