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

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.