古谣谚 卷四

贾生引野谚

史记秦始皇本纪赞

前事之不忘。

后事之师也。

If one does not forget one’s previous experience, one can learn for the future from the past.

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垓下歌

史记项羽本纪

力拔山兮气盖世。

时不利兮騅不逝。

騅不逝兮可奈何。

虞兮虞兮奈若何。

My muscles are strong enough to shake an entire mountainand my clouts reach the whole world. Yet time is not with me. Although my horse will never run away, there is still nothing that can change my bad luck. Mybeautiful woman Yu, there is nothing I can do to change the circumstances.

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大风歌

史记高祖本纪

大风起兮云飞扬。

威加海內兮归故乡。

安得猛士兮守四方。

The wind blows fiercely and the clouds seem to fly. My power has spread through the entire nation and I am returning to my home town. How shall I get good military personnel to guard my territory in the fourdirections?

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赵王友歌

史记吕后本纪

诸吕用事兮刘氏危。

迫胁王侯兮疆授我妃。

我妃既妒兮诬我

以恶。

谗女乱国兮上曾不寤。

我无忠臣兮何故弃国。

自决中

野兮苍天举直。

于嗟不可悔兮寧早自贼\。

为王而饿死兮谁者

怜之。

吕氏绝理兮託天报讎。

A song sung by Prince of Chao who had to marry the queen’s nieces under pressure. He wascharged with treason because of these girls’ report to the queen. These girls reported him onlybecause he did not love them. The prince was executed by starvation.

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瓠子歌

史记河渠书

瓠子决兮將奈何。

皓皓旴旴兮閭殫为河。

殫为河兮地不得寧。

功无义时兮吾山平。

吾山平兮鉅野溢。

鱼沸郁兮柏冬日。

延道弛兮离常流。

蛟龙骋兮方远游。

归旧川兮神哉沛。

不封禪兮安知外。

为我谓河伯兮何不仁。

泛滥不止兮愁吾人。

啮桑浮兮淮泗满。

久不反兮水维缓。

河汤汤兮激潺湲。

北迂渡兮浚流难。

搴长茭兮沈美玉。

河伯许兮薪不属。

薪不属兮卫人罪。

烧萧条兮噫乎何以御水。

颓林竹兮揵石菑。

宣防塞兮万福来。

This song talks about the long major flooding of the Hu Zi River. Many places were covered by flood water like an ocean. The emperor attributed this to the unkind actions of the river deity. They were able to contain the flood water with measures such as using grass and bamboo poles filled with dirt as dykes.

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申叔时引鄙语

史记陈世家

牵牛径人田。

田主夺之牛。

When taking a cow and trespassing on someone else’s land, the land lord of that land took awaythe cow.

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晋国儿谣

史记晋世家

恭太子更葬矣。

后十四年。

晋亦不昌。

昌乃在兄。

The proper reburial of Prince Gong was completed. But for the next fourteen years, the kingdomof Jin still did not prosper. It prospered only after Prince Gong’s older brother came to thethrone.

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赵武灵王梦处女鼓琴歌

史记赵世家

美人荧荧兮。

顏若苕之荣。

命乎命乎。

逢天时而生。

曾无我嬴。

This song was sung by a king who had dreamed of a very beautiful girl. He felt that people need to be born at the right time to be able to do well in anything.

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肥义引谚

史记赵世家

死者復生。

生者不愧。

Even if the dead come back to life, the people who live would still not have any regrets.

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去鲁歌

史记孔子世家

彼妇之口。

可以出走。

彼妇之謁。

可以死败。

盖优哉游哉。

维以卒岁。

What comes out of those women’s mouths is enough to send people in exile. And being visited by them is enough to kill. It is better to live with no pressureand die of an old age.

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天下为卫子夫歌

史记外戚世家

生男无喜。

生女无怒。

独不见卫子夫霸天下。

Having baby boys is no reason to rejoice. Having baby girls is no reason to despair. Do you notsee how powerful empress Wei Zi Fu is?

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褚先生引谚论外戚

史记外戚世家

美女入室。

恶女之仇。

The arrival of a beautiful woman is cause of hatred in an ugly woman.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

朱虚侯耕田歌

史记齐悼惠王世家

深耕穊种。

立苗欲流。

非其种者。

锄而去之。

Plow deeply and plant seeds with little space in between. When it is time to secure the sprouts, it is better to space them out and take out the sprouts of unwanted species.

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画一歌

史记曹参世家

萧何为法。

顜若画一。

曹参代之。

守而勿失。

载其清静。

民以寧壹。

When Xiao He drew up the legal codes, he drew them up clearly and systematically. When CaoSen took over his job, he was following Xiao He’s constitution closely without any mistakes. The society stayed peaceful and the people enjoyed the tranquil life.

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鸿鵠歌

史记留侯世家

鸿鵠高飞。

一举千里。

羽翮已就。

横绝四海。

横绝四海。

当可奈何。

虽有矰缴。

尚安所施。

The wild goose is flying high, and with one flop of its wings it has gone a thousand miles. Its wings have matured and are able to cross the four seas without any trouble. Even if one tries to shoot arrows at it, there can be noharm done.

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吕太后引鄙语

史记陈丞相世家

儿妇人口不可用。

It is not a good idea to listen to what children and women have to say.

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褚先生引鄙语论梁孝王

史记梁孝王世家

骄子不孝。

Spoiled children are not going to be filial.

