所作忠而言之兮，指苍天以为正。
'Tis nothing but truth, I solemnly swear To Heaven, that my protest does contain.
令五帝使折中兮，戒六神与向服。
Let the Five Emperors their judgment make And th' Six Deities the facts verify.
俾山川以备御兮，命咎繇使听直。
Let the mountains and rivers the floor take, And let Gaoyao, to hear the case, descend from th' sky!
竭忠诚而事君兮，反离群而赘肬。
To my services my mind I did bend, Just to be isolated as a foe.
忘儇媚以背众兮，待明君其知之。
Short of claptrap, men 'round I did offend, But hop'd that th' king could my loyalty know.
言与行其可迹兮，情与貌其不变。
Both my word and deed are self-evident, And my looks and inner world stay their own.
故相臣莫若君兮，所以证之不远。
No one can make a better assessment Than th' king, for evidence is 'round the throne.
吾谊先君而后身兮，羌众人之所仇也。
I’d held that one put before himself th’ king, Only to be by men around attack’d.
专惟君而无他兮，又众兆之所雠也。
’Tis to whole-heartedness that I did cling, Only to invite hate and stay unback’d.
壹心而不豫兮，羌无可保也。
Now I am unable to myself fend, Though loyal I had manag'd to remain;
疾亲君而无他兮，有招祸之道也。
To selfless service I used to bend, Which as a result had become my bane.
思君其莫我忠兮，忽忘身之贱贫。
As the most devoted man next to none, I had no regard for personal fate.
事君而不贰兮，迷不知宠之门。
Whole-heartedly I had served the throne, Ignoring where to favor lies the gate.
患何罪以遇罚兮，亦非余之所志也。
On punction for faith what can shed light?
That’s an issue I can never make clear.
行不群以巅越兮，又众兆之所咍也。
Why should my unconformity invite Setbacks, at which men around laugh and jeer?
纷逢尤以离谤兮，謇不可释也。
I find it hard to myself extricate In face of piles of frustrations and smears.
情沉抑而不达兮，又蔽而莫之白也。
My pent-up emotion where can I state?
Th' king misled, my words would fall on deaf ears.
心郁邑余侘傺兮，又莫察余之中情。
I am driven to despair and distress; Moreo'er, nobody understands my plight.
固烦言不可结而诒兮，愿陈志而无路。
My ideas no characters can express; And what conveyance if in black and white?
退静默而莫余知兮，进号呼又莫吾闻。
Be tacit, and I’ll not be understood; Appeal loud, and nobody’ll hear my thought.
申侘傺之烦惑兮，中闷瞀之忳忳。
Gloom adding to the pain of perplex’d mood, In a dilemma I find myself caught.
昔余梦登天兮，魂中道而无杭。
I had dreamt I was ascending the sky, And that in the course of climbing I stray'd.
吾使厉神占之兮，曰有志极而无旁。
The god, ask'd to explain it, did reply: “You have lofty ideals and yet no aid.”
终危独以离异兮，曰君可思而不可恃。
“Does it isolation and exile bode?” “Kings are to be miss’d but not on reli’d,