The Song of Well Done
The world knows that the immortals are good, but they can't forget their merits!
Where are the ancient and modern generals? The grass is gone from the barren mound.
The world knows that the gods are good, but only the gold and silver can't be forgotten!
It is the only thing that I hate to see in the future, and I will not be able to close my eyes until it is too late.
The world knows that the gods are good, but only the pretty wife can't forget!
This is the first time I've ever seen a woman who has been in love with a woman, and I've never seen her again.
Everyone knows that the gods are good, but only the children and grandchildren can't forget!
There have been many parents who have been devoted to their children and grandchildren who have been filial to their parents and grandchildren.
Vernacular translation:
All the people in the world know that it is good to go to be a god, but they just can't forget about building up their reputation!
Where are all the civil servants and military generals of the past and present today? All that remains is a pile of graves obliterated by barren grass.
All the people in the world know that it's good to be a god, but they can't forget about the gold and silver!
They complain all day long that they have not gathered enough, but when they do, they die.
All the people of the world know that it is good to be a god, but they can't forget their beautiful wives!
When you were alive, she told you every day how much she loved you, but as soon as you died, she immediately followed someone else.
All the people of the world know that it is good to be an immortal, but the children and the grandchildren can't forget it!
Since ancient times, there are countless parents who are obsessed with the idea, but who really sees the filial children and grandchildren?
Expanded Information
This poem appeared in the first chapter of Dream of the Red Chamber. At that time, Zhen Shiyin, who had fallen on hard times in his later years, came to the street for a walk and listened to a lame Taoist man singing it.
The crippled Taoist's interpretation of the song is: "I know that all things in the world are good, good is good, and good is good; if not good, it is not good; if it is good, it must be good." Cao Xueqin used the crippled Taoist to write the "Song of the Good" in order to allude to the plot of the novel, to express his realism, and to convey his anger and disappointment with reality.
This poem, with strong religious colors, can be said to be the work of Cao Xueqin to see through the red dust. The song "Well Sung" epitomizes the Cao family's own downfall, and also warns the world not to fight for fame and fortune, and to let go when they have to let go, which is also Cao Xueqin's original intention of writing "Dream of Red Mansions".
The Dream of the Red Chamber's Zhen Shiyin lived a rich life in his early years, but in his later years, he relied on his father-in-law to live in great distress. After he went through this life ordeal, he could be said to have come to a great realization. The lame Taoist's recitation is both a summary of Shiyin's life and an exhortation to Shiyin in his later years.
The whole poem is in the vernacular, which is very catchy, and each line begins with the phrase "The world knows that the immortals are good". The crippled Taoist uses the immortals to symbolize the current world trend, but the next interpretation of the meaning of the poem is the opposite of the opening line. This is not a contradiction, but a great realization.