Year
Wei Yingwu wrote this poem on his daughter leaving the house to marry into the Yang family, who had helped raise her growing up after her mother died (from Wei’s notes to the poem). He had served as a government official all his life, yet couldn’t prepare a decent dowry for his daughter. Although this suggests he was an honest official, he had to live a frugal life. Thus, he was grateful to the Yang family for raising her and thought it was good for her to marry into the family.
The third verse, 女子今有行 (Nǚzǐ jīn yǒu xíng), is a line from the classic poetry, hymn, and song book, The Book of Odes. Literally “Daughter now has trip,” it means a woman who’s to marry soon.
My Translation
By Wei Yingwu (737-792) | 韋應物 |
Sending Off My Daughter to Marry Yang | 送楊氏女 |
All day long, the anxious sorrow | 永日 方慼慼 |
Setting out on a journey far from home | 出行 復悠悠 |
My daughter, you travel to marry today— | 女子 今有行 |
The river is big and you sail upstream in a small boat. | 大江 泝 輕舟 |
~~ | |
You and your sister had bitter luck, no mother to rely on | 爾輩 苦 無恃 |
Nurturing, I remember raising you with gentle compassion | 撫念 益 慈柔 |
Though young, you acted the elder, raising your sister | 幼為 長所育 |
We part, crying endlessly | 兩別 泣不休 |
And seeing you like this, my stomach knots up | 對此 結中腸 |
But it’s right for you to go; you cannot stay. | 義往 難復留 |
~~ | |
From youth, there was no one to teach you the ways of a good wife | 自小 闕內訓 |
And I fear to give you like this, to your new parents | 事 姑 貽我憂 |
But I rely on this honorable family, entrusting them to be | 賴茲 託 令門 |
Kind, caring, moderate, and free of easy temper. | 仁卹 庶 無尤 |
~~ | |
Frugal living, honesty is best— | 貧儉 誠所尚 |
For your dowry is too small to help! | 資從 豈待周 |
Respect your family, following wifely virtues | 孝恭 遵婦道 |
In every behavior, follow the rules and etiquette | 容止 順其猷 |
~~ | |
We part this morning | 別離在今晨 |
And who knows which autumn I will see you again? | 見爾 當何秋 |
Taking it easy, I had begun to distract myself | 居閑 始自遣 |
But now the feeling’s near and suddenly, it’s hard to accept | 臨感 忽 難收 |
Returning home, I look on my youngest daughter | 歸來 視幼女 |
And more tears fall along the tassels of my cap | 零淚 緣纓流 |
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
韋應物 | 韦应物 | Wéi Yìng Wù |
送楊氏女 | 送杨氏女 | Sòng yáng shì nǚ |
永日方慼慼， | 永日方戚戚， | Yǒng rì fāng qī qī, |
出行復悠悠。 | 出行复悠悠。 | Chū xíng fù yōu yōu. |
女子今有行， | 女子今有行， | Nǚ zǐ jīn yǒu xíng, |
大江泝輕舟。 | 大江溯轻舟。 | Dà jiāng sù qīng zhōu. |
爾輩苦無恃， | 尔辈苦无恃， | ěr bèi kǔ wú shì, |
撫念益慈柔； | 抚念益慈柔; | Fǔ niàn yì cí róu; |
幼為長所育， | 幼为长所育， | Yòu wéi zhǎng suǒ yù, |
兩別泣不休。 | 两别泣不休。 | Liǎng bié qì bù xiū. |
對此結中腸， | 对此结中肠， | Duì cǐ jié zhōng cháng, |
義往難復留。 | 义往难复留。 | Yì wǎng nàn fù liú. |
自小闕內訓， | 自小阙内训， | Zì xiǎo quē nèi xùn, |
事姑貽我憂； | 事姑贻我忧; | Shì gū yí wǒ yōu; |
賴茲託令門， | 赖兹托令门， | Lài zī tuō lìng mén, |
仁卹庶無尤。 | 仁恤庶无尤。 | Rén xù shù wú yóu. |
貧儉誠所尚， | 贫俭诚所尚， | Pín jiǎn chéng suǒ shàng, |
資從豈待周！ | 资从岂待周！ | Zī cóng qǐ dài zhōu! |
孝恭遵婦道， | 孝恭遵妇道， | Xiào gōng zūn fù dào, |
容止順其猷。 | 容止顺其猷。 | Róng zhǐ shùn qí yóu. |
別離在今晨， | 别离在今晨， | Bié lí zài jīn chén, |
見爾當何秋？ | 见尔当何秋？ | Jiàn ěr dāng hé qiū? |
居閑始自遣， | 居闲始自遣， | Jū xián shǐ zì qiǎn, |
臨感忽難收。 | 临感忽难收。 | Lín gǎn hū nán shōu. |
歸來視幼女， | 归来视幼女， | Guī lái shì yòu nǚ, |
零淚緣纓流。 | 零泪缘缨流。 | Líng lèi yuán yīng liú. |
Literal Notes
韋應物 | Tanned-leather Must Thing [=Wei Yingwu (737-792)] |
送楊氏女 | Send poplar maiden-name woman/daughter |
[poplar maiden-name= Yangshi, woman’s surname] | |
永日方慼慼， | Forever/always day just grief/sorrow sorrow/mourn [Forever/always day= all day long] [grief/sorrow sorrow = a sad look] |
出行復悠悠。 | Out go/travel again/go-and-return long/remote long [Out go/travel= set out on a long trip, journey], [long/remote long= a long long way, lasting for ages] |
女子今有行， | Female child today has go/travel [Female child = woman], [go/travel= refers to marriage] |
大江泝輕舟。 | Big/grand river go-upstream light boat [light boat = swift boat] |
爾輩苦無恃， | You/that generation bitter/tough no mother/rely-on |
撫念益慈柔； | Stroke/nurture/comfort rememberance/miss increase/add kind/compassion gentle/soft |
幼為長所育， | Younger is/in-capacity-of elder actually/that nurture/cultivate |
兩別泣不休。 | Two(people) farewell cry no stop/rest [cry no stop = cry non-stop, cry endlessly] |
對此結中腸， | For this tie/bind inside intestine [inside intestine = means a grateful heart] |
義往難復留。 | Right-conduct to-go hard/difficult still/return stay/keep |
自小闕內訓， | From/self young lack-of inside teach/instruction [inside = Chinese refered the wife as the inside(home)] |
事姑貽我憂； | Thing paternal-aunt bequeath/give my worry/sad/inconvienced-by-being-orphaned |
賴茲託令門， | Rely/depend here/now entrust/act-as-trustee honorable door/family [honorable door/family= your honorable family] |
仁卹庶無尤。 | Kind/humane sympathy/take-care ordinary no express-discontentment-against |
貧儉誠所尚， | Poor thrift/frugal honest actually/that respect/fair |
資從豈待周！ | Money from/follow how treat help-financially [Money from/follow= dowry] |
孝恭遵婦道， | Filial respectful observe/follow women/wife virtue [women principle = female virtues] |
容止順其猷。 | Appearance stop obey its rules [Appearance stop= every behavior] |
別離在今晨， | Farewell/separate depart at today morning |
見爾當何秋？ | See you should-be which autumn |
居閑始自遣， | Live/dwell leisure start self/from dispatch [self dispatch=divert oneself from melancholy] |
臨感忽難收。 | Near/face to feel suddenly difficult accept/collect |
歸來視幼女， | Return come see/look-at young woman/daughter [Return come=return] |
零淚緣纓流。 | Remnant tear along tassel-of-hat spread/move/flow |
Notes and character tables prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.