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

Entry tags:

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

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.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

汎彼柏舟、亦汎其流。
耿耿不寐、如有隱憂。
微我無酒、以敖以遊。

It floats about, that boat of cypress wood;
Yea, it floats about on the current.
Disturbed am I and sleepless,
As if suffering from a painful wound.
It is not because I have no wine,
And that I might not wander and saunder about.

我心匪鑒、不可以茹。
亦有兄弟、不可以據。
薄言往愬、逢彼之怒。

My mind is not a mirror; -
It cannot [equally] receive [all impressions].
I, indeed, have brothers,
But I cannot depend on them,
I meet with their anger.

我心匪石、不可轉也。
我心匪席、不可卷也。
威儀棣棣、不可選也。

My mind is not a stone; -
It cannot be rolled about.
My mind is not a mat; -
It cannot be rolled up.
My deportment has been dignified and good,
With nothing wrong which can be pointed out.

憂心悄悄、慍于群小。
覯閔既多、受侮不少。
靜言思之、寤辟有摽。

My anxious heart is full of trouble;
I am hated by the herd of mean creatures;
I meet with many distresses;
I receive insults not a few.
Silently I think of my case,
And, starting as from sleep, I beat my breast.

日居月諸、胡迭而微。
心之憂矣、如匪澣衣。
靜言思之、不能奮飛。

There are the sun and moon, -
How is it that the former has become small, and not the latter?
The sorrow cleaves to my heart,
Like an unwashed dress.
Silently I think of my case,
But I cannot spread my wings and fly away.

綠兮衣兮、綠衣黃裏。
心之憂矣、曷維其已。

Green is the upper robe,
Green with a yellow lining!
The sorrow of my heart, -
How can it cease?

綠兮衣兮、綠衣黃裳。
心之憂矣、曷維其亡。

Green is the upper robe,
Green the upper, and yellow the lower garment!
The sorrow of my heart, -
How can it be forgotten?

綠兮絲兮、女所治兮。
我思古人、俾無訧兮。

[Dyed] green has been the silk; -
It was you who did it.
[But] I think of the ancients,
That I may be kept from doing wrong.

絺兮綌兮、淒其以風。
我思古人、實獲我心。

Linen, fine or coarse,
Is cold when worn in the wind.
I think of the ancients,
And find what is in my heart.

燕燕于飛、差池其羽。
之子于歸、遠送于野。
瞻望弗及、泣涕如雨。

The swallows go flying about,
With their wings unevenly displayed.
The lady was returning [to her native state],
And I escorted her far into the country.
I looked till I could no longer see her,
And my tears fell down like rain.

燕燕于飛、頡之頏之。
之子于歸、遠于將之。
瞻望弗及、佇立以泣。

The swallows go flying about,
Now up, now down.
The lady was returning [to her native state],
And far did I accompany her.
I looked till I could no longer see her,
And long I stood and wept.

燕燕于飛、下上其音。
之子于歸、遠送于南。
瞻望弗及、實勞我心。

The swallows go flying about;
From below, from above, comes their twittering.
The lady was returning [to her native state],
And far did I escort her to the south.
I looked till I could no longer see her,
And great was the grief of my heart.

仲氏任只、其心塞淵。
終溫且惠、淑慎其身。
先君之思、以勗寡人。

Lovingly confiding was lady Zhong;
Truly deep was her feeling.
Both gentle was she and docile,
Virtuously careful of her person.
In thinking of our deceased lord,
She stimulated worthless me.

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?

終風且暴、顧我則笑。
謔浪笑敖、中心是悼。

The wind blows and is fierce,
He looks at me and smiles,
With scornful words and dissolute, - the smile of pride.
To the center of my heart I am grieved.

終風且霾、惠然肯來。
莫往莫來、悠悠我思。

The wind blows, with clouds of dust.
Kindly he seems to be willing to come to me;
[But] he neither goes nor comes.
Long, long, do I think of him.

終風且曀、不日有曀。
寤言不寐、願言則嚏。

The wind blew, and the sky was cloudy;
Before a day elapses, it is cloudy again.
I awake, and cannot sleep;
I think of him, and gasp.

