賤子昔在野,心哀此黔首。
豐年不飽食,水旱尚何有。
雖無剽盜起,萬一且不久。
特愁吏之為,十室災八九。
原田敗粟麥,欲訴嗟無賕。
間關幸見省,笞撲隨其後。
況是交冬春,老弱就僵仆。
州家閉倉庾,縣吏鞭租負。
鄉鄰銖兩徵,坐逮空南畝。
取貲官一毫,奸桀已雲富。
彼昏方怡然,自謂民父母。
朅來佐荒郡,懍懍常慚疚。
昔之心所哀,今也執其咎。
乘田聖所勉,況乃余之陋。
內訟敢不勤,同憂在僚友。
賤子昔在野,心哀此黔首。
豐年不飽食,水旱尚何有。
雖無剽盜起,萬一且不久。
特愁吏之為,十室災八九。
原田敗粟麥,欲訴嗟無賕。
間關幸見省,笞撲隨其後。
況是交冬春,老弱就僵仆。
州家閉倉庾,縣吏鞭租負。
鄉鄰銖兩徵,坐逮空南畝。
取貲官一毫,奸桀已雲富。
彼昏方怡然,自謂民父母。
朅來佐荒郡,懍懍常慚疚。
昔之心所哀,今也執其咎。
乘田聖所勉,況乃余之陋。
內訟敢不勤,同憂在僚友。
我從前在野未仕時,心中哀憐這些百姓。
豐年尚且不能吃飽,遇到水旱災害又還有什麼指望?
雖然沒有盜賊劫掠之事發生,但恐怕離那也不遠了。
尤其憂愁官吏的所作所爲,十戶人家有八九戶要遭殃。
原野田地里的粟麥歉收,想要申訴卻嘆息沒有賄賂的錢財。
歷盡周折僥倖得到省察,鞭打刑罰卻緊隨其後。
況且時值冬春之交,老弱之人就要凍餓倒斃。
州府緊閉糧倉,縣吏鞭打催繳租稅。
鄉鄰被搜刮錙銖必較的賦稅,以致被捕,田地荒蕪。
官府收取毫釐之資,奸猾豪強已稱富裕。
那些昏聵者正怡然自得,自稱是百姓的父母官。
如今我來輔佐這荒僻的州郡,心中常懷敬畏與愧疚。
昔日心中所哀憫的,如今自己卻要承擔其罪責。
管理苑囿是聖人也勤勉從事的職務,何況我這樣鄙陋之人?
內心自省豈敢不勤,與同僚好友共同分擔這份憂思。
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.
體現了士大夫對基層治理困境的深切認知。
詩人追憶在野時對百姓疾苦的深切同情與關懷。
本詩為五言古詩,押平聲韻。
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