[updated September 2022]
Explaining My Silence
释 闷
四 海 十 年 不 解 兵
犬 戎 也 复 临 咸 京。
失 道 非 关 出 襄 野
扬 鞭 忽 是 过 湖 城。
豺 狼 塞 路 人 断 绝
烽 火 照 夜 尸 纵 横。
天 子 亦 应 厌 奔 走
群 公 固 合 思 升 平。
但 恐 诛 求 不 改 辙
闻 道 嬖 孽 能 全 生 。
江 边 老 翁 错 料 事
眼 暗 不 见 风 尘 清。
Shi Men
Si hai shi nian bu jie bing
Quan rong ye fu liu xian jing
Shi dao fei guan chu xiang ye
Yang bian hu shi guo hu cheng
Chai liang sai lu ren duan jue
Feng huo zhao ye shi zong heng.
Tian zi yi ying yan ben zou
Qun gong gu he si sheng ping.
Dan kong zhu qiu bu gai zhe
Wen dao bi nie neng quan sheng
Jiang bian lao weng cuo liao shi
Yan an bu jian feng chen qing.
Explaining My Silence
For ten years, the whole country without any relief from warfare
Hunting dogs and their weapons also hang over our capitals.
Those coming from the countryside to help, but the way lost through
mountain passes
Northern hordes, both enemy and ally, finally removed from Chang’an.
Jackals and wolves holding strategic border strongholds, cut-off travel and
the flow of supplies
Far and wide, beacon fires illuminated the dead bodies in the night.
Emperor should not have been satisfied to just move on
Most of the people want to be strong so the peace will be more permanent.
Still fear our new emperor will continue to appease and not change our
wheel tracks
He let groups of evil people entirely get away.
Old riverside men like me mistakenly expect a totally new state of affairs
My hiding eyes not able to see clear of all the wind and dust.
Notes:
Jackals and wolves: The rich and powerful who benefit from warfare.
Riverside men: Government officials who have to travel often to a new government position.
Commentary:
Today we too seem to have our fair share of warfare, along with the wolves and jackals. The famous American Marine General S. Butler wrote his book, War Is a Racket in the 1930’s.