The 21 poems of chapter Zheng from Shijing

The 21 poems of chapter Zheng from Shijing

Translated by John Bjarne Grover

#75

Black was her dress, what should I do?
Worn out
I am - for changing the habits
to suit her shady tavern's
recompense,
should I be granting her a splendid coming?

Black was her dress, exceedingly.
Worn out
I am, for changing the beginning
to suit her shady tavern's
recompense,
or granting her a splendid coming.

Black was her dress, a flowing feast.
Worn out
I am and change the composition
to suit her shady tavern's
recompense
and granting her a splendid coming.

#76

The moment takes hold of posterity
not transgressing our neighbourhood.
Without calculation I reckon a tree
delighted, presuming its love to go.
In awe brings the father and mother to thee
what others carry in bosom, so
the father's and mother's lofty speech
is peacefully here all so.

The moment takes hold of posterity
not transgressing our mounting wall.
Without calculus on the mulberry tree
delighted, presuming its love to go.
In awe every senior is here to see
what others carry in bosom, so
the every brother's zigzag speech
is fearfully here all so.

The moment takes hold of posterity
not transgressing the theater roles.
Without calculating the stone I see
how dare I affection let go?
The fearful person has still much to say -
what others carry in bosom, so
The person who has a lot to say -
is fearfully here all so.

#77

Young Brother goes into the fields,
a lane without a dweller.
But how without a dweller?
It's not like Young Brother himself -
a pool of virtue's teller.

Young Brother goes for winter fields,
without wine in a bottle.
But how without a bottle?
It's not like Young Brother himself -
a pool of good and better.

Young Brother goes to wilderness,
lane without horse' cover.
But how without a cover?
It's not like Young Brother himself -
a generation's lover.

#78

Young Brother goes into the fields
and mounts his mounting horse
and takes the reins of silken cords,
the other side of reals.
Young Brother rests his head.
Heat of gene's implement
strips sleeves of tiger heat's intent
to let the public shed
protect him, uninclined to evil,
and guard the undistressed female.

Young Brother goes into the fields
when rises rising yellow.
Inside, a pair of sobbing fellows,
outside, wild geese unreal.
Young Brother rests his head on hot
genetic feel of state.
Young Brother's good to aim at fate
and good to drive the chariot
or, if you like, to beat the stone
and leave its escort all alone.

Young Brother goes into the land
along with gooselike bird,
a pair of pants the head had heard
when horses clapped like hands.
Young Brother rests his head:
Heat feels the fertile mound
will gather rapidness slowed down
collecting what he said.
Or, as one opens for a 'bing'
the spirit's bowing for the thing.

#79

A proper man is many times:
A team in armour, side by side,
two spears, heavy and qualified,
lifted like eagle's chimes.

A proper person dissipates:
A team in armour martially,
two spears repeated partially
uplifted to migrate.

Man is a proper axletree:
A team in armoured earthenware
left-right, then pull up in the air!
Make love in China's army!

#80

A lamb fur garment, black jacket intent
weeps straight on the archery ranges.
A woman comes running with will document
that's shed of God's will without changes.

A lamb fur garment, panther's ornament,
a hole that continues the powers:
A woman comes running with will document,
a nation controlling the [h]ours.

A lamb fur garment, the sun with indent,
triangular sunrise so splendid:
A woman comes running with will document,
the nation regards what it mended.

#81

To follow the great inclination
assisting the young to depart
without the ferocious station
that gives you a reason to start

and follow the great inclination
by taking the young by the hand
and open t[h]ree proofs' revelation
that tells what the Go[o]d understands.

#82

A woman speaks like poultry might
and gentlemen like early dawn.
A child begins to search at night
and cleanse a star of underground
as birds take wing to fly up like
wild ducks and geese arrows confound.

A dart zigzags like words before
the young invented to invent
the proper word of drinking for
young follow up with eminent
guitar and zither at the door
that silence not the excellent.

A child knows how to come and tell
mixed respect and confer presence
of knowledge how the burial
can mix respect of common sense
and how to understand so well
mixed respect of the recompense.

#83

A woman with a carriage
and countenance of hibiscus flowers
as birds take wing to marriage,
she wears a gem, a ruby dower:
That beauteous founder of barriers
is truly sweet in polis power.

A woman with an order
and countenance of the eminent
as birds fly up to soar there
she wears a gem, now imminent:
That beauteous founder of border
sounds well and not indifferent.

#84

A field that's covered up with grass,
marshland of water lilies,
sees not the agricultural pass:
A sound perceives mad stillness.

A field of trees, beyond a bridge,
low marshland's swimming dragon
sees not the wife of these fill-ins:
The sound of clever stag-on.

#85

Fallen bark and fallen leaves
breathe the breath of female.
Young and elder brothers breathe
harmony of female.

Fallen leaves and fallen bark
breathe freshlooking female.
Young and elder brothers' [m]ark
makes us/me want the female.

#86

Let that clever overhanging green [virgin]
not by our own speech
maintain and come to a reason,
allow us, unable to eat.

Let that clever overhanging green
not by our own meal
maintain and come to a reason
allow us, unable to appeal.

