<Header>
<Author: 韋應物>
<Title: 種瓜>
<Format: 五言古詩>
<Year: 2009>
<BookName: In Such Hard Times: The Poetry of Wei Ying-wu>
<Translator: Pine, Red>
<TranslatedTitle: Planting Melons>
<BookPage: 156-157>
<UsedPage: 2>
<Feature: 5>
<End Header>
<Poem>
率性方鹵莽，
理生尤自疏。
今年學種瓜，
園圃多荒蕪。
衆草同雨露，
新苗獨翳如。
直以春窘迫，
過時不得鋤。
田家笑枉費，
日夕轉空虛。
信非吾儕事，
且讀古人書。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
When I follow my nature I'm rash
too careless to earn a living
this year I tried planting melons
in a garden that was mostly weeds
the plants all shared the rain and dew
but mine ended up in the shade
and once spring work got busy
the time for hoeing as past
the farmers laughed at my useless efforts
from dawn to dusk resulting in nothing
clearly this isn't my kind of work
I'll stick with ancient text instead
<End Translation>