任土貢，寧若斯。
不聞使人生別離，老翁哭孫母哭兒。
Described as “an offering of natural products from the land of Tao-chou.” A strange “offering of natural products”; I never heard of one yet That parted men from those they loved, never to meet again! Old men--weeping for their grandsons; mothers for their children!
一自陽城來守郡，不進矮奴頻詔問。
城云臣按六典書，任土貢有不貢無。
One day--Yang Ch’ēng came to govern the land; He refused to send up dwarf slaves in spite of incessant mandates. He replied to the Emperor “Your servant finds in the Six Canonical Books ‘In offering products, one must offer what is there, and not what isn’t there’
道州水土所生者，只有矮民無矮奴。
吾君感悟璽書下，歲貢矮奴宜悉罷。
On the waters and lands of Tao-chou, among all the things that live I only find dwarfish _people_; no dwarfish _slaves_.” The Emperor’s heart was deeply moved and he sealed and sent a scroll “The yearly tribute of dwarfish slaves is henceforth annulled.” The people of Tao-chou,
道州民，老者幼者何欣欣。
父兄子弟始相保，從此得作良人身。
Old ones and young ones, how great their joy! Father with son and brother with brother henceforward kept together; From that day for ever more they lived as free men. The people of Tao-chou Still enjoy this gift.
道州民，民到于今受其賜，欲說使君先下淚。
仍恐兒孫忘使君，生男多以陽爲字。
And even now when they speak of the Governor Tears start to their eyes. And lest their children and their children’s children should forget the Governor’s name, When boys are born the syllable “Yang” is often used in their forename.