Poverty Not a Joking Matter
贫 甚 戏 作
灶 突 无 烟 甑 有 尘
颓 垣 破 屋 越 溪 滨。
老 鳏 狂 怪 谁 嗔 责？
日 日 行 歌 独 卖 薪！
籴 米 归 迟 午 未 炊
家 人 窃 闵 乃 翁 饥。
不 知 弄 笔 东 窗 下
正 和 渊 明 乞 食 诗。
Pin Shen Xi Zuo: Jue Ju
Zao tu wu yan zeng you chen
Tui yuan po wu yue xi bin.
Lao guan kuang guai shei chen ze?
Ri ri xing ge du mai xin!
Di mi gui chi wu wei chui
Jia ren qie min nai weng ji.
Bu zhi nong bi dong chuang xia
Zheng he yuan ming qi shi shi.
Poverty Not a Joking Matter
Kitchen chimney and rice steamers not dirty, dusty, or with signs of fire
Near a stream bank my house and walls broken and crumbling without repairs.
Who cares about this old widower that is crazy and strange?
Everyday alone singing travel songs while cutting and selling firewood!
Buy some grain, cannot yet cook a meal this late in the afternoon
Family members secretly pity this hungry old man.
They are not aware that I still play with my writing brush below the eastern window
I wrote a linked poem with Tao Yuanming using the theme of him having to beg a neighbor for food.
Notes:
Eastern window: Under the influence of Buddhist-Daoist thought. Famous phrase of “eastern fence” was used in famous poems by Tao Yuanming (365-427). This poem is titled “Drinking Wine (No.5)”, and the other poem refers to one called “Begging For Food”. Both can be found on this website.