In fact, we are not far off the road. What does it mean to realize that today is right but yesterday was wrong?

"It's true that I've lost my way, but I'm not far off. I feel that what I am today is not what I was yesterday" comes from "Returning to Lai Xi Ci·Bing Preface" written by Tao Yuanming in the Wei and Jin Dynasties.

Meaning: It is probably not too far away that you have indeed gone astray. You have realized that what you are doing now is right and what you did in the past was wrong.

The whole poem is as follows:

Come back and come back with words and preface

Tao Yuanming in the Wei and Jin Dynasties

The Yu family was poor and had insufficient farming. To be self-sufficient. Childish people have a full room, no grain in the bottle, and no capital for life, but no skills. Many relatives and friends persuaded me to become a long-term official, and I was full of hope and pursued my career in vain. There will be things going on in all directions, and the princes will treat kindness as virtue, and the uncle of the family will be poor, so he will use it in Xiaoyi. At that time, the turmoil was not calming down, and he was worried about the long service. Peng Ze went home hundreds of miles away. The benefits of the public land were enough to make wine. So I asked for it. After a few days, the family felt like returning home. Why? It is natural in nature and not the result of hard work. Although hunger and cold can cut off the pain, it goes against one's own will and causes illness. Taste from human affairs, all food and drink self-service. So I feel sad and generous, deeply ashamed of my life ambitions. I still look forward to Yi Min, when I gather my clothes and the night passes. Xun Cheng's sister died in Wuchang. She was in love with Jun Ben and resigned from her post. From mid-autumn to winter, I stayed in office for more than eighty days. Because things are going well, the fate chapter is called "Go back and come back". It is also the eleventh month of Yisi's year.

Come back and come back, will the countryside be full of wild beards? Since you regard your heart as a servant, you are ridiculed and melancholy and only sad? If you understand the past, you should not remonstrate, but if you know what is coming, you can pursue it. In fact, the lost path is not far away. I feel that what is now is but yesterday was not. The boat is sailing far away, the wind is blowing and the clothes are blowing. I asked Zheng Husband about the way forward, and I hated the faintness of the morning light.

Looking at the house, I am happy and running. The servant boy welcomes you, and the child waits for the door. The three paths are deserted, but the pines and chrysanthemums still remain. When I brought my child into the house, there was a bottle full of wine. Use the cup to drink for yourself, look at the courtyard to enjoy your beauty. Leaning against the south window to express your pride, it is easy to rest your knees when looking at your appearance. The garden is filled with sunlight to make it interesting. Although the gate is set up, it is always closed. The old man is encouraged to rest, his head straightened, and he looks far away. The clouds have no intention to come out of Xiu, and the birds know when they are tired of flying. The scenery is blurry and the scenery is about to enter, caressing the lonely pine and wandering around.

Come back and come back, please pay attention and never travel again. The world is against my will, how can I ask for my words again? Love words to please relatives, music on the piano and writing to soothe worries. The peasants told me that spring was coming and that something would happen in Xichou. Or a life-carrying carriage, or a solitary boat. It is both graceful and graceful to find ravines, and also rugged to pass through hills. The trees are flourishing and the springs are beginning to trickle. When I get all the good things, I feel grateful for the rest of my life.

That’s it! How long does it take to stay in the shape of Yu Nei? Are you willing to stay or leave as you please? Why not, what else do you want to do? Wealth and honor are not my wish, and an imperial homeland cannot be expected. If you have a good time, you can go alone, or plant a stick and work hard. Climb Donggao to soothe the whistle, and compose poems near the clear stream. Talking about the multiplication and returning to the end, Yuefu's destiny returns to ridicule and doubt!

