古谣谚 卷十七

单襄公引谚

国语

兽恶其网。

民恶其上。

Wild beasts hate nets, and people hate their superiors.

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伶州鳩引谚

国语

眾心成城。

眾口鑠金。

If everyone’s mind is put together, even a town can be built. Everyone’s deprecation of a piece ofreal gold can turn it into fake gold.

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卫彪傒引谚

国语

从善如登。

从恶如崩。

Doing good deeds will take people to a higher level, and doing bad deeds will only bring bad results.

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暇豫歌

国语

暇豫之吾吾。

不如鸟乌。

人皆集於苑。

己独集於枯。

Words sung by You Shi, who was dispatched by Li Ji, the king of Jin’s favorite concubine to advise Li Ke to see clearly who was in power, namely, Li Ji’s son who was just crowned as prince.

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舆人诵惠公

国语

佞之见佞。

果丧其田。

诈之见诈。

果丧其赂。

得国而狃。

终逢其咎。

丧田不惩。

祸乱其兴。

Words people said about Jin’s King Hui. He bribed his way into kingship but did not pay hisbribe, and eventually the Qin kingdom invaded.

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国人诵共世子

国语

贞之无报也。

孰是人斯而有是臭也。

贞为不听。

信为不诚\。

国斯无刑。

媮居幸生。

不更厥贞。

大命其倾。

威兮怀兮。

各聚尔有以待所归兮。

猗兮违兮。

心之哀兮。

岁之二七。

其靡有微兮。

若翟公子。

吾是之依兮。

镇抚国家。

为王妃兮。

Words said about the dead crown prince Shen Sheng of Jin kingdom. A prediction about the future of Jin is also made.

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叔詹引谚

国语

黍稷无成。

不能为荣。

黍不为黍。

不能蕃廡。

稷不为稷。

不能蕃殖。

所生不疑。

唯德之基。

If one has a crop of corn and millet that is not going to yield a good harvest, one should just eliminate it.

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周宣王时童谣

国语

饜弧箕服。

实亡周国。

A children’s song indicating the cause of the end of the Zhou kingdom.

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诸稽郢引谚

国语

狐埋之而狐搰之。

是以无成功。

The foxes bury it and then dig it up. Therefore, the foxes never do anything.

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范蠡引谚

国语

觥饭不及壶飧。

A big empty bowl will not eliminate hunger, but a pot of cooked rice mixed with water will.

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冯諼弹鋏歌

国策

长鋏归来乎。

食无鱼。

长鋏归来乎。

出无车。

长鋏归来乎。

无以为家。

A song sung by Fong Xuan, who lived off what Gentleman Meng Chang provided. The song wasabout how he wanted to eat fish, to have a vehicle, and to have his family provided for as well.

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齐婴儿谣

国策

大冠若箕。

脩剑拄颐。

攻狄不能下。

垒枯丘。

A children’s song about how the Qi general Tian Dan could not take the city of Di, so he couldnot take over the Zhai kingdom.

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田单守即墨歌

国策

何往矣。

宗庙亡矣。

亡日尚矣。

归於何党矣。

A song sung by Tian Dan back when he was stranded by the army of Yan kingdom. The words say that if the soldiers do not break out of the impasse, they will have no home, and no country togo back to.

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齐人为王建歌

国策

松邪柏邪。

往建共者客邪。

A song sung by people of Qi about their Prince Jian. The song predicted that when Prince Jian went to Qin kingdom, he would be confined to a forest of pine and fir.

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庄辛引鄙语

国策

见兔而顾犬。

未为晚也。

亡羊而补牢。

未为迟也。

Looking for the hound only when one sees the hare is still not too late. Mending the fence when one loses a sheep is still not too late.

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或为黄齐引谚

国策

见君之乘下之。

见杖起之。

One should get off one’s vehicle when seeing the king’s vehicle coming. One should stand up when seeing that the king is getting his cane and is about to leave.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

孟尝君引鄙语

国策

借车者驰之。

借衣者被之。

When one borrows someone else’s car, one keeps on riding the car. When one borrows someone else’s clothes, one keeps on wearing them.

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赵武灵王引谚

国策

以书为御者。

不尽於马之情。

以古制今者。

不达於事之变。

One who rides on a horse by reading a book about horses does not know horses well. One whouses an ancient rule to govern the present does not necessarily see the changes that take place.

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苏秦引鄙语

国策

寧为鸡口。

无为牛后。

One would rather be the mouth of a chicken than be the buttock of a cow.

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韩公仲引谚

国策

贵其所以贵者贵。

If one is respected, it is only because one shows one’s respect for others first.

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燕王引谚二则

国策

厚者不毁人以自益也。

仁者不危人以要名。

论不脩心。

议不累物。

仁不轻绝。

智不简功。

A kind person would never ruin others in order to get benefit for oneself. A kind person would never damage others in order to establish fame for oneself. When one is discussing a matter, one’s self-interest should not get in the way. When one is discussing an object, that object should not be damaged in the process. A kind person would not cut off one’s relation with another hastily. A wise person would never be eager to ask for acknowledgment of his or her contribution.

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荆軻易水歌

国策

风萧萧兮易水寒。

壮士一去兮不復还。

The wind is blowing and the water of Yi River is cold. The courageous man would leave for his mission and never return.

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虞美人和项羽歌

楚汉春秋

汉兵已略地。

四方楚歌声。

大王意气尽。

贱妾何聊生。

The Han army has taken over our territory. They are singing our folk songs to make our soldiers lose will power. My King! You have lost your will power as well. How could I love life under these circumstances?

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乐师扈子琴歌

渚宫旧事

王兮王兮听谗邪。

枉杀左右冤伍奢。

奢允怀恨东奔吴。

创讎搆祸普破国都。

鞭尸戮骸丘墓屠。

赖申包胥人获苏。

王虽返国忧未徂。

The musician of the king of Yue sang a warning of the destruction of the kingdom, but KingZhao never heeded this warning.

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后汉末京师谣歌

英雄记逸文

河腊丛进。

A song concerning the birth of Emperor Xian sung in the capital city at the end of Han dynasty.

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徐温李昇相江南时童谣

五代史补

东海鲤鱼飞上天。

A children’s song predicting the coming to power of Li Sheng in the southeast of China.

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马希广时长沙童谣

五代史补

湖南城郭好长街。

竟栽柳树不栽槐。

百姓奔窜无一事。

只是搥芒织草鞋。

A children’s song in Chang Sha predicting the coming unrest because of the strife among the local ruling Ma brothers.

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马希崇时长沙童谣

五代史补

鞭打马。

走不暇。

A children’s song in Chang Sha predicting the end of the rule of the local warlord.

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时人为贾似道语

钱塘遗事

朝中无宰相。

湖上有平章。

The emperor’s chief advisor is not in the court. He lives on the lake and practices remote control over the national affairs.

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时人为咸淳省试试题语

钱塘遗事

正院无天子。

別院除圣人。

广运\与天眷。

却把比咸淳。

Words said about the essay topics in a provincial civil service test. The topics were all related to the era names of the enemy state Jin

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幼主即位时京师为三元语

钱塘遗事

龙在泽。

飞不得。

万里路。

行不得。

幼而黄。

医不得。

Words said about the names of the top three intellectuals in the national civil service test. Their names are interpreted negatively to reflect the unpromising future of the dynasty.

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时人为赵昴发夫妇语

钱塘遗事

臣为君死。

妻为夫亡。

The subject should die for the emperor and the wife should die for her husband.