bīng wèi sēn huà jǐ,
yàn qǐn níng qīng xiāng。
hǎi shàng fēng yǔ zhì,
xiāo yáo chí gé liáng。
fán kē jìn xiāo sàn,
jiā bīn fù mǎn táng。
zì cán jū chù chóng,
wèi dǔ sī mín kāng。
lǐ huì shì fēi qiǎn,
xìng dá xíng jì wàng。
xiān féi shǔ shí jìn,
shū guǒ xìng jiàn cháng。
fǔ yǐn yī bēi jiǔ,
yǎng líng jīn yù zhāng。
shén huān tǐ zì qīng,
yì yù líng fēng xiáng。
wú zhōng shèng wén shǐ,
qún yàn jīn wāng yáng。
fāng zhī dà fān dì,
qǐ yuē cái fù qiáng。
Outside are insignia, shown in state;
But here are sweet incense-clouds, quietly ours.
Wind and rain, coming in from sea,
Have cooled this pavilion above the lake
And driven the feverish heat away
From where my eminent guests are gathered.
...Ashamed though I am of my high position
While people lead unhappy lives,
Let us reasonably banish care
And just be friends, enjoying nature.
Though we have to go without fish and meat,
There are fruits and vegetables aplenty.
...We bow, we take our cups of wine,
We give our attention to beautiful poems.
When the mind is exalted, the body is lightened
And feels as if it could float in the wind.
...Suzhou is famed as a centre of letters;
And all you writers, coming here,
Prove that the name of a great land
Is made by better things than wealth.