Watching the Wheat Harvest - Bai Juyi
/观刈麦 - 白居易/
田園辛勤與自省
田家少閒月，五月人倍忙。
In farming life, idle months are few; in the fifth month, the workload doubles.
夜來南風起，小麥覆隴黃。
By night, the southern wind arises; wheat across the ridges turns golden.
婦姑荷簣至，童稚攜壺漿。
Wife and mother arrive carrying baskets; children follow with jars of water.
相隨饁田去，丁壯在南岡。
Together they glean the fields; the able-bodied men work upon the southern ridge.
足蒸暑土氣，背灼炎天光。
Their feet steam from heated earth, their backs scorched by the blazing sun.
力盡不知熱，但惜夏日長。
Though weary, they hardly feel the heat; they only regret that summer days are short.
復有貧婦人，抱子在其旁。
There is also a poor woman, cradling her child at her side.
右手秉遺穗，左臂懸敝筐。
Her right hand grasps leftover ears of wheat; a worn basket hangs from her left arm.
聽其相顧言，聞者為悲傷。
Hearing their exchange saddens anyone who listens.
家田輸稅盡，拾此充餘糧。
All our land’s harvest goes to taxes; gleaning is all we have for extra grain.
今我何功德？曾不事農桑。
Now, what have I done to deserve my comfort? I’ve never toiled in fields or mulberry groves.
吏祿三百石，歲晏有餘糧。
Yet I draw an official salary of three hundred bushels; at year’s end, I still have stores to spare.
念此私自愧，盡日不能忘。
Reflecting on this, I feel personal shame; the thought lingers with me all day long.
《觀刈麥》透過農忙時期的田間景象，真切展現農戶面臨的艱辛，以及作者親眼所見的貧婦與幼子拾穗維生的無奈。詩中強烈對比了農人流汗辛勞與官吏俸祿無虞，亦呼應白居易以平易近人的語言批判社會現象的風格。最後幾句道出他心中的慚愧與反省，充分突顯出對底層百姓生活的同情與關懷，也呈現出對不公平現實的深刻自責。
重點
此詩一方面細膩刻劃田家勞苦，另一方面表達作者憂民之情，讀者可借此省思社會不公和自我責任。
