《古谣谚》 卷二
郑庄公赋
春秋左氏隱元年传
大隧之中。其乐也融融。
Inside the tunnel, the situation was happy (for the meeting between a mother and her son, the king whom she did not love, after treacherous period).
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郑武姜赋
春秋左氏隱元年传
大隧之外。其乐也泄泄。
Outside the tunnel, the situation was also happy (for the mother).
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羽父引周谚
春秋左氏隱十一年传
山有木﹑工则度之。宾有礼﹑主则择之。
A carpenter can only see the use of wood when there are trees in the mountain. A host can only select appropriate etiquette only when the guests have good manners.
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虞叔引周谚
春秋左氏桓七年传
匹夫无罪。怀璧其罪。
The man himself does not have any faults. He has faults only because he has a piece of jade which is not apparent to untrained eyes.
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士蒍引谚
春秋左氏閔元年传
心苟无瑕。何恤乎无家。
If one does not have any flaws inside his heart, why does he worry about not having a home?
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士蒍赋
春秋左氏僖五年传
狐裘尨茸。 一国三公。吾谁適从。The fox fur looks mangy. When there are three leaders to look up to, who exactly should I follow?
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宫之奇引谚
春秋左氏僖五年传
辅车相依。唇亡齿寒。The cheek and the gum depend on each other. When one loses one’s lips, one’s exposed teeth will feel the coldness.
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卜偃引童谣
春秋左氏僖五年传
丙之辰。龙尾伏辰。均服振振。
取虢之旂。鶉之賁賁。天策焞焞。火中成车。虢公其奔。
A folk song describing how one kingdom’s military became victorious with the light of torches. The king of Guo was forced to flee after his country was defeated.
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孔叔引谚
春秋左氏僖五年传
心则不竞。何惮於病。
When one’s heart is not strong, why is one not afraid of insults?
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晋与人诵
春秋左氏僖二十八年传
原田每每。
The field is green, it is time to take out old roots and plant new seeds.
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乐豫引谚
春秋左氏文七年传
庇焉而纵寻斧焉。
The leaves and branches are good as awnings, why allow them to be pruned with axes? This slang refers to how the aristocrats should not be eliminated as they are like branches of trees.
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宋城者謳
春秋左氏宣二年传
睅其目。皤其腹。弃甲而復。于思于思。弃甲復来。
Having their eyes wide open and their bellies protruding, abandoning their armored suits, these people with beards are returning home after abandoning their armored suits.
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华元驂乘答謳
春秋左氏宣二年传
牛则有皮。犀兕尚多。弃甲则那。When there are cows, there is leather. There are plenty of cows around. What is the problem with abandoning armored suits?
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役人又謳
春秋左氏宣二年传
从其有皮。丹漆若何。
You may have plenty of leather, yet you do not have red paint to paint them with.
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子文引谚
春秋左氏宣四年传
狼子野心。
That baby is like a wolf pup with a beastly mind.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
伯宗引谚
春秋左氏宣十五年传
高下在心。川泽纳汙。山藪藏疾。瑾瑜匿瑕。国君含垢。
If one has a flexible attitude, one knows how to deal with changing situations, just as rivers and streams can take in filthy water, and a king taking a little insult.
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羊舌职引谚
春秋左氏宣十六年传
民之多幸。国之不幸也。
When the citizens are taking chances, it is a misfortune for the country.
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声伯梦歌
春秋左氏成十七年传
济洹之水。赠我以琼瑰。归乎归乎。琼瑰盈吾怀乎。When Sheng Buo Meng was crossing the Heng River, he gave me some jade and pearls. When I was going home, I filled my chest with all these gifts.
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鲁国人诵
春秋左氏襄四年传
臧之狐裘。败我於狐駘。我君小子。朱儒是使。朱儒朱儒。使我败於邾。
Zang was wearing fur when we were defeated at Hu Tai. Our king was a child and he sent a midget to be our general. It was that very midget Zang who caused our defeat by Zhu.
