Gu Yao Yan 古謡諺 :: :: University of Virginia Library

A carpenter can only see the use of wood when there are trees in the mountain. A host can only select appropriate etiquette only when the guests have good manners.

虞叔引周諺

春秋左氏桓七年傳

匹夫無罪。懷璧其罪。

The man himself does not have any faults. He has faults only because he has a piece of jade which is not apparent to untrained eyes.

士蒍引諺

春秋左氏閔元年傳

心苟無瑕。何恤乎無家。

If one does not have any flaws inside his heart, why does he worry about not having a home?

士蒍賦

春秋左氏僖五年傳

狐裘尨茸。一國三公。吾誰適從。

The fox fur looks mangy. When there are three leaders to look up to, who exactly should I follow?

宮之奇引諺

春秋左氏僖五年傳

輔車相依。唇亡齒寒。

The cheek and the gum depend on each other. When one loses one's lips, one's exposed teeth will feel the coldness.

卜偃引童謠

春秋左氏僖五年傳

丙之辰。龍尾伏辰。均服振振。
取虢之旂。鶉之賁賁。天策焞焞。火中成車。虢公其奔。

A folk song describing how one kingdom's military became victorious with the light of torches. The king of Guo was forced to flee after his country was defeated.

孔叔引諺

春秋左氏僖五年傳

心則不競。何憚於病。

When one's heart is not strong, why is one not afraid of insults?

晉與人誦

春秋左氏僖二十八年傳

原田每每。

The field is green, it is time to take out old roots and plant new seeds.

樂豫引諺

春秋左氏文七年傳

庇焉而縱尋斧焉。

The leaves and branches are good as awnings, why allow them to be pruned with axes? This slang refers to how the aristocrats should not be eliminated as they are like branches of trees.

宋城者謳

春秋左氏宣二年傳

睅其目。皤其腹。棄甲而復。于思于思。棄甲復來。

Having their eyes wide open and their bellies protruding, abandoning their armored suits, these people with beards are returning home after abandoning their armored suits.

華元驂乘答謳

春秋左氏宣二年傳

牛則有皮。犀兕尚多。棄甲則那。

When there are cows, there is leather. There are plenty of cows around. What is the problem with abandoning armored suits?

役人又謳

春秋左氏宣二年傳

從其有皮。丹漆若何。

You may have plenty of leather, yet you do not have red paint to paint them with.

子文引諺

春秋左氏宣四年傳

狼子野心。

That baby is like a wolf pup with a beastly mind.

伯宗引諺

春秋左氏宣十五年傳

高下在心。川澤納汙。山藪藏疾。瑾瑜匿瑕。國君含垢。

If one has a flexible attitude, one knows how to deal with changing situations, just as rivers and streams can take in filthy water, and a king taking a little insult.

羊舌職引諺

春秋左氏宣十六年傳

民之多幸。國之不幸也。

When the citizens are taking chances, it is a misfortune for the country.

聲伯夢歌

春秋左氏成十七年傳

濟洹之水。贈我以瓊瑰。歸乎歸乎。瓊瑰盈吾懷乎。

When Sheng Buo Meng was crossing the Heng River, he gave me some jade and pearls. When I was going home, I filled my chest with all these gifts.

魯國人誦

春秋左氏襄四年傳

臧之狐裘。敗我於狐駘。我君小子。朱儒是使。朱儒朱儒。
使我敗於邾。

Zang was wearing fur when we were defeated at Hu Tai. Our king was a child and he sent a midget to be our general. It was that very midget Zang who caused our defeat by Zhu.

宋築者謳

春秋左氏襄十七年傳

澤門之皙。實興我役。邑中之黔。實慰我心。

Those fair-skinned people living in the Ze Men district ordered us to contribute our labor. Only the dark-skinned people living in downtown were able to soothe our hearts.

鄭與人誦

春秋左氏襄三十年傳

取我衣冠而褚之。取我田疇而伍之。孰殺子產。吾其與之。

Zi Chan confiscated my clothes and put them away, took away my fields and measured them. Whoever is assassinating him, I will come to the assistance.

