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The fish pass into the basket, |
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Yellow-jaws and sand-blowers. |
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Our host has spirits, |
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Good and abundance of them. |
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The fish pass into the basket, |
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Bream and tench. |
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Our host has spirits, |
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Abundance of them and good. |
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The fish pass into the basket, |
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Mud-fish and carp. |
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Our host has spirits, |
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Good and in quantities. |
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The viands are abundant, |
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And they are admirable. |
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The viands are excellent, |
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Both from the land and the sea. |
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The viands are in quantities, |
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And all in season. |
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In the south is the barbel, |
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And, in multitudes, they are taken under baskets. |
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The host has spirits, |
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On which his admirable quests feast with him joyfully. |
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In the south is the barbel, |
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And, in multitudes, they are taken with wicker nets. |
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The host has spirits, |
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On which his admirable quests feast with him, delighted. |
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In the south are trees with curved drooping branches, |
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And the sweet gourds cling to them. |
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The host has spirits, |
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On which his admirable quests feast with him cheerfully. |
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The Filial doves keep flying about, |
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Coming in multitudes. |
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The host has spirits, |
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On which his admirable quests feast with him again and again. |
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On the hills of the south is the Tai plant, |
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On those of the north is the Lai. |
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To be rejoiced in are ye, noble men, |
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The foundations of the State. |
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To be rejoiced in are ye, noble men; -- |
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May your years be myriads and without end! |
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On the hills of the south are the mulberry trees, |
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On those of the north are willows. |
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To be rejoiced in are ye, noble men, |
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The light of the State. |
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To be rejoiced in are ye, noble men; -- |
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May your years be myriads, unlimited! |
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On the hills of the south are medlars; |
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On those of the north are plum trees. |
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To be rejoiced in are ye, noble men, |
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Parents of the people. |
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To be rejoiced in are ye, noble men; -- |
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May your virtuous fame have no end! |
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On the hills of the south is the Kao; |
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On those of the north is the Niu. |
|
To be rejoiced in are ye, noble men, |
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Have ye not the eyebrows of longevity? |
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To be rejoiced in are ye, noble men; -- |
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May your virtuous fame be abundant! |
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On the hills of the south is the Ju; |
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On those of the north is the Yu. |
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To be rejoiced in are ye, gentlemen; -- |
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Will ye not have the grey hair and wrinkled face? |
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To be rejoiced in are ye, gentlemen; -- |
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May ye preserve and maintain your posterity! |
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How long grows the southernwood, |
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With the dew lying on it so bright! |
|
Now that I see my noble men, |
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My heart is entirely satisfied. |
|
As we feast, we laugh and talk; -- |
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It is right they should have fame and prosperity! |
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How long grows the southernwood, |
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With the dew lying on it so abundantly! |
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Now that I see my noble men, |
|
I appreciate their favour and their brightness. |
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Their virtue is without taint of error; -- |
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May they live long, and not be forgotten! |
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How high is the southernwood, |
|
All wet with the fallen dew! |
|
Now that I see my noble men, |
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Grandly we feast, delighted and complacent. |
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May their relations with their brothers be right! |
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May they be happy in their excellent virtue to old age! |
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How high is the southernwood, |
|
With the dew lying on it so richly! |
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I have seen my noble men, |
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With the ends of their reins hanging down, |
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With the bells tinkling on their cross-boards and bits. |
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May all happiness gather upon them. |
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Heavy lies the dew; |
|
Nothing but the sun can dry it. |
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Happily and long into the night we drink; -- |
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Till all are drunk, there is no retiring. |
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Heavy lies the dew; |
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On that luxuriant grass. |
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Happily and long into the night we drin. |
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In the honoured apartment we complete our carousal. |
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Heavy lies the dew; |
|
On those willows and jujube trees. |
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Distinguished and true are my noble quests, -- |
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Every one of excellent virtue. |
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From the Tong and the Yi, |
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Their fruit hangs down. |
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Happy and self-possessed are my noble quests, -- |
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Every one of them of excellent deportment. |
Published
by The Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, © Copyright 2003
by Anne Kinney and the University of Virginia