XWomen CONTENT


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	The cricket is in the hall,
	And the year is drawing to a close.
	If we do not enjoy ourselves now,
	The days and months will be leaving us.
	But let us not go to great excess;
	Let us first think of the duties of our position;
	Let us not be wild in our love of enjoyment.
	The good man is anxiously thoughtful.
	The cricket is in the hall,
	And the year is passing away.
	If we do not enjoy ourselves now,
	The days and months will have gone.
	But let us not go to great excess;
	Let us first send our thoughts beyond the present;
	Let us not be wild in our love of enjoyment.
	The good man is ever diligent.
	The cricket is in the hall,
	And our carts stand unemployed.
	If we do not enjoy ourselves now,
	The days and months will have gone by.
	But let us not go to an excess;
	Let us first think of the griefs that may arise;
	Let us not be wild in our love of enjoyment.
	The good man is quiet and serene.

	On the mountains are the thorny elms,
	In the low, wet grounds are the white elms.
	You have suits of robes,
	But you will not wear them;
	You have carriages and horses,
	But you will not drive them.
	You will drop off in death,
	And another person will enjoy them.
	On the mountains is the Kao,
	In the low wet grounds is the Niu.
	You have courtyards and inner rooms,
	But you will not have them sprinkled or swept;
	You have drums and bells,
	But you will not have them beat or struck,
	You will drop off in death,
	And another person will possess them.
	On the mountains are the varnish trees,
	In the low wet grounds are the chestnuts.
	You have spirits and viands; --
	Why not daily play your lute?
	Both to give a zest to your joy,
	And to prolong the day?
	You will drop off in death,
	And another person will enter your chamber.

	Amidst the fretted waters,
	The white rocks stand up grandly.
	Bringing a robe of white silk, with a vermillion collar,
	We will follow you to Wo.
	When we have seen the princely lord,
	Shall we not rejoice?
	Amidst the fretted waters,
	The white rocks stand glistening.
	Bringing a robe of white silk, with a vermillion collar, and embroidered,
	We will follow you to Hu.
	When we have seen the princely lord,
	What sorrow will remain to us?
	Amidst the fretted waters,
	The white rocks clearly show.
	We have heard your orders,
	And will not dare to inform any one of them.

	The clusters of the pepper plant,
	Large and luxuriant, would fill a pint.
	That hero there
	Is large and peerless.
	O the pepper plant!
	How its shoots extend!
	The clusters of the pepper plant,
	Large and luxuriant, would fill both your hands.
	That hero there
	Is large and generous.
	O the pepper plant!
	How its shoots extend!

	Round and round the firewood is bound;
	And the Three Stars appear in the sky.
	This evening is what evening,
	That I see this good man?
	O me! O me!
	That I should get a good man like this!
	Round and round the grass is bound;
	And the Three Stars are seen from the corner.
	This evening is what evening,
	That we have this unexpected meeting?
	Happy pair! Happy pair!
	That we should have this unexpected meeting!
	Round and round the thorns are bound;
	And the Three Stars are seen from the door.
	This evening is what evening,
	That I see this beauty?
	O me! O me!
	That I should see a beauty like this!

	There is a solitary russet pear tree,
	[But] its leaves are luxuriant.
	Alone I walk unbefriended; --
	Is it because there are no other people?
	But none are like the sons of one's father.
	O ye travellers,
	Why do ye not sympathize with me?
	Without brothers as I am,
	Why do ye not help me?
	There is a solitary russet pear tree,
	[But] its leaves are abundant.
	Alone I walk uncared for; --
	Is it that there are not other people?
	But none are like those of one's own surname.
	O ye travellers,
	Why do ye not sympathize with me?
	Without brothers as I am,
	Why do ye not help me?

	Lamb's fur and leopard's cuffs,
	You use us with unkindness.
	Might we not find another chief?
	But [we stay] because of your forefathers.
	Lamb's fur and leopard's cuffs,
	You use us with cruel unkindness.
	Might we not find another chief?
	But [we stay] from our regard to you.

	Su-su go the feathers of the wild geese,
	As they settle on the bushy oaks.
	The king's affairs must not be slackly discharged,
	And [so] we cannot plant our sacrificial millet and millet; --
	What will our parents have to rely on?
	O thou distant and azure Heaven!
	When shall we be in our places again?
	Su-su go the wings of the wild geese,
	As they settle on the bushy jujube trees.
	The king's affairs must not be slackly discharged,
	And [so] we cannot plant our millet and sacrificial millet; --
	How shall our parents be supplied with food?
	O thou distant and azure Heaven!
	When shall [our service] have an end?
	Su-su go the rows of the wild geese,
	As they rest on the bushy mulberry trees.
	The king's business must not be slackly discharged,
	And [so] we cannot plant our rice and maize; --
	How shalll our parents get food?
	O thou distant and azure Heaven!
	When shall we get [back] to our ordinary lot?

	How can it be said that he is without robes?
	He has those of the seven orders;
	But it is better that he get those robes from you.
	That will secure tranquillity and good fortune.
	How can it be said that he is without robes?
	He has those of the six orders;
	But it is better that he get those robes from you.
	That will secure tranquillity and permanence.

	There is a solitary russet pear tree,
	Growing on the left of the way.
	That princely man there!
	He might be willing to come to me.
	In the centre of my heart I love him,
	[But] how shall I supply him with drink and food?
	There is a solitary russet pear tree,
	Growing where the way makes a compass.
	That princely man there!
	He might be willing to come and ramble [with me].
	In the centre of my heart I love him,
	[But] how shall I supply him with drink and food?

	The dolichos grows, covering the thorn trees;
	The convolvulus spreads all over the waste.
	The man of my admiration is no more here;
	With whom can I dwell? -- I abide alone.
	The dolichos grows, covering the jujube trees;
	The convolvulus spreads all over the tombs.
	The man of my admiration is no more here;
	With whom can I dwell? -- I rest alone.
	How beautiful was the pillow of horn!
	How splendid was the embroidered coverlet!
	The man of my admiration is no more here; --
	With whom can I dwell? -- Alone [I wait for] the morning.
	Through the [long] days of summer,
	Through the [long] nights of winter [shall I be alone],
	Till the lapse of a hundred years,
	When I shall go home to his abode.
	Through the [long] nights of winter,
	Through the [long] days of summer [shall I be alone],
	Till the lapse of a hundred years,
	When I shall go home to his chamber.

	Would you gather the liquorice, would you gather the liquorice,
	On the top of Shouyang?
	When men tell their stories,
	Do not readily believe them;
	Put them aside, put them aside.
	Do not readily assent to them;
	And, when men tell their stories,
	How will they find course?
	Would you gather the sowthistle, would you gather the sowthistle,
	At the foot of Shouyang?
	When men tell their stories,
	Do not readily approve them;
	Put them aside, put them aside.
	Do not readily assent to them;
	And, when men tell their stories,
	How will they find course?
	Would you gather the mustard plant, would you gather the mustard plant,
	On the east of Shouyang?
	When men tell their stories,
	Do not readily listen to them; --
	Put them aside, put them aside.
	Do not readily assent to them;
	And, when men tell their stories,
	How will they find course?


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Published by The Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, © Copyright 2003 by Anne Kinney and the University of Virginia