曀曀其陰、虺虺其靁。
寤言不寐、願言則懷。

All cloudy is the darkness,
And the thunder keeps muttering.
I awake and cannot sleep;
I think of him, and my breast is full of pain.

擊鼓其鏜、踊躍用兵。
土國城漕、我獨南行。

Hear the roll of our drums!
See how we leap about, using our weapons!
Those do the fieldwork in the State, or fortify Cao,
While we alone march to the south.

從孫子仲、平陳與宋。
不我以歸、憂心有忡。

We followed Sun Zizhong,
Peace having been made with Chen and Song;
[But] he did not lead us back,
And our sorrowful hearts are very sad.

爰居爰處、爰喪其馬。
于以求之、于林之下。

Here we stay, here we stop;
Here we lose our horses;
And we seek for them,
Among the trees of the forest.

死生契闊、與子成說。
執子之手、與子偕老。

For life or for death, however separated,
To our wives we pledged our word.
We held their hands; -
We were to grow old together with them.

于嗟闊兮、不我活兮。
于嗟洵兮、不我信兮。

Alas for our separation!
We have no prospect of life.
Alas for our stipulation!
We cannot make it good.

凱風自南、吹彼棘心。
棘心夭夭、母氏劬勞。

The genial wind from the south
Blows on the heart of that jujube tree,
Till that heart looks tender and beautiful.
What toil and pain did our mother endure!

凱風自南、吹彼棘薪。
母氏聖善、我無令人。

The genial wind from the south
Blows on the branches of that jujube tree,
Our mother is wise and good;
But among us there is none good.

爰有寒泉、在浚之下。
有子七人、母氏勞苦。

There is the cool spring
Below [the city of] Jun.
We are seven sons,
And our mother is full of pain and suffering.

睍睆黃鳥、載好其音。
有子七人、莫慰母心。

The beautiful yellow birds
Give forth their pleasant notes.
We are seven sons,
And cannot compose our mother's heart.

雄雉于飛、泄泄其羽。
我之懷矣、自詒伊阻。

The male pheasant flies away,
Lazily moving his wings.
The man of my heart! -
He has brought on us this separation.

雄雉于飛、下上其音。
展矣君子、實勞我心。

The pheasant has flown away,
But from below, from above, comes his voice.
Ah! the princely man! -
He afflicts my heart.

瞻彼日月、悠悠我思。
道之云遠、曷云能來。

Look at that sun and moon!
Long, long do I think.
The way is distant;
How can he come to me?

百爾君子、不知德行。
不忮不求、何用不臧。

All ye princely men,
Know ye not his virtuous conduct?
He hates none; he covets nothing; -
What does he which is not good?

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.

習習谷風、以陰以雨。
黽勉同心、不宜有怒。
采葑采菲、無以下體。
德音莫違、及爾同死。

Gently blows the east wind,
With cloudy skies and with rain.
[Husband and wife] should strive to be of the same mind,
And not let angry feelings arise.
When we gather the mustard plant and earth melons,
We do not reject them because of their roots.
While I do nothing contrary to my good name,
I should live with you till our death.

行道遲遲、中心有違。
不遠伊邇、薄送我畿。
誰謂荼苦、其甘如薺。
宴爾新昏、如兄如弟。

I go along the road slowly, slowly,
In my inmost heart reluctant.
Not far, only a little way,
Did he accompany me to the threshold.
Who says that the sowthistle is bitter?
It is as sweet as the shepherd's purse.
You feast with your new wife,
[Loving] as brothers.

涇以渭濁、湜湜其沚。
宴爾新昏、不我屑以。
毋逝我梁、毋發我笱。
我躬不閱、遑恤我後。

The muddiness of the Jing appears from the Wei,
But its bottom may be seen about the islets.
You feast with your new wife,
And think me not worth being with
Do not approach my dam,
Do not move my basket.
My person is rejected; -
What avails it to care for what may come after?

就其深矣、方之舟之。
就其淺矣、泳之游之。
何有何亡、黽勉求之。
凡民有喪、匍匐救之。

Where the water was deep,
I crossed it by a raft or a boat.
Where it was shallow,
I dived or swam across it.
Whether we had plenty or not,
I exerted myself to be getting.
When among others there was a death,
I crawled on my knees to help them.

