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

My muscles are strong enough to shake an entire mountain and my clouts reach the whole world. Yet time is not with me. Although my horse will never run away, there is still nothing that can change my bad luck. My beautiful woman Yu, there is nothing I can do to change the circumstances.

大風歌

史記高祖本紀

大風起兮雲飛揚。威加海內兮歸故鄉。安得猛士兮守四方。

The wind blows fiercely and the clouds seem to fly. My power has spread through the entire nation and I am returning to my home town. How shall I get good military personnel to guard my territory in the four directions?

趙王友歌

史記呂后本紀

諸呂用事兮劉氏危。迫脅王侯兮疆授我妃。我妃既妒兮誣我
以惡。讒女亂國兮上曾不寤。我無忠臣兮何故棄國。自決中
野兮蒼天舉直。于嗟不可悔兮寧早自賊。為王而餓死兮誰者
憐之。呂氏絕理兮託天報讎。

A song sung by Prince of Chao who had to marry the queen's nieces under pressure. He was charged with treason because of these girls' report to the queen. These girls reported him only because he did not love them. The prince was executed by starvation.

瓠子歌

史記河渠書

瓠子決兮將奈何。皓皓旴旴兮閭殫為河。殫為河兮地不得寧。
功無義時兮吾山平。吾山平兮鉅野溢。魚沸鬱兮柏冬日。
延道弛兮離常流。蛟龍騁兮方遠游。歸舊川兮神哉沛。
不封禪兮安知外。為我謂河伯兮何不仁。泛濫不止兮愁吾人。
齧桑浮兮淮泗滿。久不反兮水維緩。河湯湯兮激潺湲。
北迂渡兮浚流難。搴長茭兮沈美玉。河伯許兮薪不屬。
薪不屬兮衛人罪。燒蕭條兮噫乎何以禦水。頹林竹兮揵石菑。
宣防塞兮萬福來。

This song talks about the long major flooding of the Hu Zi River. Many places were covered by flood water like an ocean. The emperor attributed this to the unkind actions of the river deity. They were able to contain the flood water with measures such as using grass and bamboo poles filled with dirt as dykes.

申叔時引鄙語

史記陳世家

牽牛徑人田。田主奪之牛。

When taking a cow and trespassing on someone else's land, the land lord of that land took away the cow.

晉國兒謠

史記晉世家

恭太子更葬矣。後十四年。晉亦不昌。昌乃在兄。

The proper reburial of Prince Gong was completed. But for the next fourteen years, the kingdom of Jin still did not prosper. It prospered only after Prince Gong's older brother came to the throne.

趙武靈王夢處女鼓琴歌

史記趙世家

美人熒熒兮。顏若苕之榮。命乎命乎。
逢天時而生。曾無我嬴。

This song was sung by a king who had dreamed of a very beautiful girl. He felt that people need to be born at the right time to be able to do well in anything.

肥義引諺

史記趙世家

死者復生。生者不愧。

Even if the dead come back to life, the people who live would still not have any regrets.

去魯歌

史記孔子世家

彼婦之口。可以出走。彼婦之謁。可以死敗。
蓋優哉游哉。維以卒歲。

What comes out of those women's mouths is enough to send people in exile. And being visited by them is enough to kill. It is better to live with no pressure and die of an old age.

天下為衛子夫歌

史記外戚世家

生男無喜。生女無怒。獨不見衛子夫霸天下。

Having baby boys is no reason to rejoice. Having baby girls is no reason to despair. Do you not see how powerful empress Wei Zi Fu is?

褚先生引諺論外戚

史記外戚世家

美女入室。惡女之仇。

The arrival of a beautiful woman is cause of hatred in an ugly woman.

朱虛侯耕田歌

史記齊悼惠王世家

深耕穊種。立苗欲流。非其種者。鋤而去之。

Plow deeply and plant seeds with little space in between. When it is time to secure the sprouts, it is better to space them out and take out the sprouts of unwanted species.

畫一歌

史記曹參世家

蕭何為法。顜若畫一。曹參代之。守而勿失。
載其清靜。民以寧壹。

When Xiao He drew up the legal codes, he drew them up clearly and systematically. When Cao Sen took over his job, he was following Xiao He's constitution closely without any mistakes. The society stayed peaceful and the people enjoyed the tranquil life.

鴻鵠歌

史記留侯世家

鴻鵠高飛。一舉千里。羽翮已就。橫絕四海。
橫絕四海。當可奈何。雖有矰繳。尚安所施。

The wild goose is flying high, and with one flop of its wings it has gone a thousand miles. Its wings have matured and are able to cross the four seas without any trouble. Even if one tries to shoot arrows at it, there can be no harm done.

呂太后引鄙語

史記陳丞相世家

兒婦人口不可用。

It is not a good idea to listen to what children and women have to say.

褚先生引鄙語論梁孝王

史記梁孝王世家

驕子不孝。

Spoiled children are not going to be filial.

