A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems

ble." Finding that he could not influence the conduct of his prince, he drowned himsel

-spears: we don our

hariots touch: our

the sun: the foe r

ck: the warrior

r ranks: they

rse is dead: the one o

ck our wheels: they i

drum-sticks: they be

ir fall: the dread

ll dead: they lie

not enter: they went

at and wide: the

ide them: their blac

e torn, their hearts c

e: they were inspired wi

end, they could

cken, but their souls

he ghosts, heroe

, milita

ND AND THE

Sung Yü (fourth century

h. It comes wide spread and does not choose between noble and base or between high and low. How can you say 'This is the king's wind'?" Sung answered: "I have heard it taught that in the crooked lemon-tree birds make their nests and to empty spaces winds fly. But the wind-spirit that comes to different things is not the same." The king said: "Where is the wind born?" and Sung answered: "The

ces and crosses the threshold of rooms. And so growing g

leaves with its breath. It wanders among the osmanthus and pepper-trees. It lingers over the fretted face of the pond, to steal the soul of the hibiscus. It touches the willow leaves

comes the Gre

es the diseases of men, blows away the stupor of wine, sharpens sight and h

empty spaces it attacks the gateway, scatters the dust-heap, sends the cinders flying, pokes among foul and rotting things, till at last it enters the tiled windows and reaches the rooms of the co

man-wind of the

s a sample of S

R TēN

(third ce

to follow you into the Queen's apartments." The King repeated Tēng-t'u's words to Sung Yü. Yü replied: "My beauty of face and calmness of bearing were given me by Heaven. Subtlety of speech I learnt from my teachers. As for my character, I deny that it is licentious." The King said: "Can you substantiate your statement th

uld make her too red. Her eyebrows are like the plumage of the kingfisher, her flesh is like snow. Her waist is like a roll of new silk, her teeth are like little shells. A single one of her

