Living

The Héa-Ts‘ewen

by Shi Jing (The Book of Songs) poems c. 1000–600 BC; compilation traditionally ascribed to Confucius

Translated by James Legge (1876) · From The She King (1876), Part I, Book XIV

Living

Down from the spring the chilling waters pass,
And overflow the bushy wolf-tail grass ;—
Fit emblem of our state unblest.
In the dark night, restless, I wake and sigh,
And to my thoughts Chow’s capital comes nigh,
When through its kings the land had rest.

The bushy southernwood is flooded o’er,
By the cold waters from that spring which pour ;—
Fit emblem of our state unblest.
In the dark night, restless, I wake and sigh,
And to my thoughts Chow’s capital comes nigh,
When through its kings the land had rest.

The bushy plants, whose stalks serve to divine
Beneath the waters of that cold spring pine ;—
Fit emblem of our state unblest.
In the dark night, restless, I wake and sigh,
And to my thoughts Chow’s capital comes nigh,
When through its kings the land had rest.

Of old there fell the fertilizing rains,
And brightly shone the millet on our plains ;—
The land knew no oppression hard.
The States the king’s authority obeyed,
And to each lord, for loyal service paid,
The chief of Seun dispensed reward.

✦ ✦ ✦

The misery and misgovernment of Ts‘aou makes the writer think of Chow and of its former vigour and prosperity.

MLA

Shi Jing (The Book of Songs). “The Héa-Ts‘ewen.” Translated by James Legge. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/shi-jing/148/.

Chicago

Shi Jing (The Book of Songs). “The Héa-Ts‘ewen.” Translated by James Legge. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/shi-jing/148/.

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