The Highest Tower
- Poetry of Xin Qiji

《最高楼·吾衰矣》

English Rendering

I am old now.

Do I care for wealth and rank the world prizes?

Wealth and rank would lead to crisis.

Mu left the king who neglected to serve him wine,

And Tao would not bow for his stipend but resign.

Master Mu,

Prefect Tao,

I’ll learn from you.

I’ll build a garden called “Recluse”

And a pavilion where I may do what I choose.

I’ll drink at leisure

And chant with pleasure.

Land changes hands from year to year in north and south.

How many spoonfuls could one put at once in his mouth?

Stop your old song!

Do not tell me what’s right or wrong!

The Highest Tower by Xin Qiji
The Highest Tower by Xin Qiji

Original Text (中文原文)

吾拟乞归,犬子以田产未置止我,赋此骂之。

吾衰矣,须富贵何时?富贵是危机。暂忘设醴抽身去,未曾得米弃官归。穆先生,陶县令,是吾师。

待葺个园儿名“佚老”,更作个亭儿名“亦好”,闲饮酒,醉吟诗。千年田换八百主,一人口插几张匙?便休休,更说甚,是和非!

Analysis & Context

The poet shows how he values freedom above wealth and rank.

The lyricist uses metaphorical expressions to scold the power-that-be and the profit-seeking commoners who persecuted him, and to express his intention to return to seclusion and seek happiness in the countryside because of his political disillusionment.

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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