All my life I've loved snow like Ziyou,
On rivers and lakes, in high spirits, I often drift by boat.
Long poles hack the ice, dark fire spurts,
Jade plates shatter, congealed, refusing to flow.
A gurgling, roaring sound emerges from beneath the hull,
Both gunwales clash and clang like chiming orbs.
The boatman, cloaked in straw, dances like a white phoenix,
The beachman hauls the cable, dragging a pale dragon.
Opening all four awning windows, I adore the pure offering,
The wind rolls up flossy blossoms, flying thick and dense.
Fluttering, they cling to my robe like precious spittle,
Piece by piece, they float in my wine like spring cream.
Drunk, I'm rowed into jade mist,
Ears burning, heedless of the chilly whistling wind.
The vast, hazy expanse—where does it lead?
Dusk falls, yet I refuse to turn the boat's head.
Deep night, freezing solid, we moor wherever we can,
Singing and shouting till dawn, troubling fish and dragons.
Come morning, I scoop snow to wash my face and rinse,
Wield the brush, ink falls on paper, clouds and mist surge strong.
New poems often turn into tales of old,
To this day, their style lingers by the river isles.
Years slip by, strings and pegs are changed,
Looking up and down, my returning temples are like autumn pond reeds.
Hearing snow at dawn under the quilt, I rise robustly,
Eager to take a boat and chase past journeys.
A felt robe, bloated and bulky, tied with a Hunnish sash,
A floss hat, encircling, covers my helmet.
Ten steps out the door, nine I sit,
Children block and plead, pressing me to stay.
They say these are the affairs of youth,
In late years, one should secure windows and doors.
Ten thousand scenes arrive in endless, bustling succession,
A hundred years are limited, slowly coming to an end.
Dreams follow fallen geese dropping on sand spits,
Sorrow faces hungry kites perched on tile gutters.
Can I seek splendid outings once more?
For now, I ladle the clear cold and wipe my ailing eyes.
A moment's delay won't hinder life and limb,
I call the boy to roll up all the wind-blown curtain hooks.