Shi Jing, The Book of Odes: Lessons from the States, Odes Of Yong

[x_los]

First off, THANK YOU for your email and poem responses this week! Please do check out each others' thoughts in the comments. There's some fun stuff to build off of, and it's less intimidating to offer up some thoughts if we're having a conversation. I'm looking forward to getting into these this evening. 

Some notes:

* Two members asked for weekly email reminders on Saturday, so I've figured out how to set that up. If you did NOT get an email yesterday, I haven't got you on the list. If you'd like to be on the list, please let me know!

If you would like *not* to be on the list, let's see whether the first Automated Email on Saturday has an unsubscribe option? If it doesn't, please just respond 'unsubscribe' or something and I'll take you off the reminder.

* One member asked that we do a classic Tang collection right after this one, for something a bit more modern and approachable (she phrased it as the difference between Chaucer and Shakespeare). Unless there are objections, I'm very happy to jump forward in time--we can always circle back to danker parts later if/when we feel like it, and Tang is regarded as some very good shit.

* If you have further ideas, please let me know on this post. 

* IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS WHO MIGHT LIKE TO JOIN, please also let me know on this post. I think we're getting to a more stable point, where a handful of additional commenters would be welcome?

* If you haven't read it yet, chapter one, on tetrasyllabic shi poetry, in How to Read Chinese Poetry is hugely useful for the Book of Odes, imo.



Thank you!

Comments

52. 相鼠 - Xiang Shu

[x_los]

相鼠有皮、人而無儀。
人而無儀、不死何為。

Look at a rat, - it has its skin;
But a man should be without dignity of demeanour.
If a man have no dignity of demeanour,
What should he but die?

相鼠有齒、人而無止。
人而無止、不死何俟。

Look at a rat, - it has its teeth;
But a man shall be without any right deportment.
If a man have not right deportment,
What should he wait for but death?

相鼠有體、人而無禮。
人而無禮、胡不遄死。

Look at a rat, - it has its limbs;
But a man shall be without any rules of propriety.
If a man observe no rules of propriety,
Why does he not quickly die?

Re: 52. 相鼠 - Xiang Shu

[x_los]

Slightly confusing 'should'/'shall' in the second lines of each stanza. Translation blip?

WOW the Scoville rating on this. Someone was so pissed? Idk what about but I know they HATE one specific guy, whoever he was.

[lapse into fannish] I didn't wanna be the one to say it, but the vibe on this is v strongly:

Sizhui, 13: Father seems to be doing better, lately. Do you think therapy is helping?
Xichen: It's giving him a creative outlet, at least. Oh, there he is now--Wangji, what are you doing with that pigeon?
Wangji: I am sending Sect Leader Jiang a special poem I have written him.
Xichen: May I see it?
Wangji: No.
Xichen: Will it cause a diplomatic incident? ...is your silence 'yes'? Wangji. Wangji, PUT THE PIGEON DOWN--

Re: 52. 相鼠 - Xiang Shu

[superborb]

Like every satirical poem, Baidu says it's either about the monarch or by a wife to her husband. No other options here--