The eastern garden’s trodden way
Leads to blooming peach and plum trees.
But withered leaves are blown away
And drifting in the autumn breeze.
Bright flowers languish soon and fade;
With thorns the hall will be overgrown.
Leave the hall on horse and evade
To Hermits’ hill and settle down!
Hard to keep you from being lost,
Let alone your children and wife.
Wild grass will be covered with frost;
Soon will end the year and our life.
嘉树下成蹊，东园桃与李。
秋风吹飞藿，零落从此始。
繁华有憔悴，堂上生荆杞。
驱马舍之去，去上西山趾。
一身不自保，何况恋妻子。
凝霜被野草，岁暮亦云已。
The poetry of Ruan Ji has the same mood, what differs is his soul and his world view. In it we can find biting and angry criticism of Confucian dogmatists and rulers, a glorification of the gladness of "carefree wandering", and the anger and sorrow resulting from the conflict between Junzi (君子) and "times of chaos".
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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