望洞庭湖贈張丞相 A Message from Lake Dongtin to Premier Zhang

孟浩然 Meng Haoran

八月湖水平，

Here in the Eighth-month the waters of the lake

bā yuè hú shuǐ píng ，

涵虚混太清。

Are of a single air with heaven,

hán xū hùn tài qīng 。

气蒸云梦泽，

And a mist from the Yun and Meng valleys

qì zhēng yún mèng zé ，

波撼岳阳城。

Has beleaguered the city of Youzhou.

bō hàn yuè yáng chéng 。

欲济无舟楫，

I should like to cross, but I can find no boat.

yù jì wú zhōu jí ，

端居耻圣明。

...How ashamed I am to be idler than you statesmen,

duān jū chǐ shèng míng 。

坐观垂钓者，

As I sit here and watch a fisherman casting

zuò guān chuí diào zhě ，

空有羨鱼情。

And emptily envy him his catch.

kōng yǒu xiàn yú qíng 。

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