d and misshapen ears; projecting teeth irregularly set; a crook in her back

e with her and caused her

esty consider which of

not dismisse

arters in the capi

OR

irst cen

an o

ed to be

ter is

er and mothe

ride in

ur fine

they bo

r and sis

ut to be

travelled to th

ast as far a

the year whe

ll them what I

and vermin

t in my fa

d me to get re

told me to see

s going up

down again t

fell li

they sent me

t back till

s were

had no

d the c

n thorns a

to pull out

er my he

s fell

on sobbing

I have no

mmer, thi

leasure to

quickly lea

th the Yello

ril wi

ass is gro

onth-silkworms

month-the m

with the

as I was

-cart tur

o came to hel

who ate the m

eft me was

me as fast

d sister-in-l

all sorts of a

yone in the v

ite a letter

and father un

m I can't go

y brother and

Ha

SICK

ill for yea

r me to say

't say wha

ars that kept com

ed you with or

children t

children go

ng, don't slap

t the baby, rock

rget to

she

hem in my arms th

ckets have no li

ors and barre

e motherles

market and met m

nd could not

buy some cakes

of my friends I

rieve, but sorro

et and gave my fr

home I foun

aken into their

and down in

nd that a

ay from it and

and never speak

-CRO

irst cen

ter dawn breaks, th

at Ju-nan mounts

clock[5] run down, but

he stars are few; mornin

ten thousand doors the

by the Castle, the crows

water-

OLDEN

irst cen

the Golde

ut the j

the hono

at the Go

r at the

o the Go

tchen the meat is

nd boiled po

he Feast hands

rs sound their

aside and we face

are marshalled r

and the smoke p

burner rises a de

e has made ou

ble joy and

shared in this

ss autumns enjo

D P

I went wi

core I c

met a man fro

who there

there is

ver with tree

run in at

down from the b

d was growing s

well, some

e grain and

he mallows a

rridge are

no one to e

d looked towa

ell and wette

G IN T

where there was

t the carriage

axle was tou

oad I asked him

e I live is eas

and difficu

house are buil

house is paved

ble flagons of

to serve me danc

he courtyard grow

branches flaring

of Chao, where the people w

SOUTH OF

circa 1

t south of

north of

he moors and w

was the fo

rows we are

the moors and

an our bodie

ers flo

es in the po

fought and

ses wande

ge there wa

uth, was

t was neve

give you yo

your Prince

all i

you, faithf

shall not b

rning you wen

ht you did

e havoc of war. The harvest has not been gathered: therefor

ASTER

rst centu

into the world and make his fort

at the ea

thought

the gate with my he

a peck of ri

a coat hangi

ord and went to

ld clutched at

want to be ri

share my porr

e the blue wa

ow face of this

fe, I ca

will be

e is gr

t put thi

AN

irst cen

mountain to pl

mountain and met h

and asked her

find your n

although her t

me as my ol

ce there is not

ess they are n

es in from the

ways came down

clever at emb

was good at

dery one can d

ing, more th

ks by the side

ew will not comp

F THE G

ve is

th of the

I send to

d a comb of t

to him packed i

me he is

e dashed my bo

the ground

d its ashes

ay to the e

ever thi

ain thin

ks are

dogs are

his wife will

n wind is

ng wind i

he sun will r

it too

her engagement b

SIDE OF

r in the hands

he shame o

out and my st

getting en

er is a

rses are f

e spare a l

and ra

OF FRI

ther they set up an altar of earth and sacrificed upon

1

re riding

e wearing

y we met i

get down

carrying a

e riding

y we met i

get down

nt's coat m

der which a cheap-j

2

ng

o be you

ever without

hills are

ivers are

ens and thund

ns and snow

en and Ea

en will I p

AL S

1

leaf," sung at the buri

ftly it

n the gar

that dri

w will f

we carry t

ver mor

2

sung at the bur

land is the

rowded home

lish shoulde

the Dead cla

e knows n

EEN OL

ury A.D.). They are manifestly not all by the same hand nor of the same date. Internal evidence shows that No. 3 at least was written after the date of Mei Shēng's death. These poe

