Matching the Rhymes Again, as Academician Pak Replied to All the Poems Above and Came to Visit in Person又次韻朴學士揔和前詩。親訪見贈。
1First Poem
二老相將暫見過。笑予池廢付羣蛙。適來旋去緣何事。爲欠靑蛾勸酒歌。
Two old men led each other here and stopped a moment, then laughed at me for leaving the pond to a crowd of frogs. Why was it that they came and at once went away? Because there was no lovely person to press the wine and sing.
Interlinear notes 2
今朝與李學士。同訪旋去。留之不得。
This morning he came with Academician Yi, but went away at once and I could not hold them.
兩君笑予不理池塘。予答曰。熱則入浴。何以侈爲。
The two gentlemen laughed that I do not keep the pond in repair, and I answered that when it is hot one has only to go in and bathe — why be extravagant?
2Second Poem
肉食當年分已過。豈同韓老稍烹蛙。邇來亦屛腥膻物。舊癖難除只醉歌。
The portion of those days when I ate meat is already past, so how should I be like old Han Yu (韓愈), who boiled frogs? These days I put aside even things fishy and rank, and the old habit being hard to rid myself of, I only get drunk and sing.
Interlinear notes 1
邇來不嗜肉食。
These days I take no pleasure in eating meat.
3Third Poem
李老遐孫鬢亦華。靑牛猶未渡流沙。愧予空嗜忘憂物。羡子長携解語花。二事尋常如得際。兩翁歡樂各何加。更聞隣有彈箏手。垂柳陰中蘇小家。
Even a distant descendant of Laozi (老子) has grey at his temples, yet the green ox has not yet crossed the Flowing Sands (流沙). To my shame, I idly delight only in forgetting my cares, while I envy you, who always keep a flower that understands speech. If these two could be had together as a matter of course, what more could be added to two old men's pleasure? I hear besides that a neighbour plays the zither well — the house of Su Xiao (蘇小) in the shade of drooping willows.
Interlinear notes 1
右二首初訪詩
The two poems above were written when he first came to visit.
4Fourth Poem
家有倡兒始學箏。我如久假大無情。但期置酒頻相喚。與聽朱絃落玉聲。
The young entertainer at your house has only just begun to learn the zither, so for me to keep it borrowed long would be truly unfeeling. I ask only that you set out wine and call me often, and let us listen together as jade-like notes drop from the red strings.
Interlinear notes 2
右一首○乞菊詩韻。今公所述。不以菊。予亦順之。
The above is one poem. It uses the rhymes of the poem asking for chrysanthemums, but what the gentleman has now written says nothing of chrysanthemums, so I followed him in that.
君妓今未工於箏。
Your entertainer is not yet practised on the zither.
5Fifth Poem
書生不必事琴箏。只箇吟詩愜雅情。自別哀絃何遣憫。時吹林葉當笳聲。
A man of letters need not make the geomungo and the zither his business; simply chanting poems suits a clear heart. Since parting from those plaintive strings, how shall I ease my stifled heart? Now and then I blow on a woodland leaf in place of a flute.
6Sixth Poem
檀拍常交碎。花裙慣對翻。一來殘叟手。似作怨咨言。
The birchwood clappers always rang out together as if breaking, and the flowered skirts must have been practised at whirling face to face. But once it came into the hands of a worn-out old man, it seems to speak words of reproach.
Interlinear notes 1
右二首還琴詩
The two poems above were written on returning the gayageum.
7Seventh Poem
何用區區鳳髓連。本施園客繭絲絃。一聲尙足寬愁緖。孤負前期我不然。
Why should I fussily join the strings with glue of phoenix marrow? From the first the strings were strung with the cocoon silk of Yuan Ke (園客). One note alone is enough to loosen my sorrow, and I will not be the one to break the promise made before.
Interlinear notes 3
本期絃盡。則加絃還之。然絃亦不絶。故不爾。
I had promised at first that if the strings gave out I would add new strings before returning it, but since none broke I did not do so.
君復送琴。予以前期不受。
You sent the gayageum again, but, keeping to the promise made before, I did not accept it.
右上同
The above is the same as the preceding.