“Drinking Wine” Tao Yuanming 《饮酒》陶渊明

Tao Yuanming (365? –427), is the literal name of Tao Qian (陶潜), a major poet during Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). Chinese poets typically have multiple literary names, given by themselves to express certain qualities or ideals the poet looks for. In this case, Yuan (渊) means “deep water”; Ming （明）, literally means “bright”.

Tao Yuanming was born into a time known in China’s history as notoriously chaotic. The territory we know today as “China”, was essentially split into two parts in general: The North was taken over by non-Chinese nomads, first establishing16 smaller kingdoms and later was united into what’s called “Northern Dynasties”; the South, ruled by Chinese emperors, started as Eastern Jin, then went through four consecutive short-lived dynasties until 589 A.D., hence collectively called “Southern Dynasties”.

In a divided time, Tao Yuanming was the best-known poet who first celebrated an individual, solitude life before Tang Dynasty. His poems seem to demonstrate his ability to accept and absorb Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. Such spirit tends to resonate with poets generations after him, until today.

Tao Yuanming, abandoning an unsuccessful political career, retreated to his gardens and fields, and dedicated most of his poems reflecting, justifying and proclaiming life enjoying farming, gardening and the nature, which is reflected in this poem. In fact, since Tao Yuanming, a new school of poetry on gardens and fields(田园诗), was initiated.

For more of the language, culture and history of the poem, please visit the complete Read-Aloud session of “Drinking Wine” (《饮酒》) on China Institute’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZvOIf99t6g&list=PLz- 17ZzYlEqluTIGsHsfD_5fiSpMAJfBS&index=2

yǐn jiǔ

饮 酒

Drinking Wine

作 者: 陶 潜 táo qián（陶渊明，táo yuān míng）（ 365? – 427 ）

Author： Tao Qian （Tao Yuanming）

翻译/Translation by Stephen Owen

Jié lú zài rén jìng ér wú chē mǎ xuān I built a cottage right in the realm of men, 结 庐 在 人 境， 而 无 车 马 喧。 yet there was no noise from wagon and horse. wèn jūn hé néng ěr xīn yuǎn dì zì piān I ask you, how can that be so? 问 君 何 能 尔？ 心 远 地 自 偏。 — when mind is far, its place becomes remote. cǎi jú dōng lí xià yōu rán jiàn nán shān

采 菊 东 篱 下， 悠 然 见 南 山。 I picked a chrysanthemum by the eastern hedge, off in the distance gazed on south mountain. shān qì rì xī jiā fēi niǎo xiāng yǔ huán

山 气 日 夕 佳， 飞 鸟 相 与 还。 Mountain vapors glow lovely in twilight sun, where birds in flight join in return. cǐ zhōng yǒu zhēn yì yù biàn yǐ wàng yán

此 中 有 真 意， 欲 辨 已 忘 言。 There is some true significance here: I want to expound it but have lost the words.