Year
Anonymous
She threw me a melon
And I threw her jade—
Not as a return,
But to be with her forever!
She threw me a peach
And I threw her jade—
Not as a return,
But to be with her forever!
She threw me a plum
And I threw her jade—
Not as a return,
But to be with her forever!
Original Chinese
| Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
| | | |
| 木瓜 | 木瓜 | mù guā |
| | | |
| 投我以木瓜， | 投我以木瓜， | tóu wǒ yǐ mù guā ， |
| 報之以瓊琚。 | 报之以琼琚。 | bào zhī yǐ qióng jū 。 |
| 匪報也， | 匪报也， | fěi bào yě ， |
| 永以為好也！ | 永以为好也！ | yǒng yǐ wéi hǎo yě ！ |
| 投我以木桃， | 投我以木桃， | tóu wǒ yǐ mù táo ， |
| 報之以瓊瑤。 | 报之以琼瑶。 | bào zhī yǐ qióng yáo 。 |
| 匪報也， | 匪报也， | fěi bào yě ， |
| 永以為好也！ | 永以为好也！ | yǒng yǐ wéi hǎo yě ！ |
| 投我以木李， | 投我以木李， | tóu wǒ yǐ mù lǐ ， |
| 報之以瓊玖。 | 报之以琼玖。 | bào zhī yǐ qióng jiǔ 。 |
| 匪報也， | 匪报也， | fěi bào yě ， |
| 永以為好也！ | 永以为好也！ | yǒng yǐ wéi hǎo yě ！ |
Translation Notes
This is a country-style song of the Wei state, a vassal state to the Zhou Dynasty (1066-221 B.C.). It is from the Classic of Poetry.
| 木瓜 | Tree Melon [Tree Melon = papaya] |
| | |
| 投我以木瓜， | Throw I in-order-to tree melon, |
| 報之以瓊琚。 | Tell its thereby jade girdle-ornament. |
| 匪報也， | Bandit tell !, [“Bandit” here means “do not.”] |
| 永以為好也！ | Forever thereby do good ! [Thereby do = believe, think, consider] |
| 投我以木桃， | Throw I in-order-to tree peach, |
| 報之以瓊瑤。 | Announce its thereby jade precious-jade. |
| 匪報也， | Bandit tell !, |
| 永以為好也！ | Eternal thereby do good ! |
| 投我以木李， | Throw I thereby tree plum, |
| 報之以瓊玖。 | Announce its thereby jade black-colored-jade |
| 匪報也， | Bandit tell ! |
| 永以為好也！ | Perpetual thereby be fine ! |