The Charcoal-Seller
Po Chü-i is famous for the simplicity of his language and his sympathy with the oppressed, as in this poem depicting the sufferings of a charcoal-vendor exploited by arrogant aristocrats.
An old charcoal seller
Cutting wood and burning charcoal in the forest of the Southern Mountain.
His face, stained with dust and ashes, has turned to the color of smoke.
The hair on his temples is streaked with gray: his ten fingers are black.
The money he gets by selling charcoal, how far does it go?
It is just enough to clothe his limbs and put food in his mouth.
Although, alas, the coat on his back is a coat without lining,
He hopes for the coming of cold weather, to send up the price of coal!
Last night, outside the city,--a whole foot of snow;
At dawn he drives the charcoal wagon along the frozen ruts.
Oxen,--weary; man,--hungry: the sun, already high;
Outside the Gate, to the south of the Market, at last they stop in the mud.
Suddenly, a pair of prancing horsemen. Who can it be coming?
A public official in a yellow coat and a boy in a white shirt.
In their hands they hold a written warrant: on their tongues--the words of an order;
They turn back the wagon and curse the oxen, leading them off to the north.
A whole wagon of charcoal,
More than a thousand pieces!
If officials choose to take it away, the woodman may not complain.
Half a piece of red silk and a single yard of damask,
The Courtiers have tied to the oxen's collar, as the price of a wagon of coal!
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Poetry: The elderly charcoal seller
Wen Sige
11/15/2005
The Elderly Charcoal Seller
By Bai Juyi
Cutting wood and burning charcoal in the forests of the Southern Mountain.
His face, stained with dust and ashes, has turned to the color of smoke.
The hair on his temples is streaked with gray: his ten fingers are black.
The money he gets by selling charcoal, how far does it go?
It is just enough to clothe his limbs and put food in his mouth.
Although, alas, the coat on his back is a coat without lining,
He hopes for the coming of cold weather, to send up the price of charcoal!
Last night, outside the city, a whole foot of snow;
At dawn he drives the charcoal wagon along the frozen ruts.
Ox was weary; man was hungry; the sun was already high;
Outside the Gate, to the south of the Market, at last they stop in the mud.
Suddenly, a pair of prancing horsemen. Who can be coming?
A public official in a yellow coat and a boy in a white shirt.
In their hands they hold a written warrant: on their tongues, the words of an order;
They turn back the wagon and curse the ox, leading them off to the north.
A whole wagon of charcoal,
More than a thousand catties!
If officials choose to take it away, the charcoal seller may not complain.
Half a piece of red silk and a single yard of damask,
The Courtiers have passed over the ox’s head, as the price of a wagon of charcoal!
About Bai Juyi
Bai Juyi, also known as Bai Letian, was a renowned poet during the Tang Dynasty. He lived from 772 to 846 AD. The less educated people at that time could easily understand the language used in his poems, with their explicit themes. The poems flowed so smoothly and his poetic style was so unique that it became a literary form commonly known as Fundamentally Plain Form.
Bai Juyi excelled in different forms of poetry, especially narrative and lengthy poems. Among his best works are: “Song of Eternal Sorrow”, which is a long poem describing the rise and downfall of the famed beauty Royal Concubine Yang Yuhuan and “Song of the Pipa Player” about a pear-shaped Chinese lute. Throughout the ages, poetry critics have eulogized “Song of Eternal Sorrow” as an extremely beautiful poem.
An Explanation of the Words
During the mid-Tang Dynasty, eunuchs s
Association for Asia Research- Poetry: The elderly charcoal seller
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