Translation: Bibliography of Mr. Five Willows (Tao Yuanming)
(translated by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam)
先生不知何许人也,亦不详其姓字,
Nobody knows the gentleman’s ancestral root, nor his full name.
宅边有五柳树,因以为号焉。
There are five willow trees beside his residence, and he is so named for identification.
闲静少言,
Being a reticent person, he talks very little.
不慕荣利。
He is not a fame and fortune seeker.
好读书,不求甚解;
Reading is his passion, but he doesn’t delve into the nitty-gritty of underlying meanings.
每有会意,便欣然忘食。
Each time he comprehends something, he would be so thrilled that he forgets to eat.
性嗜酒,家贫不能常得。
He has a penchant for wine, but being poor means he cannot always afford some.
亲旧知其如此,或置酒而招之;
Friends and relatives know his situation, and at times prepare drinks to treat him.
造饮辄尽,期在必醉。
Always he will go all out to get drunk.
既醉而退,曾不吝情去留。
Once he becomes inebriated, he will take off and never hangs around.
环堵萧然,不蔽风日;
The house he lives in is bare to the walls, and can’t provide him enough shelter from elements.
短褐穿结,
His hemp clothes are tattered and patched.
箪瓢屡空,晏如也。
Although he is perennially deprived of basic staples in life, yet he is at ease about it.
常著文章自娱,颇示己志。
Often he writes to entertain himself, in which he casually reveals his aspiration.
忘怀得失,
Success and failure are of no importance to him.
以此自终。
Just like that, he lives a full life.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
赞曰:黔娄之妻有言:“不戚戚于贫贱,不汲汲于富贵。”
Commentaries: Wife of Qian Lu once said: “He doesn’t sulk over poverty, or yearn for riches/status.”
其言兹若人之俦乎?
Would what she said was the kind of this man?
衔觞赋诗,以乐其志,
With much wine-drinking and poem composing, he is pleased of his ambition in life.
无怀氏之民欤?葛天氏之民欤?
Could he be the subject of Emperor Wu Huai, or that of Emperor Ge Tian?
白话译文
不知道五柳先生是什么地方的人,也不清楚他的姓字。因为住宅旁边有五棵柳树,就把这个作为号了。他安安静静,很少说话,也不羡慕荣华利禄。他喜欢读书,不在一字一句的解释上过分深究;每当对书中的内容有所领会的时候,就会高兴得连饭也忘了吃。他生性喜爱喝酒,家里穷经常没有酒喝。亲戚朋友知道他这种境况,有时摆了酒席叫他去喝。他去喝酒就喝个尽兴,希望一定喝醉;喝醉了就回家,竟然说走就走。简陋的居室里空空荡荡,遮挡不住严寒和烈日,粗布短衣上打满了补丁,盛饭的篮子和饮水的水瓢里经常是空的,可是他还是安然自得。常常写文章来自娱自乐,也稍微透露出他的志趣。他从不把得失放在心上,从此过完自己的一生。
赞语说:黔娄的妻子曾经说过:“不为贫贱而忧愁,不热衷于发财做官。这话大概说的是五柳先生这一类的人吧?一边喝酒一边作,因为自己抱定的志向而感到无比的快乐。不知道他是无怀氏时代的人呢?还是葛天氏时代的人呢?