Clearing the Stumps

悲哉于嗟兮，心内切磋。

How sad, alas! My heart within is pained as if cut and ground.

款冬而生兮，凋彼叶柯。

Plants that sprout when they meet the deep of winter have their leaves and branches wither away.

瓦砾进宝兮，捐弃随和。

Broken tiles and gravel are presented as treasure, while the Sui pearl and the He jade disc are thrown away.

铅刀厉御兮，顿弃太阿。

A blunt lead knife is sharpened and put to use, while the keen sword Tai'e is cast aside as dull.

骥垂两耳兮，中坂蹉跎。

The thoroughbred droops both ears and stumbles to a halt halfway up the slope.

蹇驴服驾兮，无用日多。

Lame donkeys are harnessed to the carriage, and the useless grow more numerous by the day.

修洁处幽兮，贵宠沙劘。

Men of pure conduct live in obscurity, while the honoured favourites grind them down and push them aside.

凤皇不翔兮，鹑鴳飞扬。

The phoenix no longer soars, while quail and little yan birds flutter up in triumph.

乘虹骖蜺兮，载云变化。

I ride the rainbow with the secondary bow as my outer horses, carried on clouds and changing form.

焦明开路兮，后属青蛇。

The phoenix-like bird Jiaoming clears the way ahead, and the green serpent follows behind as guard.

步骤桂林兮，超骧卷阿。

Now walking, now galloping, I pass through the cassia woods and leap over the winding hillside.

丘陵翔儛兮，谿谷悲歌。

The hills rise and fall as if dancing in flight, and the valley streams sound like mournful song.

神章灵篇兮，赴曲相和。

Sacred writings like the River Chart and the Luo Script join the tune and answer one another.

余私娱兹兮，孰哉复加。

I take my private delight in this: what joy could ever surpass it?

还顾世俗兮，坏败罔罗。

Looking back at the common world, I see it ruined and broken like a tattered net.

卷佩将逝兮，涕流滂沲。

I gather up my pendants, about to depart, and tears pour down in floods.

乱曰：皇门开兮照下土，株秽除兮兰芷睹。

Envoi: the royal gates open and light shines over the land below; stumps and filth are cleared away, and the lan and zhi herbs can be seen.

四佞放兮後得禹，圣舜摄兮昭尧绪，孰能若兮原为辅。

The four villains Huandou, Gonggong, Sanmiao and Gun were banished, and then Yu was found to tame the floods; the sage Shun took the regency and made Yao's work shine; whoever could match them, I would gladly serve as his helper.