Listen to this article短歌行
对酒当[1]歌，人生几何[2]？
譬如朝露[3]，去日苦多。
慨当以慷，忧思难忘。
何以解忧？唯有杜康[4]。
青青子衿[5]，悠悠[6]我心。
但为君故，沉吟[7]至今。
呦呦[8]鹿鸣，食野之苹[9]。
我有嘉宾，鼓瑟吹笙。
明明如月，何时可掇[10]？
忧从中来，不可断绝。
越陌度阡[11]，枉用相存。
契阔[12]谈宴，心念旧恩[13]。
月明星稀，乌鹊南飞。
绕树三匝[14]，何枝可依？
山不厌高，海不厌深。
周公[15]吐哺，天下归心。
注释：
[1] 当：对着。
[2] 几何：多少。
[3] 朝露：早晨的露水。这里用以比喻人生的短暂。
[4] 杜康：相传是古代最初造酒的人。这里用作酒的代称。
[5] 衿：古式的衣领。青衿，是周代读书人的服装，这里指有学识的人。
[6] 悠悠：长久的样子。形容思虑连绵不断。
[7] 沉吟：原指小声叨念和思索，这里指对贤才的思念和倾慕。
[8] 呦呦：鹿鸣声。
[9] 苹：艾蒿。嫩叶有香气。其干叶制成艾绒，用于针灸。
[10] 掇：拾取，采取。
[11] 阡、陌：都是田间的道路，东西向田间的小路称陌，南北向的小路称阡。
[12] 契阔：聚散。这里有久别重逢的意思。
[13] 旧恩：旧日的情谊。
[14] 匝：周，圈。
[15] 周公：姬旦。周武王之弟，虚心招纳贤才，辅佐成王治理天下。
A Short Song
Cao Cao
We should sing before wine.
For how long can life last?
Like dew on morning fine,
So many days have passed.
How can we be unbound
By grief which weighed us down?
Grief can only be drowned
In wine of good renown.
Talents with collars blue,
For you I pine away.
So much I long for you,
My heart aches night and day.
How gaily call the deer
While grazing in the shade!
When I have talents here,
Let lute and lyre be played!
Bright as the moon on high,
How can I bring it down?
Grief from within comes nigh;
Ceaselessly it flows on.
Across the fields and lanes,
You are kind to come here.
Talking of far-off plains,
You cherish friendship dear.
The moon’s bright and stars nice,
The crows in southward flight
They circle the trees thrice;
There’s no branch to alight.
With crags high mountains rise;
With water the sea’s deep.
With the help of the wise,
An ordered world we’ll keep.
