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

33. 雄雉 - Xiong Zhi

[x_los]

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?

Re: 33. 雄雉 - Xiong Zhi

[x_los]

So I don't think he dumped her (?), but he's done something to part them--something possibly connected to others' perception of his morality.

Again, please use this poem for Wangxian bullshit; it's right there.

Re: 33. 雄雉 - Xiong Zhi

[superborb]

Apparently this is actually criticism of the ruler's (people in power's?) lack of virtue, who is keeping the husband away, and she is expressing her sadness about missing her husband who has been in service in a distant place