[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. 3
(3)
得 微 之 到 官 后 书， 备 知 通 州 之 事， 怅 然 有 感 因 成 四 章
人 稀 地 僻 医 巫 少
夏 早 秋 霖 瘴 疟 多。
老 去 一 身 须 爱 惜
别 来 四 体 得 如 何？
住 儒 饱 笑 东 方 朔
薏 苡 谗 忧 马 伏 波。
莫 遣 沉 愁 结 成 病
时 时 一 唱 濯 缨 歌。
De Wei Zhi Dao Guan Hou Shu, Bei Zhi Tong Zhou Zhi Shi, Chang Ran You Gan, Yin Cheng Si Zhang
(3)
Ren xi di pi yi wu shao
Xia zao qiu in zhang nue duo.
Lao qu yi shen xu ai xi
Bie lai si ti de ru he?
Zhu ru bao xiao dong fang shuo
Yi yi chan you ma fu bo.
Mo qian chen chou jie cheng bing
Shi shi yi chang zhuo ying ge.
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. 3
People scarce on the reclaimed land, even shaman are few
Summer hot and dry, autumn with heavy and continuous rainfall, a lot of miasma and malaria.
You are so old, must appreciate your life and health
After your arrival, are your four limbs still intact?
The dwarf and uneducated people laughed at Dong Fangshuo
Ma Fubo died from eating yi yi.
Do not let bad circumstances make you so sad it produces illnesses
Every season one can chant the Zhuo Ying songs.
Notes:
Dong Fangshuo: (155-93 BC): Imperial advisor to a highly regarded Han Dynasty emperor. Remembered for his intelligence, delivered with a sense of humor.
Ma Fubo: Government official exiled to a very remote region. While there, he discovered a millet-like grain, yi yi, that helped him heal his ailing body. Wanting to continue to use these seeds back home, he gathered and sacked up large quantities for the trip back. Unfortunately he died on his return trip to the capital. When his political opponents discovered his bags of yi yi, they accused him of stealing food from the poor peasants at his assignment. They also removed all of his money and possessions as well. He was buried without the honors and respect afforded to a man of his standing.
Zhuo Ying songs: An old fable from the philosopher Mengzi. If one has clean water, wash your hair and official tassels. If one only has dirty water, wash your feet.
Commentary:
This poem, and the three others under the same title, appears to be a detailed description of what it must have been like to be a government official assigned to a position that borders on exile.