Chapter 45 impermanence
impermanence
1
Flowers that still smile today
will wither tomorrow;
everything we would like to save
Fly as soon as you are tempted.
What is joy in this world?
It is the lightning that mocks the night,
Bright but fleeting.
2
O virtue!How fragile it is!
Friendship is so hard to see!
Love sells poor happiness,
You have to trade despair!
But we still have to live,
Despite the loss of these joys,
And "our" everything.
3
While the sky is bright and blue,
While the flowers are bright,
While all is well with the eyes,
Evening is not yet:
Oh, while the tide is still,
Dream your dreams—and rest,
Wait until you wake up and cry.
1821
Translated by Cha Liangzheng