Year
The cart goes cling cling
When pulled by a horse’s sling:
I’ll see a friend real soon
And play a little tune.
On the hill, a lacquer tree
In the field, a chestnut tree
I see my friend,
We play the harp:
Not living today,
You’ll soon be gray.
On the hill, a mulberry tree
In the field, a willow tree
I see my friend,
We play the flute:
Enjoy the least,
You’ll end deceased.
[After an anonymous Chinese poem in the Shijing]
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
車鄰 | 车邻 | chē lín |
有車鄰鄰， | 有车邻邻， | yǒu chē lín lín ， |
有馬白顛。 | 有马白颠。 | yǒu mǎ bái diān 。 |
未見君子， | 未见君子， | wèi jiàn jūn zǐ ， |
寺人之令。 | 寺人之令。 | sì rén zhī líng 。 |
阪有漆， | 阪有漆， | bǎn yǒu qī ， |
隰有栗。 | 隰有栗。 | xí yǒu lì 。 |
既見君子， | 既见君子， | jì jiàn jūn zǐ ， |
並坐鼓瑟。 | 并坐鼓瑟。 | bìng zuò gǔ sè 。 |
今者不樂， | 今者不乐， | jīn zhě bù lè ， |
逝者其耋。 | 逝者其耋。 | shì zhě qí dié 。 |
阪有桑， | 阪有桑， | bǎn yǒu sāng ， |
隰有楊。 | 隰有杨。 | xí yǒu yáng 。 |
既見君子， | 既见君子， | jì jiàn jūn zǐ ， |
並坐鼓簧。 | 并坐鼓簧。 | bìng zuò gǔ huáng 。 |
今者不樂， | 今者不乐， | jīn zhě bù lè ， |
逝者其亡。 | 逝者其亡。 | shì zhě qí wáng。 |
Translation Notes
車鄰 | Cart Neighbor |
有車鄰鄰， | Have cart neighbor neighbor, |
有馬白顛。 | Have horse white top-of-head. [White top-of-head = one kind of a good horse] |
未見君子， | Not-yet see gentleman offspring, |
寺人之令。 | Temple man ’s order. [Temple man = a eunuch] |
阪有漆， | Hillside has lacquer, |
隰有栗。 | Marsh has chestnut-tree. |
既見君子， | Then see gentleman offspring, |
並坐鼓瑟。 | What-is-more sit drum harp. [What-is-more sit = sit together] |
今者不樂， | Today he-who not happy, |
逝者其耋。 | Pass-away he-who his in-his-eighties. [Pass-away he-who = the dead or departed] |
阪有桑， | Hillside-farmland has mulberry-tree, |
隰有楊。 | Marsh has willow. |
既見君子， | Then see gentleman offspring, |
並坐鼓簧。 | Both sit drum reed-of-woodwind-instrument. |
今者不樂， | Today he-who not happy, |
逝者其亡。 | Pass-away he-who his death. |