[Having completed the fifteenth volume of his works, the poet sends it to his friends Yüan Chēn and Li Chien, with a jesting poem.]
My long poem, the “Eternal Grief”, is a beautiful and moving work;
My ten “Songs of Shensi” are models of tunefulness.
I cannot prevent Old Yüan from stealing my best rhymes;
But I earnestly beg Little Li to respect my ballads and songs.
While I am alive riches and honour will never fall to my lot;
But well I know that after I am dead the fame of my books will live.
This random talk and foolish boasting forgive me, for to-day
I have added Volume Fifteen to the row that stands to my name.
The Fifteenth Volume
编集拙诗成一十五卷因题卷末戏赠元九、李二十
一篇长恨有风情，十首秦吟近正声。 每被老元偷格律，苦教短李伏歌行。 世间富贵应无分，身后文章合有名。 莫怪气粗言语大，新排十五卷诗成。[Having completed the fifteenth volume of his works, the poet sends it to his friends Yüan Chēn and Li Chien, with a jesting poem.]
My long poem, the “Eternal Grief”, is a beautiful and moving work;
My ten “Songs of Shensi” are models of tunefulness.
I cannot prevent Old Yüan from stealing my best rhymes;
But I earnestly beg Little Li to respect my ballads and songs.
While I am alive riches and honour will never fall to my lot;
But well I know that after I am dead the fame of my books will live.
This random talk and foolish boasting forgive me, for to-day
I have added Volume Fifteen to the row that stands to my name.