伯夷叔齊采薇歌

史記伯夷列傳

登彼西山兮。采其薇矣。以暴易暴兮。不知其非矣。
神農虞夏。忽焉沒兮。
我安適歸矣。于嗟徂兮。命之衰矣。

This song describes two people who used to be officials in one emperor's court. After control of the nation changed hands, they would rather starve to death than serve another emperor.

秦人諺

史記樗里子傳

力則任鄙。智則樗里。

The strongest man is Ren Bi and the wisest man is Chu Li

太史公引鄙語論起翦

史記白起王翦傳贊

尺有所短。寸有所長。

There is something long about the measuring unit feet, and there is something short about the unit inches. This refers to two generals who each have their respective capabilities and inabilities.

太史公又引鄙語論平原君

史記平原君傳贊

利令智昏。

It is profit that makes a wise man loose his senses.

鄒陽引諺

史記鄒陽傳

有白頭如新。傾蓋如故。

This proverb refers to how two people can know each other forever yet do not become friends, and another two people can meet for the first time, yet talk like they are old friends.

曹邱生引楚人諺

史記季布傳

得黃金百斤。不如得季布一諾。

Getting a hundred Jing (weight measure) of gold is not as good as getting a promise from Ji Bu (name of a renowned person)

潁川兒歌

史記灌天傳

潁水清。灌氏寧。潁水濁。灌氏族。

This children's song refers to the rise and fall of a Guan family in the Yin River area.

太史公引諺論李廣

史記李將軍傳贊

桃李不言。下自成蹊。

Peach and plum trees may not utter words, but under them, the paths are formed by the many visitors coming to appreciate their blossoms. This is referring to Han dynasty general Li Guang who should not be judged by his appearance.

司馬相如引鄙諺

史記司馬相如傳

家累千金者。坐不垂堂。

A wealthy person does not sit right under the edge of roofs out of fear of falling tiles.

民為淮南厲王歌

史記淮南厲王傳

一尺布。尚可縫。一斗粟。尚可舂。兄弟二人。不能相容。

With only one foot of cloth, one can tailor clothes shared by many, and even with one Dou (unit of grain measurement) of millets, one can cook for many. This country is big. Why can it be not shared by two Prince brothers.

關東吏為甯成號

史記酷吏傳

寧見乳虎。無直甯成之怒。

One would rather see a tiger who has just delivered a baby and is overtly defensive than meet Ning Cheng when he is angry.

太史公引鄙語論游俠

史記游俠列傳

何知仁義。已嚮其利者為有德。

There is no need to know any virtue. It seems that the world considers whoever gets benefit is the virtuous one.

太史公又引諺論游俠

史記游俠列傳

人貌榮名。豈有既乎。

One's appearance does not limit the reach of one's reputation.

太史公引諺論佞幸

史記佞幸列傳

力田﹑不如逢年。善仕﹑不如遇合。

Working hard in the field is not as good as having a good year, being good at serving in an office is not as good as meeting a compatible superior.

優孟歌

史記滑稽優孟傳

山居耕田苦。難以得食。起而為吏。身貪鄙者餘財。
不顧恥辱。身死家室富。又恐受賕枉法。為姦觸大罪。
身死而家滅。貪吏安可為也。念為廉吏。奉法守職。
竟死不敢為非。廉吏安可為也。楚相孫叔敖。持廉至死。
方今妻子窮困。負薪而食。不足為也。

This song refers to how it is not rewarding to be a decent government official since the honest one has to live in poverty.

東方朔歌

史記滑稽傳

陸沉於俗。避世金馬門。宮殿中。可以避世全身。
何必深山之中。蒿蘆之下。

I land in this world and escape inside the palace. It is possible to be secluded right inside the palace. Why does one have to go deep into the mountain, and live in a grass hut.

褚先生引諺論東郭先生

史記滑稽傳

相馬失之瘦。相士失之貧。

It is a mistake to condemn a horse for being slim and to condemn a capable person for being poor.

太史公又引諺論貨殖

史記貨殖列傳

千金之子。不死于市。

The son of a rich person does not have to die in punishment of a felony.

太史公又引諺論人物

史記貨殖列傳

百里不販樵。千里不販糴。居之一歲。種之以穀。
十歲﹑樹之以木。百歲﹑來之以德。

This refers to how one should manage one's assets well. One should raise crops to gain immediate profits. The main rule is to follow the established virtues while one lives to an old age.

時人為甯成語

史記甯成傳異文

謹上操下。如束濕薪。

He is loose to his superiors but very demanding on his subordinates like he is in too much a hurry to wait for the wood to dry before tying it together.

嘉平歌

史記秦始皇本紀集解

神仙得者茅初成。駕龍上升入太清。時下玄洲戲赤城。
繼世而往在我盈。帝若學之臘嘉平。

This refers to the emperor who changed his imperial chronological designation (a unique practice of the Chinese dynasties for calling certain periods of time of the same emperor) after being inspired by the story of a Taoist practitioner who was said to have risen to heaven and returned to earth to tell people about his experience.

徐廣引諺

史記貨殖列傳

研桑心算。

There are two people, Yan and Sang Hong Yang, who are really good at analyzing business deals.