Eight Songs on Minister Gi's Toesik-jae (退食齋) — Preface奇尙書退食齋八詠
玉京南脈。綺里西偏。搜品物之菁華。啓乾坤之扃鐍。地相接於龍首嶺。縹氣上浮。天正分於鶉尾墟。朱芒下射。是造化兒之所未到。非仁智者則熟能居。昔之草徑苔庭。今則歌臺舞館。靈泉恒湧。纖壒不舛。奔流駮柱之間。瀉落靑珉之底。波瀲瀲兮不藍而綠。聲冷冷兮勿絃而鳴。旣能園囿蓬瀛。又作衣冠巢許。數叢凉竹。依稀風雨之天。一片落英。漏洩神仙之境。牡丹有三萼。菖蒲生九花。於是。軒蓋騈闐。盃盤狼藉。酌瓊樽之九醞。羅玉俎之八珍。戒門下無留鄭司農之好客。曰座上恒滿孔大夫之喜賓。麗日舒長。好風搖颺。倚靑松而岸幘。環流水以浮觴。慕蘭亭稧春之遊。追河朔避暑之飮。謝篇韓鉞。主人是令狐相公。孔思周情。坐客皆昌黎儒老。新荷出水。垂柳低軒。紅衣錦羽之禽。浮沈玉沼。緗觜綠毛之鳥。嘐唳金籠。移眞定之甘梨。蒔房陵之縹李。如迎如醉如達如跂。木黨伍於杜牧園。若行若驟若動若跧。石騈羅於奇章。野訝入藏春塢裏。似遊自雨亭前。彎弓一百斤。壯矣猛夫之角力。落筆三千字。藹然才子之摛華。虛閣先秋。深林自籟。仰飛甍而悸魄。俯碧井以澄神。雲鬢玉顔兮艶鬪春花。鵾絃鐵撥兮聲飛晴雹。人生行樂耳。美景不飮何。吾聞太白竹溪。虛作淸時之逸老。裵公水榭。暫爲晚節之退居。何如名敎之場。亦有逍遙之樂。自公而退食。好事者從遊。僕幸接芳隣。屢塵淸會。梁鷰來往。縱依廈屋之陰。海鳥眩悲。徒費大牢之饗。欲一染其柔翰。恐厚辱於名園。雖然奇花異草兮丹靑我心。明月淸風兮。氷雪我眼。物亦厚人多矣。吾將闕詩可乎。若使勝閣欠落霞之篇。謝池無春草之句。則靑山騁絶交之議。芳樹含獻笑之容。聊費一吟。恭呈八詠。
On the southern vein of the Jade Capital (玉京), on the western edge of Giri (綺里), he sought out the choicest of all things and opened the bar of heaven and earth. The ground runs on to Yongsu Ridge (龍首嶺), so that a far-off air floats upward; the sky parts at the station of Sunmi (鶉尾), so that red rays shoot down. This is a thing that even the Child of Creation did not attain; if not a man good and wise, who would dwell here? The grass-covered paths and mossy courtyards of old have now become terraces for singing and halls (館) for dancing. A spirit spring wells up without ceasing, and not the finest dust can trouble it. It runs out between mottled pillars and pours over a floor of green jade-stone. The water swells and is blue though there is no indigo in it; its sound is clear and rings though it has no strings. Already he has made Penglai and Yingzhou his garden, and made Chao Fu (巢父) and Xu You (許由) his capped and sashed companions. A few clumps of cool bamboo are faintly like a sky of wind and rain, and a single falling petal lets the realm of the immortals slip through. Here the peony has three calyxes and the sweet flag opens nine flowers. Hereupon carriages and parasols gather rank on rank, and cups and platters lie in confusion. Wine of the ninefold brewing is poured from jars of jade, and the eight delicacies are laid out on boards of jade. Beneath the gate, he says, do not keep the welcome guests of Zheng (鄭), Director of Agriculture, waiting; above the mats, he says, the glad guests of Kong (孔), Grand Master, are always full in number. The fair sun is long and a good wind stirs. Leaning on a green pine he tilts back his kerchief, and ringing the running water he floats his cup. He longs after the spring lustration revel at Lanting (蘭亭) and follows the heat-shunning drinking party of Heshuo (河朔). It is the writing of the Xie (謝) and the axe of the Han (韓), so the host is none other than His Excellency Linghu (令狐); it is the thought of Confucius and the mind of the Duke of Zhou, so the guests at the mats are all aged scholars of Changli (昌黎). New lotus leaves come out of the water, and drooping willows hang low over the hall. Birds in red coats with brocade collars float and dive in the jade pond; birds with pale yellow bills and blue down cry out in cages of gold. Sweet pears of Zhending (眞定) have been brought and set here, and jade-colored plums of Fangling (房陵) planted. As if greeting, as if drunk, as if far-seeing, as if rising on tiptoe — the trees throng as in the garden of Du Mu (杜牧); as if going, as if running, as if stirring, as if crouching — the stones stand ranked as in the courtyard of Qizhang (奇章). One is startled, wondering whether one has entered Zangchunwu (藏春塢), and seems to be roaming before Ziyuting (自雨亭). A bow of a full hundred catties is drawn — how stout, this trial of strength of fierce men! The brush is plied and three thousand characters written — how abundant, this unrolling of writing by men of gift! Autumn comes first to the empty gallery, and the deep grove sounds of itself. I look up at the ridgepole and my spirit trembles; I look down into the green well and my mind grows clear. Side-locks like cloud and faces like jade contend in beauty with the flowers of spring; strings of kun-fowl (鵾鷄) sinew and plectra of iron send out a sound like hail on a clear day. If a man lives, he has only to enjoy; before a fine prospect, what is there to do but drink? I have heard that Li Taibai's Zhuxi (竹溪) came to nothing but a hidden old man of a clear age, and that Duke Pei's (裵) waterside pavilion became only a place to withdraw to for a while in old age. How should these match having the joy of roaming in the very court of the teaching of names (名敎)? When he withdraws from public business and takes his meal, those who love such matters come after him and make sport. I have had the good fortune to live in this fair neighborhood, and many times have I sullied these pure gatherings. Like the swallows of the beam coming and going, I have leaned on the shade of a great house; like a sea bird grieving in confusion, I have wasted to no purpose the entertainment of the Grand Sacrifice (大牢). I would wet my brush once, yet I fear to put a great shame upon this famed garden. Even so, strange flowers and uncommon plants dye my heart fair, and the bright moon and the clear wind wash my eyes like ice and snow. Things deal generously with men, and in many ways; shall I then leave the poem out? If the fine gallery were to lack its writing on the falling glow (落霞), and the pond of the Xie to be without its line on the spring grass, the green hills would open talk of breaking off our friendship and the fair trees would hold a mocking look in their faces. I have merely spent one chanting upon it, and respectfully offer these eight songs.
Interlinear notes 1
幷引
An introduction (引) is appended as well.