八月十五夜赠张功曹-To Zhang Gongcao on the Moon Festival Night
八月十五夜赠张功曹
韩愈
纤云四卷天无河，清风吹空月舒波。
沙平水息声影绝，一杯相属君当歌。
君歌声酸辞正苦，不能听终泪如雨。
“洞庭连天九疑高，蛟龙出没猩鼯号。
十生九死到官所，幽居默默如藏逃。
下床畏蛇食畏药，海气湿蛰熏腥臊。
昨者州前大鼓，嗣皇继圣登夔皋。
赦书一日行千里，罪从大辟皆除死。
迁者追回流者还，涤瑕荡垢清朝班。
州家申名使家抑，坎轲祗得移荆蛮。
判司卑官不堪说，未免捶楚尘埃间。
同时辈流多上道，天路幽险难追攀。”
君歌且休听我歌，我歌今与君殊科。
“一年明月今宵多，人生由命非由他，
有酒不饮奈明何！”
To Zhang Gongcao on the Moon Festival Night
Han Yu
Thin clouds floating here and there form no milky way；
The breeze sweeps the sky and the moon pours down its rays.
Smooth sand， calm water， no sound or shadow whate’er，
Please sing a song for the toast now I you offer.
Sour sounds and bitter words your song really contains；
Before it is finished， my tears gush out like rains.
“Dongting Lake links the sky； Jiuyi Mount is so high；
Dragons come and go， gorillas and squirrels cry.
I went to my new post at life’s risk， nine times out of ten，
And lived in seclusion like a runagate in his den.
Leaving bed， I’d fear snakes； eating， I’d fear poison.
Sea odor and damp worms give smell fishy and rotten.
There were drumbeats at the county yamen yesterday.
The new Emperor was enthroned， the virtuous had their day.
Pardon mandate was passed each day a thousand li：
Death-sentence convicts and downwards spared of life would be；
The demoted， reinstated； the banished， brought back；
Purged， the new Court would have only officials crack.
But the envoy withheld the local list of names；
So to Hunan at last unluckily I came.
What can I say as an official of humble post ，
Liable for naught to be flogged and to the ground tossed！
The luckier ones of us have been on their way home.
The road to heaven is too dangerous to roam！”
Please stop singing and listen to my song instead，
Which， different from yours， will have your thought elsewhere led.
“In the whole year， the moonlight is brightest to-night.
One’s life is destined by fate， not by others’ might.
Why not drink your good wine with the bright moon in sight！”
