Part One

   Green waters and verdant hills abound in vain;   Seated, one travels eighty thousand li each day;
   Even Hua Tuo is powerless against these tiny pests!   Gazing from the heavens, I behold the Milky Way.
   Villages entwined with ivy—men defecate uncontrollably;   The Cowherd would inquire about the Plague God’s doings,
   In ten thousand homes, all is desolate, and ghosts take up their song.   Joy and sorrow alike are swept away on the passing tide.

   Part Two

   In springtime, willows stretch forth myriad branches;   The sky merges with the Five Ridges as silver hoes descend,
   Six hundred million people throughout China are all Shun and Yao.   The earth trembles as iron arms swing along the Three Rivers.
   Red petals, tossed by the heart, surge like waves;   I ask: where shall this Plague Lord flee?
   The green mountains, with intent, transform themselves into bridges.   Paper boats and bright candles blaze, lighting up the heavens.

 [Commentary]
  The author notes: Having read the June 30 issue of People’s Daily, which reported that Yujiang County had eradicated schistosomiasis, my thoughts ran wild and I could not sleep. As a gentle breeze stirred at dawn and the rising sun shone through the window, I gazed toward the southern skies and, filled with joy, took up my pen.

 [Notes]
  Yujiang County: Located in Jiangxi Province.
“Wang zi duo”: From Du Fu’s “The Conscript”: “Of ten households, how many still remain? Across a thousand mountains, they stand empty and vast.”
“Yi shi”: Same as “yi shi” (to defecate).
“Ghost sings”: From Li He’s “Autumn Comes”: “On autumn graves, ghosts chant poems in the style of the Bao family.”
“Jin Shun Yao”: From Mencius’ “Gaozi”: “All men may become Shun or Yao.”
“Red rain”: Peach-blossom rain. From Li He’s “Let Us Drink”: “Peach blossoms fall in disarray like red rain.”
“The Three Rivers”: The Yellow River, the Huai River, and the Luo River. Generally refers to rivers.