<Header>
<Author: 白居易>
<Title: 村居苦寒>
<Format: 五言古詩>
<Year: 2000>
<BookName: Po Chu-I Selected Poems>
<Translator: BURTON WATSON>
<TranslatedTitle: Living in the Village, Suffering from Cold>
<BookPage: 48>
<UsedPage: 1>
<Feature: 0>
<End Header>
<Poem>
八年十二月，
五日雪紛紛。
竹柏皆凍死，
況彼無衣民。
回觀村閭間，
十室八九貧。
北風利如劍，
布絮不蔽身。
唯燒蒿棘火，
愁坐夜待晨。
乃知大寒歲，
農者尤苦辛。
顧我當此日，
草堂深掩門。
褐裘覆絁被，
坐臥有餘溫。
幸免飢凍苦，
又無壟畝勤。
念彼深可媿，
自問是何人。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
Eighth year, twelfth month,
fifth day: thick-falling snow,
bamboo and cypress all felled by the cold-
what then of people with no clothes?
Look around the village-
of ten houses, eight or nine poor.
North wind sharp as a sword-
plain cloth and padding can't shield the body;
nothing to do but burn weeds and brambles,
sit huddled all night, waiting for dawn.
Now I know that years of bitter cold
bring suffering to farm folk most of all.
And I reflect how I myself passed these days,
snug in a thatched hall, gate shut,
in woolens and furs, under silk coverlets,
sitting, lying down, warmth overflowing;
happily spared the ache of hunger and cold,
what's more, no need to work the fields.
Thinking of those others, I'm filled with shame,
ask myself what kind of man I am.
<End Translation>