Early Morning Welcome For the Rain
视 早 遇 雨
已 早 何 秋 雨？
无 禾 始 水 声！
病 民 岂 天 意
致 此 定 谁 生？
汤 爪 宁 须 剪
桑 羊 可 缓 烹？
小 儒 空 自 叹
得 到 风 凰 城？
Shi Zao Yu Yu
Yi zao he qiu yu?
Wu he shi shui sheng!
Bing min qi tian yi
Zhi ci ding shei sheng?
Tang zhao ning xu jian
Sang yang ke huan peng?
Xiao ru kong zi tan
De dao feng huang cheng?
Early Morning Welcome For the Rain
Already too dry, where are the autumn rains?
Without standing grain, the late water sounds just now beginning!
This is more than the will of Heaven, also some human errors made
Who can decide who lives and who dies?
Tang Kingdom king would not have had to cut off his fingers if those around had planned ahead
Sang Yang was boiled to death, and wrongly blamed for the crop failures.
If not a minor official, I could have done more to help the farmers
Then this city would be having a period of prosperity.
Notes:
Sang Yang: A man who worked for the emperor during the Han Dynasty inside what could be known as the Department of Agriculture. He developed and supported the creation and implementation of new farming implements and methods. He was later assassinated by jealous people inside the palace.