Yuan Jie’s note before the poem (translated by Witter Bynner and taken from the University of Virginia Library Chinese Text Initiative http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/chinese/):
In the year Kuimao the bandits from Xiyuan entered Daozhou, set fire, raided, killed, and looted. The whole district was almost ruined. The next year the bandits came again and, attacking the neighbouring prefecture, Yong, passed this one by. It was not because we were strong enough to defend ourselves, but, probably, because they pitied us. And how now can these commissioners bear to impose extra taxes? I have written this poem for the collectors' information.
My Translation
By Yuan Jie (719-772) | 元結 |
Thieves Withdraw But Tax Collectors Appear | 賊退示官吏併序 |
In my former years I knew peace and security | 昔歲 逢太平 |
In the mountain forest, I lived for twenty years | 山林 二十年 |
The fountain spring at my courtyard | 泉源 在庭戶 |
And caves and gullies by my front gate | 洞壑 當門前 |
Orderly taxes were common then | 井稅 有常期 |
And I slept late in the day | 日晏 猶得眠 |
*** | |
Suddenly the era changed | 忽然 遭時變 |
Repeatedly over the years I took up arms | 數歲 親戎旃 |
And now I come bringing law to the land | 今來 典 斯郡 |
The mountain bandits scatter about again | 山夷 又 紛然 |
But my town, being trifling, the thieves don’t slaughter— | 城小 賊 不屠 |
The poor, their wounds, is it because they’re pitiful? | 人貧 傷 可憐 |
And so our neighbors fall under plunder | 是以 陷 鄰境 |
This province alone appears in tact | 此州 獨 見全 |
*** | |
Are the tax collectors led under Royal command? | 使臣 將 王命 |
How are they not like the thieves thereof? | 豈不 如 賊焉 |
Those demanding the desired collections | 令彼 徵 歛者 |
Are forcing the payers like they’re frying in oil. | 迫之 如 火煎 |
Is he gone who can value human life, | 誰能 絕 人命 |
And create a season of virtue in the world? | 以作 時 世賢 |
*** | |
I’m thinking of casting aside my army seal, | 思欲 委 符節 |
Taking my pole and steering my ship alone | 引竿 自 刺船 |
My family will farm and fish | 將家 就魚麥 |
And I’ll retire by a river or lake | 歸老 江湖邊 |
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
元結 | 元结 | Yuán Jié |
賊退示官吏併序 | 贼退示官吏并序 | Zéi tuì shì guān lì bìng xù |
昔歲逢太平， | 昔岁逢太平， | Xī suì // féng tài píng, |
山林二十年。 | 山林二十年。 | Shān lín // èr shí nián. |
泉源在庭戶， | 泉源在庭户， | Quán yuán // zài tíng hù, |
洞壑當門前。 | 洞壑当门前。 | Dòng hè // dàng mén qián. |
井稅有常期， | 井税有常期， | Jǐng shuì // yǒu cháng qī, |
日晏猶得眠。 | 日晏犹得眠。 | Rì yàn // yóu de mián. |
忽然遭時變， | 忽然遭时变， | Hū rán // zāo shí biàn, |
數歲親戎旃。 | 数岁亲戎旃。 | Shuò suì // qīn róng zhān. |
今來典斯郡， | 今来典斯郡， | Jīn lái // diǎn sī jùn, |
山夷又紛然。 | 山夷又纷然。 | Shān yí // yòu fēn rán. |
城小賊不屠， | 城小贼不屠， | Chéng xiǎo // zéi bù tú, |
人貧傷可憐。 | 人贫伤可怜。 | Rén pín // shāng kě lián. |
是以陷鄰境， | 是以陷邻境， | Shì yǐ // xiàn lín jìng, |
此州獨見全。 | 此州独见全。 | Cǐ zhōu // dú jiàn quán. |
使臣將王命， | 使臣将王命， | Shǐ chén // jiàng wàng mìng, |
豈不如賊焉？ | 岂不如贼焉？ | Qǐ bù // rú zéi yān? |
令彼徵歛者， | 令彼征歛者， | Lìng bǐ // zhēng hān zhě, |
迫之如火煎。 | 迫之如火煎。 | Pò zhī // rú huǒ jiān. |
誰能絕人命？ | 谁能绝人命？ | Shuí néng // jué rén mìng? |
以作時世賢。 | 以作时世贤。 | Yǐ zuò // shí shì xián. |
思欲委符節， | 思欲委符节， | Sī yù // wěi fújié, |
引竿自刺船， | 引竿自刺船， | Yǐn gān // zì cì chuán, |
將家就魚麥， | 将家就鱼麦， | Jiāng jiā // jiù yú mài, |
歸老江湖邊。 | 归老江湖边。 | Guī lǎo // jiāng hú biān. |
Literal Translation
元結 | First Sturdy [=Yuan Jie (719-772)] |
賊退示官吏併序 | Thief withdraw reveal official magistrate combine annex preface |
昔歲逢太平， | Former years met-by-chance very peaceful [very peaceful = peace and security] |
山林二十年。 | Mountain forest two ten years-lived [two ten = 20] |
泉源在庭戶， | Spring source at main-hall/law-court door |
洞壑當門前。 | Cave gully at-the-very-same/proper gate in-front [gate in-front = in front of the door] |
井稅有常期， | Well/orderly taxes have always time |
日晏猶得眠。 | Sun/day late/quiet like of sleep/closed-eyes |
忽然遭時變， | Suddenly certainly meet-misfortune season change [suddenly certainly = all of a sudden] |
數歲親戎旃。 | Repeatedly years related arms banner |
今來典斯郡， | Now come law this county |
山夷又紛然。 | Mountain barbarians yet chaotic thus |
城小賊不屠， | Town insignificant thief not slaughter |
人貧傷可憐。 | People poor wounds may pity [may pity = pitiful] |
是以陷鄰境， | Is thereby submerge/trap/plunder neighbor area [is thereby = therefore, thus] |
此州獨見全。 | This province alone appears keep-whole |
使臣將王命， | Send minister lead Emperor command |
豈不如賊焉？ | How/what? not like/equal thief thereupon/how |
令彼徵歛者， | Command those desire collect -er |
迫之如火煎。 | Force ’s/them like fire fry-in-boiling-oil [like fire = fiery] |
誰能絕人命？ | Who? able vanish human life |
以作時世賢。 | Thereby make era/season world good/virtuous |
思欲委符節， | Consider desire cast-aside seal section |
引竿自刺船， | Extend pole self thrust ship |
將家就魚麥， | Going-to family just/engage-in fish wheat |
歸老江湖邊。 | Return aged river lake simultaneously |
Year:
2011
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