Cherishing the Memory of Changsha
This poem was written not long before the poet drowned himself in Miluo River.He mainly wrote his virtue that he kept honesty and loyalty all his life and that he was ready to die for his lofty idea and belief.
In early summer the river water is vast.
All sorts of plants are luxuriantly green.
Pain in heart is hard to wipe out.
I have to go southward in a hurry.
I raised head and looked around.
I found it was dark with no sound.
Grievance and pain deposited in my heart.
I suffered misfortune and tasted bitterness.
I made self-examination and self-questioning.
I forcibly pressed grievance and anger in heart.
Square objects can be changed into round ones
But the laws cannot be changed because of this.
If I change what I pursued at the beginning，
Wise men and gentlemen would despise me.
Regulations and rules have already been published.
The original intention can not be changed anyway.
A man should be honest and sincere and upright.
Wise men and gentlemen admire these qualities.
If the qualified carpenter Qiaochui did not chop with his ax，
Who knows he could ever make the crooked things straight？
A picture painted with black color was placed in darkness.
A blind man said the colors of the pictures are bright.
Lilou lightly closed his eyes.
He was said to be a blind man.
White is always forcibly said to be black.
Up is often wrongly treated upside down.
The phoenixes are closed in a bamboo cage.
But chickens and ducks are allowed to dance.
Nice jade and sand are mixed together.
They're treated without any difference.
The base men are mean and stubborn.
They do not know my kindness at all.
I hold an important position with a heavy burden.
But I bog down in the mud unable to go forward.
I've jewls in bosom and pearls in hand.
No one knows to whom I'll show them.
Wild dogs gather together crying madly.
Having seen little，one gets excited easily.
Mediocre persons always slander and envy wise men.
These things are their nature and habit unchangeable.(https://www.daowen.com)
My appearance is simple and my mind is open.
All people do not know that I'm a capable man.
A lot of logs were abandoned and then piled there.
No one knows I am a pillar of society among them.
I pay much attention to self-cultivation constantly.
I feel at ease because I'm always honest and simple.
I cannot meet another wise emperor like Emperor Shun.
Who knows that I am already steady and sure and leisure？
Wise ministers can never meet wise emperors.
Who knows the reasons for this strange thing？
The eras of Shang Tang and Xia Yu left a very long time.
It's hard to admire and praise those wonderful ages now.
I am willing to stop hatred and remove grievance.
I'll make my will stronger and endure bitterness.
I will not regret even if I may suffer disasters in the future.
I'm willing to take the wise men of the past as my example.
I hurriedly go northward to put up for the night.
Slowly going down the heavy sun will set at once.
I am willing to forget all anxieties and pains.
Because the end of my life is drawing near.
The end：
The Yuanjiang River and Xiangjiang Rivers run forward rapidly.
They advance with great strength and vigor.
The long way is filled with dangers and hardships.
The rivers run forward distantly and indistinctly.
I have a loyal heart with true sentiments.
But I am lonely with nobody to prove this.
Bole—the horse-distinguishing expert have already died.
Who can distinguish even if there are good horses？
Destinies of common people are different.
Life and death have already been decided.
I would like to set my mind open and at ease.
Then how can I be mortally afraid of death？
Anxiety and sorrow cannot be fully poured out.
I could not help sighing and groaning repeatedly.
Manners and morals of the time are muddy and dirty.
No one knows me and mands heart is hard to see thru.
I clearly know death is unavoidable.
I don't deed to be stingy with my life.
I would like to tell the gentlemen very precisely.
I'm going to join the ranks of wise men of the past.