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They flit about, the green-beaks, |
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With their variegated wings. |
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To be rejoiced in are these princes! |
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May they receive the blessing of Heaven! |
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They flit about, the green-beaks, |
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With their glancing necks. |
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To be rejoiced in are these princes! |
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They are screens to all the States. |
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These screens, these buttresses, -- |
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All the chiefs will take them as a pattern. |
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Are they not self-restrained? Are they not careful? |
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Will they not receive much happiness? |
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How long is that cup of rhinoceros ' horn! |
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Good are the spirits in it and soft. |
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While it passes round, they show no pride; |
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All blessing must come to seek them. |
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The Yellow ducks fly about, |
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And are taken with hand-nets and spread-nets. |
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May our sovereign live for ten thousand years, |
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Enjoying the happiness and wealth which are his due! |
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The Yellow ducks are on the dam, |
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With their left wings gathered up. |
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May our sovereign live for ten thousand years, |
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Enjoying the happiness and wealth which are his due! |
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The teams of steeds are in the stable, |
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Fed with forage and grain. |
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May our sovereign live for ten thousand years, |
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Sustained in his happiness and wealth! |
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The teams of steeds are in the stable, |
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Fed with grain and forage. |
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May our sovereign live for ten thousand years, |
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In the comfort of his happiness and wealth! |
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Those in the leather caps, -- |
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Who are they? |
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Since your spirits are [so]good, |
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And your viands are [so] fine, |
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How can they be strangers? |
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They are your brethren, and no others. |
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[They are like] the mistletoe and the dodder. |
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Growing over the pine and the cypress. |
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While they do not see you, O king, |
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Their sorrowful hearts are all-unsettled. |
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When they do see you, |
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They begin to be happy and glad. |
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Those in the leather caps, -- |
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Who are they? |
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Since your spirits are [so]good, |
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And your viands are all of the season. |
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How can they be strangers? |
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They are your brethren, all assembled. |
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[They are like] the mistletoe and the dodder. |
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Growing over the pine. |
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While they do not see you, O king, |
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Their hearts are full of sorrow. |
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When they do see you, |
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They begin to feel that things are right. |
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There are those in the leather caps, |
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Which they wear on their heads. |
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Since your spirits are [so] good, |
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And your viands are [so] abundant, |
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How can they be strangers? |
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They are your brethren, and your relatives by affinity. |
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When there is going to be a fall of snow, |
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There is first the descent of sleet. |
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Death and ruin may come any day, |
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It is not long that you will see one another. |
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Rejoice over your spirits for the present evening; |
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O king, enjoy the feast. |
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Jian-guan went the axle ends of my carriage, |
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As I thought of the young beauty, and went [to fetch her]. |
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It was not that I was hungry or thirsty, |
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But [I longed] for one of such virtuous fame to come and be with me. |
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Although no good friends be with us, |
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We will feast and be glad. |
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Dense is that forest in the plain, |
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And there sit the long-tailed pheasants. |
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In her proper season that well-grown lady, |
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With her admirable virtue, is come to instruct me. |
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We will feast, and I will praise her. |
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' I love you, and will never be weary of you. ' |
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Although I have no good spirits, |
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We will drink [what I have], and perhaps [be satisfied]. |
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Although I have no good viands, |
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We will eat [what I have], and perhaps [be satisfied]. |
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Although I have no virtue to impart to you, |
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We will sing and dance. |
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I ascend that lofty ridge, |
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And split the branches of the oaks for firewood. |
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I split the branches of the oaks for firewood, |
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Amid the luxuriance of their leaves. |
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I see you whose match is seldom to be seen, |
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And my whole heart is satisfied. |
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The high hill is looked up to; |
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The great road is easy to be travelled on. |
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My four steeds advanced without stopping; |
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The six reins [made music] in my hands like lute-[strings]. |
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I see you my bride, |
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To the comfort of my heart. |
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When the guests first approach the mats, |
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They take their places on the left and the right in an orderly manner. |
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The dishes of bamboo and wood are arranged in rows, |
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With the sauces and kernels displayed in them. |
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The spirits are mild and good, |
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And they drink, all equally reverent. |
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The bells and drums are properly arranged; |
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And they raise their pledge-cups with order and ease. |
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[Then] the great target is set up; |
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The bows and arrows are made ready for the shooting; |
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The archers are matched in classes. |
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' Show your skill in shooting, ' [it is said]. |
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' I shall hit that mark, ' [it is responded], |
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'And pray you to drink the cup. ' |
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The dancers move with their flutes to the notes of the organ and drum, |
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While all the instruments perform in harmony. |
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All this is done to please the meritorious ancestors, |
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Along with the observance of all ceremonies. |
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When all the ceremonies have been performed, |
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Grandly and fully, |
