The book of odes and hymns – part 26

BO ZHOU

It floats about, that boat of cypress wood;

Yea, it floats about on the current.

Disturbed am I and sleepless,

As if suffering from a painful wound.

It is not because I have no wine,

And that I might not wander and saunder about.

My mind is not a mirror;

It cannot [equally] receive [all impressions].

I, indeed, have brothers,

But I cannot depend on them,

I meet with their anger.

My mind is not a stone;

It cannot be rolled about.

My mind is not a mat;

It cannot be rolled up.

My deportment has been dignified and good,

With nothing wrong which can be pointed out.

My anxious heart is full of trouble;

I am hated by the herd of mean creatures;

I meet with many distresses;

I receive insults not a few.

Silently I think of my case,

And, starting as from sleep, I beat my breast.

There are the sun and moon,

How is it that the former has become small, and not the latter?

The sorrow cleaves to my heart,

Like an unwashed dress.

Silently I think of my cas,

But I cannot spread my wings and fly away.

bǎi zhōu 

柏舟 

fàn bǐ bǎi zhōu 、yì fàn qí liú 。

汎彼柏舟、亦汎其流。

gěng gěng bú mèi 、rú yǒu yǐn yōu 。

耿耿不寐、如有隱憂。

wēi wǒ wú jiǔ 、yǐ áo yǐ yóu 。

微我無酒、以敖以遊。

wǒ xīn fěi jiàn 、bú kě yǐ rú 。

我心匪鑒、不可以茹。

yì yǒu xiōng dì 、bú kě yǐ jù 。

亦有兄弟、不可以據。

báo yán wǎng sè 、féng bǐ zhī nù 。

薄言往愬、逢彼之怒。

wǒ xīn fěi shí 、bú kě zhuǎn yě 。

我心匪石、不可轉也。

wǒ xīn fěi xí 、bú kě juǎn yě 。

我心匪席、不可卷也。
wēi yí dài dài 、bú kě xuǎn yě 。

威儀棣棣、不可選也。

yōu xīn qiāo qiāo 、yùn yú qún xiǎo 。

憂心悄悄、慍于群小。

gòu mǐn jì duō 、shòu wǔ bú shǎo 。

覯閔既多、受侮不少。

jìng yán sī zhī 、wù pì yǒu biào 。

靜言思之、寤辟有摽。

rì jū yuè zhū 、hú dié ér wēi 。

日居月諸、胡迭而微。

xīn zhī yōu yǐ 、rú fěi hàn yī 。

心之憂矣、如匪澣衣。

jìng yán sī zhī 、bú néng fèn fēi 。

靜言思之、不能奮飛。