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Those officers of the [old] capital, |
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With their fox-furs so yellow, |
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Their deportment unvaryingly [correct], |
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And their speech full of elegance! -- |
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If we could go back to [the old] Zhou, |
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They would be admiringly looked up by all the people. |
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Those officers of the [old] capital, |
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With their hats of Tai leaves and small black caps! -- |
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Those ladies of noble Houses. |
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With their hair so thick and straight! -- |
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I do not see them [now], |
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And my heart is dissatisfied. |
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Those officers of the [old] capital, |
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With their ear-plugs of xiu-stones! -- |
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Those ladies of noble Houses, |
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Each fit to be called a Yin or a Ji! -- |
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I do not see them [now], |
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And my heart grieves with indissoluble sorrow. |
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Those officers of the [old] capital, |
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With their girdles hanging elegantly down! -- |
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Those ladies of great Houses, |
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With their [side] hair curving up like a scorpion's tail! -- |
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I do not see them [now], |
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[If I could], I would walk along after them. |
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Not that they purposely let their girdles hang down; -- |
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The girdles were naturally long. |
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Not that they gave their hair that curve; -- |
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The hair had a natural curl. |
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I do not see them [now], |
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And how do I long for them! |
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All the morning I gather the king-grass, |
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And do not collect enough to fill my hands. |
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My hair is in a wisp; -- |
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I will go home and wash it. |
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All the morning I gather the indigo plant, |
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And do not collect enough to fill my apron. |
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Five days was the time agreed on; -- |
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It is the sixth, and I do not see him. |
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When he went a hunting, |
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I put the bow in its case for him. |
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When he went to fish, |
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I arranged his line for him. |
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What did he take in angling? |
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Bream and tench; -- |
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Bream and tench, |
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While people [looked on] to see. |
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Tall and strong grows the young millet, |
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Fattened by the genial rains. |
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Very long was our journey to the south, |
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But the earl of Zhou encouraged and cheered us. |
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We carried our burdens; we pushed along our barrows; |
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We drove our waggons; we led our oxen. |
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When our expedition was accomplished, |
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We knew we should return. |
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We went along on foot; we rode in our chariots; -- |
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Our whole host, and our battalions. |
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When our expedition was accomplished, |
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We knew we should return home. |
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Severe was the work at Su, |
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But the earl of Zhou built the city. |
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Majestic was the march of our host; -- |
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The earl of Zhou directed it. |
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The plains and low lands were regulated; -- |
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The springs and streams were cleared. |
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The earl of Zhou completed his work, |
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And the heart of the king was at rest. |
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In the low, wet grounds, the mulberry trees are beautiful, |
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And their leaves are luxuriant. |
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When I see the princely men, |
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How great is the pleasure! |
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In the low, wet grounds, the mulberry trees are beautiful, |
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And their leaves are glossy. |
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When I see the princely men, |
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How can I be other than glad? |
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In the low, wet grounds, the mulberry trees are beautiful, |
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And their leaves are dark. |
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When I see the princely men, |
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Their virtuous fame draws them close [to my heart]. |
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In my heart I love them, |
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And why should I not say so? |
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In the core of my heart I keep them, |
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And never will forget them. |
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The fibres from the white flowered rush, |
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Are bound with the white grass. |
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This man's sending me away, |
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Makes me dwell solitary. |
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The light and brilliant clouds, |
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Bedew the rush and the grass. |
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The way of Heaven is hard and difficult; -- |
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This man does nto confirm [to good principle]. |
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How the water from the pools flows away to north, |
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Flooding the rice fields! |
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I whistle and sing with wounded heart, |
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Thinking of that great man. |
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They gather firewood of branches of the mulberry trees, |
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And I burn them [only] in a [small] furnace. |
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That great man, |
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Does indeed toil and trouble my heart. |
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Their drums and bells are beaten in the palace, |
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And their sound is heard without. |
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All-sorrowful I think of him; -- |
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He thinks of me without any regard. |
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The marabou is on the dam; |
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The [common] crane is in the forest. |
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That great man, |
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Does indeed toil and trouble my heart. |
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The Yellow ducks are on the dams, |
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With their left wings gathered up. |
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That man is bad, |
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Ever varying in his conduct. |
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How thin is that slab of stone! |
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He that stands on it is low. |
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That man's sending me away, |
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Makes me full of affliction. |
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There is that little oriole, |
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Resting on a bend of the mound. |
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The way is distant, |
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And I am very much wearied. |
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Give me drink, give me food; |
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Inform me, teach me; |
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Order one of the attending carriages, |
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And tell them to carry me. |
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There is that little oriole, |
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Resting on a corner of the mound. |
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It is not that I dare to shrink from the journey, |
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But I am afraid of not being able to go on. |
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Give me drink, give me food; |
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Inform me, teach me; |
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Order one of the attending carriages, |
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And tell them to carry me. |
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There is that little oriole, |
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Resting on the side of the mound. |
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It is not that I dare to shrink from the journey, |
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But I am afraid of not getting to the end of it. |
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Give me drink, give me food; |
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Inform me, teach me; |
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Order one of the attending carriages, |
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And tell them to carry me. |
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Of the gourd leaves, waving about, |
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Some are taken and boiled; |
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[Then] the superior man, from his spirits, |
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Pours out a cup, and tastes it. |
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There is but a single rabbit, |
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Baked, or roasted. |
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[But] the superior man, from his spirits, |
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Fills the cup and presents it [to his guests]. |
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There is but a single rabbit, |
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Roasted, or broiled. |
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[But] from the spirits of the superior man, |
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[His guests] fill the cup, and present it to him. |
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There is but a single rabbit, |
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Roasted, or baked. |
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[But] from the spirits of the superior man, |
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[His guests and he] fill the cup and pledge one another. |
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Those frowning rocks, -- |
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How high they rise! |
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Over such a distance of hills and streams, |
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How toilsome is the march! |
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The warrior, in charge of the expedition to the east, |
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Has not a morning's leisure. |
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Those frowning rocks, -- |
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How they crown the heights! |
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Over such a distance of hills and streams, |
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When shall we have completed our march? |
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The warrior, in charge of the expedition to the east, |
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Has no leisure [to think] how he wll withdraw. |
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There are swine, with their legs white, |
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All wading through streams. |
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The moon also is in the Hyades, |
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Which will bring still greater rain. |
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The warrior, in charge of the expedition to the east, |
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Has no leisure [to think] of anything but this. |
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The flowers of the bignonia, |
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Are of a deep yellow. |
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My heart is sad; |
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I feel its wound. |
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The flowers of the bignonia [are gone], |
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[There are only] its leaves all-green. |
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If I had known it would be thus with me, |
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I had better not have been born. |
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The ewes have large heads; |
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The Three stars are [seen] in the fish-trap. |
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If some men can get enough to eat, |
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Few can get their fill. |
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Every plant is yellow; |
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Every day we march. |
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Every man is moving about, |
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Doing service in some quarter of the kingdom. |
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Every plant is purple; |
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Every man is torn from his wife. |
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Alas for us employed on these expeditions! |
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How are we alone dealt with as if we were not men? |
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We are not rhinoceroses, we are not tigers, |
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To be kept in these desolate wilds. |
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Alas for us employed on these expeditions! |
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Morning and night we have no leisure. |
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The long-tailed foxes, |
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May keep among the dark grass. |
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And our box-carts, |
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Keep moving along the great roads. |