Humanity Homework
Fryinginthesky
SelectionsfromthePoetryClassic.docx周南 (THE ODES OF ZHOU AND THE SOUTH)
1. 關睢 GUAN JU: The Ospreys
關關雎鳩、在河之洲。
窈宨淑女、君子好逑。
參差荇菜、左右流之。
窈宨淑女、寤寐求之。
求之不得、寤寐思服。
悠哉悠哉、輾轉反側。
參差荇菜、左右采之。
窈宨淑女、琴瑟友之。
參差荇菜、左右芼之。
窈宨淑女、 鍾鼓樂之。
“Guan-guan,” the ospreys,
On the islet in the river.
The modest, quiet young virgin
A good mate for our prince.
Long and short the duckweed,
Flowing left, flowing right on the water.
The modest, quiet young virgin
Waking and sleeping, he thought of her.
He sought her and didn’t find her,
Waking and sleeping he thought of her.
Troubled in mind, troubled in mind
Tossing and turning, side to side.
Long and short the duckweed
To the left, to the right, we gather it.
The modest, quiet, young virgin
With lutes and zithers we welcome her.
Long and short the duckweed
Left and right we cook and offer it.
The modest, quiet young virgin
Bells and drums sound our delight in her.
6. 桃夭 TAO YAO The Blooming Peach
桃之夭夭、灼灼其華。
之子于歸、宜其家室。
桃之夭夭、有蕡其實。
之子于歸、宜其室家。
桃之夭夭、其葉蓁蓁。
之子于歸、宜其家人。
The peach tree in bloom,
Shimmering are its flowers.
This young lady goes to her new home,
And will order well her chamber and house.
The peach tree in bloom,
Abundant are its fruits.
This young lady goes to her new home,
And will order well her chamber and house.
The peach tree in bloom;
Luxuriant are its leaves.
This young lady goes to her new home
And will order well her family.
靜女 JING NU Quiet Girl
靜女其姝、俟我於城隅。
愛而不見、搔首踟躕。
靜女其孌、貽我彤管。
彤管有煒、說懌女美。
自牧歸荑、洵美且異。
匪女以為美、美人之貽。
How lovely is the quiet girl!
She was to wait for me at a corner of the wall.
Loving her but not seeing her,
I scratch my head, I am perplexed.
How beautiful is the quiet girl !
She gave me a red flute.
Bright is the red flute; —
I delight in the beauty of the girl.
From the grassland she brought a stalk of white grass,
Truly lovely and rare.
It is not that the grass is lovely--
It is the gift of a lovely girl.
采蘩 CAI FAN Gathering Southernwood
于以采蘩、于沼于沚。
于以用之、公侯之事。
于以采蘩、于澗之中。
于以用之、公侯之宮。
被之僮僮、夙夜在公。
被之祁祁、薄言還歸。
She gathers the white southernwood,
By the ponds, on the islands.
She uses it
In our prince’s service.
She gathers the white southernwood,
Along the streams in the valleys.
She uses it
In our prince’s temple.
With head-dress standing tall,
Early morning, still dark, she is in the prince's temple;
In her head-dress, slowly retiring,
She returns to her chambers.
野有死麇 YE YOU SI JUN In the Wild a Dead Deer
野有死麇、白茅包之。
有女懷春、吉士誘之。
林有樸樕、野有死鹿。
白茅純束、有女如玉。
舒而脫脫兮、無感我帨兮、無使尨也吠。
In the wild, a dead deer,
In white rushes we wrap it.
There is a young girl with thoughts of love,
And a fine man to seduce her.
In the forest are scrub oaks,
In the wild, a dead deer,
Bound up with white rushes.
There is a young lady like white jade.
“ Oh slowly, gently!
Oh do not touch my sash,
Do not make the dog bark.”
北門 BEI MEN North Gate
出自北門、憂心殷殷。
終窶且貧、莫知我艱。
已焉哉、天實為之、謂之何哉。
王事適我、政事一埤益我。
我入自外、室人交遍謫我。
已焉哉、天實為之、謂之何哉。
王事敦我、政事一埤遺我。
我入自外、室人交遍摧我。
已焉哉、天實為之、謂之何哉。
I go out at the north gate,
My heart full of sorrow.
I’m in a hard place, and I’m poor,
No one knows how sad I am.
That’s the way it is!
Heaven made it that way —
So what can I say?
The king's service is required of me,
There’s more and more government business.
When I come home from a journey,
My family all envy and scold me.
That’s the way it is!
Heaven made it that way —
So what can I say?
The king's service is my job,
And government business is left to me.
When I come home from a journey,
My family all envy and pick on me.
That’s the way it is!
Heaven made it that way —
So what can I say?
