望长安于日下[30],目吴会于云间[31]。地势极而南溟深,天柱高而北辰远[32]。关山难越,谁悲失路之人;沟水相逢,尽是他乡之客。怀帝阍而不见[33],奉宣室以何年[34]。嗟乎!时运不齐,命途多舛;冯唐易老[35],李广难封[36]。屈贾谊于长沙,非无圣主[37];窜梁鸿于海曲,岂乏明时[38]。
I look into the distance,
but Chang’an, the capital of the country, is far beyond the setting
sun in the west, and Wuhui is unapproachable somewhere amid the
clouds. At the farthest end of the south
are the depths of the South Sea, and far away in the north is the
pillar that upholds the sky, but the Polestar is still farther.
Since the mountains and passes are hard to travel over, who would
sympathize with the disappointed ones? The people I meet here are
all politically frustrated, drifting together like duckweeds. I
pine for the Emperor but am not summoned. How long should I wait
before I am called to the court again like Jia Yi ? Alas! I am ill
fated, and my life is full of frustrations. Feng tang grew old
quickly and Li Guang had difficulty getting promoted. Jia Yi was
unjustly exiled to Changsha. Was it because there was no wise
emperor on the
throne? Liang Hong had to seek
refuge at the seaside. Was it because there was no good government
in his time?
[30]望长安句:《世说新语•夙惠》:“晋明帝数岁,坐元帝膝上。有人从长安来,元帝因问明帝:‘汝意谓长安何如日远?’答曰:‘日远,不闻人从日边来,居然可知。’元帝异之。明日集群臣宴会,告以此意,更重问之,乃答曰:‘日近。’元帝失色曰:‘尔何故异昨日之言邪?’答曰:‘举目见日,不见长安。’”
[31]吴会:吴郡,治所在今江苏省苏州市。云间:江苏松江县(古华亭)的古称。《世说新语•排调》:陆云(字士龙)华亭人,未识荀隐,张华使其相互介绍而不作常语,“云因抗手曰:‘云间陆士龙。’”
[32]天柱:《神异经》:“昆仑之山,有铜柱焉。其高入天,所谓天柱也。”北辰:《论语•为政》:“为政以德,譬如北辰,居其所而众星共(拱)之。”[33]帝阍(hūn昏):天帝的守门人。屈原《离骚》:“吾令帝阍开关兮,倚阊阖而望予。”
[34]奉宣室句:贾谊迁谪长沙四年后,汉文帝复召他回长安,于宣室中问鬼神之事。宣室,汉未央宫正殿,为皇帝召见大臣议事之处。
[35]冯唐易老:《史记•冯唐列传》:“(冯)唐以孝著,为中郎署长,事文帝。……拜唐为车骑都尉,主中尉及郡国车士。七年,景帝立,以唐为楚相,免。武帝立,求贤良,举冯唐。唐时年九十余,不能复为官。”
[36]李广难封:李广,汉武帝时名将,多次与匈奴作战,军功卓著,却始终未获封爵。
[37]屈贾谊句:贾谊在汉文帝时被贬为长沙王太傅。圣主:指汉文帝。
[38]窜梁鸿句:梁鸿,东汉人,因得罪章帝,避居齐鲁、吴中。明时:指章帝时代。

