Presented to Yi of the Ministry of Personnel投李吏部
我李羅天下。賢侯表隴西。素襟淸映雪。長焰欻橫霓。修月無雙手。登雲第幾梯。佩龜靑嚲綬。批鳳紫濡泥。雅望宜華要。洪權管品題。下椎鎔巨闕。剖石覓懸黎。天地癯儒在。風波宦海迷。久爲居轍鮒。動作觸藩羝。早折姮娥桂。期燃太一藜。詩毫頻禿兔。書卷費編犀。學或嘗熊膽。癡難數馬蹄。窮途翻失適。短翮未安棲。鼻待揮斤斲。聲悲抱璞啼。方輪那解轉。貝錦謾逢萋。織屨憐慈母。當壚愧老妻。憶曾單閼歲。叨向孔門躋。坐席間函丈。依陰下作蹊。祝煩成蜾蠃。覆始發醯雞。學繢堪方渙。聞韶不必齊。恩深雖刻骨。信斷忽無輗。末禮何曾檢。中心不是携。憑公一薦禰。記我昔攀嵇。
The Yi are spread abroad over all the world, but the worthy magistrate holds up Longxi (隴西) for his own. Your white collar is clean and shines in the eye, and a long flame suddenly crosses the rainbow. In trimming the moon your skill has no second; and in climbing the clouds, which rung of the ladder are you? You wear the tortoise, and the green seal-cord hangs down; you split the phoenix, and the red clay is wet. Your fair repute suits a splendid and vital seat, and with great authority you have charge of the ranking of men. Bringing down the hammer, you melt the Juque (巨闕) sword; splitting the stone, you seek out the Xuanli (懸黎) jade. Between Heaven and Earth there is a gaunt scholar who wanders the wind-and-wave sea of office. Long have I been a crucian carp living in a wheel-rut, and when I move I am a ram caught in the fence. Once I broke off the cassia of Chang'e, and looked to light the goosefoot lamp of Taiyi (太一). My poem-brush has often worn away all its rabbit hair, and my books have used up their rhinoceros-hide thongs. In learning I have now and then tasted the bear's gall, but being foolish, I can hardly count the horses' hooves. On a straitened road I have lost instead where to go, and short wings are not easy about where to roost. My nose waits for the axe to be swung and shave it; my voice is the sad voice of one who weeps holding rough jade. How should a squared wheel know how to roll? And the shell-patterned silk meets idly with tangling. I pity my mother, who twists straw shoes, and am ashamed before my old wife, who sits at the wine counter. I remember that long ago, in a myo year (卯年), presumptuously I went up to the gate of Confucius. Our seats were a fathom apart, and leaning in your shade I made a road below. Praying troublesomely, I became a mason wasp; and when what was covered was opened at last, a fruit fly came out. My learning of painting may be matched against Huan (渙), and to hear the Shao music (韶樂) one need not be in Qi. Your kindness is deep, and though I have graven it upon my bones, word has been cut off, and suddenly there is no yoke. When did I ever hold myself to the small points of ceremony? Within my heart I have not gone away. Leaning upon you, recommend Mi Heng (禰衡) once; remember how I held fast to Xi Kang in the old days.
Interlinear notes 2
公爲知制誥故云。
The Duke had become Drafter of Royal Edicts (知制誥), and so it is said thus.
公於宅中。每集冠童敎授。予少時亦預之。
The Duke always gathered grown men and children at his house and taught them, and I too took part when I was young.