[updated September 2022]
Received Information From Wei Zhi, He Has Arrived at His Government Position in Tongzhou, Sent Me This Letter About His Job, Sorry You Have These Bad Feelings, I Wrote Four Sections: Section No. 2
(2)
得 微 之 到 官 后 书， 备 知 通 州 之 事， 怅 然 有 感 因 成 四 章
匼 匝 巅 山 万 仂 余
人 家 应 寺 甑 中 居。
寅 年 篱 不 多 逢 虎
亥 日 沙 头 始 卖 鱼。
衣 斑 梅 雨 长 须 熨
米 涩 畲 田 不 解 锄。
努 力 安 心 过 三 考
已 曾 愁 杀 李 尚 书。
De Wei Zhi Dao Guan Hou Shu, Bei Zhi Tong Zhou Zhi Shi, Chang Ran You Gan, Yin Cheng Si Zhang
(2)
Ke za dian shan wan le yu
Ren jia ying si zeng zhong ju.
Yin nian li bu duo feng hu
Hai ri sha tou shi mai yu.
Yi ban mei yu chang xu yun
Mi se she tian bu jie chu.
Nu li an xin guo san kao
Yi ceng chou sha li shang shu.
Received Information From Wei Zhi, He Has Arrived at His Government Position in Tongzhou, Sent Me This Letter About His Job, Sorry You Have These Bad Feelings, I Wrote Four Sections: Section No. 2
Thousands of mountain peaks encircle the people’s misery
Human houses like being placed inside an earthen rice steamer pot.
Every year is the Year of the Tiger, no fences to separate you and the tigers
Only every ten or fifteen days does the local fish market open with leftovers.
Early winter rains, spotted clothes await to be hot ironed
Fields of the She people not cultivated very well, produces very crude and unrefined rice.
Your goal is to survive three government inspector examinations
How sad was Li Shanshu’s death on the way home.
Notes:
She people: Ethnic minority that lived in a poor southeast region of China.
Li Shanshu: Government official during the reign of Tang Xuanzong. He too was ordered to serve in a very remote and dangerous area. He died on his return trip back home.