The explanation of the whole poem is as follows:

My family is poor and cannot support ourselves through farming. There are many children, there is no food in the rice vat, and there is no solution for everything needed to maintain life. Most of my relatives and friends advised me to become an official. I also had this idea in my heart, but there was no way to get an official position. It happened that there were officials who were going out on envoys. The local officials regarded it as a virtue to cherish talents. My uncle also helped me because my family was poor, so I was appointed to be an official in a small county. At that time, the society was in turmoil, and I was afraid of becoming an official in a distant place. Pengze County is a hundred miles away from home. The grain harvested in the public fields is enough to make wine for drinking, so I asked to go there. After a few days, I felt nostalgic for my hometown. Why is that? Nature is allowed to take its own course, which cannot be forced; although hunger and cold come urgently, if you go against your original intention and become an official, you will feel pain both physically and mentally. In the past, when working for officials, they all used themselves for food. So I felt melancholy and sighed, feeling deeply ashamed of my lifelong ambitions. After waiting only one more year, he packed up and left overnight. Soon, my sister who married into the Cheng family passed away in Wuchang. I felt as urgent as a galloping horse to mourn her, and I asked to be removed from my official position. From the second month of autumn to winter, I worked for more than 80 days. Because of his resignation, his wish came true and he wrote an article titled "Going Back". This time is November of the Yisi year (the first year of Yixi, the reign of Emperor Jin'an).

Text translation

Go home! The countryside is almost deserted, why not go back? Since my soul is at the mercy of my body, why am I so frustrated and sad alone? Recognize that the mistakes of the past are irreversible, and know that there is still time to make amends for the future. It’s probably not too far away that you have indeed gone astray. You have realized that what you are doing now is right and what you did in the past was wrong.

The boat floats gently on the water, and the breeze blows the clothes. I asked pedestrians about the road ahead, but unfortunately it was dawning too slowly.

I just saw the door of my humble home. I was so happy that I ran over. Children greet them cheerfully, and children wait in front of the door or in the yard. The path in the yard is almost deserted, but pine trees and chrysanthemums are still growing there; when I take the children into the house, the wine bottles are already filled with wine. I picked up the flask and glass and poured myself a drink, looking at the trees in the garden (which made me) look happy; I leaned against the south window to express my pride in the world, knowing that this small place would easily make me feel at ease. Walking in the garden (alone) every day becomes a pleasure. The door of the small garden is often closed; I walk and rest with a cane, and I always look up at the sky in the distance. White clouds naturally floated out from the mountain peaks, and the tired birds also knew how to fly back to their nests; the sun was dim and was about to set, but I couldn't bear to leave, and I lingered with my hand on the lonely pine.

Go back! Let me cut off all contact with the outside world. Everything about them is contrary to my interests, so why should I drive out to pursue them? Talking with relatives and friends makes me happy, playing the piano and reading can make me forget my sorrow; the farmer told me the news that spring has arrived, and he will go to the fields in the west to cultivate. Sometimes I drive a small car with a cloth cover, sometimes I paddle a small boat, not only to explore the deep ravines, but also to walk through the rugged hills. The trees are flourishing and the springs are flowing slowly. (I) envy that all things coincide with the season of prosperity and growth, and lament that my life is coming to an end.

Forget it! How long can the body remain in heaven and earth? Why not just do whatever you want and let nature take its course? Why are you so restless and where else do you want to go? Wealth and honor are not what I seek, and there is no hope of ascending to the immortal world. Cherishing the beautiful scenery in those good times, I would enjoy it alone, or I would use my stick to weed and cultivate; I would climb up the eastern hillside and sing loudly, singing poems by the clear stream; I would just follow the changes of nature until the end of my life. Le'an Destiny, what else is there to doubt?

Preface

Explanation of words and sentences

(1) Farming is not enough to support oneself: plowing: plowing fields. Plant: plant mulberry. since. Give: supply. Self-sufficiency: Provide for one's own life.

(2) Childishness fills the room, but no grain is stored in the bottle: Childishness: refers to children. filled. Bottle: refers to a pottery container used to hold rice, such as a bèng (bèng) or an urn.

