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Meng Haoran: Stop at Xinfeng to Be With My Friends

Stop at Xinfeng to Be With My Friends

京 还 留 别 新 丰 诸 友
吾 道 昧 所 适
驱 车 还 向 东。
主 人 开 旧 馆
留 客 醉 新 丰。
树 绕 温 泉 绿
尘 遮 晚 日 红。
拂 衣 从 此 去
高 步 蹑 华 嵩。
Jing Hai Liu Bie Xin Zhu You

Wu dao mei suo shi
Qu che hai xiang dong.
Zhu ren kai jiu guan
Liu luo zui xin feng.

Shu rao wen quan lu
Chen zhe wan ri hong.
Fu yi cong ci qu
Gao bu nie hua song.

 

Stop at Xinfeng to Be With My Friends

My life’s road not going to a comfortable place
Carriage is still moving to the east.
Host opens old guesthouse
As this drunk visitor has excessive sorrows at Xinfeng.

Deciduous trees still green near the warm spring waters
Red dust covers the setting sun.
Have to shake all this dust out of my clothes
I leave this flatland and ascend into the Hua and Song mountains.

 

Notes:

Carriage moving to the east:  After failing the exam, Meng still wanted to pass it and become a government official.

Hua and Song mountains:  Both are part of the Five Great Mountains of ancient China. Mt. Hua is east of modern day Xi’an in Shaanxi Province. Mt. Song is in Henan Province, and has many Daoist and Buddhist monasteries in the area.

 

Commentary:

Meng’s line to shake the dust out of his clothes reminds me of a man from Nazareth who told his inner circle to do the same if they are ever chased out of town.

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