Shi Ji Zhuan :: :: University of Virginia Library

Those officers of the [old] capital ,
With their fox-furs so yellow ,
Their deportment unvaryingly [correct] ,
And their speech full of elegance !—
If we could go back to [the old] Zhou ,
They would be admiringly looked up by all the people .

Those officers of the [old] capital ,
With their hats of Tai leaves and small black caps ! —
Those ladies of noble Houses .
With their hair so thick and straight ! —
I do not see them [now] ,
And my heart is dissatisfied .

Those officers of the [old] capital ,
With their ear-plugs of xiu-stones !—
Those ladies of noble Houses ,
Each fit to be called a Yin or a Ji !—
I do not see them [now] ,
And my heart grieves with indissoluble sorrow .

Those officers of the [old] capital ,
With their girdles hanging elegantly down !—
Those ladies of great Houses ,
With their [side] hair curving up like a scorpion's tail !—
I do not see them [now] ,
[If I could] , I would walk along after them .

Not that they purposely let their girdles hang down ;—
The girdles were naturally long .
Not that they gave their hair that curve ;—
The hair had a natural curl .
I do not see them [now] ,
And how do I long for them !

226 . 采綠 CAI LU

終朝采綠、不盈一匊。
予髮曲局、薄言歸沐。

終朝采藍、不盈一擔。
五日為期、六日不儋。
我不見兮、我心不說。

彼都人士、充耳琇實。
彼君子女、謂之尹吉。
我不見兮、我心苑結。

彼都人士、垂帶而厲。
彼君子女、卷髮如蠆。
我不見兮、言從之邁。

匪伊垂之、帶則有餘。
匪伊卷之、髮則有旟。
我不見兮、云何盱矣。

All the morning I gather the king-grass ,
And do not collect enough to fill my hands .
My hair is in a wisp ;—
I will go home and wash it .

All the morning I gather the indigo plant ,
And do not collect enough to fill my apron .
Five days was the time agreed on ;—
It is the sixth , and I do not see him .

When he went a hunting ,
I put the bow in its case for him .
When he went to fish ,
I arranged his line for him .

What did he take in angling ?
Bream and tench ;—
Bream and tench ,
While people [looked on] to see .

227. 黍苗 SHU MIAO

芃芃黍苗、陰雨膏之。
悠悠南行、召伯勞之。

我任我輦、我車我牛。
我行既集、蓋云歸哉。

我徒我御、我師我旅。
我行既集、蓋云歸處。

肅肅謝功、召伯營之。
烈烈征師、召伯成之。

原隰既平、泉流既清。
召伯有成、王心則寧。

Tall and strong grows the young millet ,
Fattened by the genial rains .
Very long was our journey to the south ,
But the earl of Zhou encouraged and cheered us .

We carried our burdens ; we pushed along our barrows ;
We drove our waggons ; we led our oxen .
When our expedition was accomplished ,
We knew we should return .

We went along on foot ; we rode in our chariots ;—
Our whole host , and our battalions .
When our expedition was accomplished ,
We knew we should return home .

Severe was the work at Su ,
But the earl of Zhou built the city .
Majestic was the march of our host ;—
The earl of Zhou directed it .

The plains and low lands were regulated ;—
The springs and streams were cleared .
The earl of Zhou completed his work ,
And the heart of the king was at rest .

228. 隰桑 XI SANG

隰桑有阿、其葉有難。
既見君子、其樂如何。

隰桑有阿、其葉有沃。
既見君子、云何不樂。

隰桑有阿、其葉有幽。
既見君子、德音孔膠。

心乎愛矣、遐不謂矣。
中心藏之、何日忘之。

In the low , wet grounds , the mulberry trees are beautiful ,
And their leaves are luxuriant .
When I see the princely men ,
How great is the pleasure !

In the low , wet grounds , the mulberry trees are beautiful ,
And their leaves are glossy .
When I see the princely men ,
How can I be other than glad ?

In the low , wet grounds , the mulberry trees are beautiful ,
And their leaves are dark .
When I see the princely men ,
Their virtuous fame draws them close [to my heart] .

In my heart I love them ,
And why should I not say so ?
In the core of my heart I keep them ,
And never will forget them .

229. 白華 BAI HUA

白華菅兮、白茅束兮。
之子之遠、俾我獨兮。

英英白雲、露彼菅茅。
天步艱難、之子不猶。

滮池北流、浸彼稻田。
嘯歌傷懷、念彼碩人。

樵彼桑薪、卬烘于煁。
維彼碩人、實勞我心。

鼓鍾于宮、聲聞于外。
念子懆懆、視我邁邁。

有鶖在梁、有鶴在林。
維彼碩人、實勞我心。

鴛鴦在梁、戢其左翼。
之子無良、二三其德。

有扁斯石、履之卑兮。
之子之遠、俾我疧兮。

The fibres from the white flowered rush ,
Are bound with the white grass .
This man's sending me away ,
Makes me dwell solitary .

The light and brilliant clouds ,
Bedew the rush and the grass .
The way of Heaven is hard and difficult ;—
This man does nto confirm [to good principle] .

How the water from the pools flows away to north ,
Flooding the rice fields !
I whistle and sing with wounded heart ,
Thinking of that great man .

