Sorrow of Separation
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

远别离，古有皇英之二女，乃在洞庭之南，潇湘之浦。

海水直下万里深，谁人不言此离苦？

日惨惨兮云冥冥，猩猩啼烟兮鬼啸雨。

我纵言之将何补？皇穹窃恐不照余之忠诚，雷凭凭兮欲吼怒。

尧舜当之亦禅禹。君失臣兮龙为鱼，权归臣兮鼠变虎。

或云：尧幽囚，舜野死。九疑联绵皆相似，重瞳孤坟竟何是？

帝子泣兮绿云间，随风波兮去无还。

恸哭兮远望，见苍梧之深山。苍梧山崩湘水绝，竹上之泪乃可灭。

Severed for aye

From the two princesses of ancient day,

Emperor Shun was buried south of the lake,

Where the two rivers meet awake,

And flow for miles and miles into the sea.

From the sorrow of separation who is free?

The sun is gloomy,veiled by dark cloud;

In mist and rain the monkeys wail and ghosts cry loud.

Of what avail is all that I say?

The Royal Dome knows not my loyalty;

Its thunder roars against me.

Even emperors to successors should give way.

When the king's not supported,the dragon turns into fish;

The rats in power become tigers as they wish.

Emperor Yao was put in jail;

Emperor Shun died in the field to no avail.

Alike the Nine Mysterious Peaks loom.

Where to find Emperor Shun's lonely tomb?

The princesses wept among the cloud green;

They're gone with the wind and waves,unseen.

They gazed from afar and shed tears;

Now only the deep green mountain appears.

Only when mountains crumble and rivers go dry 

Would the tear-specked bamboos vanish from the eye.