“Returning at Night to Linggao” by Su Shi (1037-1101 AD). Su Shi is one of those literar
“Returning at Night to Linggao” by Su Shi (1037-1101 AD). Su Shi is one of those literary geniuses who’s so effortlessly good with words that it makes you want to open his brain and see how it functions. The translation below (source) is a pretty good one but no guarantee that the original brilliance isn’t lost in translation:Drinking at night on the Eastern Slope (1), I sobered up and got drunk again.When I arrived back home, it was about midnight.The young servant was snoring like thunder, Not responding, no matter how hard I knocked.Supported by a walking stick, I listened to the river.I have long regretted that this body does not belong to me -When can I stop pursuing fame and money? (2)The night comes to an end, the wind stops, and the waves in the ravine die down.Let me drift away on a small boat from now on, And entrust the rest of my life to rivers and seas. (1) “Eastern Slope” is both the name of the hill and the literary name used by Su Shi. The line could also mean “Drinking at night, Su Shi (Eastern Slope) sobered up and got drunk again”.(2) “營營” literally means being busy without stopping, often with a negative connotation. It is also the onomatopoeia for the sound that flies make when flying around. It can also refer to the anxieties in one’s mind. An alternative interpretation could be “When can I forget these anxieties?” -- source link
#chinese literature