They gather firewood of branches of the mulberry trees ,
And I burn them [only] in a [small] furnace .
That great man ,
Does indeed toil and trouble my heart .

Their drums and bells are beaten in the palace ,
And their sound is heard without .
All-sorrowful I think of him ;—
He thinks of me without any regard .

The marabou is on the dam ;
The [common] crane is in the forest .
That great man ,
Does indeed toil and trouble my heart .

The Yellow ducks are on the dams ,
With their left wings gathered up .
That man is bad ,
Ever varying in his conduct .

How thin is that slab of stone !
He that stands on it is low .
That man's sending me away ,
Makes me full of affliction .

230. 綿蠻 MIAN MAN

綿蠻黃鳥、止于丘阿。
道之云遠、我勞如何。
飲之食之、教之誨之、命彼後車、謂之載之。

綿蠻黃鳥、止于丘隅。
豈敢憚行、畏不能趨。
飲之食之、教之誨之、命彼後車、謂之載之。

綿蠻黃鳥、止于丘側。
豈敢憚行、畏不能極。
飲之食之、教之誨之、命彼後車、謂之載之。

There is that little oriole ,
Resting on a bend of the mound .
The way is distant ,
And I am very much wearied .
Give me drink , give me food ;
Inform me , teach me ;
Order one of the attending carriages ,
And tell them to carry me .

There is that little oriole ,
Resting on a corner of the mound .
It is not that I dare to shrink from the journey ,
But I am afraid of not being able to go on .
Give me drink , give me food ;
Inform me , teach me ;
Order one of the attending carriages ,
And tell them to carry me .

There is that little oriole ,
Resting on the side of the mound .
It is not that I dare to shrink from the journey ,
But I am afraid of not getting to the end of it .
Give me drink , give me food ;
Inform me , teach me ;
Order one of the attending carriages ,
And tell them to carry me .

231. 瓠葉 HU YE

幡幡瓠葉、采之亨之。
君子有酒、酌言嘗之。

有兔斯首、炮之燔之。
君子有酒、酌言獻之。

有兔斯首、燔之炙之。
君子有酒、酌言酢之。

有兔斯首、燔之炮之。
君子有酒、酌言酬之。

Of the gourd leaves , waving about ,
Some are taken and boiled ;
[Then] the superior man , from his spirits ,
Pours out a cup , and tastes it .

There is but a single rabbit ,
Baked , or roasted .
[But] the superior man , from his spirits ,
Fills the cup and presents it [to his guests] .

There is but a single rabbit ,
Roasted , or broiled .
[But] from the spirits of the superior man ,
[His guests] fill the cup , and present it to him .

There is but a single rabbit ,
Roasted , or baked .
[But] from the spirits of the superior man ,
[His guests and he] fill the cup and pledge one another .

232. 漸漸之石 JIAN JIAN ZHI SHI

漸漸之石、維其高矣。
山川悠遠、維其勞矣。
武人東征、不遑朝矣。

漸漸之石、維其卒矣。
山川悠遠、曷其沒矣。
武人東征、不遑出矣。

有豕白蹢、烝涉波矣。
月離于畢、俾滂沱矣。
武人東征、不遑他矣。

Those frowning rocks ,—
How high they rise !
Over such a distance of hills and streams ,
How toilsome is the march !
The warrior , in charge of the expedition to the east ,
Has not a morning's leisure .

Those frowning rocks ,—
How they crown the heights !
Over such a distance of hills and streams ,
When shall we have completed our march ?
The warrior , in charge of the expedition to the east ,
Has no leisure [to think] how he wll withdraw .

There are swine , with their legs white ,
All wading through streams .
The moon also is in the Hyades ,
Which will bring still greater rain .
The warrior , in charge of the expedition to the east ,
Has no leisure [to think] of anything but this .

233. 苕之華 TIAO ZHI HUA

苕之華、芸其黃矣。
心之憂矣、維其傷矣。

苕之華、其葉青青。
知我如此、不如無生。

牂羊墳首、三星在罶。
人可以食、鮮可以飽。

The flowers of the bignonia ,
Are of a deep yellow .
My heart is sad ;
I feel its wound .

The flowers of the bignonia [are gone] ,
[There are only] its leaves all-green .
If I had known it would be thus with me ,
I had better not have been born .

The ewes have large heads ;
The Three stars are [seen] in the fish-trap .
If some men can get enough to eat ,
Few can get their fill .

234. 何草不黃 HE CAO BU HUANG

何草不黃、何日不行。
何人不將、經營四方。

何草不玄、何人不矜。
哀我征夫、獨為匪民。

匪兕匪虎、率彼曠野。
哀我征夫、朝夕不暇。

有芃者孤、率彼幽草。
有棧之車、行彼周道。

Every plant is yellow ;
Every day we march .
Every man is moving about ,
Doing service in some quarter of the kingdom .

Every plant is purple ;
Every man is torn from his wife .
Alas for us employed on these expeditions !
How are we alone dealt with as if we were not men ?

We are not rhinoceroses , we are not tigers ,
To be kept in these desolate wilds .
Alas for us employed on these expeditions !
Morning and night we have no leisure .

The long-tailed foxes ,
May keep among the dark grass .
And our box-carts ,
Keep moving along the great roads .