<Header>
<Author: 白居易>
<Title: 狂言示諸姪>
<Format: 格式不明>
<Year: 1919>
<BookName: Translation from the Chinese>
<Translator: Arthur Waley>
<TranslatedTitle: A Mad Poem Addressed to My Nephews and Nieces>
<BookPage: 254>
<UsedPage: 1>
<Feature: 0>
<End Header>
<Poem>
世欺不識字，
我忝攻文筆。
世欺不得官，
我忝居班秩。
人老多病苦，
我今幸無疾。
人老多憂累，
我今婚嫁畢。
心安不移轉，
身泰無牽率。
所以十年來，
形神閑且逸。
況當垂老歲，
所要無多物。
一裘煖過冬，
一飯飽終日。
勿言舍宅小，
不過寢一室。
何用鞍馬多，
不能騎兩匹。
如我優幸身，
人中十有七。
如我知足心，
人中百無一。
傍觀愚亦見，
當己賢多失。
不敢論他人，
狂言示諸姪。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
The World cheats those who cannot read;
I, happily, have mastered script and pen.
The World cheats those who hold no office;
I am blessed with high official rank.
The old are often ill;
I, at this day have not an ache or pain.
They are often burdened with ties;
But I have finished with marriage and giving in marriage
No changes happen to disturb the quiet of my mind;
No business comes to impair the vigour of my limbs.
Hence it is that now for ten years
Body and soul have rested in hermit peace.
And all the more, in the last lingering years
What I shall need are very few things.
A single rug to warm me through the winter;
One meal to last me the whole day.
It does not matter that my house is rather small;
One cannot sleep in more than one room!
It does not matter that I have not many horses;
One cannot ride in two coaches at once!
As fortunate as me among the people of the world
Possibly one would find seven out of ten.
As contented as me among a hundred men
Look as you may, you will not find one.
In the affairs of others even fools are wise;
In their own business even sages err.
To no one else would I dare to speak my heart,
So my wild words are addressed to my nephews and nieces.
<End Translation>