What do you laugh at me and I laugh at you? How do you say that?

Others laugh at me for being crazy, but I laugh at others because they can’t see through it. Translation: Others laugh at me for being too coquettish, but I laugh at others for not being able to see through the world.

This sentence comes from "Song of Peach Blossom Temple" written by Tang Yin in the Ming Dynasty. The original text is as follows:

There is a peach blossom temple in Taohuawu, and there are peach blossom fairies in Taohua Temple. The Peach Blossom Fairy planted peach trees and picked peach blossoms to sell for wine money.

When I’m sober, I just sit in front of the flowers; when I’m drunk, I come to sleep under the flowers. Half awake and half drunk day after day, flowers fall and bloom year after year.

I hope that I will die of old age among the flowers and wine, and I don’t want to bow in front of the carriage. Cars, dust and horses are enough for the rich, and wine-cups and branches are for the poor.

If you compare wealth to poverty, one is on the ground and the other is in the sky. If the poor and the lowly were compared to a chariot and a horse, he would have to drive and I would have nothing to do.

Others laugh at me for being crazy, but I laugh at others because they can’t see through it. There are no tombs of heroes from the Five Tombs, and there are no flowers or wine to cultivate the fields.

Translation: There is a Peach Blossom Temple in Taohuawu, and there is a Peach Blossom Fairy in Peach Blossom Temple. The Peach Blossom Fairy planted many peach trees, and he picked the peach blossoms to exchange for wine money. When you are sober, sit quietly among the flowers; when you are drunk, sleep under the flowers. Half awake and half drunk day after day, flowers bloom and fall year after year. I just want to die among peach blossoms and fine wine, and I don't want to bow and flatter in front of the carriages and horses of dignitaries. Busy traffic is the aspiration of the nobles, and wine glasses and flowers are the fate and hobby of poor people like me.

If you compare other people's wealth with my poverty, one is in the sky and the other is on the ground. If I compare my poverty with the carriages and horses of the dignitaries, they work for the powerful, but I get leisure and fun. Others laugh at me for being too coquettish, but I laugh at others for not being able to see through the world. Don't you see, although those wealthy nobles were once glorious, now they can't see their tombs, they are only used as fields for farming.

Creative background

This poem was written in 1505 AD (the 18th year of Hongzhi), only six years after Tang Yin was framed in the imperial examination. Tang Yin once won the title of Jieyuan, but was later implicated in a fraud case in the examination room and was dismissed from his position. After a long period of life training, he saw through the illusion of fame and wealth. The poet wrote this poem to express his attitude towards life that he is willing to live in seclusion and is indifferent to fame.