Shi Jing – The Book of Odes

Those officers of the [old] capital,
With their fox-furs so yellow,
Their deportment unvaryingly [correct],
And their speech full of elegance ! –
If we could go back to [the old] Zhou,
They would be admiringly looked up by all the people.

Those officers of the [old] capital,
With their hats of Tai leaves and small black caps ! –
Those ladies of noble Houses.
With their hair so thick and straight ! –
I do not see them [now],
And my heart is dissatisfied.

Those officers of the [old] capital,
With their ear-plugs of xiu-stones ! –
Those ladies of noble Houses,
Each fit to be called a Yin or a Ji ! –
I do not see them [now],
And my heart grieves with indissoluble sorrow.

Those officers of the [old] capital,
With their girdles hanging elegantly down ! –
Those ladies of great Houses,
With their [side] hair curving up like a scorpion's tail ! –
I do not see them [now],
[If I could], I would walk along after them.

Not that they purposely let their girdles hang down ; –
The girdles were naturally long.
Not that they gave their hair that curve ; –
The hair had a natural curl.
I do not see them [now],
And how do I long for them !

Legge 225

All the morning I gather the king-grass,
And do not collect enough to fill my hands.
My hair is in a wisp ; –
I will go home and wash it.

All the morning I gather the indigo plant,
And do not collect enough to fill my apron.
Five days was the time agreed on ; –
It is the sixth, and I do not see him.

When he went a hunting,
I put the bow in its case for him.
When he went to fish,
I arranged his line for him.

What did he take in angling ?
Bream and tench ; –
Bream and tench,
While people [looked on] to see.

Legge 226

Je cueille les roseaux tout le matin
sans emplir le creux de mes mains !
Voilà, mes cheveux tout défaits !
allons ! retournons les laver !

Je cueille l'indigo tout le matin
sans emplir le creux de mes jupes !
Le cinquième jour était le terme :
au sixième, il ne parait pas !

Lorsque tu iras à la chasse,
je mettrai ton arc dans l'étui !
Lorsque tu iras à la pêche,
je ferai la corde de ta ligne !

Qu'est-ce que tu as pris à la pêche ?
ce sont des brèmes et des perches !
Ce sont des brèmes et des perches !
allons ! allons ! qu'il y en a !

Granet XX.

Tall and strong grows the young millet,
Fattened by the genial rains.
Very long was our journey to the south,
But the earl of Zhou encouraged and cheered us.

We carried our burdens ; we pushed along our barrows ;
We drove our waggons ; we led our oxen.
When our expedition was accomplished,
We knew we should return.

We went along on foot ; we rode in our chariots ; –
Our whole host, and our battalions.
When our expedition was accomplished,
We knew we should return home.

Severe was the work at Su,
But the earl of Zhou built the city.
Majestic was the march of our host ; –
The earl of Zhou directed it.

The plains and low lands were regulated ; –
The springs and streams were cleared.
The earl of Zhou completed his work,
And the heart of the king was at rest.

Legge 227

In the low, wet grounds, the mulberry trees are beautiful,
And their leaves are luxuriant.
When I see the princely men,
How great is the pleasure !

In the low, wet grounds, the mulberry trees are beautiful,
And their leaves are glossy.
When I see the princely men,
How can I be other than glad ?

In the low, wet grounds, the mulberry trees are beautiful,
And their leaves are dark.
When I see the princely men,
Their virtuous fame draws them close [to my heart].

In my heart I love them,
And why should I not say so ?
In the core of my heart I keep them,
And never will forget them.

Legge 228

Les mûriers du val, quelle force !
leur feuillage, quelle beauté !
Sitôt que je vois mon seigneur,
ma joie, quelle n'est-elle pas !

Les mûriers du val, quelle force !
leur feuillage, quelle douceur !
Sitôt que je vois mon seigneur,
allons ! quelle n'est pas ma joie !

Les mûriers du val, quelle force !
leur feuillage, quel vert profond !
Sitôt que je vois mon seigneur,
son prestige, qu'il agit fort !

