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

32. 凱風 - Kai Feng

[x_los]

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.

Re: 32. 凱風 - Kai Feng

[superborb]

Baidu says the "heart" in the first stanza indicates tiny thorns; also the word 棘 which indicates jujube trees now has a dictionary definition of thorn, which is interesting word drift, and was very confusing to me on first read ^^;

Baidu also notes that the title of this poem is also often used as shorthand for filial piety now.

Re: 32. 凱風 - Kai Feng

[x_los]

That's interesting because like, ALL we know about these sons is that: they are bad at it?

Re: 32. 凱風 - Kai Feng

[superborb]

Maybe more "maternal love" in its implication?