Though the tortoise lives long by Cao Cao.
《龜雖壽》
Though the Tortoise Lives Long
神龜雖壽,猶有竟時。
Though the tortoise blessed with magic powers lives long,
Its days have their allotted span;
騰蛇乘霧,終為土灰。
Though winged serpents ride high on the mist,
They turn to dust and ashes at the last;
老驥伏櫪,志在千里;
An old war-horse may be stabled,
Yet still it longs to gallop a thousand li;
烈士暮年,壯心不已。
And a noble-hearted man though advanced in years
Never abandons his proud aspirations.
盈縮之期,不但在天;
Man's span of life, whether long or short,
Depends not on Heaven alone;
養怡之福,可得永年。
One who eats well and keeps cheerful
Can live to a great old age.
幸甚至哉!歌以咏志。
And so, with joy in my heart,
I hum this song.
North Wind by Cao Zhi.
North Wind
朔風
Come to me, O North Wind,
and make me yearn for the City Wei
and desire to mount a frontier horse,
riding, fleeting, towards the north.
仰彼朔風,
用懷魏都,
願騁代馬,
倏忽北徂。
O South Wind, ever blowing, remind me
of the yonder lands of of warmth.
How I wish to go with the birds of Yue
flittering, flying to the south!
凱風永至,
思彼蠻方,
願隨越鳥,
翻飛南翔。
The seasons expire, each in turn,
The stars go round in their destined paths.
It was but a short while when we said goodbye,
But I miss you, as if an age has passed--
四氣代謝,
懸景運周,
別如俯仰,
脫若三秋。
That day when I was first brought away,
The flowers were blooming in full glory,
And now I trek back, treading in
snowflakes covering the world with all purity.
昔我初遷,
朱華未希;
今我旋止,
素雪云飛。
Before me lies a valley of a thousand leagues,
Above me looms a cliff that meets the sky.
When the wind blows, the tumbleweed must fly
forever severed from its roots.
俯降千仞,
仰登天阻,
風飄蓬飛,
載離寒暑。
Oh, I will brave the chasm with a smile
and ascend the mountain to reach the stars.
But alas, dear friend, dear friend of mine!
I will not find you there; between us lies eternity.
千仞易陟,
夭阻可越,
昔我同袍,
今永乖別!
You loved a fragrant flower,
And I forgot not to bring it.
But as its bud first saw the world,
Cruel autumn frost destroyed it.
子好芳草,
豈忘爾貽?
繁華將茂,
秋霜悴之。
If you cannot turn to look at me,
Shall I compare my heart with these:
The orchid standing while all else withers,
Or the laurel defiant in bitter winter?
君不垂眷,
豈云其誠?
秋蘭可喻,
桂樹冬榮。
I would strum and sing my thoughts
But who will share my grief with me?
I could linger and pine by the stream
But why not row a boat down it?
絃歌蕩思,
誰與銷憂?
臨川慕思,
何為泛舟?
Would I set my mind at ease!
There is none around who I could love.
Would I not sail my sorrows away?
Alas! Never will I find a mate again.
豈無和樂,
遊非我鄰。
誰忘泛舟?
愧無榜人。
