子獻佳興發。
萬里浮雲卷碧山,
You drank alone with keen delight. Clouds float for miles and miles like rolled-up mountains high;
青天中道流孤月。
孤月滄浪河漢清,
The lonely moon drifts in the midst of the sky. The same lonely moon swims in Silver River clear;
北斗錯落長庚明。
懷余對酒夜霜白,
The evening star is bright when Dipper stars appear. You think of me drinking on a night white with frost;
玉床金井冰崢嶸。
人生飄忽百年內,
The golden well with rails of jade in ice is lost. Men live like floating clouds within a hundred years,
且須酣暢萬古情。
君不能狸膏金距學斗雞,
So we should drink our fill like our ancient compeers. You cannot do as the eunuchs fond of cock fight,
坐令鼻息吹虹霓。
君不能學哥舒,
Who blow their breath like rainbow bright. You cannot do as the general with sword in hand,
橫行青海夜帶刀,
西屠石堡取紫袍。
Who won his violet robe by slaughter on the land. Writing verse or prose, by north window you remain;
吟詩作賦北窗里,
萬言不直一杯水。
Ten thousand words not worth a cup of water plain. Hearing of this, people would turn their heads away,
世人聞此皆掉頭,
有如東風射馬耳。
Just as a horse with ears hurt by east wind would neigh. The fish’s eye mistaken for a pearl laughs at me,
魚目亦笑我,
謂與明月同。
Saying I cannot shine as the moon or as he. A horse can’t gallop when it has nothing to eat;
驊騮拳跼不能食,
蹇馿得志鳴春風。
A donkey brays in spring breeze though crippled in feet. The common people like to sing the vulgar thing.
《折楊》《皇華》合流俗,
晉君聽琴枉《清角》。
How could the sacred lute please a secular king? and his wish to wander on the lake like General Fan with the Beauty in 473 B.C.