鄭輿人又誦

春秋左氏襄三十年傳

我有子弟。子產誨之。我有田疇。子產殖之。子產而死。
誰其嗣之。

When I have children, Zi Chan educates them. When I have fields, Zi Chan cultivates them. When Zi Chan goes, who can succeed him?

劉定公引諺

春秋左氏昭元年傳

老將至而耄及之。

When one approaches old age, one's mind becomes confused.

晏子引諺

春秋左氏昭三年傳

非宅是卜。唯鄰是卜。

One should judge a house not only on its own merit, on its neighbors as well.

子產引諺

春秋左氏昭七年傳

蕞爾國。而三世執其政柄。

It is a very small country, but its ruler has been able to maintain its sovereignty for three generations.

晉侯投壺詞

春秋左氏昭十二年傳

有酒如淮。有肉如坻。寡君中此。為諸侯師。

There is as much alcohol as water in the Hui River. There are piles of meat in that alcohol like a land mass in a river. Whoever gets his wine bottles into the goal is the foremost of all kings.

齊侯投壺詞

春秋左氏昭十二年傳

有酒如澠。有肉如陵。寡人中此。與君代興。

There is as much alcohol as in a body of water, there are piles of meat as much as a hill. When I hit the goal with my bottle, I will replace the emperor and make the world a better place.

南蒯鄉人言

春秋左氏昭十二年傳

恤恤乎。湫乎攸乎。深思而淺謀。邇身而遠志。家臣而君圖。
有人矣哉。

I am worried because there are people who are very thorough with their thinking and superficial with their purposes. They keep it all inside yet have a very far-reaching desire. They are subordinates hoping to take over their king's position.

南蒯鄉人歌

春秋左氏昭十二年傳

我有圃﹑生之杞乎。從我者子乎。去我者鄙乎。
倍其鄰者恥乎。已乎已乎。非吾黨之士乎。

I have a garden but only the herb Gou Qi is growing there. Men who follow my lead are great, and people who betray me are scoundrels. People who betray their own loved ones are shameful.

子服惠伯引諺

春秋左氏昭十三年傳

臣一主二。

There is only one subordinate, but there are two superiors.

子產引諺

春秋左氏昭十九年傳

無過亂門。

One should not pass by a door behind which the entire household is experiencing a strife.

子瑕引諺

春秋左氏昭十九年傳

室於怒﹑市於色。

Not only did his anger break out at home, he also displayed it even in the streets.

鴝鵒謠

春秋左氏昭二十五年傳

鴝之鵒之。公出辱之。鴝鵒之羽。公在外野。往饋之馬。
鴝鵒跦跦。公在乾侯。徵褰與襦。鴝鵒之巢。遠哉遙遙。
稠父喪勞。宋父以驕。鴝鵒鴝鵒。往歌來哭。

A folk song describing how a king operated and fell to death in accordance with the calling cycle of the Qu and Yu birds (some kind of parrots). The birds when the king went away for a mission and cried when the king's dead body came back.

公子光引上國言

春秋左氏昭二十七年傳

不索﹑何獲。

If one does not search for things, how will he ever find anything?

魏子引諺

春秋左氏昭二十八年傳

唯食忘憂。

Only food can make one forget worries.

宋野人歌

春秋左氏定公十四年傳

既定爾婁豬。盍歸吾艾豭。

As our hog has satisfied your sow, why are you not returning him to us?

戲陽速引諺

春秋左氏定公十四年傳

民保于信。

The general population protect themselves by keeping promises.

萊人歌

春秋左氏哀五年傳

景公死乎不與埋。三軍之師乎不與謀。師乎師乎。何黨之乎。

The King Jing was dead and none of his sons participated in the burial. Neither did these sons participate in the military affairs of the kingdom. These people, where could they have gone to?

