邊功未立生人怨,請問新豐折臂翁
新豐老翁八十八，頭鬢眉須皆似雪。
玄孫扶向店前行，左臂憑肩右臂折。
問翁臂折來幾年，兼問致折何因緣。
翁雲貫屬新豐縣，生逢聖代無征戰。
慣聽梨園歌管聲，不識旗槍與弓箭。
無何天寶大徵兵，戶有三丁點一丁。
點得驅將何處去，五月萬里雲南行。
聞道雲南有瀘水，椒花落時瘴煙起。
大軍徒涉水如湯，未過十人二三死。
村南村北哭聲哀，兒別爺孃夫別妻。
皆雲前後徵蠻者，千萬人行無一回。
是時翁年二十四，兵部牒中有名字。
夜深不敢使人知，偷將大石捶折臂。
張弓簸旗俱不堪，從茲始免徵雲南。
骨碎筋傷非不苦，且圖揀退歸鄉土。
此臂折來六十年，一肢雖廢一身全。
至今風雨陰寒夜，直到天明痛不眠。
痛不眠，終不悔，且喜老身今獨在。
不然當時瀘水頭，身死魂孤骨不收。
應作雲南望鄉鬼，萬人冢上哭呦呦。
老人言，君聽取。
君不聞開元宰相宋開府，不賞邊功防黷武。
又不聞天寶宰相楊國忠，欲求恩幸立邊功。
邊功未立生人怨，請問新豐折臂翁。
Arthur Waley阿瑟韋利的英文翻譯：
THE OLD MAN WITH THE BROKEN ARM
（A Satire on Militarism）
At Hsin-fēng an old man—four-score and eight；
The hair on his head and the hair of his eyebrows—white as the new snow。
新豐老翁八十八，頭鬢眉須皆似雪。
Leaning on the shoulders of his great-grandchildren， he walks in front of the Inn；
With his left arm he leans on their shoulders； his right arm is broken。
玄孫扶向店前行，左臂憑肩右臂折。
I asked the old man how many years had passed since he broke his arm；
I also asked the cause of the injury， how and why it happened？
問翁臂折來幾年，兼問致折何因緣。
The old man said he was born and reared in the District of Hsin-fēng；
At the time of his birth—a wise reign； no wars or discords。
翁雲貫屬新豐縣，生逢聖代無征戰。
“Often I listened in the Pear-Tree Garden to the sound of flute and song；
Naught I knew of banner and lance； nothing of arrow or bow。
慣聽梨園歌管聲，不識旗槍與弓箭。
Then came the wars of T’ien-pao［71］ and the great levy of men；
Of three men in each house，—one man was taken。
無何天寶大徵兵，戶有三丁點一丁。
And those to whom the lot fell， where were they taken to？
Five months’ journey， a thousand miles—away to Yün-nan。
點得驅將何處去，五月萬里雲南行。
We heard it said that in Yün-nan there flows the Lu River；
As the flowers fall from the pepper-trees， poisonous vapours rise。
聞道雲南有瀘水，椒花落時瘴煙起。
When the great army waded across， the water seethed like a cauldron；
When barely ten had entered the water， two or three were dead。
大軍徒涉水如湯，未過十人二三死。
To the north of my village， to the south of my village the sound of weeping and wailing。
Children parting from fathers and mothers； husbands parting from wives。
村南村北哭聲哀，兒別爺孃夫別妻。
Everyone says that in expeditions against the Min tribes
Of a million men who are sent out， not one returns。
皆雲前後徵蠻者，千萬人行無一回。
I， that am old， was then twenty-four；
My name and fore-name were written down in the rolls of the Board of War。
是時翁年二十四，兵部牒中有名字。
In the depth of the night not daring to let any one know
I secretly took a huge stone and dashed it against my arm。
夜深不敢使人知，偷將大石捶折臂。
For drawing the bow and waving the banner now wholly unfit；
I knew henceforward I should not be sent to fight in Yün-nan。
張弓簸旗俱不堪，從茲始免徵雲南。
Bones broken and sinews wounded could not fail to hurt；
I was ready enough to bear pain， if only I got back home。
骨碎筋傷非不苦，且圖揀退歸鄉土。
My arm—broken ever since； it was sixty years ago。
One limb， although destroyed，—whole body safe！
此臂折來六十年，一肢雖廢一身全。
But even now on winter nights when the wind and rain blow
From evening on till day’s dawn I cannot sleep for pain。
至今風雨陰寒夜，直到天明痛不眠。
Not sleeping for pain
Is a small thing to bear，
Compared with the joy of being alive when all the rest are dead。
痛不眠，終不悔，且喜老身今獨在。
For otherwise， years ago， at the ford of Lu River
My body would have died and my soul hovered by the bones that no one gathered。
不然當時瀘水頭，身死魂孤骨不收。
A ghost， I’d have wandered in Yün-nan， always looking for home。
Over the graves of ten thousand soldiers， mournfully hovering。”
應作雲南望鄉鬼，萬人冢上哭呦呦。
So the old man spoke。
And I bid you listen to his words
老人言，君聽取。
Have you not heard
That the Prime Minister of K’ai-yüan，［72］ Sung K’ai-fu，
Did not reward frontier exploits， lest a spirit of aggression should prevail？
君不聞開元宰相宋開府，不賞邊功防黷武。宋開府，宋璟。
And have you not heard
That the Prime Minister of T’ien-Pao， Yang Kuo-chung［73］
Desiring to win imperial favour， started a frontier war？
又不聞天寶宰相楊國忠，欲求恩幸立邊功。
But long before he could win the war， people had lost their temper；
Ask the man with the broken arm in the village of Hsin-fēng？
邊功未立生人怨，請問新豐折臂翁。
