God of Grain
by Frank Watson
Dear God, our field flows

afar. We have grains to sow

and seeds to choose. We must

prepare the earth with a

sharpened plow. I head for the

southern field, its hundreds

of grain valleys, long and large,

with grandson in tow.


The valley rolls black, seedless,

only now ready for planting

season. The soil was hard and

now ripe to be broken, cleansed

of grass and weed.


I pray to keep the moths away

and all those insect thieves

that eat root and stalk,

sprouts and the heart of grain.

Do not let them harm our fertile fields!

You are the ancestor of these fields,

their spirit—so set the insects ablaze!


Clouds rise and rise in puffs,

thriving clouds along the sky:

God of Grains, let it rain

on public lands and then

on my private patch as well.


We have no more sprouts or grain

in silos—the valley has lost

what it contains:  there is no more grain.

Help the old widow and her grandson

that cares for her. She carries food

to the workers in the southern field,

who joy in seeing her.


We sacrifice to you, God of Grain.

We give our pigs and cows so that

we may enjoy the blessings

of your grain. We pray to you,

herald of all our happiness.

Original Chinese


Traditional
Simplified
Pronunciation
大田
大田
dà tián



大田多稼，
大田多稼，
dà tián duō jià ，

既種既戒。
既种既戒。
jì zhǒng jì jiè 。
既備乃事，
既备乃事，
jì bèi nǎi shì ，

以我覃耜。
以我覃耜。
yǐ wǒ tán sì 。
俶載南畝，
俶载南亩，
chù zài nán mǔ ，

播厥百谷。
播厥百谷。
bō jué bǎi gǔ 。
既庭且碩，
既庭且硕，
jì tíng qiě shuò ，

曾孫是若。
曾孙是若。
zēng sūn shì ruò 。
既方既皁，
既方既皁，
jì fāng jì zào ，

既堅既好，
既坚既好，
jì jiān jì hǎo ，

不稂不莠。
不稂不莠。
bù láng bù yǒu 。
去其螟螣，
去其螟螣，
qù qí míng téng ，

及其蟊賊，
及其蟊贼，
jí qí máo zéi ，

無害我田稚。
无害我田稚。
wú hài wǒ tián zhì 。
田祖有神，
田祖有神，
tián zǔ yǒu shén ，

秉畀炎火。
秉畀炎火。
bǐng bì yán huǒ 。
有渰萋萋，
有渰萋萋，
yǒu yān qī qī ，

興雲祁祁。
兴云祁祁。
xīng yún qí qí 。
雨我公田，
雨我公田，
yǔ wǒ gōng tián ，

遂及我私。
遂及我私。
suì jí wǒ sī 。
彼有不獲稚，
彼有不获稚，
bǐ yǒu bù huò zhì ，

此有不斂穧。
此有不敛穧。
cǐ yǒu bù liǎn jì 。
彼有遺秉，
彼有遗秉，
bǐ yǒu yí bǐng ，

此有滯穗，
此有滞穗，
cǐ yǒu zhì suì ，

伊寡婦之利。
伊寡妇之利。
yī guǎ fù zhī lì 。
曾孫來止，
曾孙来止，
zēng sūn lái zhǐ ，

以其婦子。
以其妇子。
yǐ qí fù zǐ 。
馌彼南畝，
馌彼南亩，
yè bǐ nán mǔ ，

田畯至喜。
田畯至喜。
tián jùn zhì xǐ 。
來方禋祀，
来方禋祀，
lái fāng yīn sì ，

以其骍黑，
以其骍黑，
yǐ qí xīng hēi ，

與其黍稷。
与其黍稷。
yǔ qí shǔ jì 。
以享以祀，
以享以祀，
yǐ xiǎng yǐ sì ，

以介景福。
以介景福。
yǐ jiè jǐng fú。





Translation Notes


This is a poem related to the Western Zhou Dynasty (1027-771 BC) and the sacrifice to the god of agriculture in response to a bumper crop.


大田
Vast Field


大田多稼，
Vast field much sow-grain,
既種既戒。
Both choose-seed both prepare.
既備乃事，
Both prepare then work,
以我覃耜。
Therefore I sharpen plow.
俶載南畝，
Begin undertake southern fields,
播厥百谷。
Sow it one-hundred valleys.

[One-hundred valleys = all the grains]
既庭且碩，
Then straight also big,
曾孫是若。
Both grandchild indeed follow.

[Both grandchild = great grandson]
既方既皁，
Then place both black,

[Place = the valley is not yet seeded]

[Black = the valley is only just then ready to be seeded]
既堅既好，
Then hard then good,
不稂不莠。
No grass no weeds.

[Grass = baby wheat, millet]

[No grass no weeds = an idiom meaning useless, good-for-nothing]
去其螟螣，
Depart that moth dragon,

[Moth = insect that eats grain’s heart]

[Dragon = insect that eats sprouts]
及其蟊賊，
Extend that fly thief,

[Extend that = and, as well]

[Fly thief = grain eating insects]

[Fly = eats the roots]

[Thief = eats the stalk]
無害我田稚。
No harm my field young-sprouts.
田祖有神，
Field ancestor has spirit,
秉畀炎火。
Gasp gives flame fire.

[Preserve field by burning a part of it]
有渰萋萋，
Has rising-cloud abundant abundant,

[Abundant abundant = appearing as a row]
興雲祁祁。
Thrive clouds vast vast.

[Vast vast = numerous in appearance]
雨我公田，
Rain my public field,

[Public field = public lands under a well-field system]
遂及我私。
Thereupon reach my private.

[My private = private lands cleared for plowing outside the public lands]
彼有不獲稚，
These have no receive young,
此有不斂穧。
This has no fold-back already-cut-and-not-yet-received-crops.
彼有遺秉，
That has lost valley-contains,
此有滯穗，
That has sluggish ear-of-grain,

[Sluggish ear-of-grain = discard the grain]
伊寡婦之利。
She widowed married-woman ’s interest.

[Widowed married-woman = widow]
曾孫來止，
Both grandchild comes stops,
以其婦子。
Thereby her married-woman child.
馌彼南畝，
Carry-meal-to-workers-in-field that southern fields,
田畯至喜。
Field overseer reach joyful.
來方禋祀，
Come region offer-sacrifice to-sacrifice,
以其骍黑，
Thereby her red black,

[Red black = pigs and cows]
與其黍稷。
And that millet god-of-cereals.

[And that = rather than]
以享以祀，
Thereby enjoy thereby worship,
以介景福。
Thereby herald scenery happiness.


All writings and translations are Copyright © by Frank Watson, also writing as "Blue Flute" (2011-2014).
Year: 
2013