Chinese Literature Part 25

I go along the road, Slow, with reluctant heart.

Your escort lame to door but came, There glad from me to part.

Sow-thistle, bitter called, As shepherd's purse is sweet; With your new mate you feast elate, As joyous brothers meet.

Part clear, the stream of King Is foul beside the Wei.

You feast elate with your new mate, And take no heed of me.

Loose mate, avoid my dam, Nor dare my basket move!

Person slighted, life all blighted, What can the future prove?

The water deep, in boat, Or raft-sustained, I'd go; And where the stream did narrow seem, I dived or breasted through.

I labored to increase Our means, or great or small; When 'mong friends near death did appear, On knees to help I'd crawl.

No cherishing you give, I'm hostile in your eyes.

As pedler's wares for which none cares, My virtues you despise.

When poverty was nigh, I strove our means to spare; You, now rich grown, me scorn to own; To poison me compare.

The stores for winter piled Are all unprized in spring.

So now, elate with your new mate, Myself away you fling.

Your cool disdain for me A bitter anguish hath.

The early time, our love's sweet prime, In you wakes only wrath.

~Soldiers of Wei Bewail Separation from Their Families~

List to the thunder and roll of the drum!

See how we spring and brandish the dart!

Some raise Ts'aou's walls; some do field work at home; But we to the southward lonely depart.

Our chief, Sun Tsze-chung, agreement has made, Our forces to join with Ch'in and with Sung.

When shall we back from this service be led?

Our hearts are all sad, our courage unstrung.

Here we are halting, and there we delay; Anon we soon lose our high-mettled steeds.

The forest's gloom makes our steps go astray; Each thicket of trees our searching misleads.

For death as for life, at home or abroad, We pledged to our wives our faithfulest word.

Their hands clasped in ours, together we vowed, We'd live to old age in sweetest accord.

This march to the South can end but in ill; Oh! never shall we our wives again meet.

The word that we pledged we cannot fulfil; Us home returning they never will greet.

~An Officer Tells of His Mean Employment~

With mind indifferent, things I easy take; In every dance I prompt appearance make:-- Then, when the sun is at his topmost height, There, in the place that courts the public sight.

With figure large I in the courtyard dance, And the duke smiles, when he beholds me prance.

A tiger's strength I have; the steeds swift bound; The reins as ribbons in my hands are found.

See how I hold the flute in my left hand; In right the pheasant's plume, waved like a wand; With visage red, where rouge you think to trace, While the duke pleased, sends down the cup of grace!

Hazel on hills; the _ling_ in meadow damp;-- Each has its place, while I'm a slighted scamp.

My thoughts go back to th' early days of Chow, And muse upon its chiefs, not equalled now.

O n.o.ble chiefs, who then the West adorned, Would ye have thus neglected me and scorned?

~An Officer Sets Forth His Hard Lot~

My way leads forth by the gate on the north; My heart is full of woe.

I hav'n't a cent, begged, stolen, or lent, And friends forget me so.

So let it be! 'tis Heaven's decree.

What can I say--a poor fellow like me?

The King has his throne, sans sorrow or moan; On me fall all his cares, And when I come home, resolved not to roam, Each one indignant stares.

So let it be! 'tis Heaven's decree.

What can I say--a poor fellow like me?

Each thing of the King, and the fate of the State, On me come more and more.

And when, sad and worn, I come back forlorn, They thrust me from the door.

So let it be! 'tis Heaven's decree.

What can I say--a poor fellow like me?

~The Complaint of a Neglected Wife~

When the upper robe is green, With a yellow lining seen, There we have a certain token, Right is wronged and order broken.

How can sorrow from my heart In a case like this depart?

Color green the robe displays; Lower garment yellow's blaze.

Thus it is that favorite mean In the place of wife is seen.

Vain the conflict with my grief; Memory denies relief.

Yes, 'twas you the green who dyed, You who fed the favorite's pride.

Anger rises in my heart, Pierces it as with a dart.

But on ancient rules lean I, Lest to wrong my thoughts should fly.

Fine or coa.r.s.e, if thin the dress, Cold winds always cause distress.

Hard my lot, my sorrow deep, But my thoughts in check I keep.

Ancient story brings to mind Sufferers who were resigned.

[NOTE.--Yellow is one of the five "correct" colors of the Chinese, while green is one of the "intermediate" colors that are less esteemed. Here we have the yellow used merely as a lining to the green, or employed in the lower, or less honorable, part of the dress;--an inversion of propriety, and intimating how a favorite had usurped the place of the rightful wife and thrust her down.]