Celui donc que dans mon cœur j'aime,
est-il trop loin pour y songer ?
Lui, que du fond du cœur j'estime,
lui, quand pourrais-je l'oublier ?

Granet III.

The fibres from the white flowered rush,
Are bound with the white grass.
This man's sending me away,
Makes me dwell solitary.

The light and brilliant clouds,
Bedew the rush and the grass.
The way of Heaven is hard and difficult ; –
This man does nto confirm [to good principle].

How the water from the pools flows away to north,
Flooding the rice fields !
I whistle and sing with wounded heart,
Thinking of that great man.

They gather firewood of branches of the mulberry trees,
And I burn them [only] in a [small] furnace.
That great man,
Does indeed toil and trouble my heart.

Their drums and bells are beaten in the palace,
And their sound is heard without.
All-sorrowful I think of him ; –
He thinks of me without any regard.

The marabou is on the dam ;
The [common] crane is in the forest.
That great man,
Does indeed toil and trouble my heart.

The Yellow ducks are on the dams,
With their left wings gathered up.
That man is bad,
Ever varying in his conduct.

How thin is that slab of stone !
He that stands on it is low.
That man's sending me away,
Makes me full of affliction.

Legge 229

There is that little oriole,
Resting on a bend of the mound.
The way is distant,
And I am very much wearied.
Give me drink, give me food ;
Inform me, teach me ;
Order one of the attending carriages,
And tell them to carry me.

There is that little oriole,
Resting on a corner of the mound.
It is not that I dare to shrink from the journey,
But I am afraid of not being able to go on.
Give me drink, give me food ;
Inform me, teach me ;
Order one of the attending carriages,
And tell them to carry me.

There is that little oriole,
Resting on the side of the mound.
It is not that I dare to shrink from the journey,
But I am afraid of not getting to the end of it.
Give me drink, give me food ;
Inform me, teach me ;
Order one of the attending carriages,
And tell them to carry me.

Legge 230

Of the gourd leaves, waving about,
Some are taken and boiled ;
[Then] the superior man, from his spirits,
Pours out a cup, and tastes it.

There is but a single rabbit,
Baked, or roasted.
[But] the superior man, from his spirits,
Fills the cup and presents it [to his guests].

There is but a single rabbit,
Roasted, or broiled.
[But] from the spirits of the superior man,
[His guests] fill the cup, and present it to him.

There is but a single rabbit,
Roasted, or baked.
[But] from the spirits of the superior man,
[His guests and he] fill the cup and pledge one another.

Legge 231

Those frowning rocks, –
How high they rise !
Over such a distance of hills and streams,
How toilsome is the march !
The warrior, in charge of the expedition to the east,
Has not a morning's leisure.

Those frowning rocks, –
How they crown the heights !
Over such a distance of hills and streams,
When shall we have completed our march ?
The warrior, in charge of the expedition to the east,
Has no leisure [to think] how he wll withdraw.

There are swine, with their legs white,
All wading through streams.
The moon also is in the Hyades,
Which will bring still greater rain.
The warrior, in charge of the expedition to the east,
Has no leisure [to think] of anything but this.

Legge 232

The flowers of the bignonia,
Are of a deep yellow.
My heart is sad ;
I feel its wound.

The flowers of the bignonia [are gone],
[There are only] its leaves all-green.
If I had known it would be thus with me,
I had better not have been born.

The ewes have large heads ;
The Three stars are [seen] in the fish-trap.
If some men can get enough to eat,
Few can get their fill.

Legge 233

Every plant is yellow ;
Every day we march.
Every man is moving about,
Doing service in some quarter of the kingdom.

Every plant is purple ;
Every man is torn from his wife.
Alas for us employed on these expeditions !
How are we alone dealt with as if we were not men ?

We are not rhinoceroses, we are not tigers,
To be kept in these desolate wilds.
Alas for us employed on these expeditions !
Morning and night we have no leisure.

The long-tailed foxes,
May keep among the dark grass.
And our box-carts,
Keep moving along the great roads.

Legge 234