Vice Minister Yi Su Sent Me a Song to the Tune "Gyejihyang" in Answer, So I Matched His Rhymes次韻李侍郞需和桂枝香詞見寄
門人宴席。有貴介滿堂多是親客。慙我衰髥渾皓倩人方摘。金鍾電釂流霞酒。顧如儂飮誠云劇。但無夫子相酬屬壽。靡由邀得。竟日暮吟詩共樂。嘆曹在無劉元在無白。無問誰家第一養花豪宅。千葩爛映倡兒袖。奈無言解語同側。可憐衰叟。還圖觥船與君拍。
A feast seat of men of letters — noble gentlemen fill the house, and all are close guests. Shameful it is that my failing beard is all white, and I must have another pluck it out for me. The golden cup is emptied like lightning, for it is an immortal's wine, and looking back, even the drinking of one like me may truly be called at its height. Only, you, sir, are not here to pass the cup and wish me long life, and there is no way to usher you in. All day until dusk we chant poems and take joy together, yet I sigh: there is Cao Zhi (曹植) but no Liu Zhen (劉楨), there is Yuan Zhen (元稹) but no Bai Juyi (白居易). Do not ask whose house is first among the splendid houses that raise flowers. A thousand blossoms shine brilliantly on the entertainer boy's sleeves. What can be done that the flowers which understand speech are not here beside us? Pitiable, this failing old man — who yet would float the great cup and beat time together with you.
Interlinear notes 3
二首
Two poems.
來章云。且問第幾侯宅。故云是宅草木第一。
In the piece you sent it said, "And I ask, which marquis's house is it?" And so I said that the plants and trees of this house are the finest.
曹劉元白 — These name pairs of poets who exchanged poems with one another. There is also a reading that takes 曹 as Cao Cao (曹操). — Translator
詩筵酒席。自往昔縱遊因號狂客。天上星辰雖遠筆頭皆摘。殘年遇子同傾酒。與題詩漸成繁劇。君猶年少予登老壽。尙皆相得。己退縮將誰與樂。恨孤負春風桃李紅白。將子殷勤不惜往來窮宅。縱欣擲玉堆盈袖。欲親攀歌詠陪側。許容迂叟。詞源相誇浪相拍。
Seats of poetry and seats of wine — from of old I roamed to my heart's content and was called a mad wanderer. Though the stars above the sky are far, with my brush tip I plucked them all down. In my remaining years I met you, and we tip up the wine together, and composing poems together, it has grown frequent to the point of trouble. You are still young and I have climbed to an old age, yet for all that our minds agree. I have already withdrawn and drawn in; with whom shall I take joy hereafter? I resent forsaking the red and white of peach and plum in the spring wind. You are so kindly that you do not grudge coming and going to my out-of-the-way house, and I rejoice to my heart's content that the jade you cast me piles up to fill my sleeves. I would hold you myself and sing, and attend upon you at your side. If you will accept this impractical old man, we shall boast to each other of the sources of our writing and idly beat time for one another.