陶渊明舐犊情深“责子”诗

vita_yy

《责子》
白发被两鬓，肌肤不复实。
虽有五男儿，总不好纸笔。
阿舒已二八，懒惰故无匹。
阿宣行志学，而不爱文术。
雍端年十三，不识六与七。
通子垂九龄，但觅梨与栗。
天运苟如此，且进杯中物。
My temples are gray, my muscles no longer full.
Five sons have I, and none of them likes school.
Ah-shu is sixteen and as lazy as lazy can be.
Ah-hsuan is fifteen and no taste for reading has he.
Thirteen are Yung and Tuan, yet they can’t tell six from seven.
A-t’ung wants only pears and chestnuts—in two years he’ll be eleven.
Then, come! let me empty this cup, if such be the will of heaven.
                                              （translated by Lin Yutang)