There was a man who dreamed of immortality,
Dreamt his body ascended to Shangqing.
Riding a white crane,
Preceded by a pair of red banners.
Feathered robes suddenly fluttering,
Jade carriage bells soon clanging.
Looking straight down from mid-air,
The human world was dim with dust.
Gradually lost the place of his homeland,
Could just make out shapes of mountains and rivers.
The Eastern Sea a sheet of white,
The ranked peaks five dots of blue.
In a moment, a crowd of immortals came,
Leading each other to court at Jade Capital.
Anqi, Xianmen and their like,
Stood in attendance like ministers and lords.
Looking up, he paid respects to the Jade Emperor,
Kowtowing forward to express sincerity.
The Emperor said, "You have immortal talent,
Strive hard, do not belittle yourself.
Fifteen years from now,
I expect you at the Court of Deathlessness."
Bowing again, he received these words,
Upon waking, both joyful and startled.
Kept it secret, dared not divulge,
Vowed to dwell in a rocky cave.
Forsook affection, left behind flesh and blood,
In diet, cut off rank and腥 flavors.
Mornings ate mica powder,
Nights inhaled the essence of night dew.
In empty mountains thirty years,
Daily hoped for carriage and canopy to welcome him.
The appointed time passed long ago,
No sound of phoenix or crane came.
Teeth and hair daily withered and whitened,
Ears and eyes lost their sharpness.
One morning, transformed along with things,
His body merged with dung and soil.
Immortals truly exist, I believe,
But mortal effort cannot achieve it.
If one lacks the golden bone physiognomy,
One's name won't be listed at the Cinnabar Terrace.
Vainly they transmit grain-abstention methods,
Futilely receive alchemy scriptures.
Only brings hardship upon oneself,
A hundred years, in the end, no success.
Alas, the man who dreamed of immortality,
One dream misled his whole life.