White flowers, coarse grass—
Together the two are sewn,
While he is far
And I, alas, am alone.

The white clouds are petals,
My feet are bound in reeds:
Fate is a path that’s hard to see
When my love, he no longer needs.

I think of him…
The pond parts north,
Immersed in paddies of rice:
I sing a song of a wounded heart.

Gathering wood from mulberry trees
To bake in a lofty hearth,
I toil honestly
To nurture the man I see.

The clock strikes in the palace,
We hear it outside.
I think of a child
Who passes by.

There’s a bird on the bridge,
A crane in the trees.
I toil honestly
To nurture the man I see.

Two ducks are dear,
On a bridge they sit near:
Stop your strayed embraces—
You, of two faces.

My cutting stone is still,
My shoes are decayed:
Here I am ill
And he is far away.





Original Chinese

Traditional

Simplified

Pronunciation

白華
bái huá



白華菅兮,
菅兮,
bái huá jiān xī
白茅束兮,
白茅束兮,
bái máo shù xī
之子之遠,
之子之
zhī zǐ zhī yuǎn
俾我獨兮。
俾我独兮。
bǐ wǒ dú xī
英英白雲,
英英白云,
yīng yīng bái yún
露彼菅茅,
露彼菅茅,
lù bǐ jiān máo
天步艱難,
天步艰难
tiān bù jiān nán
之子不猶。
之子不犹。
zhī zǐ bù yóu
滮池北流,
滮池北流,
biāo chí běi liú
浸彼稻田,
浸彼稻田,
jìn bǐ dào tián
嘯歌傷懷,
伤怀
xiào gē shāng huái
念彼碩人。
念彼人。
niàn bǐ shuò rén
樵彼桑薪,
樵彼桑薪,
qiáo bǐ sāng xīn
卬烘於煁,
卬烘于煁,
yǎng hōng yú chén
維彼碩人,
人,
wéi bǐ shuò rén
實勞我心。
实劳我心。
shí láo wǒ xīn
鼓鐘於宮,
gǔ zhōng yú gōng
聲聞於外,
于外,
shēng wén yú wài
念子懆懆,
念子懆懆,
niàn zǐ cǎo cǎo
視我邁邁。
迈迈
shì wǒ mài mài
在梁,
在梁,
yǒu qiū zài liáng
有鶴在林,
在林,
yǒu hè zài lín
維彼碩人,
人,
wéi bǐ shuò rén
實勞我心。
实劳我心。
shí láo wǒ xīn
鴛鴦在梁,
鸳鸯在梁,
yuān yāng zài liáng
戢其左翼,
戢其左翼,
jí qí zuǒ yì
之子無良,
之子无良,
zhī zǐ wú liáng
二三其德。
二三其德。
èr sān qí dé
有扁斯石,
有扁斯石,
yǒu biǎn sī shí
履之卑兮,
履之卑兮,
lǚ zhī bēi xī
之子之遠,
之子之
zhī zǐ zhī yuǎn
俾我兮。
俾我兮。
bǐ wǒ qí xī







Translation Notes


白華
White Flowery


白華菅兮,
White flowery course-grass xi,
白茅束兮,
White reeds bind xi,
[White reeds = a type of thick, coarse grass used for thatching]
之子之遠,
Her child ’s far,
俾我獨兮。
So-that I alone xi.
英英白雲,
Petal/brave petal/brave white clouds,
露彼菅茅,
Dew these coarse-grass reeds,
天步艱難,
Heaven walk difficult arduous,
之子不猶。
Her child not like.
滮池北流,
Flow pond northward drift,
浸彼稻田,
Soak that rice-plant field,
嘯歌傷懷,
Whistle song wound bosom,
[Wound bosom = full of sorrow]
念彼碩人。
Recall that great man.
樵彼桑薪,
Gather-wood that mulberry-tree firewood,
卬烘於煁,
Lofty bake in hearth,
維彼碩人,
Preserve that great man,
實勞我心。
Honest labor my heart.
鼓鐘於宮,
Strike clock at palace,
聲聞於外,
Sound hear at outside,
念子懆懆,
Recall child anxious anxious,
視我邁邁。
See me pass-by pass-by.
在梁,
There-is fowl at bridge,
有鶴在林,
There-is crane in grove.
維彼碩人,
Preserve that great man,
實勞我心。
Honest labor my heart.
鴛鴦在梁,
Male-duck female-duck at bridge,
[Male-duck female-duck = mandarin ducks, a symbol for an affectionate couple]
戢其左翼,
Put-away its left/improper wing,
之子無良,
Her child no good,
二三其德。
Two three his character.
有扁斯石,
Have flat cutting stone,
履之卑兮,
Shoes ’s inferior xi,
之子之遠,
He child ’s distant,
俾我兮。
So-that I sick xi.

Year: 
2013