Author: Bai Juyi
An old man selling charcoal cuts wood and burns charcoal in the mountains in the south all year round.
His face was covered with dust, which was the color of smoke burning, his temples were gray, and his ten fingers were burnt black.
What is the money for selling charcoal for? Buy clothes, buy food in your mouth.
Pity that he is wearing thin clothes, but he is worried that charcoal can't be sold, hoping it will be colder.
At night, it snowed a foot thick outside the city. Early in the morning, the old man drove a charcoal wheel to the market.
Cows are tired and people are hungry, but the sun has risen very high. They are resting in the mud outside the south gate of the market.
Who is that proud man riding on two horses? It was the eunuchs in the palace and eunuchs who did it.
The eunuch, with documents in his hand and the emperor's orders in his mouth, shouted at the petrified palace.
A load of charcoal, more than 1000 kilograms, eunuch attendants to drive away, the old man is helpless, but there is no way.
Half a horse's red yarn is a silk, which is filled with charcoal to the cow's head.
Poetry Translation of The Charcoal Man
An old man who sells charcoal cuts wood and burns charcoal in Nanshan all the year round.
His face was covered with dust and smoke, his temples were gray, and his ten fingers were blackened by charcoal.
What is the money from selling charcoal for? Buy clothes to wear and food to eat in your mouth.
It's a pity that he only wears thin clothes, but he is worried that charcoal can't be sold, hoping it will be colder.
It snowed a foot thick outside the city at night. In the morning, the old man ran over the frozen wheel tracks in a charcoal car and hurried to the market.
Cattle are tired and people are hungry, but the sun has risen very high and rested in the mud outside the south gate of the market.
Who is the man riding two horses? They are eunuchs in the palace, eunuchs.
The eunuch held the official document in his hand, but said it was the emperor's order and shouted to pull the cow to the palace.
A load of charcoal, 1000 kilograms, was insisted by eunuch officers. The old man is reluctant to give up, but he is helpless.
Those people hung half a horse's red yarn and a silk on the cow's head as the price of charcoal.
To annotate ...
⑴ Charcoal vendor: This is the thirty-second poem in "New Yuefu" with the caption: "Kugong City also." The palace market refers to the things needed in the court of the Tang Dynasty. Taking them away from the market and giving them some money casually is actually an open plunder. Tang Dezong used eunuchs to manage it.
(2) Logging: Logging. Salary: firewood. Nanshan: the mountain in the south of the city.
(3) Fireworks color: smoky face. The hardship of selling charcoal Weng is highlighted here.
(4) Gray: Gray, describing gray hair.
5) acquisition: acquisition. He Suoying: What? Camp, management, here refers to demand.
[6] Pity: Make people feel pity.
(7) wish: hope.
Xiao: Dawn. Rolling (ni m 4 n): same as "rolling" and pressing. Track: The track of wheels rolling on the ground.
(9) Sleepiness: sleepy and tired.
⑽ City: Chang 'an has a trade zone called City. There are walls and doors around the city.
⑾ ⒐: a relaxed and free situation. It is described here as getting carried away. Rider: A person who rides a horse.
⑿ White and yellow emissary: The yellow emissary refers to the eunuch in the palace. White shirt, refers to the eunuch's minions.
[13] Take it. Say: say. Order or imperial edict of the emperor.
[14] Turn back: turn around. Scold: reprimand. Pull to the north: refers to pull to the palace.
⒂ More than 1,000 Jin: It's not a real reference, but a lot of descriptions.
Driver: Hurry up. Jiang: auxiliary words. I can't stand it: I can't stand it. Yes, I can. Cherish and give up
⒄ Half a piece of red silk and one piece of silk: In the Tang Dynasty, silk and other silk products could be used instead of money in commercial transactions. At that time, Qian Guisi was cheap, half a yarn and a silk were far less than the value of a car full of charcoal. This is the official use of cheap prices to seize the wealth of the people.
⒅ System (φ): Binding. This means hanging. Straight: by "value", it refers to the price.