The oil lamp's duel with rats shadows my inkstone,
A waning moon, crows' dirge, far bugles moan.
Exiled where rivers meet—poverty's lease,
Mountains shut—yet dreams fold space to hometown's peace.
Summer anxieties breach my crimson core,
All deeds dissolve into temples' silver sore.
Who'll lend me wings to outrace homing birds?
No more delays—just the horizon's blurred words.
青灯斗鼠窥寒砚，落月啼乌送迥笳。
江汉置身贫作客，溪山合眼梦还家。
夏忧忽忽丹心破，万事悠悠两鬓华。
谁与健帆先度鸟，更无留滞向天涯。
Composed during Zeng Gong's period of political exile and personal tribulations in southern China, this poem reveals the scholar-official's nocturnal solitude, homesickness, and lament over unfulfilled ideals. The title "Yí Xìng" (遗兴) - literally "leftover inspirations" - metaphorically represents abandoned ambitions and lingering regrets. Despite his predicament, the poem ultimately affirms Zeng's unwavering moral integrity.
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
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