Indirect Remonstrance

怨灵修之浩荡兮，夫何执操之不固？

I resent that the Fair One, my king, is so wayward and unsettled; why is the resolve he holds to so weak?

悲太山之为隍兮，孰江河之可涸？

I grieve that Mount Tai will crumble into a dry moat; who can dam the Yangtze and the Yellow River once they burst?

愿承闲而效志兮，恐犯忌而干讳。

I would seize a quiet moment to offer my loyal counsel, yet fear to offend the king's dislikes and trespass on what others shun.

卒抚情以寂寞兮，然怊怅而自悲。

In the end I hold my feelings in and keep a lonely silence, yet I am full of rueful longing and grieve by myself.

玉与石其同匮兮，贯鱼眼与珠玑。

Jade and common stone are kept in the same casket, and fish eyes are strung together with pearls, round and uneven alike.

驽骏杂而不分兮，服罢牛而骖骥。

Nags and thoroughbreds are mixed together without distinction; a worn-out ox is yoked to the shaft while the fine steed runs as a side horse.

年滔滔而自远兮，寿冉冉而愈衰。

The years stream away ever further, and my life wears down little by little as I grow weaker.

心悇憛而烦冤兮，蹇超摇而无冀。

My heart is anxious and troubled, vexed with wrongs unredressed; I am shaken and restless and have nothing left to hope for.

固时俗之工巧兮，灭规矩而改错。

The age is skilled above all in cunning tricks; it destroys the compass and square and rearranges every rule.

郤骐骥而不乘兮，策驽骀而取路。

It pushes aside the thoroughbred and will not ride it, and whips the broken-down nag onto the road instead.

当世岂无骐骥兮，诚无王良之善驭。

Does the present age truly lack fine horses? No, it lacks a driver as skilled as Wang Liang.

见执辔者非其人兮，故驹跳而远去。

When the horse sees that the one holding the reins is not the right man, it rears and bolts far away.

不量凿而正枘兮，恐矩矱之不同。

If one shapes the tenon without measuring the mortise, the rule and the measure are unlikely to agree.

不论世而高举兮，恐操行之不调。

If one raises high a spotless conduct without weighing the greed of the age, it will hardly be in tune with the common run.

弧弓弛而不张兮，孰云知其所至？

While the wooden bow hangs slack and undrawn, who can say how far its arrow would reach?

无倾危之患难兮，焉知贤士之所死？

Without the peril of a state tottering to its fall, how can one know that a worthy man will die for his principles?

俗推佞而进富兮，节行张而不著。

The age promotes flatterers and advances the rich, while men of principle, however they strive to show it, win no notice.

贤良蔽而不群兮，朋曹比而党誉。

The good and able are screened off and kept from the ranks, while cliques close together and praise one another.

邪说饰而多曲兮，正法弧而不公。

Crooked doctrines are dressed up in a hundred twists, while the upright law is bent awry and cannot run its public course.

直士隐而避匿兮，谗谀登乎明堂。

Honest men go into hiding and keep out of sight, while slanderers and flatterers mount the Bright Hall to govern.

弃彭咸之娱乐兮，灭巧倕之绳墨。

They cast away the conduct of Peng Xian, who took joy in dying for his principles, and destroy the carpenter's line of the master craftsman Chui.

菎蕗杂于黀蒸兮，机蓬矢以射革。

They mix the fragrant kunlu reed in with hemp stalks and bamboo kindling to burn, and set a crossbow's trigger to shoot tumbleweed arrows at a shield of rhinoceros hide.

驾蹇驴而无策兮，又何路之能极？

Driving a lame donkey with no whip, how could one ever reach the end of any road?

以直鍼而为钓兮，又何鱼之能得？

Fishing with a straight needle for a hook, what fish could one ever catch?

伯牙之绝弦兮，无锺子期而听之。

Boya broke the strings of his zither, for there was no longer a Zhong Ziqi to listen.

和抱璞而泣血兮，安得良工而剖之？

Bian He clasped his uncut jade and wept until he wept blood; where could he find a skilled craftsman to cut it open?

同音者相和兮，同类者相似。

Sounds of the same pitch answer one another, and things of the same kind resemble each other.

飞鸟号其群兮，鹿鸣求其友。

The flying bird calls out for its flock, and the deer cries to seek its companions.

故叩宫而宫应兮，弹角而角动。

So when the gong note is struck the gong string answers, and when the jue note is plucked the jue string stirs.

虎啸而谷风至兮，龙举而景云往。

When the tiger roars the valley wind comes, and when the dragon rises the bright clouds go to bear it up.

音声之相和兮，言物类之相感也。

Sounds answering one another: this tells how things of a kind stir and respond to each other.

夫方圜之异形兮，势不可以相错。

Square and round are different in shape, and by their nature cannot be fitted together.

列子隐身而穷处兮，世莫可以寄讬。

The worthy Liezi hid himself away and lived in poverty because there was nowhere in the world to entrust his life.

众鸟皆有行列兮，凤独翔翔而无所薄。

All the other birds have their ranks and files, but the phoenix alone soars with nowhere to alight.

经浊世而不得志兮，愿侧身岩穴而自讬。

Having passed through a muddied age without fulfilling my purpose, I would turn aside into a mountain cave and lodge myself there.

欲阖口而无言兮，尝被君之厚德。

I would shut my mouth and say no more, but I once received my king's generous favour.

独便悁而怀毒兮，愁郁郁之焉极？

Alone I am vexed and indignant, nursing bitterness; when will this pent-up sorrow ever end?

念三年之积思兮，愿壹见而陈辞。

Thinking of the longing stored up through three years of banishment, I wish to see my king once and lay out my words.

不及君而骋说兮，世孰可为明之？

If I pour out my counsel without reaching a worthy king, who in the world can tell its truth from falsehood for me?

身寝疾而日愁兮，情沉抑而不扬。

I lie sick in bed and grieve day after day, my loyal feeling pressed down and unable to rise to the king.

众人莫可与论道兮，悲精神之不通。

Among the crowd there is no one with whom I can discuss the way of serving a lord, and I grieve that my spirit and purpose cannot reach the king.

乱曰：鸾皇孔凤日以远兮，畜凫驾鹅。

The envoi says: the luan bird, the phoenix and the peacock are driven further off each day, while wild ducks and wild geese are kept and fed.

鸡鹜满堂坛兮，鼉黽游乎华池。

Chickens and ducks crowd the hall and the terrace, and alligators and toads swim in the Pool of Flowers.

要褭奔亡兮，腾驾橐驼。

The swift steed Yaoniao gallops off and is lost, while the king harnesses camels and drives them at full tilt.

铅刀进御兮，遥弃太阿。

A blunt lead knife is presented for the king's use, while the keen sword Tai'e is flung far away.

拔搴玄芝兮，列树芋荷。

The sacred black fungus is pulled up by the roots, and taro and lotus are planted in rows.

橘柚萎枯兮，苦李旖旎。

The orange and pomelo trees wither and dry up, while the bitter plum flourishes in luxuriance.

甂瓯登于明堂兮，周鼎潜潜乎深渊。

Coarse earthen basins and bowls are set up in the Bright Hall, while the great tripod of Zhou lies sunk deep in the abyss.

自古而固然兮，吾又何怨乎今之人。

It has always been so since ancient times; why then should I resent the people of today!