<Header>
<Author: 韋應物>
<Title: 石皷歌>
<Format: 七言古詩>
<Year: 2009>
<BookName: In Such Hard Times: The Poetry of Wei Ying-wu>
<Translator: Pine, Red>
<TranslatedTitle: Song of the Stone Drums>
<BookPage: 84-85>
<UsedPage: 2>
<Feature: 5>
<End Header>
<Poem>
周宣大獵兮岐之陽，
刻石表功兮煒煌煌。
石如鼓形數止十，
風雨缺訛苔蘚澀。
今人濡紙脫其文，
既擊既掃白黑分。
忽開滿卷不可識，
驚潛動蟄走云云。
喘逶迤，相糾錯，
乃是宣王之臣史籀作。
一書遺此天地間，
精意長存世冥寞。
秦家祖龍還刻石，
碣石之罘李斯跡。
世人好古猶共傳，
持來比此殊懸隔。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
King Hsuan of Chou hunting south of Mount Ch'i
the artistry of the carving finely rendered
on drum-shaped stones ten in number
eroded by the weather half-eaten by moss
people today wet paper to make prints
patting and brushing until black and white become clear
but no one can read the whole scroll
as lines leap from hiding then vanish
swirl in circles then merge
the work of Prime Minister Shih Liu
who wrote and left this for the world to see
whose spirit has endured the oblivion of time
the Dragon Lord of Ch'in had stones carved too
on Chiehshih and Chihchung are the traces of Li Ssu
people love the ancients and honor their traditions
but looking at these stones how far off they seem
<End Translation>