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dankodes* I found the best option for the weekly reminder emails, via Gmail. The external service options are more involved than our purposes require. Does anyone know anything about how to arrange an Apps Script? Basically all it has to do is tell ten people, on Saturdays, to come and get their juice/poems.
Until someone knows what to do there, I'll send out manual messages weekly. If you'd like to receive these and are not getting them, please let me know.
* 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.
* IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS WHO MIGHT LIKE TO JOIN or have other ideas, please let me know on this post.
* Every week I search the poems' English results to see if I can find any scholarship or neat bits and pop the results in Resources. Here is this week's collection.
* I recently wrote about the China History Podcast, which has a whole series on Tang Poetry, and might well be of general interest.
**NEXT BATCH APRIL 12.**
Until someone knows what to do there, I'll send out manual messages weekly. If you'd like to receive these and are not getting them, please let me know.
* 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.
* IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS WHO MIGHT LIKE TO JOIN or have other ideas, please let me know on this post.
* Every week I search the poems' English results to see if I can find any scholarship or neat bits and pop the results in Resources. Here is this week's collection.
* I recently wrote about the China History Podcast, which has a whole series on Tang Poetry, and might well be of general interest.
**NEXT BATCH APRIL 12.**
175. 彤弓 - Tong Gong
我有嘉賓、中心貺之。
鐘鼓既設、一朝饗之。
The red bows unbent,
Were received and deposited.
I have here an admirable guest,
And with all my heart I bestow one on him.
The bells and drums have been arranged in order,
And all the morning will I feast him.
彤弓弨兮、受言載之。
我有嘉賓、中心喜之。
鐘鼓既設、一朝右之。
The red bows unbent,
Were received and fitted on their frames.
I have here an admirable guest,
And with all my heart I rejoice in him.
The bells and drums have been arranged in order,
And all the morning will I honour him.
彤弓弨兮、受言櫜之。
我有嘉賓、中心好之。
鐘鼓既設、一朝醻之。
The red bows unbent,
Were received and placed in their cases.
I have here an admirable guest,
And with all my heart I love him.
The bells and drums have been arranged in order,
And all the morning will I pledge him.
Re: 175. 彤弓 - Tong Gong
"red bows unbent" are these special? and what are the frames they're fitted on?
Re: 175. 彤弓 - Tong Gong
Re: 175. 彤弓 - Tong Gong
I think Legge made up the frames part. Based on the Baike gloss and vernacular translations, it seems to be more like "The relaxed red bows, were received and loaded into the carriage / collected".
176. 菁菁者莪 - Jing Jing Zhe E
既見君子、樂且有儀。
Luxuriantly grows the aster-southernwood,
In the midst of that large mound.
Since we see our noble lord,
We rejoice, and he shows us all courtesy.
菁菁者莪、在彼中沚。
既見君子、我心則喜。
Luxuriantly grows the aster-southernwood,
In the midst of that islet.
Since we see our noble lord,
Our hearts are full of joy.
菁菁者莪、在彼中陵。
既見君子、錫我百朋。
Luxuriantly grows the aster-southernwood,
In the midst of that great height.
We see our noble lord,
And he gives us a hundred sets of cowries.
汎汎楊舟、載沉載浮。
既見君子、我心則休。
It floats about, - the willow boat,
Now sinking, now rising again.
Since we see our noble lord,
Our hearts are at rest.
Re: 176. 菁菁者莪 - Jing Jing Zhe E
"aster-southernwood" what's this all about?
Re: 176. 菁菁者莪 - Jing Jing Zhe E
Southern wood perennial
Things are good in the short and long term?
Re: 176. 菁菁者莪 - Jing Jing Zhe E
Aster-southernwood is glossed by a bunch of words that are not in my dictionary as a single phrase, but google translate thinks is Artemisia edulis, Artemisia radiata; it links to https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%8E%AA%E8%92%BF/1117970; the gloss says it is a type of edible weed.
Cowries has an interesting gloss. So the word is 朋, which now has the sole meaning of friend, but the gloss says: "ancient people used cowries as currency, with five or ten in a string. A pair of strings would be called 朋".
177. 六月 - Liu Yue
四牡騤騤、載是常服。
玁狁孔熾、我是用急。
王于出征、以匡王國。
In the sixth month all was bustle and excitement.
The war carriages had been made ready,
With the four steeds [of each], strong and eager;
And the regular accountrements had been placed in the carriages.