(3) The capital for life is not visible: Shengsheng: It is still said to maintain a living. The former word "生" is a verb, and the latter word "生" is a noun. Capital: by virtue of. Skill: This refers to the ability to make a living.

(4) Chief official: County official with a higher position. Refers to petty officials.

(5) Tuoran: casual appearance. Youhuai: The heart is moved (referring to the idea of ??becoming an official).

(6) Mitu: There is no way.

(7) There will be things happening in all directions: It happens that someone is on a mission to another place. Will: coincidentally. Sifang: means to go everywhere

(8) Princes: refers to the governors of states and counties.

(9) Jia Shu: refers to Tao Kuí (kuí), who was serving as Taichang Qing at that time. To: because.

(10) See: being.

(11) Storm: refers to the melee between warlords. Quiet: peaceful.

(12) Fear: fear. Servant: serve.

(13) Pengze: County name. In the east of today's Hukou County, Jiangxi Province.

(14) Juan Ran: The look of missing someone. The feeling of returning (yú): the mood of going back.

(15) He: What. Principle: Principle.

(16) Qualitative: nature. Jiao Li: artificial and reluctant.

(17) Cut: urgent. Go against oneself: go against one's own conscience. Diaobing: refers to suffering from mental pain.

(18) Taste: once. From personnel: engaged in personnel exchanges during the official career. Refers to being an official.

(19) Oral self-indulgence: driving oneself to satisfy the needs of the appetite.

(20) Disappointment: Frustrated.

(21) Ju: hesitant, hesitant. Wang: wait and see. Yimin (rěn): One harvest from public fields. Min, the grain is ripe.

(22) Lianshang: pack up. Xiao: starry night. Pass away: leave.

(23) Xun: Soon. Cheng's sister: Married to the younger sister of the Cheng family.

Wuchang: present-day Echeng County, Hubei Province.

(24) Feeling: The mood of mourning. In: like. Jun Ben: In a hurry to go to the funeral.

(25) Zhongqiu: the eighth month of the lunar calendar.

(26) Matter: Resign. Shun: smoothly. Heart: wish.

(27) Yisi Year: The first year of Emperor Yixi of Jin'an.

Text Notes

(1) Go back to Laixi: It means "go back." Come, particle, meaningless. Xi, modal particle.

(2) The countryside will be deserted: The countryside will be deserted, why not go back? The fields are deserted. Hu, same as "he", why.

(3) Let the mind be the slave of the body: let the mind be the slave of the body. It means that you did not want to be an official, but in order to avoid hunger and cold, you became an official against your original intention. Heart, will. Shape, form, refers to the body. servitude, servitude. That is, it means that the action or behavior has been completed, and it can be interpreted as "once" here.

(4) Xi melancholy but only sad: why is it sad and frustrated. Xi, He, why. A melancholy and frustrated look.

(5) Understanding the past and never admonishing it: Realizing that past mistakes (pointing to officialdom) are irreversible. Remonstrate, admonish, dissuade.

(6) He who knows what is coming can be chased: Knowing what will happen in the future (referring to seclusion), there is still time to make amends. Remonstrate, dissuade, and restore. Chase, remedy.

(7) It’s not too far to go astray: It’s probably not too far to go astray. If you are lost, point it out and become an official.

(8) is: correct. Not: Error.

(9) The boat floats gently on the water. Far away, wandering and wandering. To, table modification. Yang, flying, describes the brisk movement of a ship.

(10) Ask Zhengfu about the way ahead: Ask pedestrians about the distance ahead. Zheng Husband, pedestrian.

(11) Hate the faintness of the morning light: Unfortunately, the sky has just brightened. Hate: Regret. Xiwei, the sky is dim.

(12) Looking at the house: I just saw my house. Yes, then, then. Look far away. House, a house with a horizontal wooden door, refers to a simple house. Heng means "horizontal". Yu, eaves, here refers to the residence.

