Bai Juyi: Set Free Some Migrating Wild Geese

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Set Free Some Migrating Wild Geese

放 旅 雁
九 江 十 年 冬 大 雪
江 水 生 冰 树 枝 折。
百 鸟 无 食 东 西 飞
中 有 旅 雁 声 最 饥。
雪 中 啄 草 冰 上 宿
翅 冷 腾 空 飞 动 迟。
江 童 持 网 捕 将 去
手 携 入 市 生 卖 之。
我 本 北 人 今 遗 谪
人 鸟 虽 殊 同 是 客。
见 此 客 鸟 伤 客 人
赎 汝 放 汝 飞 入 云。
雁 雁 汝 飞 向 何 处
第 一 莫 飞 西 北 去。
淮 西 有 贼 讨 未 平
百 万 甲 兵 久 屯 聚。
官 军 贼 军 相 守 老
食 尽 兵 穷 将 乃 汝。
健 儿 饥 饿 射 汝 吃
拔 汝 翅 翎 为 箭 羽。
Fang Lu Yan

Jiu jiang shi nian dong da xue
Jiang shui sheng bing shu zhi she.
Bai niao wu shi dong xi fei
Zhong you lu yan sheng zui ji.

Xue zhong zhuo cao bing shang su
Chi leng teng kong fei dong chi.
Jiang tong chi wang bu jiang qu
Shou xie ru shi sheng mai zhi.

Wo ben bei ren jin yi zhe
Ren niao sui shu tong shi ke.
Jian ci ke niao shang ke ren
Shu ru fang ru fei ru yun.

Yan yan ru fei xiang he chu
Di yi mo fei xi bei qu.
Huai xi you zei tao wei ping
Bai wan jia bing jiu tun ju.

Guan jun zei jun xiang shou lao
Shi jin bing qigong jiang nai ru.
Jian er ji e she ru chi
Ba ru chi ling wei jian yu.

 

Set Free Some Migrating Wild Geese

Jiujiang area of middle China with heavy winter snow storms
River waters surge, icy tree twigs snap.
Hundreds of birds without food from west to east
In the middle of their migration, geese sounds of their hunger.

They stay overnight upon the ice, pecking for grasses in the snow
Wings so cold, they could not even slowly gain any altitude.
Jiujiang children lay out their nets to catch them
After netting them, go out and carry them to sell in the market.

I am a native northern person, now exiled to this place
Birds and people like me are all just visitors.
Seeing these wounded birds create feelings of sympathy
I will pay their ransom, so they can fly up into the clouds.

Ask the few wild geese where they want to fly to
First of all I tell them do not head out for the northeast.
Do not go west within the areas that have yet to be pacified
Millions have armor and weapons gathered there.

Government armies and the militias just look at each other
More weapons will bring on more poverty and less food.
Even the robust and strong youth are starving and will shoot you for food
And will pull out your feathers to make more arrows.

 

Notes:

Jiujiang: City on the southern shore of the Changjiang (Yangzi River) in the province of Jiangxi.

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