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'We confer on you great blessings, ' [says the representative of the dead], |
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'And may your descendants [also] be happy! ' |
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They are happy and delighted, |
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And each of them exerts his ability. |
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A guest draws the spirits, |
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An attendant enters again, with a cup, |
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And fills it, -- the cup of rest. |
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Thus are performed your seasonal ceremonies. |
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When the guests first approach the mats, |
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All harmonies are they and reverent. |
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Before they have drunk too much, |
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Their deportment is carefully observant of propriety; |
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But when they have drunk too much, |
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Their deportment becomes light and frivolous: -- |
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They leave their seats, and go elsewhere, |
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They keep dancing and capering. |
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Before they have drunk too much, |
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Their deportment is cautious and grave: -- |
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But when they have drunk too much, |
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Their deportment becomes indecent and rude: -- |
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Thus when they have too mcuh, |
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They lose all sense of orderliness. |
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When the guests have drunk too much, |
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They shout out and brawl. |
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They disorder the dishes; |
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They keep dancing in a fantastic manner. |
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Thus when they have drunk too much, |
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They become insensible of their errors. |
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With their caps on one side, and like to fall off, |
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They keep dancing the will not stop. |
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If, when they have drunk too much, they went out, |
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Both they [and their host] would be happy; |
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But remaining after they are drunk, |
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Is what is called doing injury to virtue. |
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Drinking is a good institution, |
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Only when there is good deportment in it. |
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On every occasion of drinking, |
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Some get drunk, and some do not. |
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An inspector is appointed, |
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With a recorder to assist him. |
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But those drunkards, in their vileness, |
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Are shamed of those who do not get drunk. |
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These have no opportunity to speak, |
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And prevent the others from proceeding to such great abandonment. |
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[They might say], ' Do not speak what you ought not to speak; |
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Do not say what you have no occasion to say, |
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If you speak, drunk as you are, |
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We will make you produce a ram without horns. |
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With three cups you lose your memories; -- |
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How dare you go on to more? ' |
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They gather the beans, they gather the beans, |
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In their baskets, square and round. |
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The princes are coming to court, |
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And what gifts have I to give them? |
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Although I have none to give them, |
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There are the state carriages and their teams. |
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What more have I to give them? |
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The dark-coloured [upper] robes with the dragon, |
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And the [lower garments with the] hatchet. |
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Right up bubbles the water from the spring, |
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And they gather the cress [about it]. |
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The princes are coming to court, |
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And I see their dragon flags; -- |
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Their dragon flags moving [in the wind], |
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While the sound of their bells comes hui-hui. |
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There are the two outside horses, there are the whole teams, -- |
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Proofs that the princes are come. |
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Their red covers on their knees, |
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And their buskins below, |
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There is no remissness in their demeanour; -- |
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Of such should the son of Heaven approve. |
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To be rejoiced in are the princes, |
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And the son of Heaven gives them the badges of his favour. |
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To be rejoiced in are the princes, |
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And their happiness and dignities are renewed and extended. |
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On the branches of the oaks, |
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How abundant are the leaves! |
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To be rejoiced in are the princes, |
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Guardians of the regions of the son of Heaven. |
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To be rejoiced in are the princes, |
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Around whom all the blessings collect. |
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Discriminating and able are their attendants, |
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Who also have followed them hither. |
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It floats about, the boat of willow wood, |
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Fastened by the band of the rope. |
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To be rejoiced in are the princes, |
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And the son of Heaven scans [their merits]. |
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To be rejoiced in are the princes, |
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And their happiness and dignities are enlarged. |
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How joyous, how happy, |
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Is their coming here! |
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Well fashioned is the bow adorned with horn, |
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And swift is its recoil. |
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Brothers and relatives by affinity, |
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Should not be treated distantly. |
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When you keep yours at a distance, |
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The people all do the same with theirs. |
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What you teach, |
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The people all imitate. |
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Those brothers who are good, |
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Continue to display much generous feeling; |
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But between brothers who are not good, |
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Their intercourse is marked by troubles. |
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People who have no conscience, |
|
Repine against each other, each one holding his own point of view; |
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One gets a place, and shows no humility -- |
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Till they all come to ruin. |
|
An old horse, notwithstanding, thinks himself a colt, |
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And has no regard to the future. |
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It is like craving a superabundance of food, |
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And an excess of drink. |
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Do not teach a monkey to climb trees; -- |
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[You act] like adding mud to one in the mud. |
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If the sovereign have good ways, |
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The small people will accord with them. |
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The snow may have fallen abundantly, |
|
But when it feels the sun's heat, it dissolves. |
|
You are not willing to discountenance [those parties], |
|
And so they become [more] troublesome and arrogant. |
|
The snow may have fallen largely, |
|
But when it feels the sun's heat, it flows away. |
|
They become like the Man or the Mao; -- |
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This is what make me sad. |