My Contemplation
- Poetry of Tao Yuanming

旧谷既没，新谷未登，颇为老农，而值年灾，日月尚悠，为患未已。登岁之功，既不可希，朝夕所资，烟火裁通。旬日已来，始念饥乏，岁云夕矣，慨然永怀，今我不述，后生何闻哉！

弱年逢家乏，老至更长饥。

菽麦实所羡，孰敢慕甘肥。

惄如亚九饭，当暑厌寒衣。

岁月将欲暮，如何辛苦悲。

常善粥者心，深念蒙袂非。

嗟来何足吝，徒没空自遗。

斯滥岂攸志，固穷夙所归。

馁也已矣夫，在昔余多师。

When the old crops have been consumed and the new crops have not been reaped,as a farmer in a famine year,I have many hard days in store.Without any hope for the harvest,I can barely make both ends meet.For ten days running,I have been hungry and weak.As the year draws to its close,I write this poem to vent my woeful thoughts.If I do not write them down,how can my heirs get to know!

I tasted shortage early in my youth 

And hunger at senior age has brought much ruth. 

Pleased with simple meals though they are crude,

How can I ever covet dainty food!

With only little foodstuff on my trays,

I wear the winter coats in summer days.

When the year is drawing to its end,

What distress and woe I apprehend!

Qian Ao provided porridge for the poor 

But some starving man would not accept the lure.

There's no sense in rejecting food this way;

The man was starved to death and turned to clay.

Yet wanton craving is not what I boast;

I cherish honest poverty the most.

I do not mind the hunger and the cold 

As I just learn from saints in days of old.