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四月

四月維夏。
六月徂暑。
先祖匪人。
胡寧忍予。
秋日淒淒。
百卉具腓。
亂離瘼矣。
爰其適歸。
冬日烈烈。
飄風發發。
民莫不穀。
我獨何害。
山有嘉卉。
侯栗侯梅。
廢為殘賊。
莫知其尤。
相彼泉水。
載清載濁。
我曰構禍。
曷云能穀。
滔滔江漢。
南國之紀。
盡瘁以仕。
寧莫我有。
匪鷻匪鳶。
翰飛戾天。
匪鱣匪鮪。
潛逃于淵。
山有蕨薇。
隰有杞桋。
君子作歌。
維以告哀。

SI YUE

In the fourth month comes summer,
And in the sixth month the heat begins to decrease.
Were not my forefathers men?
How can they endure that I should be [thus]?
The autumn days become cold,
And the plants all decay.
Amid such distress of disorder and dispersion,
Whither can I betake myself?
The winter days are very fierce,
And the storm blows in rapid gusts.
People all are happy;
Why do I alone suffer this misery?
On the mountain are fine trees, --
Chestnut trees and plum trees.
Of their degenerating into ravening thieves,
I know not the evil cause.
Look at the water of that spring,
Sometimes clear, sometimes muddy.
I am every day coming into contact with misfortune;
How can I be happy?
Grandly flow the Jiang and the Han,
Regulators of the southern States.
Worn out as I am with service,
He yet takes no notice of me.
I am not an eagle nor a hawk,
Which flies aloft to heaven.
I am not a sturgeon, large or small,
Which can dive and hide in the deep.
On the hills are the turtle-foot and thorn ferns;
In the marshes are the medlar and the yi.
I, an officer, have made this song,
To make known my plaint.
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IATHPublished by The Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, © Copyright 2003 by Anne Kinney and the University of Virginia