Zai (zai) Xin Zaiben: Happy and running at the same time.

(13) Child: young child.

(14) The three paths are deserted, but the pines and chrysanthemums still remain: The paths in the yard are almost deserted, but the pines and chrysanthemums still grow there. Three paths, alleys in the courtyard. After Jiang Xu (xǔ) of the Han Dynasty lived in seclusion, he opened three paths under the bamboo in the courtyard, allowing only a few friends to come and go. Later, Sanjing became the name for the hermit's residence. Just, close.

(15) Yingzun: Full cup.

(16) Quote: Bring it. 觞(shāng). Xiao (miǎn) Tingke Yiyiyan: I feel very happy when I look at the trees in the yard. Xiao, look sideways. Here it means "just take a look". Ke, branch. To: for. Make the face look happy.

(17) To express pride: to express a proud and contented mood. Ao means proud of the world.

(18) It’s easy to judge one’s appearance: I feel very comfortable living in a simple hut. Examine, perceive. A small room that can only accommodate two knees is extremely small.

(19) Walking in the garden every day becomes a pleasure: Walking in the garden every day is a pleasure of its own. To involve, to get involved, to go.

(20) Help the elderly to rest (qì): Go out for a walk with a cane and rest anytime and anywhere. Ce, leaning on it. Support the elderly with a cane. rest, rest. Wandering and resting means not having a fixed place, just walking around and resting.

(21) Always raise your head and look far away: always raise your head and look into the distance. To correct, to lift. Ya, far.

(22) Yun Wuxin comes out of Xiu (xiù): Clouds naturally emerge from the mountains. Unintentionally, unintentionally. Xiu, a mountain with caves, here generally refers to a mountain peak.

(23) Jingyi (yì) Yin is about to enter: the sun is dim and the sun is about to set. Scenery, daylight. Yiyi, dark appearance.

(24) Caressing the lonely pine and lingering: Wandering with the lonely pine in hand. Wandering: hovering, lingering, lingering.

(25) Please stop dating to stop traveling: Stop communicating, stop interacting with people and cut off communication. It means that we no longer have anything to do with the officialdom.

(26) The world is contrary to me, so what can I ask for when I return to my words: The world is contrary to what I think, what else can I try to explore? Driving, driving, here refers to traveling by car to pursue what you want. Words, particles.

(27) Love words: intimate words.

(28) Chunji: Spring has arrived.

(29) Something will happen in Xichou: Farming will begin in the fields to the west. Having something to do refers to farming matters. Things, here refers to farming. Domain, field.

(30) Or life scarf car: Sometimes a small car with a curtain is called. A carriage, a small carriage with a curtain. Or, sometimes.

(31) or 湣(zhào) Guzhou: Sometimes rowing a small boat.棹, the original meaning is oar. The noun here is used as a verb, meaning to paddle.

(32) Looking for ravines: passing through deep and twisting valleys. Slim and graceful, with a deep and winding appearance. Gully, ravine.

(33) It is also rugged and passes through hills: walking through uneven mountain roads.

(34) The trees are flourishing: the vegetation is lush. Xinxin and Xiangrong both mean lush vegetation.

(35) Trickle: The flow of water is subtle.

(36) When I get all the good things, I feel that my life is over: I envy all things in nature that grow and flourish in time as soon as spring comes, and I lament that my life is coming to an end. Kindness, joy, envy. The trip is about to end.

(37) It’s already over: Forget it! The particle “矣” is used together with “hu” to strengthen the exclamation tone.

(38) How long does it take to stay in the shape of the universe? (hé) You don’t have to decide whether to stay or leave: How long can you live in this world? Why not follow your own wishes and care about life and death? Metamorphosis, parasitism. Within the universe, between heaven and earth. Huo, He. Be willing to do whatever you want. To stay or go refers to life and death.

(39) What more could Hu want to say: Why is he so uneasy and where do he want to go? Not to mention, uneasy look. Go.

