The Book of Songs
12-25
The Songs of
Shao
Yakov Rabinovich
12
While the magpie
builds the nest,
still the cuckoo
lays her eggs there;
the humble
magpie's glad to hatch
the cuckoo's
lordly brood.
There's a girl
going off to be married,
a hundred pair of
horses
pull her coach,
prancing glad
to serve the noble
maid.
While the magpie
builds the nest,
the cuckoo’s got
plans for it,
but the humble
magpie's glad to raise
the blue-blood
cuckoo's chicks.
There's a girl
going off to be married,
a hundred pair of
horses
escort her,
prancing glad to be
beside so noble a
maid.
While the magpie
builds the nest,
it's the little
cuckoos fill it;
the humble
magpie's glad to feed
the cuckoo's
highborn kin.
There's a girl
going off to be married,
a hundred pair of
horses
draw her coach,
prancing glad
to be part of the
wedding parade.
13
She goes to gather
asters
to the pond, to
the little isles in it,
gathers the starry
white flowers﹐
in the service of
the duke.
She goes to gather
asters
that grow along
the hillside streams,
gathers the starry
white flowers
for the palace of
the duke.
Look at the
splendid turban she wears
to the duke's,
morning and eve,
see the cloth of
her head-dress flow
behind her as she
comes and goes.
14
Chirp chirp,
go the grasshoppers,
look how many,
look how they jump!
I haven't seen my
man today,
my heart is sad,
sad.
But if I just see
him, just meet him by chance,
my heart is tame
and pleased.
I climb the sunlit
south side of the hill.
I haven't seen him
yet,
my heart is
doubting, sad.
But if I just see
him, just meet him by chance,
my heart becomes
glad.
Climbing the sunny
side of this hill,
I haven't seen him
yet,
my heart is
baffled, hurt.
But if I just see
him, just meet him by chance,
my heart's at
peace.
15
Off to cull herbs
at the sunny
hillside stream-bank,
to gather savory
plants,
where the water
floods and rushes down;
off homewards,
carrying the
gatherings,
bundled and
stacked
in basket and or
box,
to put them to to
boil
bundled in
kettles, placed into pots;
off to open the
cupboard-like
ancestor shrine,
to open its doors
like a little
window's shutters,
off to pour the
ancestors
an offering of the
new-made soup ---
who raises the
bowl and places it rightly?
A diligent,
excellent,
reverent girl!
16
The Earl of Shao was half-brother to
King Wu, establisher of the Jo dynasty (1122-256 BC).
That pear tree
gives a nice dark shade;
don't clip its
twigs, don't prune its boughs,
for under these
the Earl of Shao
once camped.
That pear tree
gives a nice dark shade;
don't trim or clip
or break a branch,
for under these
the Earl of Shao
once rested.
That pear tree
gives a nice dark shade;
don't trim, don't
even bend its branches,
for once it
cheered
the Earl of Shao.
17
The way is sodden,
soaked with dew.
None could deny
that path's too wet
for walking, dawn
or dewy eve.
There are roads I
do not care to walk.
The sparrow
represents love,
but that doesn't
mean his beak isn't sharp.
Just such a
lovebird's pecking a hole
in my bedroom
wall.
A sparrow nobly
born.
Yes, I was
promised you in marriage,
but what will you
gain by hauling me to court?
The judge may rule
the contract stands,
but your house
won't be my prison,
your noble house,
isn't strong
enough for that.
You gnaw your way
through my home's thick walls,
like a rat. What
fine teeth you have,
surely you come of
good stock!
Any rodent would
be proud
What will you
gain, hauling me to court?
I follow the
bailiff there, I must,
but I'll never
follow you.
18
Lamb fur coats,
five
white silk fringes
each.
Lords leave duke
to dine, defer,
"After you!" "No,
after you!"
Sheep skin soft
coats, five
white silk sewn
seams each.
Lords leave duke
to dine, defer,
"After you!" "No,
after you!"