#87

A wife confers kindness, I think,
and lifts her skirt to cross a brook,
the wife, not I, considering:
But isnt that Mr.Wayspook?
Wild youth arrives, wild youth still winks.

A wife confers kindness, I think,
and lifts her skirt to cross the Wei,
the wife, not I, considering:
But isnt that a gentleman?
Wild youth arrives, wild youth still winks.

#88

The wife arrives goodlookingly
and waits for me in the alley
regrets I'm not her company.

The wife arrives so gloriously
and waits for me at place-to-be
regrets I'm not the strong-in-lead.

Clothes elegant dust-coat and skirt
Skirt elegant dust-coat and clothes
Young brother and the elder two
give meaning to the street of carriage.

Skirt elegant dust-coat and skirt
Clothes elegant dust-coat and clothes
Young brother and the elder two
give meaning to the sign of marriage.

#89

At the eastern gate arrives a black spot
reckoned a tincture at the riverside
whose wife by the law is approximate,
whose person is extremely far away.

At the eastern gate arrives a dignified
and avatars will entertain at house entrance.
How come it is not you I think and write?
Your wife, not me, is at your side right now

#90

The (bitter) cold of beating rain and wind,
the birds singing their music:
It sounds as if the Lord himself
speaks foolishly, unpeaceful.

The sound of beating rain and wind,
the birds singing confused:
It sounds as if the Lord himself
speaks foolishly, unhealed.

The dark gloom of the driving storm -
the birdsong is not finished:
It sounds as if the Lord himself
speaks foolishly, unpleased.

#91

Collar of nature the first loop was.
Long long ago was it my heart
went down: I wanted it upwards to rise
but could not tell it to start.

Collar of nature was girdle of waist.
Long long ago I'd contemplate
how it went down: I wanted it raised
as though I were lost in the wheat.

Carry the knapsack intelligently.
On the walls of a city, a tower
one day will not see what there is to see
when letting three moons rise thereover.

#92

Water flowing like liquids
not obstructed distinctively
in the end a fresh brother-and-brother
held together with a woman
without turning the person into words,
the physical man goes to the woman.

Water flowing like liquids
no longer bound firewood
in the end a fresh brother-and-brother
turn two persons into one
without turning the person into words,
the physical person, not the speech.

#93

It came into existence in bathtub
There were girls of a numerous kind
as if there were rules of a numerous kind
and a vagabond, I think, thereby.
White silk to wear, different towels,
so careless and happy outside.

She/It came to restrain the gate-tower.
There were girls like the tincture of reeds
as if there were rules of a tincture of reeds
and a vagabond, I think, [dignified]
White silk to wear, tincture of rushes,
that happy could give to rejoice.

#94

There is a wildly creeping grass
that parts the dew extensively
wildly beautiful in one personage
green scattered pleasantly on thresholding.
Surprised meets mutually surprised.
We reach each other in the geist.

There is a wildly creeping herb
heavily wet with dew it is
wildly beautiful in one personage
pleasant like spreading green in one.
Surprised meets mutually surprised
with family together generalized.

#95

River Zhen runs into river Wei
in a region expanding its banks/thresholds
where a gentleman meets with a woman
in a square like a lotus on water.
It is said that the woman beholds him.
It is said man already for long
for long goes upwards and looks at
River Wei that goes outside, beyond.
To weep and to boast, since long happy,
for a man to hold closely a woman
they're mutually jesting and laughing
giving each other spoonfuls in drain.

River Zhen runs into river Wei
such water is clear like the wind -
where a gentleman meets with a woman
abundantly overflowing.
It is said that the woman beholds him.
It is said man already for long
for long goes upwards and looks at
River Wei that goes outside, beyond.
To weep and to boast, since long happy,
for a man to hold closely a woman
they're mutually hearing the tinkle
giving each other spoonfuls in drain.

#79 - clearly the terracotta army

#86 - a counterpoint to #85

#95 - The last line really seems to tell 'giving each other spoonfuls of drugs' - but that is not likely to be the real meaning. Spoonfuls of love is another perhaps better reading. In #77 line 12 there is the word 'fu' which means 'clothes', 'cover', but also 'a dose of medicine'.

The 21 poems are translated by John Bjarne Grover from the chinese text presented in Simon (2015) and is presented here also as reference for the study in the article 11 september 2001 seen as preheralded in The New Yorker 1989.

Sources:

Das neue chinesisch-deutsche Wörterbuch. Beijing 2004

Manser, M.H.: Concise english-chinese chinese-english dictionary. (Third edition). The Commercial Press / Oxford University Press 2004.

Mathews, R.H.: Chinese-English Dictionary. (A Chinese-English Dictionary Compiled for the China Inland Mission by R.H.Mathews, Shanghai: China Inland Mission and Presbyterian Mission Press, 1931). Revised american edition 1943. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Simon, R.: Shijing. Das altchinesische Buch der Lieder. Chinesisch/Deutsch. Übersetzt und herausgegeben von Rainald Simon. Reclam Bibliothek 2015.

Pocket chinese dictionary - english/chinese chinese/english. (Based on earlier work by Martin H. Manser). Oxford University Press 1999