Shi Jing, The Book of Odes: Lessons from the states, Odes Of Bei

[x_los]

This is a longer chapter than the previous two, and people are still catching up with the last two chapters/acclimating to the format. Thus we'll only do one chapter this week.

I'm going to post this week's poem translations in the body of the discussion to make commenting a bit easier. 

Get your 'odes of bae' jokes out early, before the rush.

Comments

29. 日月 - Ri Yue

[x_los]

日居月諸、照臨下土。
乃如之人兮、逝不古處。
胡能有定、寧不我顧。

O sun; O moon,
Which enlighten this lower earth!
Here is the man,
Who treats me not according to the ancient rule.
How can he get his mind settled?
Would he then not regard me?

日居月諸、下土是冒。
乃如之人兮、逝不相好。
胡能有定、寧不我報。

O sun; O moon,
Which overshadow this lower earth!
Here is this man,
Who will not be friendly with me.
How can he get his mind settled?
Would he then not respond to me?

日居月諸、出自東方。
乃如之人兮、德音無良。
胡能有定、俾也可忘。

O sun; O moon,
Which come forth from the east!
Here is the man,
With virtuous words, but really not good.
How can he get his mind settled?
Would he then allow me to be forgotten?

日居月諸、東方自出。
父兮母兮、畜我不卒。
胡能有定、報我不述。

O sun; o moon,
From the east which come forth!
O father, O mother,
There is no sequel to your nourishing of me.
How can he get his mind settled?
Would he then respond to me, contrary to all reason?

Re: 29. 日月 - Ri Yue

[between4walls]

I wonder if the title "Sun Moon" refers to marriage as described by uminohikari in another comment; that would imply this is coming from a woman persona who wishes this guy would make up his mind about marrying her?

Re: 29. 日月 - Ri Yue

[superborb]

Yeah, I skipped commenting on this one bc it was yet again -- a neglected wife poem. (It is post marriage tho, according to Baidu)

Re: 29. 日月 - Ri Yue

[x_los]

"Here is the man,
With virtuous words, but really not good."

looool

How can he get his mind settled?

The mood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10pOVWHrWck