Bailiffs from
Xinan county

新安吏

When I went
through Xinan county, I came across the noisy conscription there.

客行新安道，喧呼聞點兵。

I asked the bailiffs,
“Are there any men of draft age in such a small county？”

借問新安吏：“縣小更無丁？”“According to the
conscription document issued last night, the men aged 18 can be enlisted in the
army.”

“府帖昨夜下，次選中男行。”“How can these young teens be dispatched to guard the East Capital？”

“中男絕短小，何以守王城？”The stronger lads
could be seen off by their mothers, but the weaker ones were all alone.

肥男有母送，瘦男獨伶俜。The white water of
the river flowed east in the dusk. The weeping of the separated people still reverberated
through the blue mountains.

白水暮東流，青山猶哭聲。“Don’t cry your eyes
out. Please choke down your tears.

“莫自使眼枯，收汝淚縦横。The exhaustion of tears
will do you great harm. We must face the harsh reality, anyhow.

眼枯即見骨，天地終無情！It had been
thought that our troops could quickly wipe out the rebels at Xiangzhou.

我軍取相州，日夕望其平。Owing to our
misjudgment of the strength of the enemy, our troops were defeated one battalion
after another.

豈意賊難料，歸軍星散營。The recruits are
provisioned near the place where the troops had been stationed before and drill
on the outskirts of East Capital.

就粮近故垒，練卒依舊京。They are to be
assigned to light work such as digging trenches without reaching the
groundwater and herding horses.

掘壕不到水，牧馬役亦輕。Moreover, the
government troops are fighting for justice. The officers’ concern for the soldiers is very true.

况乃王師顺，撫养甚分明。You needn’t weep in grief at parting for the general
will show fatherly and brotherly love to your sons. ”

送行勿泣血，僕射如父兄。”