鐔津文集 17.20

17.20

Laughable is the floating cloud on high, / Mounting the void to veil the sun and stars (some read 'mounting the void' as 'rising on the whirlwind'). / Rather be the secluded orchid and thoroughwort, / Spreading their own fragrance amidst the grasses. / Being self-sufficient is one's natural lot; / There is no need for your ethereal subtlety. / Obscuring and veiling are what is detested; / Why linger towering for so long? / Since ancient times, broad-minded scholars / Have mostly left their tracks in dim obscurity. / Treasuring the mountain forest, they depart forever, / Concealing their function as well as their form. / The Valley of the Fool cannot be equaled; / In deep seclusion, one returns to self-serenity. / Alas, I too envy this, / Nurturing my declining years in stillness and solitude.