<Header>
<Author: 白居易>
<Title: 偶作寄朗之>
<Format: 五言古詩>
<Year: 1981>
<BookName: Tu Fu -A New Translation>
<Translator: Wu, Juntao>
<TranslatedTitle: Chance Composition Sent to Lang-chih>
<BookPage: 454-455>
<UsedPage: 2>
<Feature: 1, 5>
<End Header>
<Poem>
歷想為官日
無如刺史時
歡娛接賓客
飽暖及妻兒
自到東都後
安閒更得宜
分司勝刺史
到仕勝分司
何況園林下
欣然得朗之
仰名同舊識
為樂即新知
有雪先相訪
無花不作期
鬬醲乾釀酒
誇妙細吟詩
里巷千來往
都門五別離
岐分兩回首
書到一開眉
葉落槐亭院
冰生竹閣池
雀羅誰問訊
鶴氅罷追隨
身與心俱病
容將力共衰
老來多健忘
唯不忘相思
<End Poem>
<Translation>
My thoughts turn to incomparable days
Spent as an official
In capacity of Prefect.
What pleasure and delight in receiving guests!
What warmth extending even to my wife and child!
But since I've been in the Eastern Capital
Even better has been my tranquility and ease.
To be tutor to the Crown Prince
Is even better than to be Prefect,
And retirement best of all!
Just imagine how I can rejoice
In being with you in the park and forest!
We are old acquaintances
In pursuit of fame,
But new friends
In attainment of pleasure.
When snow falls
We are first to call upon each other,
And we do not meet only
After the blossoms have vanished.
We compete in the pleasures of wine,
Drinking undiluted cupfuls.
We boast of the wonderful lyrics we sing.
Back and forth we go a thousand times
Between village and lane.
Five times we've parted at the city gates,
And whenever our paths have diverged
We have both looked back;
Even when letters have arrived
Melancholy has vanished.
Leaves fall in the courtyard
At Locust Pavilion.
Ice forms on the pond
At Bamboo Tower,
But when the sparrow is netted
Who can visit?
Since I am dressed in crane-feather clothes
I must give up the practice.
Besides, my body and heart are frail;
Good looks and vigor decline;
Age advances; I grow forgetful.
You only are never forgotten.
<End Translation>
<Formatted Translation>
My thoughts turn to incomparable days spent as an official
In capacity of Prefect.
What pleasure and delight in receiving guests!
What warmth extending even to my wife and child!
But since I've been in the Eastern Capital
Even better has been my tranquility and ease.
To be tutor to the Crown Prince is even better than to be Prefect,
And retirement best of all!
In the park and forest!
Just imagine how I can rejoice in being with you 
We are old acquaintances in pursuit of fame,
But new friends in attainment of pleasure.
When snow falls we are first to call upon each other,
And we do not meet only after the blossoms have vanished.
We compete in the pleasures of wine, drinking undiluted cupfuls.
We boast of the wonderful lyrics we sing.
Back and forth we go a thousand times between village and lane.
Five times we've parted at the city gates,
And whenever our paths have diverged we have both looked back;
Even when letters have arrived melancholy has vanished.
Leaves fall in the courtyard at Locust Pavilion.
Ice forms on the pond at Bamboo Tower,
But when the sparrow is netted who can visit?
Since I am dressed in crane-feather clothes I must give up the practice.
Besides, my body and heart are frail;
Good looks and vigor decline;
Age advances; I grow forgetful.
You only are never forgotten.
<End Formatted Translation>