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宋筑者謳
春秋左氏襄十七年传
泽门之皙。实兴我役。邑中之黔。实慰我心。
Those fair-skinned people living in the Ze Men district ordered us to contribute our labor. Only the dark-skinned people living in downtown were able to soothe our hearts.
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郑与人诵
春秋左氏襄三十年传
取我衣冠而褚之。取我田畴而伍之。孰杀子产。吾其与之。
Zi Chan confiscated my clothes and put them away, took away my fields and measured them. Whoever is assassinating him, I will come to the assistance.
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郑舆人又诵
春秋左氏襄三十年传
我有子弟。子产诲之。我有田畴。子产殖之。子产而死。谁其嗣之。
When I have children, Zi Chan educates them. When I have fields, Zi Chan cultivates them. When Zi Chan goes, who can succeed him?
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刘定公引谚
春秋左氏昭元年传
老將至而耄及之。When one approaches old age, one’s mind becomes confused.
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晏子引谚
春秋左氏昭三年传
非宅是卜。唯邻是卜。
One should judge a house not only on its own merit, on its neighbors as well.
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子产引谚
春秋左氏昭七年传
蕞尔国。而三世执其政柄。
It is a very small country, but its ruler has been able to maintain its sovereignty for three generations.
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晋侯投壶词
春秋左氏昭十二年传
有酒如淮。有肉如坻。寡君中此。为诸侯师。
There is as much alcohol as water in the Hui River. There are piles of meat in that alcohol like a land mass in a river. Whoever gets his wine bottles into the goal is the foremost of all kings.
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齐侯投壶词
春秋左氏昭十二年传
有酒如澠。有肉如陵。寡人中此。与君代兴。
There is as much alcohol as in a body of water, there are piles of meat as much as a hill. When I hit the goal with my bottle, I will replace the emperor and make the world a better place.
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南蒯乡人言
春秋左氏昭十二年传
恤恤乎。湫乎攸乎。深思而浅\谋\。邇身而远志。家臣而君图。
有人矣哉。
I am worried because there are people who are very thorough with their thinking and superficial with their purposes. They keep it all inside yet have a very far-reaching desire. They are subordinates hoping to take over their king’s position.
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南蒯乡人歌
春秋左氏昭十二年传
我有圃﹑生之杞乎。从我者子乎。去我者鄙乎。倍其邻者耻乎。已乎已乎。非吾党之士乎。I have a garden but only the herb Gou Qi is growing there. Men who follow my lead are great, and people who betray me are scoundrels. People who betray their own loved ones are shameful.
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子服惠伯引谚
春秋左氏昭十三年传
臣一主二。
There is only one subordinate, but there are two superiors.
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子产引谚
春秋左氏昭十九年传
无过乱门。
One should not pass by a door behind which the entire household is experiencing a strife.
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子瑕引谚
春秋左氏昭十九年传
室於怒﹑市於色。
Not only did his anger break out at home, he also displayed it even in the streets.
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鴝鵒谣
春秋左氏昭二十五年传
鴝之鵒之。公出辱之。鴝鵒之羽。公在外野。往馈之马。
鴝鵒跦跦。公在干侯。征褰与襦。鴝鵒之巢。远哉遥遥。
稠父丧劳。宋父以骄。鴝鵒鴝鵒。往歌来哭。
A folk song describing how a king operated and fell to death in accordance with the calling cycle of the Qu and Yu birds (some kind of parrots). The birds when the king went away for a mission and cried when the king’s dead body came back.
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公子光引上国言
春秋左氏昭二十七年传
不索﹑何获。
If one does not search for things, how will he ever find anything?
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魏子引谚
春秋左氏昭二十八年传
唯食忘忧。
Only food can make one forget worries.
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宋野人歌
春秋左氏定公十四年传
既定尔娄猪。盍归吾艾豭。As our hog has satisfied your sow, why are you not returning him to us?
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戏阳速引谚
春秋左氏定公十四年传
民保于信。
The general population protect themselves by keeping promises.
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莱人歌
春秋左氏哀五年传
景公死乎不与埋。三军之师乎不与谋\。师乎师乎。何党之乎。
The King Jing was dead and none of his sons participated in the burial. Neither did these sons participate in the military affairs of the kingdom. These people, where could they have gone to?
