In bygone days I traveled far and wide,
Nearly as far as the eastern seaside.
Can I forget my journey hard and long,
Impeded by heavy rain and wind strong?
For what should I have gone such a long way,
Were I not driven by hunger I'd stay?
I did my best to get my daily meal,
A little bit seemed to me a great deal.
Afraid no office work was worth my strife,
I would go back to live my rural life.
Original Poem
「饮酒 · 其十」
陶渊明
在昔曾远游，直至东海隅。
道路迥且长，风波阻中涂。
此行谁使然？似为饥所驱。
倾身营一饱，少许便有馀。
恐此非名计，息驾归闲居。
Interpretation
Composed around 416 AD during Tao Yuanming's reclusive years, this introspective poem belongs to his "Twenty Poems on Drinking" series. The work reflects on his earlier official career—driven by necessity rather than ambition—and crystallizes his hard-won conviction to embrace rural solitude. Through autobiographical recollection and philosophical revelation, it articulates his rejection of worldly striving and affirmation of simple, authentic living.
First Couplet: "在昔曾远游，直至东海隅。"
Zài xī céng yuǎnyóu, zhí zhì dōnghǎi yú.
In youth I journeyed far—clear to eastern ocean's rim.
The opening recollection establishes spatial magnitude ("eastern ocean") to emphasize past wanderings' exhaustive scope, suggesting both physical travel and metaphorical wandering through officialdom.
Second Couplet: "道路迥且长，风波阻中途。"
Dàolù jiǒng qiě cháng, fēngbō zǔ zhōngtú.
Roads stretched endless ahead; wind-waves stalled me mid-course.
"Wind-waves" (风波) operate dually: as nautical hazards during actual travel and as symbols of political turbulence that thwarted his bureaucratic career. The couplet's parallel structure ("endless roads"/"stalled mid-course") mirrors life's frustrated trajectories.
Third Couplet: "此行谁使然？似为饥所驱。"
Cǐ xíng shuí shǐ rán? Sì wèi jī suǒ qū.
What drove such wandering? Mere hunger's lash, it seems.
The self-interrogation reveals painful honesty—his official service stemmed from basic survival needs, not higher aspiration. The rhetorical question underscores life's ironic compulsions.
Fourth Couplet: "倾身营一饱，少许便有馀。"
Qīng shēn yíng yī bǎo, shǎoxǔ biàn yǒu yú.
Straining just for sustenance—so little would suffice!
Epiphanic in tone, this couplet exposes the disproportion between effort ("straining") and actual need ("so little"). The realization dismantles society's false equation of worth with material accumulation.
Fifth Couplet: "恐此非名计，息驾归闲居。"
Kǒng cǐ fēi míng jì, xī jià guī xiánjū.
Fearing this no noble path, I halted—home to quietude.
The conclusion's decisive verbs ("fearing"/"halted") mark his conscious rejection of compromised living. "Quietude" (闲居) emerges not as escape but as hard-earned ethical position.
Holistic Appreciation
Adopting confessional mode, the poem traces Tao's journey from necessity-driven action to voluntary stillness. Its power derives from incremental realizations—each couplet advancing from geographical distance (1) through obstructed progress (2) to interrogate motivation (3) before arriving at existential economy (4) and final resolution (5). The spare language belies profound insight, particularly in recognizing how "wind-waves" of social expectation distort basic human needs.
Artistic Merits
This poem masterfully intertwines retrospection and introspection, simultaneously depicting external journeys through worldly turbulence while dissecting internal motivations with remarkable self-awareness. Its language remains unpretentiously plain, devoid of rhetorical flourish, yet every line radiates luminous rationality. The couplet "What drove such wandering? Mere hunger's lash" and "Straining just for sustenance—so little would suffice!" particularly exemplifies this brilliance—condensing into minimalist verse humanity's existential dilemma when confronting fame and wealth. These lines crystallize Tao Yuanming's unchanging clarity of vision and transcendent spiritual altitude, demonstrating how his poetry transforms basic survival narratives into timeless meditations on human dignity.
Insights
The poem dismantles the illusion that worldly striving equals meaningful living. Tao's "so little would suffice" challenges modern overconsumption, while his "fearing this no noble path" models ethical courage to redefine success. Ultimately, it suggests that true freedom begins when we distinguish between imposed necessities and self-determined enoughness—a lesson echoing through centuries to our achievement-obsessed era. The "quietude" Tao chooses isn't passive withdrawal but active resistance to dehumanizing systems.
Poem translator
Xu Yuanchong (许渊冲)
About the poet
Tao Yuanming(陶渊明), 365 – 427 CE, was a poet, literary figure, fu writer, and essayist active during the late Eastern Jin and early Liu Song dynasties. Born in Chaisang (near present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province), he pioneered a new genre of pastoral-themed literature, expressing profound philosophical insights through simple language. His poetic style became an enduring aesthetic standard in classical Chinese poetry.