申叔儀歌

春秋左氏哀十三年傳

佩玉繠兮。余無所繫之。旨酒一盛兮。余與褐之父睨之。

I can not use my jade belt as I have no clothes on. Holding an empty wine cup, a poor old man and I can only look at it without drinking from it.

衛侯夢渾良夫譟

春秋左氏哀十七年傳

登此昆吾之虛。綿綿生之瓜。余為渾良夫。叫天無辜。

I dreamt of going up a Taoist temple and saw vines of bitter gourds spreading all over the place. In that dream, I was a man named Hun Liang Fu and I was shouting to the sky: "I am innocent."

齊人歌

春秋左氏哀二十一年傳

魯人之皋。數年不覺。使我高蹈。唯其儒書。以為二國憂。

The offenses of the Lu people were not ameliorated for years, and we were so mad as to jump up and down. The Lu people were blindly following their Confucius books and thus created problems for the two kingdoms Qi and Zhu.

時人為龍門之戰謠

春秋緯

五侯之鬥血成江。

The fighting among the five kings was so fierce that it flooded the river with blood.

孔子引南人言

論語子路篇

人而無恆。不可以作巫醫。

A person with no stable character should not be a shaman.

楚狂接輿歌

論語微子篇

鳳兮鳳兮。何德之衰。往者不可諫。來者猶可追。
已而已而。今之從政者殆而。

Phoenix and phoenix ! Why is your morality going down ? No one can give advise for the past, yet one can give timely advise for the future. Give it up! Nowadays, it is dangerous to be politicians.

五老游河歌

論語緯

河圖將來告帝期。河圖將來告帝謀。河圖將來告帝書。
河圖將來告帝圖。河圖將來告帝符。

A song describing how five soothsayers managed to convince the emperor Yao to bestow his throne on Shun.

殷末玉馬謠

論語緯

殷惑妲己玉馬走。

The king of Yin was infatuated with the lady Da Ji and all of his good advisors went away.

時人為孔氏兄弟語

論語緯

魯國孔氏好讀經。兄弟講誦皆可聽。
學士來者有聲名。不過孔氏那得成。

A passage about how the Kong (Confucius's) household of Lu kingdom contained knowledgeable and outstanding scholars.

泣麟歌

論語緯

唐虞之世麟鳳游。今非其時來何由。麟兮麟兮我心憂。

At the time of Tang Yu, the animals Lin and phoenix were roaming around. It is no longer that time. Why is Lin showing up? I am worried about its appearance.

晏子引夏諺

孟子梁惠王篇下

吾王不游。吾何以休。吾王不豫。吾何以助。
一游一豫。為諸侯度。

If our emperor does not travel around, how will we ever take a rest? If our emperor does not travel, how will we ever get any assistance? Trips like that are models for the kings.

孟子引齊人言

孟子公孫丑篇

雖有智慧。不如乘勢。雖有鎡基。不如待時。

It is better to have opportunities than to have wisdom. It is better to have the right timing than to have the right tools.

孔子聽孺子歌

孟子離婁篇上

滄浪之水清兮。可以濯我纓。滄浪之水濁兮。可以濯我足。

When the water of Cang Lang is clear, it can be used to wash my hat. When its water is muddy, it can be used to wash my feet.

趙岐引諺

孟子章指

白沙在涅。不染自黑。蓬生痲中。不扶自直。

When white sand is mixed with mud, its color automatically turns black. When the grass Peng is grown amongst hemp, it automatically grows vertically.

蜀人汶山謠

河圖緯

汶阜之山。江出其腹。帝以會昌。神以建福。

The mountain in Wen Fu (place name) has a river running through it. This place is supposed to be a good place.

孔子述洞庭童謠

河圖緯

吳王出游觀震湖。龍威丈人名隱居。
北上包山入靈墟。乃造洞庭竊禹書。
天帝大文不可舒。此文長傳六百初。
今強取出喪國廬。

A folk song describing how uncovering some ancient documents from a cave in Lake Dong Ting had caused the king of Wu to lose his kingdom.