不我能慉、反以我為讎。
既阻我德、賈用不售。
昔育恐育鞫、及爾顛覆。
既生既育、比予于毒。

You cannot cherish me,
And you even count me as an enemy.
You disdain my virtues, -
A pedlar's wares which do not sell.
Formerly, I was afraid our means might be exhausted,
And I might come with you to destitution.
Now, when your means are abundant,
You compare me to poison.

我有旨蓄、亦以御冬。
宴爾新昏、以我御窮。
有洸有潰、既詒我肄。
不念昔者、伊余來塈。

My fine collection of vegetables,
Is but a provision against the winter.
Feasting with your new wife,
You think of me as a provision [only] against your poverty.
Cavalierly and angrily you treat me;
You give me only pain.
You do not think of the former days,
And are only angry with me.

式微式微、胡不歸。
微君之故、胡為乎中露。

Reduced! Reduced!
Why not return?
If it were not for your sake, O prince,
How should we be thus exposed to the dew?

式微式微、胡不歸。
微君之躬、胡為乎泥中。

Reduced! Reduced!
Why not return?
If it were not for your person, O prince,
How should we be here in the mire?

旄丘之葛兮、何誕之節兮。
叔兮伯兮、何多日也。

The dolichos on that high and sloping mound; -
How wide apart are [now] its joints!
O ye uncles,
Why have ye delayed these many days?

何其處也、必有與也。
何其久也、必有以也。

Why do they rest without stirring?
It must be they expect allies.
Why do they prolong the time?
There must be a reason for their conduct.

狐裘蒙戎、匪車不東。
叔兮伯兮、靡所與同。

Our fox-furs are frayed and worn.
Came our carriages not eastwards?
O ye uncles,
You do not sympathize with us.

瑣兮尾兮、流離之子。
叔兮伯兮、褎如充耳。

Fragments, and a remnant,
Children of dispersion [are we]!
O ye uncles,
Notwithstanding your full robes, your ears are stopped.

簡兮簡兮、方將萬舞。
日之方中、在前上處。

Easy and indifferent! easy and indifferent!
I am ready to perform in all dances,
Then when the sun is in the meridian,
There in that conspicious place.

碩人俁俁、公庭萬舞。
有力如虎、執轡如組。

With my large figure,
I dance in the ducal courtyard.
I am strong [also] as a tiger;
The reins are in my grasp like ribbons.

左手執籥、右手秉翟。
赫如渥赭、公言錫爵。

In my left hand I grasp a flute;
In my right I hold a pheasant's feather.
I am red as if I were rouged;
The duke gives me a cup [of spirits].

山有榛、隰有苓。
云誰之思、西方美人。
彼美人兮、西方之人兮。

The hazel grows on the hills,
And the liquorice in the marshes.
Of whom are my thoughts?
Of the fine men of the west.
O those fine men!
Those men of the west!

毖彼泉水、亦流于淇。
有懷于衛、靡日不思。
孌彼諸姬、聊與之謀。

How the water bubbles up from that spring,
And flows away to the Qi!
My heart is in Wei;
There is not a day I do not think of it.
Admirable are those, my cousins;
I will take counsel with them.

出宿于泲、飲餞于禰。
女子有行、遠父母兄弟。
問我諸姑、遂及伯姊。

When I came forth, I lodged in Ji,
And we drank the cup of convoy at Ni.
When a young lady goes [to be married],
She leaves her parents and brothers;
[But] I would ask for my aunts,
And then for my elder sister.

出宿于干、飲餞于言。
載脂載牽、還車言邁。
遄臻于衛、不瑕有害。

I will go forth and lodge in Gan,
And we drink the cup of convoy at Yan.
I will grease the axle and fix the pin,
And the returning chariot will proceed.
Quickly shall we arrive in Wei; -
But would not this be wrong?