The Xian-yun were in blazing force,
And thence was the urgency.
The king had ordered the expedition,
To deliver the royal kingdom.
比物四驪、閑之維則。
維此六月、既成我服。
我服既成、于三十里。
王于出征、以佐天子。
Matched in strength were the four black steeds,
Well trained to observe every rule.
On this sixth month,
We completed our accountrements.
Our accountrements were completed,
And we marched thirty li [every day].
The king had ordered the expedition,
To help the son of Heaven.
四牡脩廣、其大有顒。
薄伐玁狁、以奏膚公。
有嚴有翼、共武之服。
共武之服、以定王國。
The four steeds were long, and stout,
And large-headed.
We smote the Xian-yun,
And achieved great merit.
Severely strict and careful [was our leader],
Discharging his military service, -
Discharging his military service,
And settling thereby the royal kingdom.
玁狁匪茹、整居焦穫。
侵鎬及方、至于涇陽。
織文鳥章、白旆央央。
元戎十乘、以先啟行。
Badly reckoned the Xian-yun,
When they confidently occupied Jiao and Huo,
And overran Hao and Fang,
As far as to the north of the Jing.
On our flags was their blazonry of birds,
While their white streamers fluttered brightly.
Ten large war chariots,
Led the way in front.
戎車既安、如輊如軒。
四牡既佶、既佶且閑。
薄伐玁狁、至于大原。
文武吉甫、萬邦為憲。
The war carriages were well made.
Nicely balanced, before and behind.
Their four steeds were strong,
Both strong and well trained.
We smote the Xian-yun,
As far as Tai-yuan.
For peace or for war fit is Ji-fu,
A pattern to all the States.
吉甫燕喜、既多受祉。
來歸自鎬、我行永久。
飲御諸友、炰龞膾鯉。
侯誰在矣、張仲孝友。
Ji-fu feasts and is glad;
Great happiness is his.
In returning from Hao,
Distant and long had been our march.
He entertains and feasts his friends,
With roast turtle and minced carp.
And who are there?
There is Zhang Zhong, the filial and brotherly.
Re: 177. 六月 - Liu Yue
Horses will continue to be vital to Chinese military survival against raiders up until the Mongolian conquest: the whole tea-horse trade with Tibet is about supplying border nations with tea for their thick nutrient rich-breakfast slurry beverage in exchange for a constant stream of good horses. Maintaining these numbers was the office of an entire special government division.
Re: 177. 六月 - Liu Yue
Re: 177. 六月 - Liu Yue
178. 采芑 - Cai Qi
方叔涖止、其車三千、師干之試。
方叔率止、乘其四騏、四騏翼翼。
路車有奭、簟笰魚服、鉤膺鞗革。
They were gathering the white millet,
In those new fields,
And in these acres brought only one year under cultivation,
When Fang Shu came to take the command.
His chariots were three thousand,
With a host of well-disciplined warriors.
Fang Shu led them on,
In his carriage drawn by four piebalds,
Four piebalds orderly moving.
Red shone his grand carriage,
With its chequered bamboo screen, and seal-skin quivers,
With the hooks for the trappings of the breast-bands, and the rein-ends.
薄言采芑、于彼新田、于此中鄉。
方叔涖止、其車三千、旂旐央央。
方叔率止、約軝錯衡、八鸞瑲瑲。
服其命服、朱芾斯皇、有瑲蔥珩。
They were gathering the white millet,
In those new fields,
And all about these villages,
When Fang Shu came to take the command.
His chariots were three thousand;
His banners, with their blazonry of dragons, and of serpents and tortoises, fluttered gaily.
Fang Shu led them on,
The naves of his wheels bound with leather, and his yoke ornamented.
Tinkle-tinkle went the eight bells at the horses' bits.
He wore the robes conferred [by the king];
His red knee-covers were resplendent,
And the gems of his girdle-pendant sounding.
鴥彼飛隼、其飛戾天、亦集爰止。
方叔涖止、其車三千、師干之試。
方叔率止、鉦人伐鼓、陳師鞠旅。
顯允方叔、伐鼓淵淵、振旅闐闐。
Rapid is the flight of the hawk,
Soaring to the heavens,
And again descending and settling in its place.
Fang Shu came to take the command.
His chariots were three thousand,
With a host of well disciplined warriors.
Fang Shu led them on.
