Drunken Song on Lake Shiyu
English translation and interpretation are being reviewed.
因休暇，
则载酒于湖上，
时取一醉。
欢醉中，
据湖岸，
引臂向鱼取酒，
使舫载之，
遍饮坐者。
意疑倚巴丘酌于君山之上，
诸子环洞庭而坐，
酒舫泛泛然触波涛而往来者，
乃作歌以长之。
石鱼湖，
似洞庭，
夏水欲满君山青。
山为樽，
水为沼，
酒徒历历坐洲岛。
长风连日作大浪，
不能废人运酒舫。
我持长瓢坐巴丘，
酌饮四坐以散愁。
English translation
The Old Man Man brews wine from the rice of the public fields, and on holidays loads the wine upon the lake, taking a drink whenever he pleases. In the midst of happy drunkenness, seated along the lake shore, he stretches out an arm toward the fish to draw wine, and has the boat carry it about, giving drink to all who sit there. It is as though, leaning against Ba Hill, he were pouring wine atop Mount Jun, with his companions seated round about Dongting, while the wine-boat drifts and rides the waves. And those who came and went made this song to prolong the occasion.
Stone Fish Lake is like Dongting, in summer the water brims, Mount Jun is green.
The hills for cups, the water for a wine-pool, the drinkers sit in rows upon the islets.
Though the long wind raises great waves day after day, it cannot stop us sending round the wine-boat.
I hold my long ladle and sit on Ba Hill, pouring for all around, to scatter our cares.
Meaning
I brew wine from the grain grown upon the public fields, and often, taking advantage of a day of leave, carry the wine to Stone Fish Lake and there win a moment's drunkenness. Warm with wine and merry, leaning against the lakeshore, I stretch out my arm to draw wine from the stone fish, and bid the boat carry it that all who sit here may drink their fill. It is as though we rested against Mount Baling and dipped wine from Mount Junshan; my companions sit as if encircling Dongting Lake. The wine boat rocks upon the waves, coming and going to replenish our cups. Therefore I made this drinking song to celebrate the occasion.
Background
Read the background
In his "Account Written at Stone Fish Lake," Yuan Jie says: "South of the spring there is a solitary rock standing in the water, shaped like a swimming fish. The hollow of the fish, if enlarged, can hold wine. All around the shore are many leaning rocks joined one to another, on which a man may sit; the water will float a little skiff bearing wine, and also circles in eddies around the stone fish. So I named the lake Stone Fish Lake, carved an inscription there upon it to show future visitors, and composed a poem singing of it." The preface preceding this "Drunken Song at Stone Fish Lake" explains the circumstances of the poem's composition, showing that it was written when Yuan Jie was drinking on Stone Fish Lake with his friends.