Tao Yuanming: Continuous Rain, Drinking Alone

Continuous Rain, Drinking Alone

连 雨 独 饮

运 生 会 归 尽
终 古 谓 之 然。
世 间 有 松 乔
于 今 定 何 间。

故 老 赠 余 酒
乃 言 饮 得 仙。
试 酌 百 情 远
重 觞 忽 忘 天。

天 岂 去 此 哉
任 真 无 所 先。
云 鹤 有 奇 翼
八 表 须 臾 还。

自 我 抱 兹 独
僶 勉 四 十 年。
形 骸 久 已 化
心 在 复 何 言。

Lian Yu Du Yin

Yun sheng hui gui jin
Zhong gu wei zhi ran.
Shi jian you song qiao
Yu jin ding he jian.

Gu lao zeng yu jiu
Nai yan yin de xian.
Shi zhuo bai qing yuan
Chong shang hu wang tian.

Tian qi qu ci zai
Ren zhen wu suo xian.
Yun he you qi yi
Ba biao xu yu huan.

Zi wo bao zi du
Min mian si shi nian.
Xing hai jiu yi hua
Xin zai fu he yan.

Continuous Rain, Drinking Alone

Life is transient, it’s destiny is to end and then return
All ancient peoples have said this is true.
Since the Han Dynasty, it is believed the two forest immortals Song and Qiao lived in the forest
Do we really still believe this today?

Old friends have given me their surplus wine
Only after drinking this wine, they tell me I can become an immortal.
After trying a cup, old worries now distant
One more cup, forget these people of Heaven.

Does not Heaven exist apart from our beliefs?
By us being of Nature, does it really matter who came first, immortals or mortals?
The crane that takes people to Heaven must have extraordinary wings
But from all cardinal directions it flies back.

Since I have embraced this philosophy
Over the past forty years.
My body has been a long time changing
As the heart and mind exists for here and now, do not need to repeat these words.