Imperial Pictures of Tilling and Weaving

Tilling Illustration 5: The Stone Roller

The old farmer labors at the harvest, his preparations thorough; from morning to night he guides the plow, refusing to rest. Now he hitches the black ox original: wujian, a strong black buffalo or ox to pull the stone roller liuzhou: a heavy cylindrical stone tool used to level the soil and break up remaining clods, ensuring the spring waters fill the leveled fields.
By the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1661–1722). This poem highlights the transition from the rough labor of plowing to the refinement of leveling the soil.

Like a wheel turning on a machine, the stone rolls along. Moving east and west, why such haste? In leveling the field, one dares not complain of toil. The spring ridges wind like ribbons, and the fertile soil is as rich as ointment original: gao, meaning fat or grease, used here to describe the nutrient-rich, dark mud of a healthy paddy. The creatures of the water provide a meal; tipping the wine jar, one enjoys the taste of crab claws.
By the Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1722–1735). Yongzheng’s verse often balances the hardship of work with the rustic rewards of the rural lifestyle, such as fresh seafood and wine.

Carrying the rain and guiding the plow, the task is completed in a single evening; laboring across the acres, who would dare ask for rest? Back and forth the stone roller turns like a weaver’s shuttle, as the rich soil is spread evenly across the old fields.
By the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735–1796). The "shuttle" metaphor emphasizes the rhythmic, repetitive movement of the roller across the landscape.