History & Politics
The Resolve of King Ch'ing after his First Error
Translated by William Jennings (1891) · From The Shi King (Jennings, 1891), Part IV, Book iii
I have had my warning,
And will guard 'gainst future evils:
Will no more with wasps have dealings,
Courting but their stings and venom.
What at first was but a " peach-tree insect,"
Taking wing, became a bird undoubted.
I, unequal yet to all the cares of statecraft,
Here am placed moreover on a bed of smart weed.
Cite this poem
MLA
Shi Jing (The Book of Songs). “The Resolve of King Ch'ing after his First Error.” Translated by William Jennings. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/shi-jing/445/.
Chicago
Shi Jing (The Book of Songs). “The Resolve of King Ch'ing after his First Error.” Translated by William Jennings. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/shi-jing/445/.
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