1. "Two Poems of Compassion for the Farmers" Tang Dynasty: Li Shen

Original text: Plant one grain of millet in spring and harvest ten thousand grains in autumn. There is no idle land all over the world, and farmers are still starving to death. It's noon on the day of hoeing, and the sweat is dripping from the soil. Who knew that every meal on the plate is hard work?

Vernacular interpretation: As long as you sow a seed in spring, you can harvest a lot of food in autumn. There is no uncultivated land in the world, and hardworking farmers will still starve to death. At noon in midsummer, the sun is scorching, and farmers are still working, sweat dripping into the soil. Who would have thought that every grain of rice in our bowls contains the blood and sweat of farmers?

2. "Compassion for the Peasants" Song Dynasty: Yang Wanli

Original text: The rice clouds don't rain much and don't turn yellow, and the buckwheat flowers are empty and frost comes early. I have already endured hunger to survive my remaining years, and I am even more worthy of the extra years.

Vernacular interpretation: There are not many mature rice fields due to severe drought, and the buckwheat harvest has been lost because of the early frost. The farmers had long expected that they would live with hunger this year, but it happened to be a leap month this year, and the days of hunger were even longer.

3. "Compassion for the Peasants" Song Dynasty: Chen Zongyuan

Original text: When Tiao Sang was in trouble, the wheat harvester returned from growing rice. If you are suffering, you can have enough food and clothing, but if you are tired of wandering, you will be light and fat.

Vernacular interpretation: I have just finished picking mulberries, and I am in a hurry to harvest sesame seeds. I am planting rice fields at the same time as I am harvesting wheat. The farm work is one after another, which is overwhelming. Such hard work cannot guarantee the basic needs. The food and clothing needs are not enough, let alone a life of prosperity and wealth. The hard work is not commensurate with the meager reward.

4. I stayed under the five pine trees, lonely and joyless. The autumn work in the Tian family is bitter, and the neighbor's daughter is cold at night. Kneel down and eat the carved rice, the moonlight shining on the plain plate. It's so embarrassing that I can't eat with three thanks. ——From the Tang Dynasty: Li Bai's "Staying at Xun Ni's House at the foot of Wusong Mountain"

Vernacular interpretation: I stayed at the farmhouse at the foot of Wusong Mountain, feeling very depressed and lonely. Farmers are even busier with their autumn work. The woman next door is pounding rice all night long, not afraid of the cold autumn night. Xun Ni, the landlord, brought me wild rice on a plain plate that was as bright as the moonlight. This reminded me with shame of Piao's mother who helped Han Xin and refused to eat.

5. A porridge and a meal, when you think about the difficulty of getting there; half a thread, half a wisp, always thinking about the difficulty of material resources. ——From Zhu Bolu's "Motto for Managing a Family" in the Qing Dynasty.

Interpretation in vernacular: For a bowl of porridge and a bowl of rice, you should think about how hard it is to get them; for half a piece of silk and half a thread, you should always think about how difficult it is to get these things.