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

A song sung by Emperor Jian Wen when he was growing vegetables, after being expelled from power by his uncle. The words express his bitter feelings for having become a gardener.

正統己巳童謠

二申野錄

牛兒呵莽。黃花地裏倘。你也忙。我也忙。
伸出角來七尺長。
清俊小後生。青布衫。白直身。好個人。屈死在鷂兒嶺。

A children's song sung during the Zheng Tong era of Ming's Emperor Ying. The notes do not explain the implication of this song. The song was about a cow lying on a yellow flower bed, and a handsome man died for no good reason on a hill.

正德丙寅北京童謠

二申野錄

馬倒不用喂。鼓破不用張。

A song sung by people of Bei Jing predicting that four court officials would be expelled from power.

正德己巳川蜀童謠

二申野錄

強賊放火。官軍搶火。賊來梳我。軍來篦我。

A children's song sung in modern day Si Chuan about how government troops, which were supposed to fight off the bandits, actually gave the people more misery than the bandits did.

海魚諺

二申野錄

海熟田荒。

When the fish price is too low, the fishermen starve.

嘉靖初童謠

二申野錄

前頭好個鏡。後頭好個秤。鏡也不曾磨。秤也不曾定。
嘉靖二年半。秫黍磨成麵。東街咽瞪眼。西街喫磨扇。
姐夫若要喫白麵。只待明年七月半。
太廟香爐跳。午門石獅叫。
好黑頭蟲。一半變蛤蚧。一半變人龍。

A few children's songs sung during the Jia Jing era of Ming's Emperor Shi. The notes do not state the implications of these songs.

時人為胡明善張孚敬謠

二申野錄

石產房州。胡明善禍從地出。星臨井宿。張孚敬災自天來。

Words said about the misfortunes of two officials, Hu Ming Shan and Zhang Fu Jing.

隆慶辛未天鼓諺

二申野錄

天爆雉雞叫。有米沒人要。

When there is thunder and chickens are calling, no one wants to buy rice.

時人為張懋修張敬修語

二申野錄

首甲幸有三人。云胡僅此二子。

Words said about how Ming's Emperor Shen gave the first place of the national service test to the son of his chief advisor, Zhang Ju Zheng, as a way of rewarding Zhang's good work in the government. In fact, everyone knew that this was an unfair practice.

萬曆己亥上海民間謠

二申野錄

天上鬼車叫。城中放紙砲。不知因甚來。朝廷要納鈔。

A folk song in Shan Hai during the Wan Li era of Ming's Emperor Shen concerning the strange ghostly noise that people heard. People explained that as an indication that the government was increasing tax rates and it came to be true.

萬曆丙辰會試諺

二申野錄

火龍無首。

Words said about the national civil service test during one year of the Wan Li era. This year, because of cheating, no one was listed as the winner of the first place of the test.

崇禎辛巳杭城諺

二申野錄

湖船底漏。司廚刀繡。梨園餓瘦。上瓦下瓦。抱裯遠走。

Words said about the great famine that Hang Zhou was going through during one year of the Cong Zhen era.