The book of odes and hymns – part 58

MANG

A simple-looking lad you were,

Carrying cloth to exchange it for silk.

[But] you came not so to purchase silk;

You came to make proposals to me.

I convoyed you through the Qi,

As far as Dunqiu.

It is not I, [I said] , who would protract the time;

But you have had no good go-between.

I pray you be not angry,

And let autumn be the time.

I ascended that ruinous wall,

To look towards Fuguan;

And when I saw [you] not [coming from] it;

My tears flowed in streams.

When I did see [you coming from] Fuquan,

I laughed and I spoke.

You had consulted, [you said] , the tortoise-shell and the reeds,

And there was nothing unfavourable in their response.

Then come, [I said],with your carriage,

And I will remove with my goods.

Before the mulberry tree has shed its leaves,

How rich and glossy are they!

Ah! thou dove,

Eat not its fruit [to excess] .

Ah! thou young lady,

Seek no licentious pleasure with a gentleman.

When a gentleman indulges in such pleasure,

Something may still be said for him;

When a lady does so,

Nothing can be said for her.

When the mulberry tree sheds its leaves,

They fall yellow on the ground.

Since I went with you,

Three years have I eaten of your poverty;

And [now] the full waters of the Qi,

Wet the curtains of my carriage.

There has been no difference in me,

But you have been double in your ways.

It is you, Sir, who transgress the right,

Thus changeable in your conduct.

For three years I was your wife,

And thought nothing of my toil in your house.

I rose early and went to sleep late,

Not intermitting my labours for a morning.

Thus [on my part] our contract was fulfilled,

But you have behaved thus cruelly.

My brothers will not know [all this] ,

And will only laugh at me.

Silently I think of it,

And bemoan myself.

I was to grow old with you;

Old , you give me cause for sad repining.

The Qi has its banks,

And the marsh has its shores.

In the pleasant time of my girlhood, with my hair simply gathered in a knot,

Harmoniously we talked and laughed.

Clearly were we sworn to good faith,

And I did not think the engagement would be broken.

That it would be broken I did not think,

And now it must be all over!

méng  

氓  

méng zhī chī chī 、bào bù mào sī 。

氓之蚩蚩、抱布貿絲。

fěi lái mào sī 、lái jí wǒ móu 。

匪來貿絲、來即我謀。

sòng zǐ shè qí 、zhì yú dùn qiū 。

送子涉淇、至于頓丘。

fěi lái qiān qī 、zǐ wú liáng méi 。

匪來愆期、子無良媒。

jiāng zǐ wú nù 、qiū yǐ wéi qī 。

將子無怒、秋以為期。

chéng bǐ guǐ yuán 、yǐ wàng fù guān 。

乘彼垝垣、以望復關。

bú jiàn fù guān 、qì tì lián lián 。

不見復關、泣涕漣漣。

jì jiàn fù guān 、zǎi xiào zǎi yán 。

既見復關、載笑載言。

ěr bǔ ěr shì 、tǐ wú jiù yán 。

爾卜爾筮、體無咎言。

yǐ ěr chē lái 、yǐ wǒ huì qiān 。

以爾車來、以我賄遷。

sāng zhī wèi luò 、qí yè wò ruò 。

桑之未落、其葉沃若。

xū jiē jiū xī 、wú shí sāng shèn 。

于嗟鳩兮、無食桑葚。

xū jiē nǚ xī 、wú yǔ shì dān 。

于嗟女兮、無與士耽。

shì zhī dān xī 、yóu kě tuō yě 、

士之耽兮、猶可說也、

nǚ zhī dān xī 、 bú kě tuō yě 。

女之耽兮、 不可說也。

sāng zhī luò yǐ 、qí huáng ér yǔn 

桑之落矣、其黃而隕。

zì wǒ cú ěr 、sān suì shí pín 。

自我徂爾、三歲食貧。

qí shuǐ tāng tāng 、jiān chē wéi shang 。

淇水湯湯、漸車帷裳。

nǚ yě bù shuǎng 、shì èr qí xíng 。

女也不爽、士貳其行。

shì yě wǎng jí 、èr sān qí dé 。

士也罔極、二三其德。

sān suì wéi fù 、mí shì láo yǐ 。

三歲為婦、靡室勞矣。

sù xīng yè mèi 、mí yǒu cháo yǐ 。

夙興夜寐、靡有朝矣。

yán jì suì yǐ 、zhì yú bào yǐ 。

言既遂矣、至于暴矣。

xiōng dì bú zhī 、xī qí xiào yǐ 。

兄弟不知、咥其笑矣。

jìng yán sī zhī 、gōng zì dào yǐ 。

靜言思之、躬自悼矣。

jí ěr xié lǎo 、lǎo shǐ wǒ yuàn 。

及爾偕老、老使我怨。

qí zé yǒu àn 、xí zé yǒu pàn 。

淇則有岸、隰則有泮。

zǒng jiǎo zhī yàn 、yán xiào yàn yàn 。

總角之宴、言笑晏晏。

xìn shì dàn dàn 、bù sī qí fǎn 。

信膂旦旦、不思其反。

fǎn shì bù sī 、yì yǐ yān zāi 。

反是不思、亦已焉哉。

译文：

那个人满脸笑嘻嘻，抱着布匹来换丝。

哪里真是来换丝，是来找我谈婚事。

我曾送你渡淇水，直到顿丘才转回。

并非我约期又改悔，你无良媒来联系。

请你不要生我气，重订秋天作婚期。 

我曾登那缺墙上，遥望复关盼情郎。

望穿秋水不见人，心中焦急泪汪汪。

既见郎从复关来，有笑有说心欢畅。

你快回去占个卦，卦无凶兆望神帮。

拉着你的车子来，快用车子搬嫁妆。 

桑叶未落密又繁，又嫩又润真好看。

唉呀班鸠小鸟儿，见了桑堪别嘴馋。

唉呀年青姑娘们，见了男人别胡缠。

男人要把女人缠，说甩就甩他不管。

女人若是恋男人，撒手摆脱难上难。 

桑树萎谢叶落净，枯黄憔悴任飘零。

自从我到你家来，多年吃苦受寒贫。

淇水滔滔送我回，溅湿车帘冷冰冰。

我做妻子没过错，是你男人太无情。

真真假假没定准，前后不一坏德行。 

结婚多年守妇道，我把家事一肩挑。

起早睡晚勤操作，累死累活非一朝。

家业有成已安定，面目渐改施残暴。

兄弟不知我处境，见我回家哈哈笑。

净思默想苦难言，只有独自暗伤悼。 

“与你偕老”当年话，老了怨苦更增加。

淇水虽宽总有岸，沼泽虽阔亦有边。

两小无猜多快乐，又说又笑，哪儿有愁烦？

不愿回想一下那旧日的誓言。

从前的誓言都不回忆了（你已是恩断义绝）。

那就算了吧！