Love
The K‘ew Chung Yéw Ma
Translated by James Legge (1876) · From The She King (1876), Part I, Book VI
Where the hemp grows on the mound,
There some one keeps Tsze-tseay ;
There some one keeps Tsze-tseay :—
Why comes not he to me with a bound ?
On the mound where grows the wheat,
There some one keeps Tsze-kwoh ;
There some one keeps Tsze-kwoh :—
Why comes not he with me here to eat?
On the mound plum trees have place.
There some one keeps those youths ;
There some one keeps those youths :—
O for their kew-stones girdle to grace!
Codex Note
A woman longs for the presence of her lovers, who, she thinks, are detained from her by another woman.
Cite this poem
MLA
Shi Jing (The Book of Songs). “The K‘ew Chung Yéw Ma.” Translated by James Legge. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/shi-jing/71/.
Chicago
Shi Jing (The Book of Songs). “The K‘ew Chung Yéw Ma.” Translated by James Legge. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/shi-jing/71/.
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