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東方未明

東方未明。
顛倒衣裳。
顛之倒之。
自公召之。
東方未晞。
顛倒裳衣。
倒之顛之。
自公令之。
折柳樊圃。
狂夫瞿瞿。
不能辰夜。
不夙則莫。

DONG FANG WEI MING

Before the east was bright,
I was putting on my clothes upside down;
I was putting them on upside down,
And there was one from the court calling me.
Before there was a streak of dawn in the east,
I was putting on my clothes upside down;
I was putting them on upside down,
And there was one from the court with orders for me.
You fence your garden with branches of willow,
And the reckless fellows stand in awe.
He, [however], cannot fix the time of night;
If he be not too early, he is sure to be late.
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IATHPublished by The Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, © Copyright 2003 by Anne Kinney and the University of Virginia