我思肥泉、茲之永歎。
思須與漕、我心悠悠。
駕言出遊、以寫我憂。

I think of the Feiquan,
I am ever sighing about it.
I think of Xu and Cao,
Long, long, my heart dwells with them.
Let me drive forth and travel there,
To dissipate my sorrow.

出自北門、憂心殷殷。
終窶且貧、莫知我艱。
已焉哉、天實為之、謂之何哉。

I go out at the north gate,
With my heart full of sorrow.
Straitened am I and poor,
And no one takes knowledge of my distress.
So it is!
Heaven has done it; -
What then shall I say?

王事適我、政事一埤益我。
我入自外、室人交徧讁我。
已焉哉、天實為之、謂之何哉。

The king's business comes on me,
And the affairs of our government in increasing measure.
When I come home from abroad,
The members of my family all emulously reproach me.
So it is!
Heaven has done it; -
What then shall I say?

王事敦我、政事一埤遺我。
我入自外、室人交徧摧我。
已焉哉、天實為之、謂之何哉。

The king's business is thrown on me,
And the affairs of our government are left to me more and more.
When I come home from abroad,
The members of my family all emulously thrust at me.
So it is!
Heaven has done it; -
What then shall I say?

北風其涼、雨雪其雱。
惠而好我、攜手同行。
其虛其邪、既亟只且。

Cold blows the north wind;
Thick falls the snow.
Ye who love and regard me,
Let us join hands and go together.
Is it a time for delay?
The urgency is extreme!

北風其喈、雨雪其霏。
惠而好我、攜手同歸。
其虛其邪、既亟只且。

The north wind whistles;
The snow falls and drifts about.
Ye who love and regard me,
Let us join hands, and go away for ever.
Is it a time for delay?
The urgency is extreme!

莫赤匪狐、莫黑匪烏。
惠而好我、攜手同車。
其虛其邪、既亟只且。

Nothing red is seen but foxes,
Nothing black but crows.
Ye who love and regard me,
Let us join hands, and go together in our carriages.
Is it a time for delay?
The urgency is extreme!

靜女其姝、俟我於城隅。
愛而不見、搔首踟躕。

How lovely is the retiring girl!
She was to await me at a corner of the wall.
Loving and not seeing her,
I scratch my head, and am in perplexity.

靜女其孌、貽我彤管。
彤管有煒、說懌女美。

How handsome is the retiring girl!
She presented to me a red tube.
Bright is the red tube; -
I delight in the beauty of the girl.

自牧歸荑、洵美且異。
匪女之為美、美人之貽。

From the pasture lands she gave a shoot of the white grass,
Truly elegant and rare.
It is not you, O grass, that are elegant; -
You are the gift of an elegant girl.

新臺有泚、河水瀰瀰。
燕婉之求、籧篨不鮮。

Fresh and bright is the New Tower,
On the waters of the He, wide and deep.
A pleasant, genial mate she sought,
[And has got this] vicious bloated mass!

新臺有洒、河水浼浼。
燕婉之求、籧篨不殄。

Lofty is the New Tower,
On the waters of the He, flowing still.
A pleasant, genial mate she sought,
[And has got this] vicious bloated mass!

魚網之設、鴻則離之。
燕婉之求、得此戚施。

It was a fish net that was set,
And a goose has fallen into it.
A pleasant, genial mate she sought,
And she has got this hunchback.

二子乘舟、汎汎其景。
願言思子、中心養養。

The two youths got into their boats,
Whose shadows floated about [on the water].
I think longingly of them,
And my heart is tossed about in uncertainty.

二子乘舟、汎汎其逝。
願言思子、不瑕有害。

The two youths got into their boats,
Which floated away [on the stream].
I think longingly of them,
Did they not come to harm?

An alternate translation:

Zhong-feng: Wild and Windy
by Arthur Waley
Wild and windy was the day;
You looked at me and laughed,
But the jest was cruel, and the laughter mocking.
My heart within is sore.

There was a great sandstorm that day;
Kindly you made as though to come,
Yet neither came nor went away
Long, long my thoughts.

A great wind and darkness;
Day after day it is dark.
I lie awake, cannot sleep,
And gasp with longing.

Dreary, dreary the gloom;
The thunder growls.
I lie awake, cannot sleep,
And am destroyed with longing.

