「题文集柜」白居易

破柏作书柜，柜牢柏复坚。收贮谁家集，题云白乐天。

我生业文字，自幼及老年。前后七十卷，小大三千篇。

诚知终散失，未忍遽弃捐。自开自锁闭，置在书帷前。

身是邓伯道，世无王仲宣。只应分付女，留与外孙传。

ON A BOX CONTAINING HIS OWN WORKS 

I BREAK UP cypress and make a book-box ; 

The box well-made, — and the cypress-wood tough. 

In it shall be kept what author's works? 

The inscription says PO LO-T'IEN. 

All my life has been spent in writing books, 

From when I was young till now that I am old. 

First and last, — seventy whole volumes; 

Big and little, — three thousand themes.^ 

Well I know in the end they'll be scattered and lost; 

But I cannot bear to see them thrown away. 

With my own hand I open and shut the locks, 

And put it carefully in front of the book-curtain. 

I am like Teng Pai-tao ; ' 

But to-day there is not any Wang Ts'an.' 

All I can do is to divide them among my daughters 

To be left by them to give to my grandchildren. 

* I.e., separate poems, essays, etc. 

* N'k'ho was obliged to abandon his only child on the roadside. 

* Who rescued a foundling.