拟古
（九首其九）
种桑长江边，三年望当采。
枝条始欲茂，忽值山河改。
柯叶自摧折，根株浮沧海。
春蚕既无食，寒衣欲谁待[1]？
本不植高原，今日复何悔！
公元418年刘裕扶持晋恭帝登基，隔年又逼晋恭帝退位，改晋为宋。有人认为这首诗暗喻晋亡的一段历史。“种桑长江边，三年望当采”指种植桑树在江边，指望三年叶就可采摘。诗人以桑喻晋，寓意晋恭帝既已继位三年，应当做出些成绩。“忽值山河改”指忽然遇到山河更改，喻指刘宋更替司马氏晋朝。“本不植高原，今日复何悔”指桑树本应植根于高原，却被种在长江边，自取毁灭，现在后悔又有何用，暗喻晋室依赖于刘裕，今日又亡于刘裕，又如何可以追悔。诗人对于晋亡，沉痛至深，说明诗人绝非是忘世之人，他对于世道政治，仍然抱有坚定的是非判断和鲜明的爱憎之情。
注释：
[1]待：依靠。
Old Styled Verse
(IX)
Mulberries plant’d along the River Long,
Their leaves’ll be gathered in three years in throng.
Maybe when boughs and twigs begin to sprout,
Suddenly flood from the mountains break out.
Branches and leaves would be torn from the trees,
Even trunks and roots might float to the seas.
The vernal Silkworms have no leaves to eat.
What could warm up your body, hands and feet?
With mulberries planted in places high,
When flood comes, you need not regret and sigh.
