Song of an Old Jade-digger
- Poetry of Li He

《老夫采玉歌》

English Rendering

He digs up jade, he digs up jade in water green

To make a headdress for a lady or a queen.

When he's hungry and cold, the dragon would be sad;

Nor clear nor pure, the water of Blue Creek turns bad.

He eats hazelnuts when it rains in mountains deep;

With tears like the blood shed by the cuckoo, he'd weep.

The Blue Creek dislikes a digger when he appears;

He too dislikes it though dead for a thousand years.

By the mountainside the wind soughs and the rain falls;

A rope hangs around his waist over waterfalls.

How can he not think of his children in his hut cold,

When he sees the forget-me-not on the cliff old?

Song of an Old Jade-digger by Li He
Song of an Old Jade-digger by Li He

Original Text (中文原文)

采玉采玉须水碧,琢作步摇徒好色。

老夫饥寒龙为愁,蓝溪水气无清白。

夜雨冈头食蓁子,杜鹃口血老夫泪。

蓝溪之水厌生人,身死千年恨溪水。

斜山柏风雨如啸,泉脚挂绳青袅袅。

村寒白屋念娇婴,古台石磴悬肠草。

Analysis & Context

"Song of an Old Jade-digger" is a poem by Li He that portrays the hardships of laborers in the Blue Creek area, known for its jade mines. While the process of mining jade is fraught with danger, the workers' efforts are often in vain, as they face life-threatening risks. Through this poem, the poet expresses sympathy for the suffering of the common people and critiques the social injustices of the time.

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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