In Remote Tongzhou, My Reply to Bai Juyi’s Last Letter: Four Poems: No. 3
酬 乐 天 得 微 之 诗 知 通 州 事 因 成： 四 首
平 地 才 应 一 顷 馀
阁 栏 都 大 似 巢 居。
入 衙 官 吏 声 疑 鸟
下 峡 舟 船 腹 似 鱼。
市 井 无 钱 论 尺 丈
田 畴 付 火 罢 耘 锄。
此 中 愁 杀 须 甘 分
惟 惜 平 生 旧 著 书。
Chou Le Tian De Wei Zhi Shi Zhi Tong Zhou Shi Yin Cheng: Si Shou:
No. 3
Ping di cai yin yi qing yu
Ge lan dou da si chao ju.
Ru ya guan li sheng yi niao
Xia xia zhou chuan fu si yu.
Shi jing wu qian lun chi zhang
Tian chou fu huo ba yun chu.
Ci zhong chou sha xu gan fen
Wei xi ping sheng jiu zhu shu.
In Remote Tongzhou, My Reply to Bai Juyi’s Last Letter: Four Poems: No. 3
Here only one sixteen acre plot of level land, others must cling to the mountainsides
All of these cliffside dwellers have two-story houses, like perched bird nests.
My petty government official office next to these chattering bird sounds
Inside gorges, people reside in their water boats, living like fish.
Village markets are without money, they can only barter with what they have for food
Fields and farmlands after inadequate harvests, can only be cleared of weeds with hoes and fire.
Never been in a place so sad and full of bitterness
All my life, only value and cherish writing into my old books.