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Chinese Text Project
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《周南 - Odes Of Zhou And The South》

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《周南》 Library Resources

關雎 - Guan Ju

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《關雎》 Library Resources
1 關雎:
關關雎鳩、在河之洲。
窈窕淑女、君子好逑。
Guan Ju:
Guan-guan go the ospreys,
On the islet in the river.
The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady:
For our prince a good mate she.

2 關雎:
參差荇菜、左右流之。
窈窕淑女、寤寐求之。
求之不得、寤寐思服。
悠哉悠哉、輾轉反側。
Guan Ju:
Here long, there short, is the duckweed,
To the left, to the right, borne about by the current.
The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady:
Waking and sleeping, he sought her.
He sought her and found her not,
And waking and sleeping he thought about her.
Long he thought; oh! long and anxiously;
On his side, on his back, he turned, and back again.

3 關雎:
參差荇菜、左右采之。
窈窕淑女、琴瑟友之。
參差荇菜、左右芼之。
窈窕淑女、鍾鼓樂之。
Guan Ju:
Here long, there short, is the duckweed;
On the left, on the right, we gather it.
The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady:
With lutes, small and large, let us give her friendly welcome.
Here long, there short, is the duckweed;
On the left, on the right, we cook and present it.
The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady:
With bells and drums let us show our delight in her.

葛覃 - Ge Tan

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《葛覃》 Library Resources
1 葛覃:
葛之覃兮、施于中谷。
維葉萋萋、黃鳥于飛。
集于灌木、其鳴喈喈。
Ge Tan:
How the dolichos spread itself out,
Extending to the middle of the valley!
Its leaves were luxuriant;
The yellow birds flew about,
And collected on the thickly growing trees,
Their pleasant notes resounding far.

2 葛覃:
葛之覃兮、施于中谷。
維葉莫莫、是刈是濩。
為絺為綌、服之無斁。
Ge Tan:
How the dolichos spread itself out,
Extending to the middle of the valley!
Its leaves were luxuriant and dense.
I cut it and I boiled it,
And made both fine cloth and coarse,
Which I will wear without getting tired of it.

3 葛覃:
言告師氏、言告言歸。
薄污我私、薄澣我衣。
害澣害否、歸寧父母 。
Ge Tan:
I have told the matron,
Who will announce that I am going to see my parents.
I will wash my private clothes clean,
And I will rinse my robes.
Which need to be rinsed, which do not?
I am going back to visit my parents.

卷耳 - Juan Er

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《卷耳》 Library Resources
1 卷耳:
采采卷耳、不盈頃筐。
嗟我懷人、寘彼周行。
Juan Er :
I was gathering and gathering the mouse-ear,
But could not fill my shallow basket.
With a sigh for the man of my heart,
I placed it there on the highway.

2 卷耳:
陟彼崔嵬、我馬虺隤。
我姑酌彼金罍、維以不永懷。
Juan Er :
I was ascending that rock-covered height,
But my horses were too tired to breast it.
I will now pour a cup from that gilded vase,
Hoping I may not have to think of him long.

3 卷耳:
陟彼高岡、我馬玄黃。
我姑酌彼兕觥、維以不永傷。
Juan Er :
I was ascending that lofty ridge,
But my horses turned of a dark yellow.
I will now take a cup from that rhinoceros' horn,
Hoping I may not have long to sorrow.

4 卷耳:
陟彼砠矣、我馬瘏矣、我僕痡矣、云何吁矣。
Juan Er :
I was ascending that flat-topped height,
But my horses became quite disabled,
And my servants were [also] disabled.
Oh! how great is my sorrow!

樛木 - Jiu Mu

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《樛木》 Library Resources
1 樛木:
南有樛木、葛藟纍之。
樂只君子、福履綏之。
Jiu Mu:
In the south are the trees with curved drooping branches,
With the doliches creepers clinging to them.
To be rejoiced in is our princely lady:
May she repose in her happiness and dignity!

2 樛木:
南有樛木、葛藟荒之。
樂只君子、福履將之。
Jiu Mu:
In the south are the trees with curved drooping branches,
Covered by the dolichos creepers.
To be rejoiced in is our princely lady:
May she be great in her happiness and dignity!

3 樛木:
南有樛木、葛藟縈之。
樂只君子、福履成之。
Jiu Mu:
In the south are the trees with curved drooping branches,
Round which the dolichos creepers twine.
To be rejoiced in is our princely lady:
May she be complete in her happiness and dignity!

螽斯 - Zhong Si

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《螽斯》 Library Resources
1 螽斯:
螽斯羽、詵詵兮。
宜爾子孫、振振兮。
Zhong Si :
Ye locusts, winged tribes,
How harmoniously you collect together!
Right is it that your descendants
Should be multitudinous!

2 螽斯:
螽斯羽、薨薨兮。
宜爾子孫、繩繩兮。
Zhong Si :
Ye locusts, winged tribes,
How sound your wings in flight!
Right is it that your descendents
Should be as in unbroken strings!

3 螽斯:
螽斯羽、揖揖兮。
宜爾子孫、蟄蟄兮。
Zhong Si :
Ye locusts, winged tribes,
How you cluster together!
Right is it that your descendents
Should be in swarms!

