| Chinese Text Project |
《魏風 - Wei Feng 》 | English translation: AI and Chinese Text Project users [?] | Library Resources |
| 1 | 魏風: | 伐檀，刺貪也。在位貪鄙，無功而受禄，君子不得進仕爾。 |
| Fata, a satire on greed. Those in power are greedy and contemptible; they receive official ranks without merit, thus preventing virtuous men from advancing in their careers. | ||
| 2 | 魏風: | 坎坎伐檀兮，置之河之干兮，河水清且漣漪，伐檀以俟世用，若俟河水清且漣漪，是謂君子之人不得進仕也。不稼不穡，胡取禾三百廛兮，不狩不獵，胡瞻爾庭有懸貆兮，一夫之居曰廛，貆，獸名也。彼君子兮，不素餐兮。素，空，彼君子者，斥伐檀之人，仕有功，乃肯受禄。 |
| Clang clang, we are felling the tanchu trees; placing them by the riverbank, where the clear river water flows with ripples. Cutting down tanchu in anticipation of their use in this world is like waiting for the river to become clear and ripple—this signifies that virtuous men cannot advance in officialdom. They do not sow nor reap, yet how come they possess three hundred clans' worth of grain? They neither hunt nor trap, yet why do you see huan suspended in your courtyard? A single man's dwelling is called a clan. Huan is the name of an animal. Those virtuous men, indeed they do not eat without labor! Su means empty. Those virtuous men refer to the people felling tanchu trees, who only accept official ranks if they have achieved merit in office. | ||
| 3 | 魏風: | 碩鼠，刺重歛也。國人刺其君之重斂，蠶食於民，不修其政，貪而畏人，若大鼠也。 |
| Shuoshu, a satire on heavy taxation. The people of the state satirize their ruler's oppressive levies, which gnaw away at the populace like silkworms; he neglects governance and is greedy yet fears the people—like a great rat. | ||
| 4 | 魏風: | 碩鼠碩鼠，無食我黍，三歲貫汝，莫我肯顧，碩，大也。大鼠大鼠者，斥其君，汝無復食我黍，疾其君税斂之多，我事汝已三歲矣。曾無教令恩德來顧眷我，又疾其不修德政。逝將去汝，適彼樂土。往矣將去汝，與之訣别之辭，樂土，有德之國也。 |
| Great rat, great rat, do not eat my millet; for three years I have supported you, yet you will not look upon me. Shuo means big. Great rat, great rat refers to the censure of their ruler; you should no longer eat my millet. They resent their ruler's heavy taxes and levies—indeed, I have served you for three years already. Yet there has been no instruction or benevolence from you to look after me; they also resent the failure to cultivate virtue and good governance. I shall leave you behind, and go to that land of joy. Departing means leaving you; it is a farewell address. A joyful land refers to a virtuous state. |
URN: ctp:n416187