Dan Ge Xing Cao Cao
Singing while drinking 1, geometry of life 2! For example, morning dew will make you suffer more every day.
Be generous with generosity4, and worry will be unforgettable. How to relieve worries? Only Du Kang5.
Qingqing Zijin, my heart is leisurely6. But for your sake, I have been pondering it till now7.
Yo yo, the deer roars, eating apples in the wild8. I have a guest who plays the drum, harp and sheng.
It is as clear as the moon, when can you count 10? Worry comes from it and cannot be cut off.
The more you cross the border, the more you cross the border. Qi Kuo Tan Yan 13, thinking about old kindness.
The moon and stars are few and far between, and magpies are flying south. Three twists and turns around the tree14, where is the branch to lean on?
The mountains never get too high and the sea never gets too deep15. The Duke of Zhou vomits food, and the world returns to its heart.
Notes
Singing to wine: singing while drinking wine. Dang means facing.
Geometry: How much.
The past days are more painful: compared with (morning dew), it is as painful but long. It means lamenting the shortness of life.
Generation should be generosity: refers to the passionate and generous singing at the banquet. It should be understood that "should be used" here means. The whole sentence means that one should sing passionately and generously.
Du Kang: According to legend, he was the first person to make wine, which here refers to wine.
Qingqing Zijin (jīn), leisurely my heart: from "The Book of Songs·Zheng Feng·Zijin". Originally written about a girl missing her lover, here it is used as a metaphor for longing for a talented person. Zi, a respectful name for the other party. Jin, an ancient style collar. Qingjin is the clothing worn by scholars in the Zhou Dynasty, here it refers to a learned person. Long, long-lasting, describing continuous thoughts.
Contemplation: originally refers to whispering and thinking in a low voice, but here it refers to longing for and admiration for a wise man.
You (yōu) The deer roars, eating apples in the wild. I have a guest, playing the harp and sheng (shēng): from "The Book of Songs·Xiaoya·Lu Ming". Yoyo: The sound of a deer braying. Apple: mugwort.
Drum: play.
When can it be harvested (duō): When can it be harvested? Pick up, pick up, pick. Another explanation: 掇 pronounced as chuò is a false character, 懇 means "stop", which means to stop. When can we stop, which means when can we stop?
Moduqian: passing through the criss-crossing paths. Mo, an east-west field road. Qian, a north-south path.
Existence in vain: Condescension to visit. In vain, here is the meaning of "in vain"; to use, to. Save, greet, miss.
Yan (yàn): means "banquet" ("?" in the original text).
Three weeks (zā): three weeks. Turn, week, circle.
The sea never gets too deep: A book called "The water never gets too deep". Here are words borrowed from "Guanzi·Xingjie", the original text is: "The sea does not reject water, so it can become as big as it is; the mountain does not reject soil, so it can become as high as possible; the Lord of Ming does not hate people, so it can become as numerous as it is..." It means that we hope to accept as many talents as possible.
Translation
Singing loudly in front of the wine, how many years can one live? It is like the dew in the morning that dries up as soon as the sun rises. It is sad to lament that many days and moons have been lost.
Singing impassionedly, the worries in my heart cannot be forgotten. What can I use to eliminate my worries? Only the fine wine Dukang.
The students wearing blue collars embody my longing for them. It is because of the thirst for talented people that I have been anxious and groaning until now.
The deer howl calls for friends and enjoys the mugwort found in the wilderness. I have distinguished guests, and I know how to entertain them with banquets, drums, and music.
When did I recruit the erudite and talented people who promised to do the Qingming Festival? My worries come from my heart and will not stop day and night.
Thank you for traveling a long way through the narrow roads and traveling here in vain to express my greetings. We meet again after a long separation to enjoy the banquet and talk freely. I am grateful that you still remember the kindness of the past.
On a bright moonlit night, the stars are sparse, and the black magpie looks for support and flies south. Flying around the big tree three times, I wonder if I can stick to that branch?
The mountains are never too high, and the sea is never too deep. Treating talented people with humility like Zhou Gong will definitely win the support of people in the world.