1

, always

parted by a l

e another ten

ferent corner

een is diffi

how shall w

rse prefers t

eh nests on the

ed the time i

es hang looser

uds obscure

one has quite

ou has made m

ears swiftly dra

t of my mind an

my might to eat

site of a par

rroneous, interpretatio

ay and rejected I

ith all my hear

2

n, g

by the r

k, t

trees in

, s

y in th

e, w

the casem

r,

-powder

l, s

out her p

s a dancing

a wandering

man went, but

lone to keep

3

n, g

ess on t

m,

der in t

lived withi

ourning of a hu

together wil

riendship is n

iot I urge my

in the street

how fine ev

ts"[13] go seekin

vards are inter

e town-houses

stare at each

tes rise a

feast let us kee

oom for sadnes

igh of

4

s glorious f

delight are diffi

they sent forth

s in beauty rea

rs intoned th

une heard the truene

each with t

ughts by eac

d lodging for a

y like dust bo

hurry out wi

to reach the hi

ay at home wre

s plunged in

5

west there is

with the flo

tains thinly sc

wer is built o

omes a noise of pl

ounding, o

e, playing s

t be Ch'i Lia

D" follows the

lay lingers

te, two or

onquered by ove

egret that she

so few can unde

become those

ting wings ri

ather, no husband

6

iver I pluck h

wamps are many

but who shall

iving in lan

ok towards my

d stretches

t, yet a diff

ng, till we a

7

illumines the

et chirrups on

le-star points to th

ars is scatter

w wets the m

ness the times an

cada sings am

alas, whither

a same-ho

ght and ros

ber how once we

footsteps behin

innowing-fan and the

] whose ox has ne

is not firm a

it and idly b

s only figuratively speaking a herd-boy,

8

rd there grows

s ooze with a f

ch I cut a flowe

it away to the

ll fills my s

ng, how shall

is not fine e

of the time that has p

t away in the autumn), remi

9

nkles the He

s the Lady of

r she plies her

the wheels of he

day she has not

rs fall like s

r runs shall

them, how sh

water will not

other but never

1

riot I yoke my

down the

ds shake the h

e, how desol

meet are al

s hastens the co

decay each ha

ter when it is

is not meta

prolong the da

ws in the way of

nly treasure

1

astle stands

retch the tower

nd uprises and

asses grow th

ons alternate

end hurries

orning Wind is st

a suffers and i

t us loosen the bo

on always restrai

hao are many

ople with fa

are made all

e door practisin

ir singing, how

ong one knows the sto

s they arrange the

song, a little

to be those two

ay to nest in the e

1

riot up to the

the graveyard no

ens how they

esses flank th

men who di

the long night

neath the Ye

ears they lie

ession light and

nish like th

is like a

ks the firmness o

that mourners in th

ge,-all alik

ood to obtai

n the dupe of

r to drin

odies in robes o

tinuatio

and with them we

here and ought

city-gate

e me only mou

are ploughed

cypresses are

e aspens sa

uring kills my

me, to ride to

ack, but there

1

lifetime do not

in a thousand

hort and the du

a lamp and

be happy you

aiting till a

oath to spend th

aughing-stock

t Master Wang

we hope to s

1

he year draw

rasshoppers make a

nd increases

ove has no coa

roidered furs t

bedfellow he is

in the depth of

ught I saw the l

ught of our old

ariot and gave me

prolong our pla

and go back with

ad come he wou

with me to th

the falcon's w

l the flying w

the gate and th

ears wet the

1

g of winter a c

ind blows-c

any, I know the le

look at the star

h day the brigh

day the "toad a

me to me from

single scroll w

scroll was writt

as written "Goo

r away in the f

rs the writin

ndivided hear

ou will never

man in the moon." The waning of the moon sym

1

on, oh, how w

the gauze cur

row I toss an

clothes, I wan

ve says that

her he said he

tyard I stand h

tell the sad t

e me I enter

s wet my man

UTUMN

ly sixteen. In this poem he regrets that he is obliged to go on an official journey, leaving h

rises: white

es wither: ge

loom: chrysanthe

ovely lady: I n

da boat cross

id-stream wh

p time to sound of

d feasting, sad

s how few! A

FU-

her silk skir

le pavement

oom is cold

are piled agai

or that l

ng my aching

sent for wizards from all parts of China, hoping that they would be able to put him into communicatio

or isn

nd an

swish of a

ow she

SNOW-WHI

hat night, and they set up a wine-shop together. After a time Hsiang-ju became famous as a poet, but his character was marred by love of money. He sold love-poems, which the ladies of the palace sent to the

ove w

ow on the

as a

n the

e tell

ughts ar

why I

eak i

we'll

p of

row we

e the

ing

e the

s branch

and

and

gain

ust

n she's

find no

ngle

l not l

r hair

HIS

Su Wu (circ

s plaited and we

n us was never

merry this ni

aying while the

er the distance t

ed and look out

nets are all grow

s the road;

rvice, away to t

know when I s

and with only

s-in the days wh

ight enjoy the

t the time of ou

live, I will

will go on thinki

L

ng fro

will never c

-our parting

e halt at t

mbrace where th

e are floating

y passing: or b

he wind lose t

away each to a

ds-long must b

p again for a

de on the wings o

u right to you

fter nineteen years Su Wu was released. Li Ling would not go bac

n thousan

sandy

rvice of

the Hun

blocked a

and swor

s had fa

tation

ther is l

ant to requi

an I

OF HS

ian nomad king, K'un Mo, king of the Wu-sun. When she got there, she found her husband old and decrepit. He only saw her

e have m

corner

ay to a st

ing of t

is my

are my

lesh

e's milk

king of my

rt sad

ere a yel

fly to m

IN

at a time when his wife was ill and staying with her parents. He was therefore unable

the coachman ge

ng" the harne

I must start on

I must gird

nd look at th

almost think

but ten tho

seat, my hear

o to tell you

t you know o

pins make the

irrors can r

rbs banish

ar's harp has

k of Odes[18] who

t back with dia

ll the things you

to have done so

ow that it is

is this descripti

Odes,

IA'S WIF

dy is alas

n first you b

weary in

d and I go

dly ever see

serve you

ived the Impe

ed to go far a

must be o

ined to tell y

toe gazing int

ng at the road th

of you my mi

see the light

tarted on you

ngs you furt

had a bi

ying could

ob and l

ll down and

O

hou (second

n Way at the

road peach-trees

es,-flower mat

oad,-leaf to

rises from t

eaves gently

somebody's d

et, to gather s

om and, forgetting about her silkw

and she breaks a b

tossed and scatt

tree

y, I never

u hate me and

ady a

in the eighth

e dew changes

he wind would have

ance could not h

mn your leaves pat

mes, your gay

s when their brig

never come