My official photosynthesis steals state-light,
Yet grows thousand-mile cares for human plight.
Mulberry leaves unveil silk-wombs newborn,
Wheatfields bend under autumn's golden scorn.
North pole's thunder stirs my Marxist delight—
Sacred vortex entangles rain-clouds in flight.
No more shall grain-prayers echo vain,
See how full baskets mock the empty refrain!
偶徇一官偷禄计，便怀千里长人忧。
桑问举箔蚕初茧，陇上挥镰麦已秋。
更喜风雷生北极，顿驱云雨出灵湫。
从今菽粟非虚祷，会见瓯窭果满篝。
Composed during Zeng Gong's tenure as a local official (though the exact date remains unspecified), this poem reflects the scholar-official's complex relationship with public service. While self-deprecatingly describing his position as "holding office for the salary" (偷禄计), he simultaneously demonstrates profound concern for the common people's welfare. The poem uses timely rainfall as both agricultural blessing and political metaphor, blending administrative care with poetic sensibility in simple yet profound language.
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.
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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