慶曆甲申歲,旱極憂民田。
農夫不得耕,相顧愁凶年。
帝心恐民憂,詔遣祈山川。
郡國舉祀典,齋戒陳豆籩。
望祭復雩龍,禱之必精虔。
經旬杳無報,旱氣增於前。
菑田揚飛塵,井谷無寸泉。
炎炎天地中,草木皆欲燃。
俗雲有鰻魚,靈異古所傳。
太守順民心,命駕而迎焉。
樂以鐘鼓音,薰以沈檀煙。
儵驚西郊寒,靄靄離山巔。
急雨下滂沱,迅雷亦填填。
須臾畎畝盈,一境皆欣然。
始為穴中魚,竊弄陰陽權。
山川豈無神,不能通於天。
蛟龍豈無靈,不能興於淵。
有若賞罰柄,反使奸臣專。
慶曆甲申歲,旱極憂民田。
農夫不得耕,相顧愁凶年。
帝心恐民憂,詔遣祈山川。
郡國舉祀典,齋戒陳豆籩。
望祭復雩龍,禱之必精虔。
經旬杳無報,旱氣增於前。
菑田揚飛塵,井谷無寸泉。
炎炎天地中,草木皆欲燃。
俗雲有鰻魚,靈異古所傳。
太守順民心,命駕而迎焉。
樂以鐘鼓音,薰以沈檀煙。
儵驚西郊寒,靄靄離山巔。
急雨下滂沱,迅雷亦填填。
須臾畎畝盈,一境皆欣然。
始為穴中魚,竊弄陰陽權。
山川豈無神,不能通於天。
蛟龍豈無靈,不能興於淵。
有若賞罰柄,反使奸臣專。
慶曆甲申這一年,
乾旱嚴重,讓百姓的田地十分堪憂。
農夫無法耕種,
面面相覷,為荒年發愁。
皇帝心繫百姓的憂慮,
下詔令向山川祈雨。
各州郡舉行祭祀典禮,
齋戒後陳列祭品。
遙望祭祀並呼喚雨龍,
祈禱必定精誠虔敬。
過了十來天杳無音信,
旱情比之前更加嚴重。
受災的田地塵土飛揚,
井和山谷沒有一滴泉水。
天地之間炎熱無比,
草木都像要燃燒起來。
民間傳說有一種鰻魚,
靈異非常,自古流傳。
太守順應民心,
命人駕車去迎接它。
用鐘鼓之音取悅它,
用沉香檀煙燻染它。
忽然西郊感到一陣寒意,
濃雲從山巔瀰漫開來。
急雨傾盆而下,
迅雷也隆隆作響。
不一會兒田壟溝渠都滿了,
整個地區都歡欣鼓舞。
起初不過是洞穴中的一條魚,
卻暗中操縱著陰陽權柄。
山川難道沒有神靈嗎?
卻不能上達於天。
蛟龍難道沒有靈性嗎?
卻不能從深淵興起。
這就好比賞罰的權力,
反而被奸臣所把持。
In the year of Jia-Shen, under Qingli's reign,
A dire drought tormented the people's fields.
Farmers could not plow the land,
Gazing at each other, they feared a year of famine.
The Emperor, fearing for his people's plight,
Decreed prayers to the mountains and streams.
The prefectures and states held solemn rites,
Fasting, they displayed beans and bamboo vessels.
They gazed and sacrificed, and called upon the rain-dragon,
Praying with utmost sincerity and devotion.
For ten days, no response came,
The drought's severity only grew.
Blighted fields raised clouds of dust,
Wells and valleys held not a drop of spring.
In the blazing heat between heaven and earth,
Every plant and tree seemed ready to ignite.
Common lore spoke of a giant eel,
A creature of numinous power, famed since ancient times.
The governor, yielding to the people's will,
Ordered his carriage to go and welcome it.
They pleased it with music of bells and drums,
And perfumed the air with sandalwood and aloes smoke.
Suddenly, a chill swept the western outskirts,
And thick clouds gathered, leaving the mountain peaks.
A torrential downpour began to fall,
And rapid thunder rumbled loud and deep.
In moments, the furrows and fields were filled,
And the entire region rejoiced with one heart.
At first, it was but a fish in a cave,
Presumptuously wielding the power of Yin and Yang.
Do the mountains and streams lack spirits?
Yet they could not reach the heavens.
Do the flood-dragons lack numinous power?
Yet they could not rise from the deep pools.
It is as if the handle of reward and punishment
Is left to the monopoly of treacherous ministers.
詩人對自然災害的憂慮,體現了古代治理者對民生週期的深刻關注。
詩人記述慶曆年間大旱,表達對農田與百姓生計的深切憂慮。
本詩為五言古詩,押平聲韻。
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