Classic Poem

All year long, he never visits his home town:
by nature, he loves to be a traveler!
So he has entrusted his livelihood to the rivers and lakes,
never refusing a distant journey for the sake of profit.
Burning magic money, pouring libations of wine,
he prays for good winds at dawn;
he makes friends everywhere he goes, east or west.
In this floating home of his, there's nothing to tie him down,
and his name has never been entered
in the tax-collector's books!
On board his huge ship, with its two enormous sweeps,
his major concubine can sing for him,
and his minor concubine can dance!
He buys fine wines every day at the wineshops along the river,
and knows nothing of the pain of parting in the ordinary world.
There are many houses of pleasure on both banks of the Yangtze:
a thousand doors, ten thousand gates—
he has passed through them all!
What other human is as happy as the merchant:
aside from stormy weather, what problems does he have?