贱子昔在野,心哀此黔首。
丰年不饱食,水旱尚何有。
虽无剽盗起,万一且不久。
特愁吏之为,十室灾八九。
原田败粟麦,欲诉嗟无赇。
间关幸见省,笞扑随其后。
况是交冬春,老弱就僵仆。
州家闭仓庾,县吏鞭租负。
乡邻铢两征,坐逮空南亩。
取赀官一毫,奸桀已云富。
彼昏方怡然,自谓民父母。
朅来佐荒郡,懔懔常惭疚。
昔之心所哀,今也执其咎。
乘田圣所勉,况乃余之陋。
内讼敢不勤,同忧在僚友。
贱子昔在野,心哀此黔首。
丰年不饱食,水旱尚何有。
虽无剽盗起,万一且不久。
特愁吏之为,十室灾八九。
原田败粟麦,欲诉嗟无赇。
间关幸见省,笞扑随其后。
况是交冬春,老弱就僵仆。
州家闭仓庾,县吏鞭租负。
乡邻铢两征,坐逮空南亩。
取赀官一毫,奸桀已云富。
彼昏方怡然,自谓民父母。
朅来佐荒郡,懔懔常惭疚。
昔之心所哀,今也执其咎。
乘田圣所勉,况乃余之陋。
内讼敢不勤,同忧在僚友。
我从前在野未仕时,心中哀怜这些百姓。
丰年尚且不能吃饱,遇到水旱灾害又还有什么指望?
虽然没有盗贼劫掠之事发生,但恐怕离那也不远了。
尤其忧愁官吏的所作所为,十户人家有八九户要遭殃。
原野田地里的粟麦歉收,想要申诉却叹息没有贿赂的钱财。
历尽周折侥幸得到省察,鞭打刑罚却紧随其后。
况且时值冬春之交,老弱之人就要冻饿倒毙。
州府紧闭粮仓,县吏鞭打催缴租税。
乡邻被搜刮锱铢必较的赋税,以致被捕,田地荒芜。
官府收取毫厘之资,奸猾豪强已称富裕。
那些昏聩者正怡然自得,自称是百姓的父母官。
如今我来辅佐这荒僻的州郡,心中常怀敬畏与愧疚。
昔日心中所哀悯的,如今自己却要承担其罪责。
管理苑囿是圣人也勤勉从事的职务,何况我这样鄙陋之人?
内心自省岂敢不勤,与同僚好友共同分担这份忧思。
In former days while dwelling in the wild, / My heart grieved for these common folk so black.
In years of plenty they could not eat their fill; / What hope in flood or drought could they then have?
Though banditry had not yet broken out, / Its coming soon was but a matter of time.
My special fear was what the clerks would do— / Disaster striking eight or nine of ten homes.
The fields lay ruined, millet, wheat all lost; / To lodge complaint, they lacked the bribe's vile means.
With hardship they might get an audience, / But beatings followed swiftly on its heels.
And more, as winter turned again to spring, / The old and weak would stiffen into death.
The state sealed up its granaries and stores; / The county officers whipped them for rent.
The village neighbors taxed on every ounce, / Were seized till southern fields were stripped quite bare.
What funds the officers took, a single hair, / To cruel and crafty men meant wealth immense.
Those fools, content and self-assured, / Proclaimed themselves the people's father, mother.
Now coming to assist this barren prefecture, / In constant fear and shame my heart is wrung.
What once my heart had grieved for from afar, / I now must bear the blame for, close at hand.
A herd-boy's task the Sage himself took pains with; / How much more lowly one as coarse as I?
Within, I dare not slacken self-reproach; / My colleagues share this worry, this same care.
体现了士大夫对基层治理困境的深切认知。
诗人追忆在野时对百姓疾苦的深切同情与关怀。
本诗为五言古诗,押平声韵。
东山书院编辑整理