Chirping, chirping insects,
Jumping, jumping grasshoppers;
Sick and disturbed,
For he has not returned.
Down—unable to see him again
I climb the southern mountain,
Gathering ferns;
Worried, concerned,
For he has not returned.
Chastened—unable to see him again
I climb the southern mountain,
Gathering ferns;
Sad and burned,
For he has not returned.
Ruined—unable to see him again
[After an anonymous Chinese poem in the Shijing.]
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
草蟲 | 草虫 | cǎo chóng |
喓喓草蟲， | 喓喓草虫， | yāo yāo cǎo chóng ， |
趯趯阜螽； | 趯趯阜螽； | tì tì fù zhōng ; |
未見君子， | 未见君子， | wèi jiàn jūn zǐ ， |
憂心忡忡。 | 忧心忡忡。 | yōu xīn chōng chōng 。 |
亦既見止， | 亦既见止， | yì jì jiàn zhǐ ， |
亦既覯止， | 亦既觏止， | yì jì gòu zhǐ ， |
我心則降。 | 我心则降。 | wǒ xīn zé jiàng 。 |
陟彼南山， | 陟彼南山， | zhì bǐ nán shān ， |
言采其蕨； | 言采其蕨； | yán cǎi qí jué ; |
未見君子， | 未见君子， | wèi jiàn jūn zǐ ， |
憂心惙惙。 | 忧心惙惙。 | yōu xīn chuò chuò 。 |
亦既見止， | 亦既见止， | yì jì jiàn zhǐ ， |
亦既覯止， | 亦既觏止， | yì jì gòu zhǐ ， |
我心則說。 | 我心则说。 | wǒ xīn zé shuō 。 |
陟彼南山， | 陟彼南山， | zhì bǐ nán shān ， |
言采其薇； | 言采其薇； | yán cǎi qí wēi ; |
未見君子， | 未见君子， | wèi jiàn jūn zǐ ， |
我心傷悲。 | 我心伤悲。 | wǒ xīn shāng bēi 。 |
亦既見止， | 亦既见止， | yì jì jiàn zhǐ ， |
亦既覯止， | 亦既觏止， | yì jì gòu zhǐ ， |
我心則夷。 | 我心则夷。 | wǒ xīn zé yí。 |
Translation Notes
草蟲 | Grass insects [Grass insects = grasshoppers] |
喓喓草蟲， | Chirping chirping grass insects, |
趯趯阜螽； | Jump jump many grasshoppers; [Jump jump = indicative of spring when the insects jump around to woo each other, drawing a parallel to men and women wooing] |
未見君子， | Not-yet see gentleman offspring, |
憂心忡忡。 | Sad heart uneasy uneasy. [The whole verse is an idiom for “deeply worried and sick of heart.”] |
亦既見止， | Also both see stop, |
亦既覯止， | Also both meet stop, |
我心則降。 | My heart then descends. |
陟彼南山， | Climb that southern mountain, |
言采其蕨； | Words gather his pteris-aquilina; |
未見君子， | Not-yet see gentleman offspring, |
憂心惙惙。 | Sad heart grieving grieving. [Sad heart = concerned, worried] |
亦既見止， | Also both see stop, |
亦既覯止， | Also both meet stop, |
我心則說。 | My heart then upbraids. |
陟彼南山， | Climb that southern mountain, |
言采其薇； | Words gather his fern; |
未見君子， | Not-yet see gentleman offspring, |
我心傷悲。 | My heart wound sorrow. [Wound sorrow = sad, sorrowful] |
亦既見止， | Also both see stop, |
亦既覯止， | Also both meet stop, |
我心則夷。 | My heart then wiped-out. |
Year:
2013
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