Why I Am Planting Bamboo
种 竹 并 序
昔 公 怜 我 直
比 之 秋 竹 竿。
秋 来 苦 相 忆
种 竹 斤 前 看。
失 地 颜 色 改
伤 根 枝 叶 残。
清 风 犹 淅 淅
高 节 空 团 团。
鸣 蝉 聒 暮 景
跳 蛙 集 幽 栏。
尘 土 复 昼 夜
梢 云 良 独 难。
丹 丘 信 云 远
安 得 临 仙 坛。
瘴 江 冬 草 绿
何 人 惊 岁 寒？
可 怜 亭 亭 于
一 一 青 琅 玕。
孤 凤 竟 不 至
坐 伤 时 节 阑。
Zhong Zhu Bing Xu
Xi gong lian wo zhi
Bi zhi qiu zhu gan.
Qiu lai ku xiang yi
Zhong zhu jin qian kan.
Shi di yan se gai
Shang gen zhi ye can.
Qing feng you xi xi
Gao jie kong tuan tuan.
Ming chan guo mu jing
Tiao wa ji you lan.
Chen tu fu zhou ye
Shao yun liang du nan.
Dan qiu xin yun yuan
An de lin xian tan.
Zhang jiang dong cao lu
He ren jing sui han?
Ke lian ting ting yu
Yi yi qing lang gan.
Gu feng jing bu zhi
Zuo shang shi jie lan.
Why I Am Planting Bamboo
Sympathize with the golden and olden days of befriending Bai Juyi with these bamboo plants
Compare and contrast these times with this autumn bamboo.
Recall how we suffered together in our autumn years
Use this type of bamboo in front of my door and windows.
People look at me differently after losing my official position
Kind of like the damaged bamboo branches during their transplanting.
Resting in the rustling and clear winds
I am the top section with bare patches around my main vertical branch.
Loud chirping cicadas in the sunset scenery
Jumping frogs assemble near a secluded fence.
Earthly dust stretches from daybreak into evening
Difficult to live the good life of sunlit cloud edges.
Truly my remote clouds far from divine realms
How can I move towards the peaceful altars of immortals.
Even during winter green grasses, the nearby river is a swamp
Is no one startled by the years of so much cold?
Even the tall and erect bamboo is dry and healthy
Every one has beautiful shades of jade green.
All around me a solitary phoenix has yet to arrive
Can only sit here and suffer until this season comes to an end.