Analysis of "杜陵叟" - Classical Chinese Poetry

Introduction

The poem "杜陵叟" (Dù Líng Sǒu) was written by the renowned Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi (白居易, 772–846), a master of realist poetry known for his social commentary. This poem reflects Bai Juyi's deep concern for the suffering of common people under oppressive taxation during a drought. Written during the middle Tang period, it exemplifies the "New Yuefu Movement" which used poetry to critique social injustice. "杜陵叟" holds significant literary value as both a historical record and a masterpiece of protest literature.

The Poem: Full Text and Translation

杜陵叟
Dù líng sǒu
The Old Man of Duling

杜陵叟，杜陵居，岁种薄田一顷余。
Dù líng sǒu, dù líng jū, suì zhòng bó tián yī qǐng yú.
The old man of Duling lives in Duling, farming poor land of just over one qing each year.

三月无雨旱风起，麦苗不秀多黄死。
Sān yuè wú yǔ hàn fēng qǐ, mài miáo bù xiù duō huáng sǐ.
In March when no rain came but dry winds rose, wheat sprouts failed to bloom and mostly died yellow.

九月降霜秋早寒，禾穗未熟皆青干。
Jiǔ yuè jiàng shuāng qiū zǎo hán, hé suì wèi shú jiē qīng gān.
In September frost fell, autumn came cold early, grain ears not yet ripe all dried green.

长吏明知不申破，急敛暴征求考课。
Zhǎng lì míng zhī bù shēn pò, jí liǎn bào zhēng qiú kǎo kè.
Officials well knew but wouldn't report the damage, urgently collected harsh taxes for their evaluations.

典桑卖地纳官租，明年衣食将何如？
Diǎn sāng mài dì nà guān zū, míng nián yī shí jiāng hé rú?
Pawn mulberry trees, sell land to pay government taxes - how will we get clothes and food next year?

剥我身上帛，夺我口中粟。
Bō wǒ shēn shàng bó, duó wǒ kǒu zhōng sù.
Strip the cloth from my body, snatch the grain from my mouth.

虐人害物即豺狼，何必钩爪锯牙食人肉？
Nüè rén hài wù jí chái láng, hé bì gōu zhǎo jù yá shí rén ròu?
Those who torment people and harm things are wolves - why must they have hooks for claws and saws for teeth to eat human flesh?

Line-by-Line Analysis

The opening establishes the protagonist - an elderly farmer struggling to cultivate poor land. The measurement "一顷余" (about 15 acres) suggests his small holding was barely sufficient even in good years.

The second couplet paints a devastating natural disaster: spring drought ("三月无雨") kills the wheat, while early autumn frost ("九月降霜") ruins the grain. The poet uses color imagery ("黄死", "青干") to emphasize the unnatural death of crops.

The following lines reveal the true tragedy - corrupt officials ("长吏") ignore the crop failure to meet tax quotas. The verbs "急敛暴征" (urgently collect, violently demand) portray government cruelty.

The rhetorical question "明年衣食将何如?" powerfully conveys the farmer's despair about survival after selling all assets. The personal pronouns shift to first-person in the penultimate couplet, making the suffering more immediate.

The final couplet contains Bai Juyi's scathing condemnation, comparing tax collectors to wolves ("豺狼"). The graphic imagery of claws and teeth biting human flesh underscores the brutality of systemic exploitation.

Themes and Symbolism

Social Injustice: The poem exposes how natural disasters become human tragedies due to corrupt systems. The farmer's suffering symbolizes widespread peasant oppression.

Nature's Indifference vs. Human Cruelty: While drought and frost cause initial damage, the greater harm comes from man-made systems. The "豺狼" (wolves) metaphor suggests officials are worse than natural disasters.

Cycle of Poverty: The "典桑卖地" (pawning trees, selling land) represents the desperate measures that trap peasants in perpetual destitution.

Cultural Context

Written during the Tang Dynasty's middle period (618-907 CE), this poem reflects Bai Juyi's commitment to the Confucian ideal of poetry as social commentary. As a government official himself, Bai used his position to advocate for policy reforms through works like this "新乐府" (New Yuefu) poem.

The reference to "考课" (official evaluations) critiques the Tang bureaucracy's incentive system that rewarded tax collection over peasant welfare. Duling (near modern Xi'an) was an actual farming region, grounding the poem in geographical reality.

Conclusion

"杜陵叟" remains profoundly relevant as a timeless protest against bureaucratic indifference to human suffering. Bai Juyi's masterful blend of vivid imagery, emotional directness, and moral outrage creates a powerful indictment of systemic injustice. While set in Tang China, the poem's themes resonate universally - a reminder that the true measure of any society lies in how it treats its most vulnerable members during times of crisis. The old man of Duling's voice echoes across centuries, challenging readers to confront exploitation in all its forms.