Living
Home-Longings of Frontier-Guardsmen
Translated by William Jennings (1891) · From The Shi King (Jennings, 1891), Part I, Book vi
The pent-up waters
Float not away the faggots placed therein.
And yonder dear ones!
We miss them keeping watch and ward in Shin.
How long! how long! so do we yearn
To know the month of our return.
Ye pent-up waters!
Bundles of thorns rest motionless on you.
And yonder dear ones!
We miss them keeping watch and ward in Fu.
How long! how long! so do we yearn.
To know the month of our return.
Ye pent-up waters!
Bundles of rushes idly rest on yon.
And yonder dear ones!
We miss them keeping watch and ward in Hiu.
How long! how long! so do we yearn
To know the month of our return.
Cite this poem
MLA
Shi Jing (The Book of Songs). “Home-Longings of Frontier-Guardsmen.” Translated by William Jennings. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/shi-jing/344/.
Chicago
Shi Jing (The Book of Songs). “Home-Longings of Frontier-Guardsmen.” Translated by William Jennings. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/shi-jing/344/.
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