Binding Silk | PoetryNook

Year

Tue, 2013-06-18 12:00

Silk binds the wood

Like three stars in heaven,

This evening—what a night

To be here with my loyal husband;

This child, my child,

Just like the man I married.

Silk binds the hay,

Like three stars far off—

This evening—what a night

To meet by chance;

This child, my child,

Just like a pleasant surprise.

Silk binds the realm,

Like three stars in a house—

This evening—what a night

To see my gleaming man;

This child, my child,

Just like my gleaming man.

[After an anonymous Chinese poem in the Shijing. Told from the perspective of a woman who married for love. Here, silk ties are a metaphor for the binding ties in a romantic marriage.]

Original Chinese

Traditional	Simplified	Pronunciation
綢繆	绸缪	chóu móu

綢繆束薪，	绸缪束薪，	chóu móu shù xīn ，
三星在天。	三星在天。	sān xīng zài tiān 。
今夕何夕，	今夕何夕，	jīn xī hé xī ，
見此良人。	见此良人。	jiàn cǐ liáng rén 。
子兮子兮，	子兮子兮，	zǐ xī zǐ xī ，
如此良人何！	如此良人何！	rú cǐ liáng rén hé ！
綢繆束芻，	绸缪束刍，	chóu móu shù chú ，
三星在隅。	三星在隅。	sān xīng zài yú 。
今夕何夕，	今夕何夕，	jīn xī hé xī ，
見此邂逅。	见此邂逅。	jiàn cǐ xiè hòu 。
子兮子兮，	子兮子兮，	zǐ xī zǐ xī ，
如此邂逅何！	如此邂逅何！	rú cǐ xiè hòu hé ！
綢繆束楚，	绸缪束楚，	chóu móu shù chǔ ，
三星在戶。	三星在户。	sān xīng zài hù 。
今夕何夕，	今夕何夕，	jīn xī hé xī ，
見此粲者。	见此粲者。	jiàn cǐ càn zhě 。
子兮子兮，	子兮子兮，	zǐ xī zǐ xī ，
如此粲者何！	如此粲者何！	rú cǐ càn zhě hé！

Translation Notes

綢繆	Silk-cloth Wind-around [Silk-cloth Wind-around = literally, to bind, can also mean to be sentimentally attached to something or someone.]

綢繆束薪，	Silk-cloth wind-around bind firewood, [Idiomatically this refers to a marriage based on love]
三星在天。	Three stars in heaven. [“Three stars” could refer to the biggest three stars, the Orion Belt, or the three spirits associated with the Three Stars (fortune, happiness, and long life)]
今夕何夕，	This evening what evening,
見此良人。	See this good person. [Good person = “husband” in ancient Chinese]
子兮子兮，	Child xi child xi,
如此良人何！	Like this good person how!
綢繆束芻，	Silk-cloth wind-around bind hay,
三星在隅。	Three stars in remote-place.
今夕何夕，	This evening what evening,
見此邂逅。	See this encounter meet-unexpectedly.
子兮子兮，	Child xi child xi,
如此邂逅何！	Like this encounter meet-unexpectedly how!
綢繆束楚，	Silk-cloth wind-around bind Chu-state/pain/clear,
三星在戶。	Three stars at household.
今夕何夕，	This night what night,
見此粲者。	See this bright he-who.
子兮子兮，	Child xi child xi,
如此粲者何！	Like this bright he-who how!

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