Year
It is dusk. A rainbow rises
To the east, but do not look:
She travels far
From her family.
A rainbow rises to the west,
To honor the morning with rain:
She travels far
From her family.
That woman has a heart
That longs for marriage:
She doesn’t care for chastity,
For who knows what life will bring?
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
蝃蝀 | 蝃蝀 | dì dōng |
蝃蝀在東， | 蝃蝀在东， | dì dōng zài dōng ， |
莫之敢指。 | 莫之敢指。 | mò zhī gǎn zhǐ 。 |
女子有行， | 女子有行， | nǚ zǐ yǒu xíng ， |
遠父母兄弟。 | 远父母兄弟。 | yuǎn fù mǔ xiōng dì 。 |
朝隮於西， | 朝隮于西， | zhāo jī yú xī ， |
崇朝其雨。 | 崇朝其雨。 | chóng zhāo qí yǔ 。 |
女子有行， | 女子有行， | nǚ zǐ yǒu xíng ， |
遠父母兄弟。 | 远父母兄弟。 | yuǎn fù mǔ xiōng dì 。 |
乃如之人也， | 乃如之人也， | nǎi rú zhī rén yě ， |
懷婚姻也。 | 怀婚姻也。 | huái hūn yīn yě 。 |
大無信也， | 大无信也， | dà wú xìn yě ， |
不知命也！ | 不知命也！ | bù zhī mìng yě！ |
Translation Notes
蝃蝀 | Rainbow Rainbow [a symbol of romantic marriage] |
蝃蝀在東， | Rainbow rainbow at east, [At east = the rainbow rises at sunset] |
莫之敢指。 | Do-not it dare point. |
女子有行， | Female child has travel, |
遠父母兄弟。 | Distant father mother elder-brother younger-brother. |
朝隮於西， | Morning rise at west, |
崇朝其雨。 | Honor morning its rain. |
女子有行， | Female child has travel, |
遠父母兄弟。 | Distant father mother elder-brother younger-brother. |
乃如之人也， | Indeed like her people ! |
懷婚姻也。 | Bosom get-married relatives-by-marriage ! [Get-married relatives-by-marriage = marriage] [Bosom = desire] |
大無信也， | Great no trust ! [No trust = not cling to chastity] |
不知命也！ | No know life ! |