<Header>
<Author: 韋應物>
<Title: 寄李儋元錫>
<Format: 七言律詩>
<Year: 1944>
<BookName: A FURTHER SELECTION FROM THE THREE HUNDRED POEMS OF THE T'ANG DYNASTY>
<Translator: SOAME JENYNS>
<TranslatedTitle: Sent to Li Tan and Yüan His>
<BookPage: 72>
<UsedPage: 1>
<Feature: 1, 4>
<End Header>
<Poem>
去年花裏逢君別，
今日花開已一年。
世事茫茫難自料，
春愁黯黯獨成眠。
身多疾病思田里，
邑有流亡愧俸錢。
聞道欲來相問訊，
西樓望月幾廻圓。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
LAST year here among the flowers we met and parted
To-day the same flowers blossom again and another year has gone.
The affairs of the world are unsettled and uncertain and difficult to foretell.
The sadness of my spring thoughts blackens the mind as I sleep alone.
As I grieve over my bodily ailments I think of my old home in my native fields,
In my district here there are vagrants and homeless wanderers, and I am ashamed to take a salary;
Since you have promised to come and visit me I sit in my western tower and wonder how many times the moon will wax and wane before you come.
<End Translation>
<Formatted Translation>
LAST year here among the flowers we met and parted
To-day the same flowers blossom again and another year has gone.
The affairs of the world are unsettled and uncertain and difficult to foretell.
The sadness of my spring thoughts blackens the mind as I sleep alone.
As I grieve over my bodily ailments I think of my old home in my native fields,
In my district here there are vagrants and homeless wanderers, and I am ashamed to take a salary;
Since you have promised to come and visit me
I sit in my western tower and wonder how many times the moon will wax and wane before you come.
<End Formatted Translation>