Living
The New Tower
Translated by William Jennings (1891) · From The Shi King (Jennings, 1891), Part I, Book iii
Past the New Tower, so spick and span,
The Ho majestic rolled.
There she who sought a gallant mate
Found one deformed and old.
'Neath the New Tower's high battlements
The Ho ran smooth and still.
She sought a gallant mate, and lo!
A shapeless imbecile!
The net was ready for a fish,
A goose there came instead.
And she who sought a gallant mate,
Must with this hunchback wed.
Cite this poem
MLA
Shi Jing (The Book of Songs). “The New Tower.” Translated by William Jennings. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/shi-jing/331/.
Chicago
Shi Jing (The Book of Songs). “The New Tower.” Translated by William Jennings. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/shi-jing/331/.
Read this poem with the Codex →