<Header>
<Author: 白居易>
<Title: 登香爐峯頂>
<Format: 五言古詩>
<Year: 1919>
<BookName: Translation from the Chinese>
<Translator: Arthur Waley>
<TranslatedTitle: The Grain-Tribute>
<BookPage: 170>
<UsedPage: 1>
<Feature: 5>
<End Header>
<Poem>
迢迢香爐峰，
心存耳目想。
終年牽物役，
今日方一往。
攀蘿蹋危石，
手足勞俯仰。
同游三四人，
兩人不敢上。
上到峰之頂，
目眩神怳怳.
高低有萬尋，
闊狹無數丈。
不窮視聽界，
焉識宇宙廣。
江水細如繩，
湓城小于掌。
紛吾何屑屑，
未能脫塵鞅。
歸去思自嗟，
低頭入蟻壤。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
There came an officer knocking by night at my door—
in a loud voice demanding grain-tribute.
My house-servants dared not wait till the morning,
But brought candles and set them on the barn-floor.
Passed through the sieve, clean-washed as pearls,
A whole cart-load, thirty bushels of grain.
But still they cry that it is not paid in full:
With whips and curses they goad my servants and boys.
Once, in error, I entered public life;
I am inwardly ashamed that my talents were not sufficient.
In succession I occupied four offcial posts;
For doing nothing,—ten years' salary!
Often have I heard that saying of ancient men
That "good and ill follow in an endless chain".
And to-day it ought to set my heart at rest
To return to others the corn in my great barn.
<End Translation>