The wine and meat in Zhumen stink, and there are frozen bones on the road.

Pronunciation: zhū mén jiǔ ròu xiù, lù yǒu dòng sǐ gǔ.

Source: Du Fu of the Tang Dynasty, "Five Hundred Words from Beijing to Fengxian"

Author: Du Fu.

Only state officials are allowed to prevent fires, but ordinary people are not allowed to light lamps.

Pronunciation: zhǐ xǔ zhōu guān fàng huǒ, bù xǔ bǎi xìng diǎn dēng.

Source: Lu You's "Notes of Laoxue'an".

Author: Lu You.

There is no idle land everywhere, and farmers are still starving to death.

Pronunciation: sì hǎi wú xián tián ,nóng fū yóu è sǐ.

Source: Tang Dynasty poet Li Shen’s ancient poem "Compassion for the Farmers".

Author: Li Shen.

Those who are covered with silkworms are not silkworm farmers.

Pronunciation: biàn shēn luó qǐ zhě, bú shì yǎng cán rén.

Source: From "The Silkworm Woman" by Zhang Yu of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Author: Zhang Yu.

The earth in front of the door has been wiped out, and there is no tile on the house. The ten fingers are not stained with mud, and the scales live in the building.

Pronunciation: táo jìn mén qián tǔ, wū shàng wú piàn wǎ. shí zhǐ bú zhān ní, lín lín jū dà shà.

Source: "The Potter" by Mei Yaochen of the Song Dynasty.

Author: Mei Yaochen.