卖炭翁

卖炭翁，伐薪烧炭南山中，满面尘灰烟火色，两鬓苍苍十指黑。卖炭得钱何所营？身上衣裳口中食。可怜身上衣正单，心忧炭贱愿天寒。夜来城外一尺雪，晓驾炭车辗冰辙。牛困人饥日已高，市南门外泥中歇。翩翩两骑来是谁？黄衣使者白衫儿。手把文书口称敕，回车叱牛牵向北。一车炭，千余斤，宫使驱将惜不得。半匹红纱一丈绫，系向牛头充炭直。

The Old Charcoal¹ Seller

The old man who sells charcoal
Cuts wood and fires his wares² on the South Hill,
His face streaked³ with dust and ashes,grimed with smoke,
His temples grizzled, his ten fingers blackened.
The little money he makes is hardly enough
For clothing for his back, food for his belly;
But though his coat is thin he hopes for winter----
Cold weather will keep up the price of fuel.
At night a foot of snow falls outside the city,
At dawn his charcoal cart crushes ruts in the ice;
By the time the sun is high,
The ox is tired out and the old man hungry,
They rest in the slush outside the south gate of the market.
Then up canter two rider;
Who can they be?
Palace heralds⁴ in yellow jackets and white shirts;
They wave a decree, hout that these are imperial ordes;
Then turn the cart, hoot⁵ at the ox and drag it north.
A whole cartload of charcoal, more than a thousand catteis,
Yet they drive it off to the palace and he must accept
The strip of red gauze and the ten feet of silk
Which they fasten to the ox's horns as payment!