Poem by Hsin Ch'i-Chi of the Sung Dynasty

(1)

(To the Tune of Ho Hsin-lang)

What a disaster!
I'm oldregretting 
the friends of a lifetime        
so fewAnd today        
how many left? White hair    
useless        
hanging down        
a mile longI laugh    
at the human world's   
innumerable busynesses You ask    
what then    
can make me joyful Seeing green hill!        
how ravishing they areand expecting         
those green hills        
to return the complimentbecause     
our feeling of age    
our craggy looks            
are much the sameWinecup in hand             
scratching my head            
at eastern windowI imagine    
Tao Yuan-ming    
finishing his friendship poem in much the spirit            
of mine today Those    
who go scrambling after fame--how can they know            
the joys            
of drinking cheap wine?I don't regret        
the ancients        
I can't seeI regret    
that the ancients            
can't see            
lunatic me! Who     
understands me? Perhaps     
only a few

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