Presented to Choe Seon, Director of the Palace Library呈崔秘監詵
閱世渾如夢。勞生亦劇擔。形慙南郭木。身髣少陵楠。一擧非雄鵠。三眠已老蠶。薄遊甘得得。高視謾耽耽。馬種徒空北。鵬圖敢跂南。家思靈運佛。生樂啓期男。酒味愁偏識。人情老漸諳。今朝逢舊友。終日倚高酣。鳳穴毛新好。蝸廬訪可慙。醉看紅蜃筆。出逐紫鸞驂。破袖懷毛紙。高門殿玉簪。蘭誇庭下秀。珠媚掌中貪。蒹倚怜他玉。靑深愧我藍。孰驚王粲至。空與阿戎談。酒席初廻燭。霜盤細剖柑。貧雖氷子冷。言作蜜翁甘。說古誠無恧。論今亦頗參。談天終八八。入道後三三。漸及觥籌簇。還忙席丈函。遲明如一謁。文字更相耽。
Passing through this world is all of it like a dream and a weary life is a heavy burden besides My looks shame me before Nanguo's (南郭) withered tree my body resembles Shaoling's (少陵) camphor tree One flight, and I am no mighty swan thrice slept, I am already an aged silkworm I take the shallow traveller's road with long strides and count it sweet and glare in vain at looking high My words are all emptied out in the north and with the roc's ambition, dare I hope for the south? At home I think of Xie Lingyun's (謝靈運) Buddha in life I delight, as Rong Qiqi (榮啓期) did, in having been born a man The taste of wine is known to sorrow above all and human feeling grows more practised with age This morning I met an old friend and all day long leaned back and drank myself deep The plumage of the phoenix cave is newly fine and I am ashamed that you called at my snail's hut Drunk, I see brushes like red mirages and coming out, I follow the red luan-bird's trace-horse In my worn sleeve I carry hair-paper at the high gate jade hairpins stand in rows The orchid boasts its excellence below the courtyard the pearl is lovely within the palm The reed leans close, and that jade is beautiful the blue is deep, and my own indigo shames me Who would be startled at Wang Can's (王粲) name? In vain I talk with A Rong (阿戎) At the drinking mat the candle is passed round for the first time and on the frosted tray tangerines are daintily split Poverty may be as cold as ice but the talk is as sweet as honey Speaking of old things, there is truly nothing to be ashamed of discussing the present, we reckon it well enough too Speaking of heaven comes at last to eight upon eight entering the Way follows after with three upon three Gradually it comes to the gathering of cups and counting-sticks and instead the mats and the elder's box grow busy If I wait for daybreak and may see you once we shall take pleasure in each other again through writing
Interlinear notes 3
嗣子宗梓訪予。故云。
His heir, the son Jongjae (宗梓), came to call on me, and so I say this.
時崔君作詩後。勸予往其宅。
At that time Master Choe, after composing a poem, urged me to go to his house.
指言崔家諸子。杜詩云。掌中貪看一珠新。
This refers to the several sons of the Choe family. A poem by Du Fu says, "I crave a look at the one new pearl in the palm."