<p>Fun fact: Western translators are really good at distorting classic Chinese poems. </p>

<p>I've read through several translation of Chinese poems by various western translators, some of them are quite good actually, but some of the distortions are just baffling.  There was a U.S. poet who didn't know any Chinese, but used the literal translation of some poems, and used her poetic sense to rewrite them. There was another guy who didn't know Chinese but knew some Japanese, then he used a Japanese translations of the Chinese poems to do his translation. Oh you guys are really wonderful.</p>

<hr>

<p>I've sifted through all 305 poems and couldn't find the first one. Either because it is made up, or because of some serious alternation of the original meaning. Boy this one is hard.</p>

<p>The second one has the original title of 静女(Quiet Girl) from section 国风·邶风(folk songs from 邶). This also took me some time because the meaning is also distorted to a great degree.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>静女</p>
  
  <p>静女其姝，俟我于城隅。爱而不见，搔首踟蹰。</p>
  
  <p>静女其娈，贻我彤管。彤管有炜，说怿女美。</p>
  
  <p>自牧归荑，洵美且异。匪女之为美，美人之贻。</p>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<p><strong>Update:</strong> Just found the book you've mentioned <a href="https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/l/literature/chinese/lute-of-jade/contents.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>.  Read some of my old favorites. Now my eyes are bleeding. </p>

<hr>

<p><strong>Update again:</strong> </p>

<p>My word-to-word translation with grammar stripped. Now you should feel my pain.</p>

<pre><code>Quite girl so beautiful, 
let-wait me at city corner.
Loving(-her) but not seeing(-her), 
(I) scratch head wander hesitantly.

Quiet girl so pretty, 
Give me red flute.
Red flute have glow,
(I) Enjoy love its beauty.

(She) from meadow fetch-back reed(-flower),
Indeed beautiful and special.
(I'm happy) Not(-because) of it being beautiful,
(but It's) beautiful girl's present.
</code></pre>

<p>As you see, the original translation got quite a few things wrong. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-31T07:18:30.377Z
Yes, it is really very close - you did a great job! The one thing I am not sure that in chinese version - she gave him a flute, and in english - a jade. Two years ago I translated these two poems from chinese to russian - and there was a red jade. 
About the first poem I've remembered the first line - 太阳是永远充满光明. Tried to find in baidu.com but too many chinese is difficult to understand, no result.
Now I am not sure that poems are from 诗经. But I found a book  A Lute of Jade in the section The Odes of Confucius - there are these two poems. May be The Odes of Confucius and 诗经 are not the same
Маргарита Ткачева
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-31T07:19:24.817Z
Here are the titles of the book http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4951453-a-lute-of-jade
Маргарита Ткачева
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-31T07:33:02.293Z
The first one might be 日居月諸, from the 國風, 北風 section.  See here: http://www.zwbk.org/MyLemmaShow.aspx?zh=zh-tw&lid=76511
neubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-31T07:34:49.547Z
On that page, the Mandarin translation is clearer than the English one - it's in the voice of a woman pining for an unfaithful or dissolute husband, I think.
neubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-31T07:39:35.020Z
Sorry, that's 邶 (bei4) 風 , not 北風, as Wang has already mentioned.
neubau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-31T07:48:33.920Z
@neubau Indeed it could be this one. I've thought about it but then decided to give it a miss. I just couldn't make a connection of the meanings. :(
Wang Dingwei
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-31T07:53:48.037Z
@МаргаритаТкачева 彤 is red, everyone seems to agree on it. 管, however, is just a hollow tube. It could be part of a plant, like bamboo, reed, etc., or it could be one of the wind instruments. Jade is definitely off.
Wang Dingwei
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-31T03:06:41.010Z
2014-10-31T06:51:49.667Z
2014-10-31T06:51:49.667Z
Wang Dingwei
<p>You can see the translation of 诗经 (any many other classic pieces) here:</p>

<p><a href="http://ctext.org/book-of-poetry/zh?en=on" rel="nofollow">http://ctext.org/book-of-poetry/zh?en=on</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-31T06:55:47.077Z
Thank you sire! Finally something that's accurate and readable!
Wang Dingwei
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-31T06:34:02.763Z
2014-10-31T06:34:02.763Z
leesei
<p>Some time ago I read two Chinese poems and now I can't find the original Chinese version, only the English translation. Maybe you could help me with a link or a title!
The poems are from The Odes of Confucius:</p>

<p><a href="http://theotherpages.org/poems/part2/confucius01.html" rel="nofollow">http://theotherpages.org/poems/part2/confucius01.html</a></p>

