Tilling Illustration 17

Threshing the Ears

In the southern fields, autumn arrives, celebrating the completion of abundance. original: fucheng, a term meaning a successful harvest that brings wealth and plenty.
The old farmer’s anxious heart is not yet at ease.
In the frosty morning, he wakes and calls to his neighbors;
Everywhere, through every village, the sound of threshing rice is heard.

The diligent farmer rejoices in a successful year,
Drying the rice, glad for the clear winter weather.
The rhythmic sound falls as the flails (lianjia): a traditional tool consisting of a wooden staff with a swinging stick attached to the end, used to beat grain from their husks move quickly,
And dust floats thick in the heavy evening glow.
Stealing rats still fear the stickiness of the glutinous rice,
While chickens peck at the fallen grains with leisurely ease.
Fortunately, we live in a prosperous and flourishing age;
Like the legendary people of Emperor Yao, every household is blessed. Emperor Yao is a mythical sage-king in Chinese history; "Yao's people" refers to a population living in a peaceful, perfectly governed golden age.

The threshing floor is flat and firm, paved with lime and ash until it is smooth as a whetstone. original: huizhou, a technique of using mortar or ash to create a hard-packed surface for agricultural work.
The stacking of the grain is of the greatest concern; diligently,
Wives and children strive to hold the ears of rice.
How wonderful it is to hear the rhythmic "pat-pat" sound from a thousand homes!

Threshing the Ears After the long, clear frosty days, In early winter, the mountain mists rise. One sees only the strength of the neighbors; The women and young children work with vigor. The striking and pecking of the flails ring out; Amidst the bird calls, one hears the chirping of chickens. The fine grain is piled up high like an island; At night, one can rest without worry upon the straw. [Seal: Imperial Brushwork of Qianlong]

This illustration depicts the labor-intensive process of threshing. Unlike modern machinery, this required rhythmic, coordinated strikes with flails to shake the grain loose. The presence of women and children in the poem emphasizes that harvest was a "total" community effort, requiring every hand available to ensure the grain was processed before the weather changed.