<Header>
<Author: 韓愈>
<Title: 讀皇甫湜公安園池詩書其後二首 二>
<Format: 五言古詩>
<Year: 1898>
<BookName: Chinese Poetry in English Verse>
<Translator: Herbert A. Gile>
<TranslatedTitle: HOURS OF IDLENESS>
<BookPage: 113>
<UsedPage: 1>
<Feature: 1, 4>
<End Header>
<Poem>
我有一池水，
蒲葦生其間。
蟲魚沸相嚼，
日夜不得閑。
我初往觀之，
其後益不觀。
觀之亂我意，
不如不觀完。
用將濟諸人，
舍得業孔顏。
百年詎幾時，
君子不可閑。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
A little lake of mine I know,
Where waving weeds and rushes grow,
And in its depths by day and night
The water-monsters swarm and fight.
Ah, how I loved to idle there!.....
But now I can no longer bear
To pass my days in that sweet spot.
And lost in meditation rot.
A sense of duty gives me pause,
Obedient to my Master's laws;
Our span of life is all too short
To waste its hours in empty sport.
<End Translation>
<Formatted Translation>
A little lake of mine I know,
Where waving weeds and rushes grow,
The water-monsters swarm and fight.
And in its depths by day and night
Ah, how I loved to idle there!.....
But now I can no longer bear
To pass my days in that sweet spot.
And lost in meditation rot.
A sense of duty gives me pause,
Obedient to my Master's laws;
Our span of life is all too short
To waste its hours in empty sport.
<End Formatted Translation>