Hard is the Way of the World II
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

《行路难-其二》

English Rendering

The way is broad like the blue sky,

But no way out before my eye.

I am ashamed to follow those who have no guts,

Gambling on fighting cocks and dogs for pears and nuts.

Feng would go homeward way, having no fish to eat;

Zhou did not think to bow to noblemen was meet.

General Han was mocked in the market-place;

The brilliant scholar Jia was banished in disgrace.

Have you not heard of King of Yan in days gone by,

Who venerated talents and built Terrace high

On which he offered gold to gifted men

And stooped low and swept the floor to welcome them?

Grateful, Ju Xin and Yue Yi came then

And served him heart and soul, both full of stratagem.

The King's bones were now buried,

who would sweep the floor of the Gold Terrace any more?

Hard is the way.

Go back without delay!

Hard is the Way of the World II by Li Bai (Li Po)
Hard is the Way of the World II by Li Bai (Li Po)

Original Text (中文原文)

大道如青天,我独不得出。

羞逐长安社中儿,赤鸡白狗赌梨栗。

弹剑作歌奏苦声,曳裾王门不称情。

淮阴市井笑韩信,汉朝公卿忌贾生。

君不见昔时燕家重郭隗,拥篲折节无嫌猜。

剧辛乐毅感恩分,输肝剖胆效英才。

昭王白骨萦蔓草,谁人更扫黄金台?

行路难,归去来!

Analysis & Context

Folk-song-styled-verse

In the first year of Emperor Xuanzong’s Tianbao era (742), Li Bai was summoned to the capital and appointed as a Hanlin scholar. However, he was never truly valued at court and was instead ostracized by powerful ministers. Two years later, he was "granted gold and sent away," effectively exiled from Chang’an. This poem was composed at that time, expressing his indignation at his frustrating political career and the sorrow of being unappreciated.

Reader's Companion

The Essence of the Verse

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.

Reading Between the Lines

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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