362 t He y uan, m i ng, anD q i ng Dy na s t i e s
ern capital Nanjing, materialized into the presence of Manchu forces at the gates
of southern cities and on the poets’ very doorsteps.
The famous dramatist Li Yu (1611–1680) lived through the worst years of the
Ming–Qing transition as a fugitive in the mountains of his native district, Lanxi,
and neighboring Jinhua in central-eastern Zhejiang.18 Several poems in his collec-
tion record his experience of disorder and dislocation during the two calamitous
years. Even when he was writing about a disaster of such “national” magnitude, Li
Yu the indefatigable individualist with a bent for the comic still employs his char-
acteristic tongue-in-cheek style in his narrative:C 1 7. 5
Recording Disorder in the Year Jiashen [1644] 甲申紀亂 (jiă shēn jì luàn)In the past I thought that Du Fu’s poetry 昔見杜甫詩 (xī jiàn dù fŭ shī)
2 Too frequently records chaos and separation. 多紀離亂事 (duō jì lí luàn shì)
His reflections mixed with intense grief 感懷雜悲淒 (găn huái zá bēi qī)
4 Spoil one’s deep and serene thoughts. 令人減幽思 (lìng rén jiăn yōu sī)
I said to myself that his words were excessive, 竊謂言者過 (qiè wèi yán zhĕ guò)
6 How could it possibly have been like this? 豈其遂如是 (qĭ qí suì rú shì)
Now facing soldiers and garrison troops, 及我遭兵戎 (jí wŏ zāo bīng róng)
8 Whose pillage and plunder reach the unimaginable, 搶攘盡奇致 (qiăng răng jìn qí zhì)
I feel Du’s poems are abridged— 猶覺杜詩略 (yóu jué dù shī luè)
10 They only touch on thirty or forty percent. 十不及三四 (shí bù jí sān sì)
On behalf of Remonstrance Officer Du, 請為杜拾遺 (qĭng wèi dù shí yí)
12 Let me supplement another twenty percent. 再補十之二 (zài bŭ shí zhī èr)
Though there’s poetry, one can’t bear to tell it all, 有詩不忍盡 (yŏu shī bù rĕn jìn)
14 I am afraid the subject is avoided by the humane.19 恐為仁者忌 (kŏng wéi rén zhĕ jì)
When I first heard the din of military drums, 初聞鼓鼙喧 (chū wén gŭ pí xuān)
16 I wondered if we should try to escape the calamity. 避難若嘗試 (bì nàn ruò cháng shì)
But for a whole day it only sounded occasionally, 盡日偶然爾 (jìn rì ŏu rán ĕr)
18 After a while it would calm down again. 須臾即平怡 (xū yú jí píng yí)
Who would have thought that Heaven hasn’t had enough, 豈知天未厭 (qĭ zhī tiān wèi yàn)
20 The beacon fires burn ever more intensely by the day. 烽火日已熾 (fēng huŏ rì yĭ chì)
When there are too many bandits, they ask for more soldiers, 賊多請益兵 (zéi duō qĭng yì bīng)
22 When the soldiers are increased, there is more violence. 兵多適增厲 (bīng duō shì zēng lì)
When the soldiers leave, the bandits return, 兵去賊復來 (bīng qù zéi fù lái)
24 When the bandits come, the soldiers don’t show up. 賊來兵不至 (zéi lái bīng bú zhì)
The soldiers search for what the bandits left behind, 兵括賊所遺 (bīng guā zéi suŏ yí)
26 The bandits enjoy the soldiers’ profits. 賊享兵之利 (zéi xiăng bīng zhī lì)
If one holds back and does not give, 如其吝不與 (rú qí lìn bù yŭ)
28 Livers and brains will all be smeared on the ground. 肝腦悉塗地 (gān năo xī tú dì)
In great confusion everyone abandons home to flee, 紛紛棄家逃 (fēn fēn qì jiā táo)
30 Hoping only to have few burdens. 只期少所累 (zhĭ qī shăo suŏ lèi)
While Bodao is glad he has no son, 伯道慶無兒 (bó dào qìng wú ér)