“Two Poems to Ziyou from Prison” are two poems written by Su Shi in the Song Dynasty to his younger brother Su Zhe in prison to entrust him with his last wishes. They strongly express the poet’s deep attachment to his family. The first poem is written to his younger brother Su Zhe, especially revealing the deep brotherly love: living in a prosperous era, as a humble official, he foolishly committed suicide. Diing in middle age can be regarded as paying off the debt of his previous life in advance, but the family of more than ten people, young and old, will have to burden his younger brother to raise them from now on. Death is not worth mentioning, and the green mountains everywhere can bury the bones, but the oath that he made with his younger brother to sleep on the bed in the rain can no longer be realized. From then on, when the rain fell at night, Ziyou could only be sad alone. I hope to be brothers with Ziyou for generations to come, and put the unfinished karma into the next life! . Su Shi and his brother Su Zhe were not only listed as “Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song” in terms of writing, but also had a deep brotherly love in real life. Inspired by the poem “Who knows that on a stormy night, we will sleep on opposite beds again” by the Tang Dynasty poet Wei Yingwu, they agreed to retire one day, sleep on opposite beds, and share the joy of leisure. At this time, Su Shi expected to die soon, and could not help but sigh for his past wishes. At the same time, his hope of “being brothers with you for generations, and having unfinished business in the next life” was even more touching.
《狱中寄子由二首》是宋代苏轼在狱中写给弟弟苏辙嘱托后事的两首诗，强烈地表达诗人对家的深深眷恋之情。第一首通篇都是写给弟弟苏辙的，尤其吐露出浓浓的手足深情：身逢盛世，身为微臣的自己却愚蠢地自蹈死地。中年殒命，算是提前偿还了前生的孽债，但是一家老少十多口人，从此就要拖累弟弟来抚养了。一死何足道哉，到处的青山都可以埋葬骨骸，只是当年与弟弟相约夜雨对床的盟誓再也无法实现，此后夜雨潇潇的时刻，子由只能独自伤心了。但愿与子由世世代代都做兄弟，把未了的因缘付诸来生！。苏轼与弟弟苏辙不仅在文章创作方面同列“唐宋八大家”，现实中更是手足情深，他们有感于唐代诗人韦应物“宁知风雨夜，复此对床眠”的诗句，相约异日功成身退、对床而眠，共享闲居之乐。此时苏轼自料将死，不免感慨昔日愿望，与此同时，“与君世世为兄弟，更结来生未了因”的期望更是感人至深。
苏轼·《狱中寄子由》
圣主如天万物春，小臣愚暗自亡身。
百年未满先偿债，十口无归更累人。
是处青山可埋骨，他年夜雨独伤神。
与君今世为兄弟，又结来生未了因。
From Prison, to my Brother, Zi You
Su Shi
Noble Emperor Sheng-zong be praised! Everything is in Spring.
Political foolishness brought me down this road to doom.
I’m not old yet, and still ask you to pay my debts.
I trouble you with my ten mouths to feed, and no home.
My body you can bury any place the hills are green.
A year from now you’ll grieve alone on nights it rains.
Listen: in this life and the next we will be brothers.
Our love’s not finished, not in this world or any other.
