責子 陶淵明

 責子           陶淵明  (365-427)

白髮被兩鬢，肌膚不復實。

雖有五男兒，總不好紙筆。
阿舒已二八，懶惰故無匹。
阿宣行志學，而不愛文術。
雍端年十三，不識六與七。
通子垂九齡，但覓梨與栗。
天運苟如此，且進杯中物。

Strictures on my sons    Dao Yuanming (365-427)

My temples are covered by white hair,

My skin and muscles firm and sturdy no more,
Though I have five sons,
None of them is a literature lover,
A Shu is sixteen,
For laziness, he is without compare,
A Xuan is fifteen,
Literary success is what he never cares,
A Yong and A Duan are both thirteen,
Can’t even count their fingers,
A Tong’s nine,
He is only interested in chestnuts and pears,
If that is my fate,
Beyond drinking, to what else can I repair.