<ol>
<li>
Sadness</li>
</ol>

<p>The sun is ever full and bright,</p>

<p>The pale moon waneth night by night.</p>

<p>Why should this be?</p>

<p>My heart that once was full of light</p>

<p>Is but a dying moon to-night.</p>

<p>But when I dream of thee apart,</p>

<p>I would the dawn might lift my heart,</p>

<p>O sun, to thee.</p>

<p>2.Trysting Time</p>

<p>A pretty girl at time o’ gloaming</p>

<p>Hath whispered me to go and meet her</p>

<p>Without the city gate.</p>

<p>I love her, but she tarries coming.</p>

<p>Shall I return, or stay and greet her?</p>

<p>I burn, and wait.</p>

<p>Truly she charmeth all beholders,</p>

<p>’Tis she hath given me this jewel,</p>

<p>The jade of my delight;</p>

<p>But this red jewel-jade that smoulders,</p>

<p>To my desire doth add more fuel,</p>

<p>New charms to-night.</p>

<p>She has gathered with her lily fingers</p>

<p>A lily fair and rare to see.</p>

<p>Oh! sweeter still the fragrance lingers</p>

<p>From the warm hand that gave it me.</p>

<translation>
English translation of The Odes of Confucius (詩經)
# English translation of The Odes of Confucius (詩經)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-10-30)

Some time ago I read two Chinese poems and now I can't find the original Chinese version, only the English translation. Maybe you could help me with a link or a title!
The poems are from The Odes of Confucius:

<http://theotherpages.org/poems/part2/confucius01.html>

1. Sadness

The sun is ever full and bright,

The pale moon waneth night by night.

Why should this be?

My heart that once was full of light

Is but a dying moon to-night.

But when I dream of thee apart,

I would the dawn might lift my heart,

O sun, to thee.

2.Trysting Time

A pretty girl at time o’ gloaming

Hath whispered me to go and meet her

Without the city gate.

I love her, but she tarries coming.

Shall I return, or stay and greet her?

I burn, and wait.

Truly she charmeth all beholders,

’Tis she hath given me this jewel,

The jade of my delight;

But this red jewel-jade that smoulders,

To my desire doth add more fuel,

New charms to-night.

She has gathered with her lily fingers

A lily fair and rare to see.

Oh! sweeter still the fragrance lingers

From the warm hand that gave it me.

**Tags:** translation


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-10-31. Score: 5

Fun fact: Western translators are really good at distorting classic Chinese poems.

I've read through several translation of Chinese poems by various western translators, some of them are quite good actually, but some of the distortions are just baffling. There was a U.S. poet who didn't know any Chinese, but used the literal translation of some poems, and used her poetic sense to rewrite them. There was another guy who didn't know Chinese but knew some Japanese, then he used a Japanese translations of the Chinese poems to do his translation. Oh you guys are really wonderful.

---

I've sifted through all 305 poems and couldn't find the first one. Either because it is made up, or because of some serious alternation of the original meaning. Boy this one is hard.

The second one has the original title of 静女(Quiet Girl) from section 国风·邶风(folk songs from 邶). This also took me some time because the meaning is also distorted to a great degree.

> 静女
>
> 静女其姝，俟我于城隅。爱而不见，搔首踟蹰。
>
> 静女其娈，贻我彤管。彤管有炜，说怿女美。
>
> 自牧归荑，洵美且异。匪女之为美，美人之贻。

---

**Update:** Just found the book you've mentioned [here](https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/l/literature/chinese/lute-of-jade/contents.html). Read some of my old favorites. Now my eyes are bleeding.

---

**Update again:**

My word-to-word translation with grammar stripped. Now you should feel my pain.

```
Quite girl so beautiful, 
let-wait me at city corner.
Loving(-her) but not seeing(-her), 
(I) scratch head wander hesitantly.

Quiet girl so pretty, 
Give me red flute.
Red flute have glow,
(I) Enjoy love its beauty.

(She) from meadow fetch-back reed(-flower),
Indeed beautiful and special.
(I'm happy) Not(-because) of it being beautiful,
(but It's) beautiful girl's present.

```

As you see, the original translation got quite a few things wrong.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Yes, it is really very close - you did a great job! The one thing I am not sure that in chinese version - she gave him a flute, and in english - a jade. Two years ago I translated these two poems from chinese to russian - and there was a red jade.  About the first poem I've remembered the first line - 太阳是永远充满光明. Tried to find in baidu.com but too many chinese is difficult to understand, no result. Now I am not sure that poems are from 诗经. But I found a book  A Lute of Jade in the section The Odes of Confucius - there are these two poems. May be The Odes of Confucius and 诗经 are not the same  
> **username_0**: Here are the titles of the book http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4951453-a-lute-of-jade  
> **username_2**: The first one might be 日居月諸, from the 國風, 北風 section.  See here: http://www.zwbk.org/MyLemmaShow.aspx?zh=zh-tw&lid=76511  
> **username_2**: On that page, the Mandarin translation is clearer than the English one - it's in the voice of a woman pining for an unfaithful or dissolute husband, I think.  
> **username_2**: Sorry, that's 邶 (bei4) 風 , not 北風, as username_1 has already mentioned.  
> **username_1**: @username_2 Indeed it could be this one. I've thought about it but then decided to give it a miss. I just couldn't make a connection of the meanings. :(  
> **username_1**: @username_0 彤 is red, everyone seems to agree on it. 管, however, is just a hollow tube. It could be part of a plant, like bamboo, reed, etc., or it could be one of the wind instruments. Jade is definitely off.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-10-31. Score: 2

You can see the translation of 诗经 (any many other classic pieces) here:

<http://ctext.org/book-of-poetry/zh?en=on>

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Thank you sire! Finally something that's accurate and readable!  

---

