The cedar boat is floating,
Floating and also drifting;
Disturbed and sleepless,
I am bothered by secret sorrow:
Blaming the lack of wine,
I ramble and roam.
My heart is not a mirror,
It cannot endure;
I have brothers, yes,
But cannot rely on them
For their scolding words have hurt me
And I grow angry.
My heart is not a stone,
It cannot roll around;
My heart is not a mat,
It cannot curl up:
I am like majestic flowers
That no one can pluck.
My troubled heart is silent,
Hated by the loathsome crowd;
I see them unexpectedly,
But grieve, having born many slights.
I think of calming words,
Not sending them a signal.
The sun dwells, the moon roves—
Why complain that this is so?
My heart is soiled
Like dirty clothes,
So I think of calming words
As I have no wings to spread and fly.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
柏舟 | 柏舟 | bǎi zhōu |
泛彼柏舟， | 泛彼柏舟， | fàn bǐ bǎi zhōu ， |
亦泛其流。 | 亦泛其流。 | yì fàn qí liú 。 |
耿耿不寐， | 耿耿不寐， | gěng gěng bù mèi ， |
如有隱憂。 | 如有隐忧。 | rú yǒu yǐn yōu 。 |
微我無酒， | 微我无酒， | wēi wǒ wú jiǔ ， |
以敖以遊。 | 以敖以游。 | yǐ áo yǐ yóu 。 |
我心匪鑒， | 我心匪鉴， | wǒ xīn fěi jiàn ， |
不可以茹。 | 不可以茹。 | bù kě yǐ rú 。 |
亦有兄弟， | 亦有兄弟， | yì yǒu xiōng dì ， |
不可以據。 | 不可以据。 | bù kě yǐ jù 。 |
薄言往愬， | 薄言往愬， | báo yán wǎng sù ， |
逢彼之怒。 | 逢彼之怒。 | féng bǐ zhī nù 。 |
我心匪石， | 我心匪石， | wǒ xīn fěi shí ， |
不可轉也。 | 不可转也。 | bù kě zhuǎn yě 。 |
我心匪席， | 我心匪席， | wǒ xīn fěi xí ， |
不可卷也。 | 不可卷也。 | bù kě juàn yě 。 |
威儀棣棣， | 威仪棣棣， | wēi yí dì dì ， |
不可選也。 | 不可选也。 | bù kě xuǎn yě 。 |
憂心悄悄， | 忧心悄悄， | yōu xīn qiǎo qiǎo ， |
慍於群小。 | 愠于群小。 | yùn yú qún xiǎo 。 |
覯閔既多， | 觏闵既多， | gòu mǐn jì duō ， |
受侮不少。 | 受侮不少。 | shòu wǔ bù shǎo 。 |
靜言思之， | 静言思之， | jìng yán sī zhī ， |
寤辟有摽。 | 寤辟有摽。 | wù bì yǒu biào 。 |
日居月諸， | 日居月诸， | rì jū yuè zhū ， |
胡叠而微？ | 胡迭而微？ | hú dié ér wēi ？ |
心之憂矣， | 心之忧矣， | xīn zhī yōu yǐ ， |
如匪浣衣。 | 如匪浣衣。 | rú fěi huàn yī 。 |
靜言思之， | 静言思之， | jìng yán sī zhī ， |
不能奮飛。 | 不能奋飞。 | bù néng fèn fēi。 |
Translation Notes
Anonymous, from the Classic of Poetry.
柏舟 | Cedar Boat |
泛彼柏舟， | Float that cedar boat, |
亦泛其流。 | Also float its flowing. |
耿耿不寐， | Bright bright no sleep, [Bright bright = having something on one’s mind] [Sleep = sleep soundly] |
如有隱憂。 | As-if have secret sorrow. |
微我無酒， | Blame me lack wine, |
以敖以遊。 | Thereby ramble thereby roam. |
我心匪鑒， | My heart not mirror, |
不可以茹。 | No can thereby endure. [No can thereby = may not] |
亦有兄弟， | Also have elder-brother younger-brother, [Elder-brother younger-brother = brothers] |
不可以據。 | No can thereby depend-on. |
薄言往愬， | Belittle words go feel-hurt, |
逢彼之怒。 | Encounter that ’s anger. |
我心匪石， | My heart not stone, |
不可轉也。 | No can revolve ! |
我心匪席， | My heart not mat, |
不可卷也。 | No can roll-up ! |
威儀棣棣， | Pomp ceremony kerria kerria, [Pomp ceremony = magestic presence; awe-inspiring manner] [Kerria kerria = a yellow flower in the Rosaceae family] |
不可選也。 | No can pick ! |
憂心悄悄， | Grieving heart silent quiet, [Grieving heart = anxious] |
慍於群小。 | Indignant at crowd small. |
覯閔既多， | Meet-unexpectedly grieve already much, |
受侮不少。 | Bear insults not few. [Not few = many; a lot] |
靜言思之， | Calm words thinks him, |
寤辟有摽。 | Awake-from-sleep avoid have signal. |
日居月諸， | Sun dwell moon various, |
胡叠而微？ | Why repeat and blame? |
心之憂矣， | Heart ’s sorrow [done], |
如匪浣衣。 | Like not washed clothes. |
靜言思之， | Calm words think him, |
不能奮飛。 | Not able-to strive fly. [Not able-to = cannot; must not] [Strive fly = spread wings and fly] |
Year:
2013
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