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申叔仪歌
春秋左氏哀十三年传
佩玉繠兮。余无所系之。旨酒一盛兮。余与褐之父睨之。
I can not use my jade belt as I have no clothes on. Holding an empty wine cup, a poor old man and I can only look at it without drinking from it.
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卫侯梦浑良夫譟
春秋左氏哀十七年传
登此昆吾之虚。绵绵生之瓜。余为浑良夫。叫天无辜。
I dreamt of going up a Taoist temple and saw vines of bitter gourds spreading all over the place. In that dream, I was a man named Hun Liang Fu and I was shouting to the sky: "I am innocent."
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齐人歌
春秋左氏哀二十一年传
鲁人之皋。数年不觉。使我高蹈。唯其儒书。以为二国忧。
The offenses of the Lu people were not ameliorated for years, and we were so mad as to jump up and down. The Lu people were blindly following their Confucius books and thus created problems for the two kingdoms Qi and Zhu.
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时人为龙门之战谣
春秋纬
五侯之斗血成江。
The fighting among the five kings was so fierce that it flooded the river with blood.
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孔子引南人言
论语子路篇
人而无恒。不可以作巫医。
A person with no stable character should not be a shaman.
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楚狂接舆歌
论语微子篇
凤兮凤兮。何德之衰。往者不可諫。来者犹可追。
已而已而。今之从政者殆而。
Phoenix and phoenix ! Why is your morality going down ? No one can give advise for the past, yet one can give timely advise for the future. Give it up! Nowadays, it is dangerous to be politicians.
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五老游河歌
论语纬
河图將来告帝期。河图將来告帝谋\。河图將来告帝书。
河图將来告帝图。河图將来告帝符。
A song describing how five soothsayers managed to convince the emperor Yao to bestow his throne on Shun.
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殷末玉马谣
论语纬
殷惑妲己玉马走。
The king of Yin was infatuated with the lady Da Ji and all of his good advisors went away.
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时人为孔氏兄弟语
论语纬
鲁国孔氏好读经。兄弟讲诵皆可听。
学士来者有声名。不过孔氏那得成。
A passage about how the Kong (Confucius’s) household of Lu kingdom contained knowledgeable and outstanding scholars.
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泣麟歌
论语纬
唐虞之世麟凤游。今非其时来何由。麟兮麟兮我心忧。
At the time of Tang Yu, the animals Lin and phoenix were roaming around. It is no longer that time. Why is Lin showing up? I am worried about its appearance.
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晏子引夏谚
孟子梁惠王篇下
吾王不游。吾何以休。吾王不豫。吾何以助。
一游一豫。为诸侯度。
If our emperor does not travel around, how will we ever take a rest? If our emperor does not travel, how will we ever get any assistance? Trips like that are models for the kings.
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孟子引齐人言
孟子公孙丑篇
虽有智慧。不如乘势。虽有鎡基。不如待时。
It is better to have opportunities than to have wisdom. It is better to have the right timing than to have the right tools.
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孔子听孺子歌
孟子离娄篇上
沧浪之水清兮。可以濯我缨。沧浪之水浊兮。可以濯我足。
When the water of Cang Lang is clear, it can be used to wash my hat. When its water is muddy, it can be used to wash my feet.
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赵岐引谚
孟子章指
白沙在涅。不染自黑。蓬生痲中。不扶自直。
When white sand is mixed with mud, its color automatically turns black. When the grass Peng is grown amongst hemp, it automatically grows vertically.
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蜀人汶山谣
河图纬
汶阜之山。江出其腹。帝以会昌。神以建福。
The mountain in Wen Fu (place name) has a river running through it. This place is supposed to be a good place.
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孔子述洞庭童谣
河图纬
吴王出游观震湖。龙威丈人名隱居。
北上包山入灵墟。乃造洞庭窃禹书。
天帝大文不可舒。此文长传六百初。
今强取出丧国庐。
A folk song describing how uncovering some ancient documents from a cave in Lake Dong Ting had caused the king of Wu to lose his kingdom.