Another translation:

Gu-feng: The Valley Wind
by Arthur Waley
Zip, zip the valley wind,
Bringing darkness, bringing rain.
" Strive to be of one mind;
Let there be no anger between you. "
He who plucks greens, plucks cabbage
Does not judge by the lower parts
In my reputation there is no flaw,
I am yours till death.

Slowly I take the road,
Reluctant at heart
Not far, no, near;
See, you escort me only to the gateway
Who says that sow-thistle is bitter?
It is sweeter than shepherd's-purse.
You feast your new marriage-kin,
As though they were older brothers, were younger brothers.

" It is the Wei that makes the Jing look dirty;
Very clear are its shoals.
You feast your new relations,
And think me no fit company.
" Do not break my dam,
Do not open my fish-traps.
Though for my person you have no regard,
At least pity my brood. "

Where the water was deep
I rafted it, boated it;
Where the water was shallow
I swam it, floated it.
Whether a thing was to be had or no
I strove always to find it.
When any of your people were in trouble
I went on my knees to help them.

Why do you not cherish me,
But rather treat me as an enemy?
You have spoilt my value;
What is used, no merchant will buy.
Once in times of peril, of extremity
With you I shared all troubles.
But now that you are well-nurtured, well-fed,
You treat me as though I were a poison.

I had laid by a good store,
Enough to provide against the winter;
You feast your new kin,
And that provision is eaten up
Then you were violent, were enraged,
And it gave me great pain.
You do not think of the past;
It is only anger that is left.

Another translation:

Bei-feng: Cold Is the North Wind
by Burton Watson
Cold is the north wind,
the snow falls thick
If you are kind and love me,
take my hand and we'll go together
You are modest, you are slow,
but oh, we must hurry!

Fierce is the north wind,
the snow falls fast.
If you are kind and love me,
take my hand and we'll go home together
You are modest, you are slow,
but oh, we must hurry!

Nothing redder than the fox,
nothing blacker than the crow.
If you are kind and love me,
take my hand and we'll ride together
You are modest, you are slow,
but oh, we must hurry!

I like this new poem-in-comment format! Thanks!

This poem is very sad...

Baidu says:
The lines "My mind is not a stone; -
It cannot be rolled about.
My mind is not a mat; -
It cannot be rolled up." are v famous and often quoted
And there is controversy over if the author is a minister or a woman -- seems like a lot of people think this was written by a woman though
Sun/moon often refers to husband/wife relationships in this collection

I did not realize on first read that 古人 / Legge's tl to ancients refers to the dead wife that the man is mourning. So from baidu, this is a poem written in autumn when the man went to get winter clothes out (bc he wasn't used to having to do that himself) and saw all the clothing that his wife had carefully sewn for him.

:( sad

Why are all these poems sad ones qq

Baidu says: 仲 (which Legge translates to the name Zhong) refers to someone who is the 2nd son or daughter, so I question this translation lol. There are a couple theories on who wrote it -- baidu says there is consensus but then lists alternatives.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 4

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

26. 柏舟 - Bo Zhou

27. 綠衣 - Lu Yi

28. 燕燕 - Yan Yan

29. 日月 - Ri Yue

30. 終風 - Zhong Feng

31. 擊鼓 - Ji Gu

32. 凱風 - Kai Feng

33. 雄雉 - Xiong Zhi

34. 匏有苦葉 - Pao You Ku Ye

35. 谷風 - Gu Feng

36. 式微 - Shi Wei

37. 旄丘 - Mao Qiu

38. 簡兮 - Jian Xi

39. 泉水 - Quan Shui

40. 北門 - Bei Men

41. 北風 - Bei Feng

42. 靜女 - Jing Nu

43. 新臺 - Xin Tai

44. 二子乘舟 - Er Zi Cheng Zhou

Re: 30. 終風 - Zhong Feng

Re: 35. 谷風 - Gu Feng

Re: 41. 北風 - Bei Feng

Re: 26. 柏舟 - Bo Zhou

Re: 27. 綠衣 - Lu Yi

Re: 28. 燕燕 - Yan Yan