行路難(其二) 李白

行路難(其二)       李白 (701- 762)

大道如青天，我猶不得出。
羞逐長安社中兒，赤雞白狗賭梨栗。
彈劍作歌奏苦聲，曳裾王門不稱情。
淮陰市井笑韓信，漢朝公卿忌賈生。
君不見昔時燕家重郭隗，擁篲折節無嫌猜。
劇辛樂毅感恩分，輸肝剖膽效英才。
昭王白骨縈蔓草，誰人更掃黃金臺。
行路難，歸去來。

Arduous Road (Poem No. 2)   Li Bai (701- 762)

As broad as the heaven the boulevard sprawls,

But still unable to offer my service to the best avail,
Ganging up with Chang’an youngsters who loll dawdle,
With red chicken and white dogs over pears and chestnuts we gamble.
When Feng Huan harping on his sword groaning his grievances of a mooching livelihood under Prince Meng Chang’s household,
And Zou Yang of Han kept complaining when he could be at ease and ignore the formalities living in the households of the rich and powerful,
Han Xin, the founding general of Han humiliated as a youth under the Huai Yin rascals,
Jia Yi of Han from the highest ministers suffered aspersions and libels,
Can’t you not see Guo Wei by the Prince of Yin was esteemed with great awe,
Soliciting his services greatly faithful and humble,
Attracting Ju Xin and Le yi offering up themselves their services to great avail,
Doing everything they deemed good for the Prince they had contributed their all and all,
Now the bones of Prince of Yin already amid the wild reeds sprawl,
Who will now have the Golden Terrace swept and swilled,
What an arduous road,
Back home I’d better go!