With his jinglers and drummers,
He marshalled his hosts and addressed them.
Intelligent and true is Fang Shu,
Deep rolled the sound of his drums;
With a lighter sound he led the troops back.
蠢爾蠻荊、大邦為讎。
方叔元老、克壯其猶。
方叔率止、執訊獲醜。
戎車嘽嘽、嘽嘽焞焞、如霆如雷。
顯允方叔、征伐玁狁、蠻荊來威。
Foolish were the savage tribes of Jing,
Presuming to oppose our great region.
Fang Shu is of great age,
But full of vigour were his plans.
He led his army on,
Seized [the chiefs] for the question, and made captives of a crowd [besides].
Numerous were his war chariots,
Numerous and in grand array,
Like the clap or the roll of thunder their onset.
Intelligent and true is Fang Shu.
He had gone and smitten the Xian-yun,
And the tribes of King came, awed by his majesty.
Re: 178. 采芑 - Cai Qi
Interesting that the general is old, and that this is noted.
Re: 178. 采芑 - Cai Qi
Re: 178. 采芑 - Cai Qi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xianyun mentions that there are four poems about battles between the Zhou and Xianyun in the Shijing.
179. 車攻 - Che Gong
四牡龐龐、駕言徂東。
Our chariots were strong,
Our horses were well matched,
And with four steeds [for each], sleek and large,
We yoked and proceeded to the east.
田車既好、四牡孔阜。
東有甫草、駕言行狩。
Our hunting carriages were good,
And their four steeds in fine condition.
Eastwards were the grassy plains of Fu; -
We yoked and went there to hunt.
之子于苗、選徒囂囂。
建旐設旄、搏獸于敖。
Of the officers in charge of the hunt,
The voices resounded as they told off the men.
They set up the banners, with ox-tails displayed,
And we proceeded to pursue the chase in Ao.
駕彼四牡、四牡奕奕。
赤芾金舄、會同有繹。
With their four-horsed chariots [they came],
Forming a long train,
In their red knee-covers and gold-adorned slippers,
Like the crowd of an occasional or a general audience.
決拾既佽、弓矢既調。
射夫既同、助我舉柴。
The bowstring thimbles and armlets were fitted on;
The bows and arrows were adjusted to one another;
The archers acted in unison,
Helping us to rear a pile of game.
四黃既駕、兩驂不猗。
不失其馳、舍矢如破。
Of the four yellow horses of each chariot,
The two outsiders inclined not to either side.
No error in driving was committed,
And the arrows went forth like downright blows.
蕭蕭馬鳴、悠悠旆旌。
徒御不驚、大庖不盈。
As if at their ease, the horses neighed,
Long and slow moved the line of pennons and banners;
The footmen and charioteers created no alarms;
The great kitchen did not claim its full complement.
之子于征、有聞無聲。
允矣君子、展也大成。
So did the officers conduct this expedition,
Without any clamour in the noise of it.
Truly a princely man is [the king];
Great indeed are his achievements!
Re: 179. 車攻 - Che Gong
And what does the line about the great kitchen signify?
Re: 179. 車攻 - Che Gong
'like the crowd of an occasional or a general audience': [the second part of the phrase:] a meeting of the feudal vassals/princes, a specific name for the feudal princes to have an audience with the emperor. Here, refers to the feudal princes participating in the emperor's hunt. [the first part of the phrase:] continuously, an unceasing and orderly appearance
'The great kitchen': the emperor's kitchen
Re: 179. 車攻 - Che Gong
Re: 179. 車攻 - Che Gong
I don't think I understand what the "not" is supposed to do here; maybe it is some poetic or archaic form?
Re: 179. 車攻 - Che Gong
180. 吉日 - Ji Ri
田車既好、四牡孔阜。
升彼大阜、從其群醜。
A lucky day was wu,
And we sacrificed on it to the Ruler [of horses], and prayed.
Our hunting carriages were good;
The team for each was in fine condition.
We would ascend the greatest heights,
And pursue the herds [of the game].
吉日庚午、既差我馬。
獸之所同、麀鹿麌麌。
漆沮之從、天子之所。
A lucky day was geng-wu.
We had selected our horses;
The haunts of the animals,
Where the does and stags lay numerous,
The grounds by the Qi and the Ju, -
That was the place for the son of Heaven [to hunt].