桃夭 - Tao Yao

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《桃夭》 Library Resources
1 桃夭:
桃之夭夭、灼灼其華。
之子于歸、宜其室家。
Tao Yao:
The peach tree is young and elegant;
Brilliant are its flowers.
This young lady is going to her future home,
And will order well her chamber and house.

2 桃夭:
桃之夭夭、有蕡其實。
之子于歸、宜其家室。
Tao Yao:
The peach tree is young and elegant;
Abundant will be its fruits.
This young lady is going to her future home,
And will order well her house and chamber.

3 桃夭:
桃之夭夭、其葉蓁蓁。
之子于歸、宜其家人。
Tao Yao:
The peach tree is young and elegant;
Luxuriant are its leaves.
This young lady is going to her future home,
And will order well her family.

兔罝 - Tu Ju

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《兔罝》 Library Resources
1 兔罝:
肅肅兔罝、椓之丁丁。
赳赳武夫、公侯干城。
Tu Ju:
Carefully adjusted are the rabbit nets;
Clang clang go the blows on the pegs.
That stalwart, martial man
Might be shield and wall to his prince.

2 兔罝:
肅肅兔罝、施于中逵。
赳赳武夫、公侯好仇。
Tu Ju:
Carefully adjusted are the rabbit nets,
And placed where many ways meet.
That stalwart, martial man
Would be a good companion for his prince.

3 兔罝:
肅肅兔罝、施于中林。
赳赳武夫、公侯腹心。
Tu Ju:
Carefully adjusted are the rabbit nets,
And placed in the midst of the forest.
That stalwart, martial man
Might be head and heart to his prince.

芣苢 - Fu Yi

English translation: James Legge [?] Library Resources
1 芣苢:
采采芣苢、薄言采之。
采采芣苢、薄言有之。
Fu Yi:
We gather and gather the plantains;
Now we may gather them.
We gather and gather the plantains;
Now we have got them.

2 芣苢:
采采芣苢、薄言掇之。
采采芣苢、薄言捋之。
Fu Yi:
We gather and gather the plantains;
Now we pluck the ears.
We gather and gather the plantains;
Now we rub out the seeds.

3 芣苢:
采采芣苢、薄言袺之。
采采芣苢、薄言襭之。
Fu Yi:
We gather and gather the plantains;
Now we place the seeds in our skirts.
We gather and gather the plantains;
Now we tuck out skirts under our girdles.

漢廣 - Han Guang

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《漢廣》 Library Resources
1 漢廣:
南有喬木、不可休息。
漢有游女、不可求思。
漢之廣矣、不可泳思。
江之永矣、不可方思。
Han Guang:
In the south rise the trees without branches,
Affording no shelter.
By the Han are girls rambling about,
But it is vain to solicit them.
The breadth of the Han
Cannot be dived across;
The length of the Jiang
Cannot be navigated with a raft.

2 漢廣:
翹翹錯薪、言刈其楚。
之子于歸、言秣其馬。
漢之廣矣、不可泳思。
江之永矣、不可方思。
Han Guang:
Many are the bundles of firewood;
I would cut down the thorns [to form more].
Those girls that are going to their future home, -
I would feed their horses.
The breadth of the Han
Cannot be dived across;
The length of the Jiang,
Cannot be navigated with a raft.

3 漢廣:
翹翹錯薪、言刈其蔞 。
之子于歸、言秣其駒 。
漢之廣矣、不可泳思 。
江之永矣、不可方思 。
Han Guang:
Many are the bundles of firewood;
I would cut down the southern wood [to form more].
Those girls that are going to their future home, -
I would feed their colts.
The breadth of the Han
Cannot be dived across;
The length of the Jiang
Cannot be navigated with a raft.

汝墳 - Ru Fen

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《汝墳》 Library Resources
1 汝墳:
遵彼汝墳、伐其條枚。
未見君子、惄如調飢。
Ru Fen:
Along those raised banks of the Ru,
I cut down the branches and slender stems.
While I could not see my lord,
I felt as it were pangs of great hunger.

2 汝墳:
遵彼汝墳、伐其條肄。
既見君子、不我遐棄。
Ru Fen:
Along those raised banks of the Ru,
I cut down the branches and fresh twigs.
I have seen my lord;
He has not cast me away.

3 汝墳:
魴魚赬尾、王室如燬 。
雖則如燬、父母孔邇 。
Ru Fen:
The bream is showing its tail all red;
The royal House is like a blazing fire.
Though it be like a blazing fire,
Your parents are very near.

麟之趾 - Lin Zhi Zhi

English translation: James Legge [?] Library Resources
1 麟之趾:
麟之趾、振振公子。
于嗟麟兮。
Lin Zhi Zhi:
The feet of the Lin:
The noble sons of our prince,
Ah! they are the Lin!

2 麟之趾:
麟之定、振振公姓。
于嗟麟兮。
Lin Zhi Zhi:
The forehead of the Lin:
The noble grandsons of our prince,
Ah! they are the Lin!

3 麟之趾:
麟之角、振振公族。
于嗟麟兮。
Lin Zhi Zhi:
The horn of the Lin:
The noble kindred of our prince,
Ah! they are the Lin!

URN: ctp:book-of-poetry/odes-of-zhou-and-the-south