秦代 鄘风 Yong Feng  秦代  
Bo Zhou
Qiang You Ci
Jun Zi Xie Lao
Sang Zhong
Chun Zi Ben Ben
Ding Zhi Fang Zhong
Di Dong
Xiang Shu
Gan Mao
Zai Chi
Multiple poems at a time
the poem each line of which consists of four words

Xiang Shu
相鼠

   Yong Feng

Look at a rat, -- it has its skin;
But a man should be without dignity of demeanour.
If a man have no dignity of demeanour,
What should he but die?


Look at a rat, -- it has its teeth;
But a man shall be without any right deportment.
If a man have not right deportment,
What should he wait for but death?


Look at a rat, -- it has its limbs;
But a man shall be without any rules of propriety.
If a man observe no rules of propriety,
Why does he not quickly die?

    Translator: James Legge
  

【Collections】诗经

【Source】 The English translation text was taken from The Chinese Classics, vol. 4 by James Legge (1898) and checked against a reprinted edition by Wen Zhi Zhe chu pan she (Taiwan, 1971).


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