The Charcoal Seller - Bai Juyi
/卖炭翁 - 白居易/
貧寒炭路的沉痛心聲
賣炭翁
The old man who sells charcoal,
伐薪燒炭南山中
He cuts wood and burns charcoal in the southern mountains.
滿面塵灰煙火色
His face is covered in dust and the color of smoke,
兩鬢蒼蒼十指黑
His sideburns are grey, his ten fingers black.
賣炭得錢何所營
What does he do with the money from selling charcoal?
身上衣裳口中食
He buys clothes for his body and food for his mouth.
可憐身上衣正單
Alas, his clothes are thin indeed,
心憂炭賤願天寒
He frets the charcoal sells cheaply, wishing for colder weather.
夜來城外一尺雪
Last night, a foot of snow fell outside the city,
曉駕炭車輾冰轍
At dawn, he drives his charcoal cart over the frozen ruts.
牛困人飢日已高
Both ox and man are weary and hungry, though the sun stands high,
市南門外泥中歇
They stop to rest in the mud outside the southern market gate.
翩翩兩騎來是誰
Who are these two riders approaching so briskly?
黃衣使者白衫兒
One in yellow robes, another in white garments—imperial messengers.
手把文書口稱敕
They hold official papers, proclaiming an imperial edict,
迴車叱牛牽向北
Turning the cart around, they scold the ox and haul it north.
一車炭，千餘斤
A cartful of charcoal, over a thousand pounds,
宮使驅將惜不得
The palace official drives it away, showing no pity.
半匹紅紗一丈綢
Half a bolt of red gauze and ten feet of silk,
系向牛頭充炭值
Tied to the ox’s head, serving as payment for the charcoal.
《賣炭翁》透過一位老翁在深山燒炭、趕車入城的情境，生動顯示底層人民的辛勞與困苦。詩中的老翁雖忍受勞累與寒冷，卻只能盼望天氣越冷，炭價方能稍高。最終，他的辛苦成果被朝廷使者強行奪走，只獲得象徵式的絲綢作為代價，突顯朝廷權勢與百姓無奈的落差，也映照社會不公。白居易以簡潔直白的語言與深沉的感情，為在現實壓迫下無處伸冤的民眾代言，展現了他特有的憂民情懷與批判精神。
重點
詩人從日常苦況勾勒出底層百姓的真實處境，同時對權貴壓榨與社會不公發出尖銳抗議，呼籲人們關注民生疾苦。