Lamb skins,
tailored, five pockets each,
sewn with white
silk, cleverly cut.
Lords leave duke
to dine, defer,
"After you!" "No,
after you!"
19
Listen to that
thunder rumble,
echoing over
sunlit South Mountain,
How could he leave
here?
Is a little bit of
leisure so unthinkable?
O, hurry, hurry,
my lord, back home, back to me!
Listen to that
thunder rumble,
echoing over South
Mountain's sides.
How could he leave
here?
Never, never time
to rest, never time to think?
O hurry, hurry, my
lord, back home, back to me!
Listen to that
thunder rumble, echoing down South Mountain valley.
How could he leave
here?
Would it be too
much to ask, for him to have a home?
O, hurry, hurry,
my lord, back home, back to me!
20
The plum tree's
letting its fruit fall now,
seven remain,
they're ready to drop.
All the gentlemen
court me,
one of them will
be lucky soon.
The plum tree's
letting its fruit fall now,
three still hang
there, ready to drop.
All the gentlemen
court me,
one of them won't
let this chance slip.
The plum tree's
letting its fruits fall now,
you don't need a
basket to gather what's left.
All the gentlemen
court me,
one of them should
really speak up!
21
Three, four, five
stars left in the
east,
tiny, sparkling
sharp
a brightening sky.
Hurry, we leave
when night does,
and dark's
departing
quickly now,
hurry,
concubines of the
duke,
arriving at dusk,
departing at dawn,
wives, but not
quite wives:
our fates are not
the same.
Orion and the
Pleiades
are now a faint
sparkle of stars.
Hurry, we leave
when night does,
and dark's
departing quickly now,
hurry, concubines
of the duke,
arriving at dusk,
departing at dawn
with the bedding
we brought,
our own quilts and
sheets,
in our arms,
wives,
but not quite
wives,
our fates is not
like theirs.
22
The river Jiang
accepts the streams
that feed it.
Madame would not
accept us. Her own
younger sisters,
married along with
her to become
number two and
number three wives.
She didn't accept
us, but later
she'd regret this.
The river Jiang
allows islands,
many an island
amid its waves.
Madame wouldn't
allow us,
younger sisters,
the lesser wives.
But she'd learn to
live with us
in time.
The river Jiang
forms branches, divides
its waters among
the thirsty fields.
Madame didn't pass
us on
to her husband
then, but now
she sends us in to
him,
with a grin,
whistling a song.
23
Far in the forest
where no one goes
a doe lies dead.
The poacher
covered her body
with green weeds. No one
will find her
before he comes back tonight.
In the forest,
there's a young woman,
all the springtime
yearning in her heart.
A gentleman
coaxes, entices her,
lucky man.
There's many and
many a tree in the forest
and under one a
deer lies dead,
green weeds truss
and cover her.
In those dense
woods, where no one can see,
there's a girl as
beautiful as jade.
"Relax, just let
me open this one button."
A woman's sigh.
"Don't touch my belt,
no --- " a long
breath like a whisper,
"Don't! My little
lapdog's right here.
Stop! let me calm
my little dog
so he doesn't
bark."
24
Nothing is known of this bride and
groom beyond what is stated in the poem.
What's this? Who
is it, dressed in cloth
as richly thick,
splendidly dense
as the blossoms of
the plum tree?
Musicians, a sweet
and reverent strain!
The royal bride's
carriage arrives!
Why this rich and
splendid dress,
like blossoms on a
peach, a plum tree?
The daughter of
the Marquis of Chee
is marrying King
Ping's heir!
How did she land
him? With beauty's hook,
elegant silks were
the line.
The daughter of
the Marquis of Chee
weds the grandson
of good King Ping.
25
In the tall brush,
in the reeds,
five wild pigs
with a single shot!
Good riding,
grooms and huntsmen, O!
In the tall brush,
in the high grass,
five young pigs
with a single shot!
Good riding,
grooms and huntsmen, O!