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

34. 匏有苦葉 - Pao You Ku Ye

[x_los]

匏有苦葉、濟有深涉。
深則厲、淺則揭。

The gourd has [still] its bitter leaves,
And the crossing at the ford is deep.
If deep, I will go through with my clothes on;
If shallow, I will do so, holding them up.

有瀰濟盈、有鷕雉鳴。
濟盈不濡軌、雉鳴求起牡。

The ford is full to overflowing;
There is the note of the female pheasant.
The full ford will not wet the axle of my carriage;
It is the pheasant calling for her mate.

雝雝鳴鴈、旭日始旦。
士如歸妻、迨冰未泮。

The wild goose, with its harmonious notes,
At sunrise, with the earliest dawn,
By the gentleman, who wishes to bring home his bride,
[Is presented] before the ice is melted.

招招舟子、人涉卬否。
人涉卬否、卬須我友。

The boatman keeps beckoning;
And others cross with him, but I do not.
Others cross with him, but I do not; -
I am waiting for my friend.

Re: 34. 匏有苦葉 - Pao You Ku Ye

[aeriallon]

I like how tragic this week's collection is. It Speaks to me. And I'm totally stealing some of these for my creative writing program AU.

Re: 34. 匏有苦葉 - Pao You Ku Ye

[forestofglory]

Creative writing AU? That sounds like fun!

Re: 34. 匏有苦葉 - Pao You Ku Ye

[phnelt]

I don't know i fthis is a death thing, it feels like a death or mourning thing but i love the consideration of the clothes and the river

Re: 34. 匏有苦葉 - Pao You Ku Ye

[x_los]

Me neither but it SURE DOES FEEL like a death thing.

Re: 34. 匏有苦葉 - Pao You Ku Ye

[superborb]

This is apparently a poem about waiting for marriage, NOT about death??? How.

From Baidu:
The bitter leaves part is apparently the giveaway: the cut gourds are used in the ceremony, so the leaves being withered = time for marriage.
The pheasants etc are to show the anxiousness of the prospective bride, waiting for her lover
Something about how when the ice melts, marriages have to stop, so the geese returning is a sign that spring is coming and the DEADLINE APPROACHES.
The boatman notices how anxious she is, and thinks she is waiting to cross, but NO she is waiting for her "friend"

Re: 34. 匏有苦葉 - Pao You Ku Ye

[phnelt]

I just saw this and that's blowing my MIND. Like I wanted it to be a nice waiting for my lover thing but uhhhh does not feel like that.