Cutting Wood
by Frank Watson
How to cut wood?

It’s hard without an axe.

How to find a wife?

It’s hard without a go-between.


Cutting wood… cutting wood…

The rule’s pretty clear:

To find a girl

You need a lot of gifts.



Original Chinese


Traditional
Simplified
Pronunciation
伐柯
伐柯
fá kē



伐柯如何？
伐柯如何？
fá kē rú hé ？
匪斧不克。
匪斧不克。
fěi fǔ bù kè 。
取妻如何？
取妻如何？
qǔ qī rú hé ？
匪媒不得。
匪媒不得。
fěi méi bù dé 。
伐柯伐柯，
伐柯伐柯，
fá kē fá kē ，

其則不遠。
其则不远。
qí zé bù yuǎn 。
我覯之子，
我觏之子，
wǒ gòu zhī zǐ ，

籩豆有踐。
笾豆有践。
biān dòu yǒu jiàn。


Translation Notes




伐柯
Cut-down axe-handle

[fig. How to make an axe handle?]


伐柯如何？
Cut-down axe-handle like how?

[like how = how?]
匪斧不克。
Not/bandits axe no overcome.
取妻如何？
Take wife like how?
匪媒不得。
Not/bandits matchmaker not obtain.
伐柯伐柯，
Cut-down axe-handle cut-down axe-handle,
其則不遠。
His rule not far.
我覯之子，
I meet her child,
籩豆有踐。
Bamboo-container beans have trample.
All writings and translations are Copyright © by Frank Watson, also writing as "Blue Flute" (2011-2014).
Year: 
2014