Chang Jian fails the imperial examinations

Ruefully and brilliantly

Failing the Examinations in Chang’an
Chang Jian

No, things are fine in my village,
But I’m staying here in Qin.
It’s the shame of living in a golden age
And still failing to get in.
Better to stop in Chang’an
And revise for another spring,
I worry the birds will hoot at me
I fear the flowers’ grin.


常建  落第长安
家园好在尚留秦，耻作明时失路人。
恐逢故里莺花笑，且向长安度一春。

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Qin is the area around Chang’an; here it means Chang’an.

Spring stands for love, procreation, and the pleasures of life. If truth be told, there were probably more pleasures available in Chang’an than in Chang’s home village, but for the purposes of this poem, he maintains that he is living a monastic and scholarly life in the city, preparing to take the examinations once again.