古谣谚 卷七

曹操引谚

三国志魏书崔琰传

生女耳。

Having women’s ears for listening to flatterers, referring to how unpredictable one’s superior’s reaction is to flatterers.

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冀州人称邢顒语

三国志魏书邢顒传

德行堂堂﹑邢子昂。

Xing Zi Ang is very righteous

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军中为典韦语

三国志魏书典韦传

帐下壮士有典君。

提一双戟八十斤。

There is such a soldier named Dian Wei who carries an unusually heavy weapon.

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陈思王植引谚

三国志魏书陈思王植传

相门有相。

將门有將。

Ministers come from a household of ministers, and generals come from a household of generals.

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王昶引谚

三国志魏书王昶传

救寒莫如重裘。

止谤莫如自修。

Heavy coats save people from chills, and self-cultivation saves one from the slander of others.

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襄阳乡里为马良谚

三国志蜀书马良传

马氏五常。

白眉最良。

Of the five Ma brothers, the one with the white eyebrow is the most outstanding.

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譙周引谚

三国志蜀书譙周传

射幸数跌。

不如审发。

To prevent arrows from missing the targets, one should caution to aim well when shooting the arrow. The key to winning a battle is to not burden the general population with military expenses.

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吴中童谣

三国志吴书吴主权传

三国志吴书吴主权传

黄金车。

班兰耳。

闓昌门。

出天子。

A children’s song referring to the enthronement of the Wu emperor.

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时人为周瑜谣

三国志吴书周瑜传

曲有误。

周郎顾。

When the musical tune is going wrong, Zhou Yu will notice right away.

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诸葛恪引里语

三国志吴书孙权传

明镜所以照形。

古事所以知今。

Just as mirrors reflect the shapes of things, ancient histories provide windows to knowing current affairs.

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陆凯引童谣

三国志吴书陆凯传

寧饮建业水。

不食武昌鱼。

寧还建业死。

不止武昌居。

A children’s song explaining that choosing Wu Chang as the capital will be a bad choice, while choosing Jian Ye will be a good choice.

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吴人为诸葛恪谣

三国志吴书诸葛恪传

诸葛恪。

何若若。

芦苇单衣篾鉤落。

於何相求成子阁。

A folk song referring to the way Zhu Ge Ke was buried. He was thrown off a cliff.

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优人青头鸡唱

三国志魏书齐王芳纪

青头鸡。

青头鸡。

"Green-headed chicken" refers to ducks. This was the verse of a song sung by one emperor’s entertainer. The emperor was on the verge of losing his throne.

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京师为邓颺语

三国志魏书曹爽传注云

以官易富﹑邓元茂。

Eng Yang sells government posts for money and gets rich.

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魏时为蒋济谣言

三国志魏书夏侯玄传注云

欲求牙门﹑当得千匹。

百人督﹑五百匹。

A rumor referring to the material costs of obtaining certain positions.

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焦先羖【歷】歌

三国志魏书管宁传注云

祝衄祝衄。

非鱼非肉。

更相追逐。

本心为当杀牂羊。

更杀其羖【歷】邪。

A hermit’s opaque string of words which were interpreted as the mistakes made by the Wei kingdom’s military strategy.

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时人为杨阿若号

三国志魏书阎温传注云

东市相斫﹑杨阿若。

西市相斫﹑杨阿若。

Yang A Ruo goes around fighting with people as a means of revenge and mediation.

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鱼豢引谚

三国志魏书任城陈萧王传评注云

贫不学俭。

卑不学恭。

One is poor because of not knowing to be frugal, and one is in the lower class of society because of not learning to be humble.

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鸿臚中为韩暨韩宣语

三国志魏书裴潜传注云

大鸿臚。

小鸿臚。

前后治行曷相如。

Words praising two good consecutive ministers.

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博昌乡人为蒋任二姓语

三国志魏书王昶传

蒋氏翁。

任氏童。

The people in the Jiang household became learned only when they reached old age, and the people in the Ren household were child prodigies.

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东郡谣谚

三国志魏书王凌传

马素羈。

西南驰。

其谁乘者朱虎骑。

A rumor referring to how Wang Ling and his nephew Ling Hu Yu wanted to support the enthronement of Prince Chu.

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渭滨民谚

三国志蜀书诸葛亮传

死诸葛走生仲达。

Words referring to how the supreme military strategist Zhu Ge Liang might have died, not knowing that, the enemy camp was still retreating to avoid his army.

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襄阳择妇谚

三国志蜀书诸葛亮传注云

莫作孔明择妇。

止得阿承丑女。

Referring to how Zhu Ge Liang did not assume beauty to be a priority in a spouse.

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寿春童谣

三国志吴书孙皓传

吴天子当上。

A children’s song referring to a rumor which says a certain warlord should become the emperor. The warlord believed that.

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公安童谣

三国志吴书诸葛瑾传

白鼉鸣。

龟背平。

南郡城中可长生。

守死不去义无成。

A children’s song referring to the wars between warlords.