The nest is the magpie's;
　　The dove dwells in it.
　　This young lady is going to her future home;
　　A hundred carriages are meeting her.
　　
　　The nest is the magpie's;
　　The dove possesses it.
　　This young lady is going to her future home;
　　A hundred carriages are escorting her.
　　
　　The nest is the magpie's;
　　The dove fills it.
　　This young lady is going to her future home;
　　These hundreds of carriages complete her array.

　　She gathers the white southernwood,
　　By the ponds, on the islets.
　　She employs it,
　　In the business of our prince.
　　
　　She gathers the white southernwood,
　　Along the streams in the valleys.
　　She employs it,
　　In the temple of our prince.
　　
　　With head-dress reverently rising aloft,
　　Early, while yet it is night, she is in the prince's temple;
　　In her dead-dress, slowly retiring,
　　She returns to her own apartments.

　　Yao-yao went the grass-insects,
　　And the hoppers sprang about.
　　While I do not see my lord,
　　My sorrowful heart is agitated.
　　Let me have seen him,
　　Let me have met him,
　　And my heart will then be stilled.
　　
　　I ascended that hill in the south,
　　And gathered the turtle-foot ferns.
　　While I do not see my lord,
　　My sorrowful heart is very sad.
　　Let me have seen him,
　　Let me have met him,
　　And my heart will then be pleased.
　　
　　I ascended that hill in the south,
　　And gathered the thorn-ferns.
　　While I do not see my lord,
　　My sorrowful heart is wounded with grief.
　　Let me have seen him,
　　Let me have met him,
　　And my heart will then be at peace.

　　She gathers the large duckweed,
　　By the banks of the stream in the southern valley.
　　She gathers the pondweed,
　　In those pools left by the floods.
　　
　　She deposits what she gathers,
　　In her square baskets and round ones
　　She boils it,
　　In her tripods and pans.
　　
　　She sets forth her preparations,
　　Under the window in the ancestral chamber.
　　Who superintends the business?
　　It is [this] reverent young lady.

　　[This] umbrageous sweet pear-tree; --
　　Clip it not, hew it not down.
　　Under it the chief of Zhou lodged.
　　
　　[This] umbrageous sweet pear-tree; --
　　Clip it not, break not a twig of it.
　　Under it the chief of Zhou rested.
　　
　　[This] umbrageous sweet pear-tree; --
　　Clip it not, bend not a twig of it.
　　Under it the chief of Zhou halted.

　　Wet lay the dew on the path: --
　　Might I not [have walked there] in the early dawn?
　　But I said there was [too] much dew on the path.
　　
　　Who can say the sparrow has no horn?
　　How else can it bore through my house?
　　Who can say that you did not get me betrothed?
　　How else could you have urged on this trial?
　　But though you have forced me to trial,
　　Your ceremonies for betrothal were not sufficient.
　　
　　Who can say that the rat has no molar teeth?
　　How else could it bore through my wall?
　　Who can say that you did not get me betrothed?
　　How else could you have urged on this trial?
　　But though you have forced me to trial,
　　I will still not follow you.

　　[Those] lamb-skins and sheep-skins,
　　With their five braidings of white silk!
　　They have retired from the court to take their their meal;
　　Easy are they and self-possesed.
　　
　　[Those] lamb-skins and sheep-skins,
　　With their five seams wrought with white silk!
　　Easy are they and self-possessed;
　　They have retired from the court to take their their meal.
　　
　　The seams of [those] lamb-skins and sheep-skins,
　　The five joinings wrought with white silk!
　　Easy are they and self-possessed;
　　They have retired to take their their meal from the court.

　　Grandly rolls the thunder,
　　On the south of the southern hill!
　　How was it he went away from this,
　　Not daring to take a little rest?
　　My noble lord!
　　May he return! May he return!
　　
　　Grandly rolls the thunder,
　　About the sides of the southern hill!
　　How was it he went away from this,
　　Not daring to take a little rest?
　　My noble lord!
　　May he return! May he return!
　　
　　Grandly rolls the thunder,
　　At the foot of the southern hill!
　　How was it he went away from this,
　　Not remaining a little at rest?
　　My noble lord!
　　May he return! May he return!

　　Plop fall the plumns; but there are still seven.
　　Let those gentlemen that would court me
　　Come while it is lucky!
　　
　　Plop fall the plums; there are still three.
　　Let any gentleman that would court me
　　Come before it is too late!
　　
　　Plop fall the plums; in shallow baskets
　　We lay them. Any gentleman who would
　　Court me had better speak while there is time.
　　
　　
　　Another version:
　　Biao You Mei
　　Translated by James Legge (1898)
　　
　　Dropping are the fruits from the plum-tree;
　　There are [but] seven [tenths] of them left!
　　For the gentlemen who seek me,
　　This is the fortunate time!
　　
　　Dropping are the fruits from the plum-tree;
　　There are [but] three [tenths] of them left!
　　For the gentlemen who seek me,
　　Now is the time.
　　
　　Dropt are the fruits from the plum-tree;
　　In my shallow basket I have collected them.
　　Would the gentlemen who seek me
　　[Only] speak about it!

　　Small are those starlets,
　　Three or five of them in the east,
　　Swiftly by night we go;
　　In the early dawn we are with the prince.
　　Our lot is not like hers.
　　
　　Small are those starlets,
　　And there are Orion and the Pleiades.
　　Swiftly by night we go,
　　Carrying our coverlets and sheets.
　　Our lot is not like hers.

　　The Jiang has its branches, led from it and returning to it.
　　Our lady, when she was married,
　　Would not employ us.
　　She would not employ us;
　　But afterwards she repented.
　　
　　The Jiang has its islets.
　　Our lady, when she was married,
　　Would not let us be with her.
　　She would not let us be with her;
　　But afterwards she repressed [such feelings].
　　
　　The Jiang has the Tuo.
　　Our lady, when she was married,
　　Would not come near us
　　She would not come near us;
　　But she blew that feeling away, and sang.

　　In the wild there is a dead antelope,
　　And it is wrapped up with the white grass.
　　There is a young lady with thoughts natural to the spring,
　　And a fine gentleman would lead her astray.
　　
　　In the forest there are the scrubby oaks;
　　In the wild there is a dead deer,
　　And it is bound round with the white grass.
　　There is a young lady like a gem.
　　
　　[She says], Slowly; gently, gently;
　　Do not move my handkerchief;
　　Do not make my dog bark.

　　How great is that luxuriance,
　　Those flowers of the sparrow-plum!
　　Are they not expressive of reverence and harmony, --
　　The carriages of the king's daughter?
　　
　　How great is that luxuriance,
　　The flowers like those of the peach-tree or the plum!
　　[See] the grand-daughter of the tranquillizing king,
　　And the son of the reverent marquis!
　　
　　What are used in angling?
　　Silk threads formed into lines.
　　The son of the reverent marquis,
　　And the grand-daughter of the tranquillizing king!

　　Strong and abundant grow the rushes;
　　He discharges [but] one arrow at five wild boars.
　　Ah! he is the Zou-yu!
　　
　　Strong and abundant grow the artemisia;
　　He discharges [but] one arrow at five wild boars.
　　Ah! he is the Zou-yu!