In this poem Cao Zhi says that a good craftsman never throws away a single piece of timber.
Tips
culture
Its central lines are 大匠无弃材，船车用不均, 'a master builder wastes no timber: boats and carts each use it in their own way'. The poem argues that a ruler should find the right place for every kind of person.
usage
The 当 at the head of the title marks a poem written to stand in for an older song of that name, here a ballad called 'Wishing to Roam the Southern Hills'. 曹植 has several titles of this kind.