(40) The imperial hometown cannot be expected: the fairyland cannot be reached. Imperial Township, Immortal Township, the place where gods live. Expectation, hope, attainment.

(41) Cherish the good times and go alone: ??Cherish the good times and go out alone. To cherish, to cherish, to cherish. The good time refers to the spring when everything is in season as mentioned above. Loneliness, going out alone.

(42) Or planting a cane and working hard: sometimes using a cane to weed and cultivate seedlings. Plant, stand, support. Weeding, weeding. Seeds, soil.

(43) Climb to Donggao (gāo) to roar: Climb to the high ground to the east and roar loudly, Gao, high ground. Howl, a long and clear sound coming from the mouth. Shu, let go.

(44) Let’s go through the journey of life naturally. Chat: For now. Multiply and transform, following the changes of nature. Ending: to death. End means death.

(45) Lefu’s destiny returns to Xiyi: Le’an’s destiny, what else is there to doubt? Reply: There is also. Doubt: Doubt.

Appreciation

In the first year of Yixi (405) of Emperor An of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Tao Yuanming abandoned his official position and returned to his fields, and wrote "Returning to Come". Tao Yuanming began to serve as an official at the age of 29. He served as an official for thirteen years. He always hated officialdom and longed for the countryside. When he was 41 years old in the first year of Yixi, he served as an official for the last time. After working for more than 80 days, Peng Zeling resigned and returned home. He never became an official again. According to "Song Book. Biography of Tao Qian" and Xiao Tong's "Biography of Tao Yuanming", Tao Yuanming's retreat was due to his dissatisfaction with the decadent reality. At that time, a postal supervisor from the county came to Pengze for inspection, and the officials asked him to greet him with a belt as a sign of respect. He said angrily: "I don't want to bow down to a village boy for five buckets of rice!" He immediately resigned from his post and wrote "A Speech on Returning" to clarify his aspirations.

Tao Yuanming started offering wine to the state in the 18th year of Taiyuan (393) of Emperor Xiaowu of Jin Dynasty, and then served as Peng Zeling in the first year of Yixi. During these 13 years, he served several times as an official and retired several times. Yuanming had political ambitions, but the political society at that time was extremely dark. In the second year of Emperor Yuanxing's reign (403), the warlord Huan Xuan usurped the Jin Dynasty and called himself Emperor Chu. In the third year of Yuanxing, another warlord Liu Yu launched an army to defeat Huan and invaded Jiankang (now Nanjing, Jiangsu), the capital of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

By the first year of Yixi, Liu Yu completely controlled the military and political power of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. At this time, it was only fifteen years since Huanxuan usurped the Jin Dynasty. Along with these usurpations came countless massacres of dissidents and unjust wars. Yuanming loved freedom by nature, but the officialdom at that time was extremely corrupt, flattering superiors and arrogant subordinates, doing random things, and losing all integrity. An upright scholar had no place in the political society at that time, let alone realizing his ideals and ambitions. After thirteen years of twists and turns, Yuanming finally fully understood this. The fundamental opposition between Yuanming's character and political society destined him to make his final choice - to retire into seclusion.

About the author

Tao Yuanming (about 365-427), whose courtesy name was Yuanliang, (also known as Qian, whose courtesy name was Yuanming) was also known as Mr. Wuliu, and his posthumous title was "Jing" Festival", a poet, writer, poet, and essayist in the late Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Southern Dynasty, and the early Song Dynasty. Han nationality, a native of Chaisang, Xunyang in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (now Jiujiang, Jiangxi). He worked as a minor official for several years, then resigned and returned home to live in seclusion. Pastoral life is the main theme of Tao Yuanming's poems. Related works include "Drinking", "Returning to the Garden and Living in the Fields", "The Peach Blossom Spring", and "The Biography of Mr. Wuliu". , "Come Back and Come Back" and so on.