<Header>
<Author: 白居易>
<Title: 眼暗>
<Format: 七言律詩>
<Year: 2000>
<BookName: Po Chu-I Selected Poems>
<Translator: BURTON WATSON>
<TranslatedTitle: Eyesight Failing>
<BookPage: 55>
<UsedPage: 1>
<Feature: 0>
<End Header>
<Poem>
早年勤倦看書苦，
晚歲悲傷出淚多。
眼損不知都自取，
病成方悟欲如何。
夜昏乍似燈將滅，
朝闇長疑鏡未磨。
千藥萬方治不得，
唯應閉目學頭陀。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
When I was young I drove myself, strained my eyes reading;
in late years, grieving, I've shed so many tears--
for all I know the hurt to my eyes is wholly self-inflicted;
ailing now, I understand, but what's to be done?
Evenings my vision dims, as though the lamp were fading;
mornings, bleary-eyed, I think the mirror hasn't been cleaned.
A thousand drugs, ten thousand remedies can work no cure--
nothing to do but close my eyes, practice Buddhist austerities.
<End Translation>