Sunday, January 31, 2010

Song of Peach Flower Temple

Song of Peach Flower Temple
By Tang Bohu (1470-1523, Ming)
Translated Laijon 20100131

In a remote peach valley,
There’s a peach temple.
And in that peach temple,
There dwells a peach god.
And the peach flower god,
Plants all his peach trees.
And he sells his peach bloom,
To trade for his peach wine.
He wakes up from drunkenness,
And meditates among peach bloom.
When he drinks up his wine,
He falls asleep under peach bloom.
Half sober and half drunk,
He lives in hangover day after day.
And flower fade flower bloom
Year after year in his yard.
He wishes he stays with his peach trees,
And getting old and dies under them.
And he never wants to give bows
In front of any chariot or horse.
Chariot dust and hoof prints
Are interests of the rich.
But wine cup and flower branch
Are the karma of poor.
If people compare their wealth,
The rich are in heave, the poor on earth.
If people look at the chariot and horse,
The rich gets their ride, but I have my rest.
Others all laugh at me;
They say that I’m crazy;
But I laugh back at them;
That they’re not enlightened.
Don’t you ever see
That by the tomb of past heroes,
Now there’s no flower and wine,
Only an enriched field is ready for spring.

Chinese:
桃花庵歌
唐伯虎
桃花坞里桃花庵,
桃花庵下桃花仙;
桃花仙人种桃树,
又摘桃花换酒钱。
酒醒只在花前坐,
酒醉还来花下眠;
半醒半醉日复日,
花落花开年复年。
但愿老死花酒间,
不愿鞠躬车马前;
车尘马足富者趣,
酒盏花枝贫者缘。
若将富贵比贫者,
一在平地一在天;
若将贫贱比车马,
他得驱驰我得闲。
别人笑我忒疯癫,
我笑他人看不穿;
不见五陵豪杰墓,
无花无酒锄作田。