Classic Poem

The fatherless boy, thirteen, walks and weeps.
On the road he meets a man who asks him his story.
He says, " I am of the Wang family at Hu-hsien —
my grandfather was once the Prefect there.
Two years ago, I went east with my father,
thousands of miles of hardship, to visit his in-law.
His in-law — of the Liu family — came from Pa-hsien:
he had borrowed some money, but when the debt was called in
he didn't pay it back.
One day, he left his job, and all of us took the boat together
toward his home town.
On the way, my father had angry words with him,
and became very ill.
Our distant journey took us past Ching-men,
through the Yangtze gorges;
as we traveled, my father's illness became much worse.
Liu and his wife were crueler than tigers:
when we reached Ch'ien-chiang, they put us out of the boat!
My father was gasping for breath — I was at his side —
we had no untorn clothing to wear, or any food in our stomachs.
Now, a certain venerable Jen of Kuei-lin
was Supervisor of Education at Ch'ien-chiang, a man of reputation.
An innkeeper ran to tell him about us,
and when Master Jen heard the news, his heart was filled
with compassion.
Immediately, he treated my father with herbs,
and gave us food to eat, morning and night.
But, alas! my father still did not recover —
a cold wind scraped the earth, heaven turned black!
Master Jen personally took charge of the funeral:
he had him buried at a beautiful site,
and erected a gravestone.
But this was the south, thousands of miles
from my home in Ch'in:
the way was long, I was weak — how could I return?
Master Jen took me into his care, gave me lodging
at his offices,
and raised me himself, afraid only that he might fail at the task!
He had me write a letter, and printed up copies
which he sent to the capital for distribution to the provinces.
Soon, an uncle of mine came to get me,
and before too long, I was reunited with my mother.
Ah, Master Jen!
He supported me like Heaven and Earth!
How can I ever repay my debt to him?
I wish his grandchildren to be many and wise;
may his house prosper greatly, may he live for thousands of years! "
When the man heard the child's words,
he leaned on his cane, and sighed three times.
In this world, flesh and blood can become enemies;
how often do people sit back and watch
while relatives die in ditches!
Consider the deeds of Master Jen of Kuei-lin:
he is a noble phoenix, the equal of the ancients!
I have written this ballad of the fatherless boy
so Master Jen's name will shine in the pages of history.