Abuse of authority in officialdom

The father’s heart grows heavy as he watches children playing a mock trial, imitating the interrogation of criminals by magistrates. Though he lets out a faint smile, perhaps charmed by their innocence, it is not mere amusement. He cannot help but scoff at their absurd play. A poet, observing the scene, unexpectedly takes the children’s side. How could the father not recognize that they are merely mirroring his own world? To the children, it is only a game, but to those on the other side of the courtroom, it is a matter of life and death. The two may appear similar, but the consequences are worlds apart. At last, the poet delivers a biting line, saying, “The children are wiser.”

Although the poet compares the two “games” with a tone of quiet detachment, his message is sharp and consistent, pointing to the abuses of power in government offices. His equation of children’s play with official interrogations is a biting piece of satire. The narrative may be dry and restrained, but that only sharpens the clarity of its message. This poem exemplifies a key feature of Song poetry, which placed reason above sentiment, unlike earlier eras that leaned more on emotional appeal.

When the children lash out with pretend whips and play magistrate,

The father pities their folly, chuckling at their side.

Then seated in the magistrate’s place, the father too lashes and scolds,

But is he truly any wiser than the children?

The children’s whips are only a game,

But the father’s wrath spills blood across the earth.

They are both plays, so who came before whom?

With a smile, I turned to the father and said,

The children are the wiser.

—“Moved by the Moment” by Zhang Lei (1054–1114)