<Header>
<Author: 杜甫>
<Title: 兵車行>
<Format: 樂府詩>
<Year: 1985>
<BookName: SELECTED POEMS OF DU FU>
<Translator: Li Weijian>
<TranslatedTitle: Ballad of the Chariots>
<BookPage: 20-25>
<UsedPage: 6>
<Feature: 0>
<End Header>
<Poem>
車轔轔，
馬蕭蕭，
行人弓箭各在腰。
耶孃妻子走相送，
塵埃不見咸陽橋。
牽衣頓足闌道哭，
哭聲直上干雲霄。
道傍過者問行人，
行人但云點行頻。
或從十五北防河，
便至四十西營田。
去時里正與裹頭，
歸來頭白還戍邊。
邊亭流血成海水，
武皇開邊意未已。
君不聞漢家山東二百州，
千村萬落生荆杞。
縱有健婦把鋤犂，
禾生隴畝無東西。
況復秦兵耐苦戰，
被驅不異犬與雞。
長者雖有問，
役夫敢申恨。
且如今年冬，
未休關西卒。
縣官急索租，
租稅從何出？信知生男惡，
反是生女好。
生女猶是嫁比鄰，
生男埋沒隨百草。
君不見青海頭，
古來白骨無人收。
新鬼煩冤舊鬼哭，
天陰雨濕聲啾啾。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
Chariots rumbling, War-horses neighing,
Conscripted men, each with bow and quiver at the waist, are being marched off,
Parents, wives and children rushing out to see them depart,
Raising clouds of dust that shroud the Xianyang Bridge,
Clutching the men's clothes, stamping, barring the way, wailing,
Wailing fit to rend the skies.
In answer to a passer-by,
One of the men says: "No end to levies, ay!
At fifteen, garrison duty on the Huanghe,
At forty, reclamation of the western wilds.
Went away a mere boy-the village chief dressed my hair and bound my head,
Came back white-haired---still have to go to the frontier,
The frontier---already a sea of blood,
Yet the emperor's territorial greed is insatiable.
Have you not heard that in the two hundred prefectures east of Huashan,
Thousands of villages are overgrown with brambles?
What though the women are sturdy enough to till the soil?
The crops are planted every which way.
What's more, men around here make hardy warriors,
So they are driven to the front like: dogs and chickens.
Very kind of you, Sir, to ask about our situation,
But who am I to complain?
Take this winter for instance,
The men are still out west,
Whence the grain to pay the government?
What's the use of exerting pressure?
Now verily, it's no good having sons;
Better have daughters instead.
Daughters may be married to neighbours;
Sons are destined to rot under the sod.
Do you not see on the shores of Kokonor,
Bleached bones from ancient times lie scattered?
Out there, new ghosts whine and old ghosts weep
Moaning and groaning on gloomy rainy days!"
<End Translation>