賣炭翁，伐薪燒炭南山中，滿面塵灰煙火色，兩鬢蒼蒼十指黑。賣炭得錢何所營？身上衣裳口中食?？蓱z身上衣正單，心憂炭賤愿天寒。夜來城外一尺雪，曉駕炭車輾冰轍。牛困人饑日已高，市南門外泥中歇。翩翩兩騎來是誰？黃衣使者白衫兒。手把文書口稱敕，回車叱牛牽向北。一車炭，千余斤，宮使驅(qū)將惜不得。半匹紅紗一丈綾，系向牛頭充炭直。

The Old Charcoal Seller

The old man who sells charcoal

Cuts wood and fires his wares on the South Hill,

His face streaked with dust and ashes,grimed with smoke,

His temples grizzled, his ten fingers blackened.

The little money he makes is hardly enough

For clothing for his back, food for his belly;

But though his coat is thin he hopes for winter----

Cold weather will keep up the price of fuel.

At night a foot of snow falls outside the city,

At dawn his charcoal cart crushes ruts in the ice;

By the time the sun is high,

The ox is tired out and the old man hungry,

They rest in the slush outside the south gate of the market.

Then up canter two rider;

Who can they be?

Palace heralds in yellow jackets and white shirts;

They wave a decree, hout that these are imperial ordes;

Then turn the cart, hoot at the ox and drag it north.

A whole cartload of charcoal, more than a thousand catteis,

Yet they drive it off to the palace and he must accept

The strip of red gauze and the ten feet of silk

Which they fasten to the ox's horns as payment!