Letter to Han Jianyi by Tom Sharp

I’m sick in bed and would like to get out of here. I admire the people in Yueyang and I miss living there. People there wash in water of the immortals and are connected to the whole world. I miss the maple trees turning red in the rain and the wild geese flying over the lake. The immortals fly in on phoenixes and dragons. You can see them in the ripples where the rivers meet. The Big Dipper is drunk on nectar; the moon shines in the mist like hibiscus. I hear that you’ve gone into seclusion, following the immortal Chi Song Zi, the Rain Master. I used to follow chancellor Liu, but, in spite of doing good work, he was demoted. It is difficult to for one man to fix a whole country, or to survive on eating the smell of maple trees. You should live a long time, but it’s not likely that you’ll get to be immortal. At any rate, how can we share a cup of wine when I’m here and you’re over there?

寄韩谏议注 by 杜甫 (Du Fu)

今我不乐思岳阳，身欲奋飞病在床。 美人娟娟隔秋水，濯足洞庭望八荒。 鸿飞冥冥日月白，青枫叶赤天雨霜。 玉京群帝集北斗，或骑麒麟翳凤凰。 芙蓉旌旗烟雾落，影动倒景摇潇湘。 星宫之君醉琼浆，羽人稀少不在旁。 似闻昨者赤松子，恐是汉代韩张良。 昔随刘氏定长安，帷幄未改神惨伤。 国家成败吾岂敢，色难腥腐餐枫香。 周南留滞古所惜，南极老人应寿昌。 美人胡为隔秋水，焉得置之贡玉堂。