瞻彼中原、其祁孔有。
儦儦俟俟、或群或友。
悉率左右、以燕天子。
We looked to the midst of the plain,
Where the animals were large and abundant,
Now rushing about, now waiting together,
Here in threes, there in twos.
We led on all our attendants,
To give pleasure to the son of Heaven.
既張我弓、既挾我矢。
發彼小豝、殪此大兕。
以御賓客、且以酌醴。
We have bent our bows;
We have our arrows on the string.
Here is a small boar transifixed;
There is a large rhinoceros killed.
The spoil will be presented to the visitors and guests,
Along with the cup of sweet wine.
Re: 180. 吉日 - Ji Ri
Do they really mean a rhino, in China? Is that a habitat change thing?
Re: 180. 吉日 - Ji Ri
This was written in Haojing, the western capital, during the annual event where the country's civil and military achievements would be shown off.
Wu is a word for 'fifth'. Baike says it means 'the fifth day', though one source says 'fifth month' and another says 'the fifth year of the 60 year cycle'; ancient people believed the fifth day was suitable for external activities, like patrols, hunting, meetings, troops leaving, etc.
gengwu means 'the seventh year of the 60 year cycle', Baike has no gloss for it.
Baike says the rhino could be a big bison or a rhino.
181. 鴻雁 - Hong Yan
之子于征、劬勞于野。
爰及矜人、哀此鰥寡。
The wild geese are flying about;
Su-su goes the rustle of their wings.
[There were] those officers engaged on the commission.
Pained were we and toiled in the open fields;
All were objects of pity,
But alas for those wifeless and widows!
鴻雁于飛、集于中澤。
之子于垣、百堵皆作。
雖則劬勞、其究安宅。
The wild geese are flying about;
And they settle in the midst of the marsh.
[There were] those officers directing the rearing of the walls; -
Five thousand cubits of them arose at once.
Though there was pain and toil,
In the end we had rest in our dwellings.
鴻雁于飛、哀鳴嗷嗷。
維此哲人、謂我劬勞。
維彼愚人、謂我宣驕。
The wild geese are flying about,
And melancholy is their cry of ao-ao.
There were they, wise men,
Who recognized our pain and toil;
If they had been stupid men,
They would have said we were proclaiming our insolence.
Re: 181. 鴻雁 - Hong Yan
Re: 181. 鴻雁 - Hong Yan
I think Legge's translation of the second stanza contradicts Baike's reading -- Baike reads the last sentence as if they are unable to have a place to live.
The title of the poem, the swan goose, is now a byword for the suffering of refugees.
The time period is either during Zhou Li wang or Zhou Xuan wang, during the late Western Zhou Dynasty when there was a rebellion by Li wang, an invasion by the Xianyun, and drought, so a large number of people were displaced.
Mao's commentary, as always, says this praises Zhou Xuan wang, that there may be scattered and restless people, but they can work and gather safely. Others believe it is the refugees describing their misery. Others that it describes how Zhou wang sent out envoys everywhere to give emergency relief to the refugees.
182. 庭燎 - Ting Liao
君子至止、鸞聲將將。
How goes the night?
It is not yet midnight.
The torch is blazing in the court-yard.
My princely men are arriving; -
There is the tinkling of their bells.
夜如何其、夜未艾、庭燎晣晣。
君子至止、鸞聲噦噦。
How goes the night?
The night is not yet through.
The torch is growing pale in the court-yard.
My princely men are arriving; -
There is the sound of their bells, regular and near.
夜如何其、夜鄉晨、庭燎有輝。
君子至止、言觀其旂。
How goes the night?
It is getting towards morning.
The torch is smoking in the court-yard.
My princely men are arriving; -
I see their banners.
Re: 182. 庭燎 - Ting Liao
Re: 182. 庭燎 - Ting Liao
The reasons it's definitely about Zhou Xuan wang is because "The torch is blazing in the court-yard." indicates it's someone living in the imperial household; "My princely men are arriving; -
" also indicates the imperial household; "How goes the night?" is the question that the king asks the chicken-person (who announces the dawn) and "The night is not yet through." is the response as dictated in the Rites of Zhou.
Re: 182. 庭燎 - Ting Liao
Re: 182. 庭燎 - Ting Liao
183. 沔水 - Mian Shui
鴥彼飛隼、載飛載止。
嗟我兄弟、邦人諸友、莫肯念亂、誰無父母。
In large volume, those flowing waters,
Go to the court of the sea.
