Essential 200 Poems of Pre-Qin Poetry

Author: Editor-in-Chief: Jin Yiliang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-10-01
Features: Excerpt: The Book of Songs, Part of the Guofeng (National Airs)
After King Wu of Zhou conquered the Shang Dynasty, he set the region of Shaan (now Shang County, Henan) as the boundary. The east of Shaan was managed by the Duke of Zhou (Zhou Gong Dan), while the west was managed by the Marquis of Zhao (Zhao Gong Shi). The region managed by the Duke of Zhou was called Zhou Nan, and the region managed by the Marquis of Zhao was called Zhao Nan. Zhou Nan was centered around the city of Luoyi in the east, extending north to the Yellow River and south to the Jianghan River basin, covering most of modern Henan and Hubei provinces. Zhao Nan was centered around the capital Haojing of the Zhou Dynasty, extending south to the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the Han River basin. The term "Nan" implies a direction from north to south. However, the Book of Songs is titled "Zhou Nan," yet its creation period may not necessarily correspond to the reign of the Duke of Zhou. Some poems in it are clearly ceremonial hymns, and their creation and dissemination were not the work of a single individual. Yet, the process of transmission was also one of refinement and improvement. Therefore, the style of these poems today likely reflects the artistic level of the period when they were finalized. The Book of Songs, Part of Zhou Nan, consists of eleven chapters, and eight of them are selected here.
Guan Ju (The Mallard)
The mallard crows,
On the isle in the river,
The fair maiden, modest and pure,
Is a fine match for the noble man.
The rushes grow long and short,
Flowing left and right.
The fair maiden, modest and pure,
Wakes and dreams, seeking her.
Seeking her, she cannot find,
Wakes and dreams, yearning for her.
Long, long the yearning,
Tossing and turning.
The rushes grow long and short,
Gathered left and right.
The fair maiden, modest and pure,
The lute and zither delight her.
The rushes grow long and short,
Gathered left and right.
The fair maiden, modest and pure,
The bell and drum delight her.