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 | 白华 | bái huá |
白華菅兮, | 白华菅兮, | bái huá jiān xī , |
白茅束兮, | 白茅束兮, | bái máo shù xī , |
之子之遠, | 之子之远, | 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, | 啸歌伤怀, | xiào gē shāng huái , |
念彼碩人。 | 念彼硕人。 | 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, | 维彼硕人, | wéi bǐ shuò rén , |
實勞我心。 | 实劳我心。 | shí láo wǒ xīn 。 |
鼓鐘於宮, | 鼓钟于宫, | gǔ zhōng yú gōng , |
聲聞於外, | 声闻于外, | shēng wén yú wài , |
念子懆懆, | 念子懆懆, | niàn zǐ cǎo cǎo , |
視我邁邁。 | 视我迈迈。 | shì wǒ mài mài 。 |
有鹙在梁, | 有鹙在梁, | yǒu qiū zài liáng , |
有鶴在林, | 有鹤在林, | yǒu hè zài lín , |
維彼碩人, | 维彼硕人, | 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, | 之子之远, | zhī zǐ zhī yuǎn , |
俾我疧兮。 | 俾我疧兮。 | 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. |
有鹙在梁, | 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, |
俾我疧兮。 | So-that I sick xi. |
Year:
2013
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