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

36. 式微 - Shi Wei

[x_los]

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?

Re: 36. 式微 - Shi Wei

[aeriallon]

GT gives "reduced" as "declining" which at least makes it sound less like it's about produce. These/this one seems mostly to be about a Feeling, which, respect.

Re: 36. 式微 - Shi Wei

[x_los]

I feel like this poet's been reduced in stature, exiled/dispossessed, and is stuck here in the badlands, sleeping rough/exposed to dew. They're either wondering whether to abandon their lord and return to civilisation, or exhorting him to abandon whatever cause has driven *him* from comfort.

(again, I think?)

Re: 36. 式微 - Shi Wei

[superborb]

Baidu says this is either a complaint by people working the field for the monarch who weren't allowed to return home OR a love song for people to tease each other with. [???????] One source says this was written to persuade someone to return from exile. Another source says this was written to persuade a woman who refused to return to her husband.