Sleek Horse and Light Furs
- Poetry of Bai Juyi

《轻肥》

English Rendering

The road is overwhelmed with their pride,

Saddled steeds brighten the roadside.

How proud these officers appear

For they are eunuchs without fear!

They wear official tassels red

And violet ribbon round the head.

To feast in the army they're proud,

Their horses run as light as cloud.

They drink and eat, wine cup in hand,

Delicious food from sea and land.

The oranges come from the lakeside;

The fish from Heaven's Pool well fried.

Full fed, they set their heart at ease;

Drunken, they would do as they please.

This year in the south the drought rages;

Men eat human flesh like savages.

Sleek Horse and Light Furs by Bai Juyi
Sleek Horse and Light Furs by Bai Juyi

Original Text (中文原文)

意气骄满路,鞍马光照尘。

借问何为者,人称是内臣。

朱绂皆大夫,紫绶或将军。

夸赴军中宴,走马去如云。

樽罍溢九酝,水陆罗八珍。

果擘洞庭橘,脍切天池鳞。

食饱心自若,酒酣气益振。

是岁江南旱,衢州人食人。

Analysis & Context

During the mid-Tang period, eunuchs wielded immense power, controlling state affairs and even manipulating imperial succession. As a Left Remonstrator, Bai Juyi was highly politically aware. This poem, composed in 809 during the fourth year of Emperor Xianzong’s Yuanhe reign, critiques the extravagant lifestyle of eunuchs and the resulting social injustices. The title, "Light and Excess," originates from The Analects, symbolizing the poet's satirical condemnation of their opulent indulgence.

Reader's Companion

The Essence of the Verse

Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.

Reading Between the Lines

Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.

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