Living
The Fah Ko
Translated by James Legge (1876) · From The She King (1876), Part I, Book XV
In hewing an axe-shaft, how must you act?
Another axe take, or you’ll never succeed.
In taking a wife, be sure ’tis a fact,
That with no go-between you never can speed.
In hewing an axe-shaft, hewing a shaft,
For a copy you have the axe in your hand.
In choosing a wife, you follow the craft,
And forthwith on the mats the feast-vessels stand.
Codex Note
While there is a proper and necessary way for everything, men need not go far to find what it is.
Cite this poem
MLA
Shi Jing (The Book of Songs). “The Fah Ko.” Translated by James Legge. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/shi-jing/153/.
Chicago
Shi Jing (The Book of Songs). “The Fah Ko.” Translated by James Legge. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/shi-jing/153/.
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