Rapid is that flying falcon,
Now soaring, now resting.
Alas! among my brethren,
My countrymen, my friends,
No one is willing to think of the prevailing disorder;
[But] who has not parents [to suffer from it]?
沔彼流水、其流湯湯。
鴥彼飛隼、載飛載揚。
念彼不蹟、載起載行。
心之憂矣、不可弭忘。
In large volume, those flowing waters,
Roll on their swollen flood.
Rapid is that flying falcon,
Now soaring, now rising higher.
When I think of those lawless men,
Now I rise up, now I walk about.
The sorrow of my heart,
Cannot be repressed nor forgotten.
鴥彼飛隼、率彼中陵。
民之訛言、寧莫之懲。
我友敬矣、讒言其興。
Rapid is that flying falcon,
Yet he keeps along the middle of the height.
The talk of the people, -
Is there no means of stopping it?
If my friends would reverently [watch over themselves],
Would slanderous speeches be made?
Re: 183. 沔水 - Mian Shui
The worry for the parents is interesting as my instinct is to go, look after your kids, your parents are grown and can fend for themselves?
Again, the xing and the final stanza are somewhat difficult.
Re: 183. 沔水 - Mian Shui
Legge has an excellently evocative translation of "Go to the court of the sea." The gloss for this phrase says: to turn towards, to return to the sect/school/clan; originally meant the feudal vassals/princes having an audience with the emperor, later metaphorically means all rivers return to the sea (all things tend in one direction).
The falcon is glossed as a ferocious bird, could be an eagle, bird of prey, osprey, etc, good at hunting prey and flies high.
One of the sources thinks this was written in the early years of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, when Ping wang moved east, the dynasty became weak and the feudal vassals no longer supported it. The Haojing area became dangerous.
Baike also points out that it's rare in the Shijing to use four phrases (in the first two stanzas) to have two bixing sentences.
Re: 183. 沔水 - Mian Shui
Re: 183. 沔水 - Mian Shui
Re: 183. 沔水 - Mian Shui
184. 鶴鳴 - He Ming
魚潛在淵、或在于渚。
樂彼之園、爰有樹檀、其下維蘀。
它山之石、可以為錯。
The crane cries in the ninth pool of the marsh,
And her voice is heard in the [distant] wilds.
The fish lies in the deep,
And now is by the islet.
Pleasant is that garden,
In which are the sandal trees;
But beneath them are only withered leaves.
The stones of those hills,
May be made into grind-stones.
鶴鳴于九皋、聲聞于天。
魚在于渚、或潛在淵。
樂彼之園、爰有樹檀、其下維穀。
它山之石、可以攻玉。
The crane cries in the ninth pool of the marsh,
And her voice is heard in the sky.
The fish is by the islet,
And now it lies hid in the deep.
Pleasant is that garden,
In which are the sandal trees;
But beneath them is the paper-mulberry tree,
The stones of those hills,
May be used to polish gems.
Re: 184. 鶴鳴 - He Ming
Re: 184. 鶴鳴 - He Ming
this is an old tune. Xiao Ya has a section He Ming which says, "Cranes cry in nine (i.e., a row of) marshpools; the sound is heard in the wilderness;" and, "The sound is heard in the heavens." Zhu Xi's (12th c.) commentary says, "A marshpool in the bend of a river is called a gao; the number of marshpools is nine, exemplifying the depth and distance. The crane is a bird with an immortal spirit; its cry is lofty and clear and can be heard for eight or nine li." The meaning of this tune perhaps comes from its comparing the call of the crane and the music of the qin.
Once I raised two cranes in the bamboo grove of my Qin Courtyard. Sometimes they would look at their shadows and dance together; other times they would fly up together and cry back and forth. But it was only at certain appropriate times. As for dancing, when they felt a heavenly breeze they would dance in order to shake their feathers (and clean them in the wind); (as for crying out), when they raise (their heads) and to look at the Milky Way and see the divine,13 then they would cry out. If it wasn't the appropriate time they wouldn't cry out; if it wasn't the appropriate time they wouldn't dance.
People know that cranes are birds with a divine spirit, and thus we have this piece."
http://www.silkqin.com/02qnpu/07sqmp/sq31hmjg.htm
Re: 184. 鶴鳴 - He Ming
Full of metaphors, which all have (of course) varying interpretations too...