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伯夷叔齐采薇歌

史记伯夷列传

登彼西山兮。

采其薇矣。

以暴易暴兮。

不知其非矣。

神农虞夏。

忽焉没兮。

我安適归矣。

于嗟徂兮。

命之衰矣。

This song describes two people who used to be officials in one emperor’s court. After control ofthe nation changed hands, they would rather starve to death than serve another emperor.

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秦人谚

史记樗里子传

力则任鄙。

智则樗里。

The strongest man is Ren Bi and the wisest man is Chu Li

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太史公引鄙语论起翦

史记白起王翦传赞

尺有所短。

寸有所长。

There is something long about the measuring unit feet, and there is something short about the unit inches. This refers to two generals who each have their respective capabilities and inabilities.

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太史公又引鄙语论平原君

史记平原君传赞

利令智昏。

It is profit that makes a wise man loose his senses.

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邹阳引谚

史记邹阳传

有白头如新。

倾盖如故。

This proverb refers to how two people can know each other forever yet do not become friends, and another two people can meet for the first time, yet talk like theyare old friends.

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曹邱生引楚人谚

史记季布传

得黄金百斤。

不如得季布一诺。

Getting a hundred Jing (weight measure) of gold is not as good as getting a promise from Ji Bu (name of a renowned person)

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潁川儿歌

史记灌天传

潁水清。

灌氏寧。

潁水浊。

灌氏族。

This children’s song refers to the rise and fall of a Guan family in the Yin River area.

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太史公引谚论李广

史记李將军传赞

桃李不言。

下自成蹊。

Peach and plum trees may not utter words, but under them, the paths are formed by the manyvisitors coming to appreciate their blossoms. This is referring to Han dynasty general Li Guang who should not be judged by his appearance.

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司马相如引鄙谚

史记司马相如传

家累千金者。

坐不垂堂。

A wealthy person does not sit right under the edge of roofs out of fear of falling tiles.

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民为淮南厉王歌

史记淮南厉王传

一尺布。

尚可缝。

一斗粟。

尚可舂。

兄弟二人。

不能相容。

With only one foot of cloth, one can tailor clothes shared by many, and even with one Dou (unitof grain measurement) of millets, one can cook for many. This country is big. Why can it be notshared by two Prince brothers.

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关东吏为宁成号

史记酷吏传

寧见乳虎。

无直宁成之怒。

One would rather see a tiger who has just delivered a baby and is overtly defensive than meet Ning Cheng when he is angry.

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太史公引鄙语论游侠

史记游侠列传

何知仁义。

已向其利者为有德。

There is no need to know any virtue. It seems that the world considers whoever gets benefit is thevirtuous one.

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太史公又引谚论游侠

史记游侠列传

人貌荣名。

岂有既乎。

One’s appearance does not limit the reach of one’s reputation.

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太史公引谚论佞幸

史记佞幸列传

力田﹑不如逢年。

善仕﹑不如遇合。

Working hard in the field is not as good as having a good year, being good at serving in an office is not as good as meeting a compatible superior.

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优孟歌

史记滑稽优孟传

山居耕田苦。

难以得食。

起而为吏。

身贪鄙者余财。

不顾耻辱。

身死家室富。

又恐受賕枉法。

为奸触大罪。

身死而家灭。

贪吏安可为也。

念为廉吏。

奉法守职。

竟死不敢为非。

廉吏安可为也。

楚相孙叔敖。

持廉至死。

方今妻子穷困。

负薪而食。

不足为也。

This song refers to how it is not rewarding to be a decent government official since the honestone has to live in poverty.

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东方朔歌

史记滑稽传

陆沉於俗。

避世金马门。

宫殿中。

可以避世全身。

何必深山之中。

蒿芦之下。

I land in this world and escape inside the palace. It is possible to be secluded right inside the palace. Why does one have to go deep into the mountain, and live in a grass hut.

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褚先生引谚论东郭先生

史记滑稽传

相马失之瘦。

相士失之贫。

It is a mistake to condemn a horse for being slim and to condemn a capable person for being poor.

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太史公又引谚论货殖

史记货殖列传

千金之子。

不死于市。

The son of a rich person does not have to die in punishment of a felony.

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太史公又引谚论人物

史记货殖列传

百里不贩樵。

千里不贩糴。

居之一岁。

种之以谷。

十岁﹑树之以木。

百岁﹑来之以德。

This refers to how one should manage one’s assets well. One should raise crops to gainimmediate profits. The main rule is to follow the established virtues while one lives to an oldage.

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时人为宁成语

史记宁成传异文

谨上操下。

如束湿薪。

He is loose to his superiors but very demanding on his subordinates like he is in too much a hurryto wait for the wood to dry before tying it together.

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嘉平歌

史记秦始皇本纪集解

神仙得者茅初成。

驾龙上升入太清。

时下玄洲戏赤城。

继世而往在我盈。

帝若学之腊嘉平。

This refers to the emperor who changed his imperial chronological designation (a uniquepractice of the Chinese dynasties for calling certain periods of time of the same emperor) afterbeing inspired by the story of a Taoist practitioner who was said to have risen to heaven andreturned to earth to tell people about his experience.

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徐广引谚

史记货殖列传

研桑心算。

There are two people, Yan and Sang Hong Yang, who are really good at analyzing businessdeals.