<Header>
<Author: 白居易>
<Title: 偶作 (一)>
<Format: 五言古詩>
<Year: 1981>
<BookName: Tu Fu -A New Translation>
<Translator: Wu, Juntao>
<TranslatedTitle: Chance Composition (first of two poems)>
<BookPage: 281>
<UsedPage: 1>
<Feature: 1>
<End Header>
<Poem>
戰馬春放歸
農牛冬歇息
何獨徇名人
終身役心力
來者殊未已
去者不知還
我今悟已晚
六十五退閒
猶勝不悟者
老死紅塵間
<End Poem>
<Translation>
The war horse when released in spring
Returns home;
The farm ox when winter comes
Wins his rest.
Why only should men who yearn for fame
Toil in body and mind
To the very end of their days?
Now whoever advances never stops;
Whoever leaves office
Forgets to return home.
It's late for me to realize this.
Even at sixty-five I neglect to return to leisure.
Still better than unawareness
Old age and death in the red dust.
<End Translation>
<Formatted Translation>
The war horse when released in spring returns home;
The farm ox when winter comes wins his rest.
Why only should men who yearn for fame
Toil in body and mind to the very end of their days?
Now whoever advances never stops;
Whoever leaves office forgets to return home.
It's late for me to realize this.
Even at sixty-five I neglect to return to leisure.
Still better than unawareness
Old age and death in the red dust.
<End Formatted Translation>