帕布莉卡汝坟[1]
遵[2]彼汝坟，
伐其条枚[3]。
未见君子，
惄[4]如调[5]饥。
遵彼汝坟，
伐其条肄。
既见君子，
不我遐弃。
鲂鱼赪[6]尾，
王室如燬[7]。
虽则如燬，
父母孔迩。
沿着汝水走堤岸，
先砍树枝再砍干。
没有见到我君子，
忧似忍饥在晨朝。
沿着汝水走堤岸，
砍那新生树枝条。
已经见到我君子，
幸未曾把我远抛。
鲂鱼尾红因疲劳，
王朝多难如火烧。
虽然多难如火烧，
父母供奉莫忘掉。
注释：
[1] 坟：河堤。
[2] 遵：沿着。
[3] 枚：树干。
[4] 惄（nì）：忧思。
[5] 调：整个早晨。
[6] 赪（chēng）：赤色。
[7] 燬：火烧。
A Wife Waiting[1]
Along the raised bank green
I cut down twigs and wait.
My lord cannot be seen;
I feel a hunger great.
Along the raised bank green
I cut fresh sprigs and spray.
My lord can now be seen,
But soon he’ll go away.
“I’ll leave your red-tailed fish:
The kingdom is on fire.”
“If you leave as you wish,
Who’ll take care of your sire?”
[1]A wife tried to dissuade her lord from leaving her again by cooking for him a red-tailed fish to show the unfed flame of her heart.
