[updated September 2022]
This Should Be a Time of Silkworms and Grain
蚕 谷 行
天 下 郡 国 向 万 城
无 有 一 城 无 甲 兵！
焉 得 铸 甲 作 农 器
一 寸 荒 田 牛 得 耕？
牛 尽 耕， 蚕 亦 成。
不 劳 烈 士 泪 滂 沱
男 谷 女 絲 行 复 歌。
Can Gu Xing
Tian xia jun guo xiang wan cheng
Wu you yi cheng wu jia bing!
Yan de zhu jia zuo nong qi
Yi cun huang tian niu de geng?
Niu jin geng, can yi cheng.
Bu lao lie shi lei pang tuo
Nan gu nu si xing fu ge.
This Should Be a Time of Silkworms and Grain
Down here on earth, our nation broken into thousands of pieces
Outside city walls, armored and weaponed soldiers gather to guard us!
Required to turn farming implements into armor for protection
Every inch of fields are uncultivated, in need of oxen to pull the plows?
By this season, oxen should have plowed, and silkworms be done with their productions.
Farmers as soldiers cry torrents of tears
Should instead hear the songs of men planting, and women making silk threads.
Commentary:
What else does Du Fu need to say to express his anti-war sentiments?