Maybe it is just because you don’t know the background of this poem. In those days, warlords had great effect on the area they controlled. And they usually tyrannized over the local people, as the words expressed in the poem.

Quote:
…
It was the soldiers of our country
That drove your third aunt to kill herself,
Drove Ah-Xin to do the same,
Drove your wife to her death,
Shot Gao Sheng dead!
…
Who it was cut your finger off,
Who it was beat your old man to a pulp like this!
Who it was burned this village –
– The fire’ll reach here any minute;
…

Hu tried to express his indignation against brutal warlords by words from a dying old man to his son in the poem. “Nothing could be as bad as – this!” means nothing could be as bad as ruled by those brutal warlords.

Thanks!

Though an indifferent poet himself, he was a great admirer of Tao Yuanming (coincidentally also one of my favourite poets.)

Please send before you go if you have time.
Don’t want to miss you

Regards.

That’s a tough poem, by the way