The old year is parting,
Like a snake slithering into a deep ravine.
Scales barely seen; none could stop its course.
Try as hard as we might to grab its tail, but in vain.
Children strive to stay awake, laugh and play all night long.
Rooster, please don’t crow yet, but the morning drum is urging.
The lamp has burnt out, and the Big Dipper descends on the horizon.
Year after year, time flies and my worries are futile.
Better to cherish this night, and I still have the spirit of a young man.
Su Shi (960 – 1127)
The Chinese New Year begins on January 22
