袁枚·《咏钱》英译

人生薪水寻常事，动辄烦君我亦愁。

解用何尝非俊物，不谈未必定清流。

空劳姹女千回数，屡见铜山一夕休。

拟把婆心向天奏，九州添设富民侯。

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Song of Money

Yuan Mei

Money is spend in daily living,

Quite often it causes you and me to worry.

A proper use of it is really a good thing,

Not to talk of it is does not mean you’re holy.

Express Rongle(1) was fond of money counting,

A coins maker (2) in Mount Tong died of hunger.

It’s my good wish to God that I’m expressing,

All people could live a good life in China.

(1)    Empress Rongle, mother of Emperor Lingdi of the Eastern Han Dynasty, like money more than anyone else.

(2)    “A coins maker” refers to Deng Tong, a favored minister of Emperor Wendi, who allowed the former to make coins for himself in Mount Tong in Sichuan Province. But when Emperor Jindi was in power, all the wealth that Deng had was confiscated. Because of poverty, Deng died from hunger.