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How the dolichos spread itself out, | |
Extending to the middle of the valley! | |
Its leaves were luxuriant; | |
The yellow birds flew about, | |
And collected on the thickly growing trees, | |
Their pleasant notes resounding far. | |
How the dolichos spread itself out, | |
Extending to the middle of the valley! | |
Its leaves were luxuriant and dense. | |
I cut it and I boiled it, | |
And made both fine cloth and coarse, | |
Which I will wear without getting tired of it. | |
I have told the matron, | |
Who will announce that I am going to see my parents. | |
I will wash my private clothes clean, | |
And I will rinse my robes. | |
Which need to be rinsed, which do not? | |
I am going back to visit my parents. |
I was gathering and gathering the mouse-ear, | |
But could not fill my shallow basket. | |
With a sigh for the man of my heart, | |
I placed it there on the highway. | |
I was ascending that rock-covered height, | |
But my horses were too tired to breast it. | |
I will now pour a cup from that gilded vase, | |
Hoping I may not have to think of him long. | |
I was ascending that lofty ridge, | |
But my horses turned of a dark yellow. | |
I will now take a cup from that rhinoceros' horn, | |
Hoping I may not have long to sorrow. | |
I was ascending that flat-topped height, | |
But my horses became quite disabled, | |
And my servants were [also] disabled. | |
Oh! how great is my sorrow! |
In the south are trees with curved drooping branches, | |
With the doliches creepers clinging to them. | |
To be rejoiced in is our princely lady: -- | |
May she repose in her happiness and dignity! | |
In the south are the trees with curved drooping branches, | |
Covered by the dolichos creepers. | |
To be rejoiced in is our princely lady: -- | |
May she be great in her happiness and dignity! | |
In the south are the trees with curved drooping branches, | |
Round which the dolichos creepers twine. | |
To be rejoiced in is our princely lady: -- | |
May she be complete in her happiness and dignity! |
Ye locusts, winged tribes, | |
How harmoniously you collect together! | |
Right is it that your descendants | |
Should be multitudinous! | |
Ye locusts, winged tribes, | |
How sound your wings in flight! | |
Right is it that your descendents | |
Should be as in unbroken strings! | |
Ye locusts, winged tribes, | |
How you cluster together! | |
Right is it that your descendents | |
Should be in swarms! |
The peach tree is young and elegant; | |
Brilliant are its flowers. | |
This young lady is going to her future home, | |
And will order well her chamber and house. | |
The peach tree is young and elegant; | |
Abundant will be its fruits. | |
This young lady is going to her future home, | |
And will order well her chamber and house. | |
The peach tree is young and elegant; | |
Luxuriant are its leaves. | |
This young lady is going to her future home, | |
And will order well her family. |
Carefully adjusted are the rabbit nets; | |
Clang clang go the blows on the pegs. | |
That stalwart, martial man | |
Might be shield and wall to his prince. | |
Carefully adjusted are the rabbit nets, | |
And placed where many ways meet. | |
That stalwart, martial man | |
Would be a good companion for his prince. | |
Carefully adjusted are the rabbit nets, | |
And placed in the midst of the forest. | |
That stalwart, martial man | |
Might be head and heart to his prince. |
We gather and gather the plantains; | |
Now we may gather them. | |
We gather and gather the plantains; | |
Now we have got them. | |
We gather and gather the plantains; | |
Now we pluck the ears. | |
We gather and gather the plantains; | |
Now we rub out the seeds. | |
We gather and gather the plantains; | |
Now we place the seeds in our skirts. | |
We gather and gather the plantains; | |
Now we tuck out skirts under our girdles. |
In the south rise the trees without branches, | |
Affording no shelter. | |
By the Han are girls rambling about, | |
But it is vain to solicit them. | |
The breath of the Han | |
Cannot be dived across; | |
The length of the Jiang | |
Cannot be navigated with a raft. | |
Many are the bundles of firewood; | |
I would cut down the thorns [to form more]. | |
Those girls that are going to their future home, -- | |
I would feed their horses. | |
The breadth of the Han | |
Cannot be dived across; | |
The length of the Jiang, | |
Cannot be navigated with a raft. | |
Many are the bundles of firewood; | |
I would cut down the southern wood [to form more]. | |
Those girls that are going to their future home, -- | |
I would feed their colts. | |
The breadth of the Han | |
Cannot be dived across; | |
The length of the Jiang | |
Cannot be navigated with a raft. |
Along those raised banks of the Ru, | |
I cut down the branches and slender stems. | |
While I could not see my lord, | |
I felt as it were pangs of great hunger. | |
Along those raised banks of the Ru, | |
I cut down the branches and fresh twigs. | |
I have seen my lord; | |
He has not cast me away. | |
The bream is showing its tail all red; | |
The royal House is like a blazing fire. | |
Though it be like a blazing fire, | |
Your parents are very near. |
The feet of the Lin: -- | |
The noble sons of our prince, | |
Ah! they are the Lin! | |
The forehead of the Lin: -- | |
The noble grandsons of our prince, | |
Ah! they are the Lin! | |
The horn of the Lin: -- | |
The noble kindred of our prince, | |
Ah! they are the Lin! |
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Published by The Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, © Copyright 2003 by Anne Kinney and the University of Virginia | |