No More Learning

The text of the poems is remarkable for the number of variant readings,
which in some cases affect crucial words in quite short poems, in
others extend to a whole line or couplet. A printed text of the
thirteenth century containing the annotations of Yang Tz? -chien is
generally followed in current editions. This is known as the Hsiao
text; a Ming reprint of it is sometimes met with.

At the beginning of the eighteenth century, a Sung printed edition came
into the hands of a Mr. Miu at Soochow; he reprinted it in facsimile.
This is known as the Miu text. As there is no means of deciding which
of these two has the better authority, my choice of readings has been
guided by personal preference.


TRANSLATIONS


II. 7. KU F? NG, No. 6

The T'ai horse cannot think of Yueh;
The birds of Yueh have no love for Yen.
Feeling and character grow out of habit;
A people's customs cannot be changed.
Once we marched from the Wild Goose Gate;
Now we are fighting in front of the Dragon Pen.
Startled sands blur the desert sun;
Flying snows bewilder the Tartar sky.
Lice swarm in our plumed caps and tiger coats;
Our spirits tremble like the flags we raise to the wind.
Hard fighting gets no reward or praise;
Steadfastness and truth cannot be rightly known.
Who was sorry for Li, the Swift of Wing,[16]
When his white head vanished from the Three Fronts? [17]

[16] Li Kuang, died 125 B. C.

[17] Manchurian, Mongolian and Turkestan frontiers.


III. 1. THE DISTANT PARTING

Long ago there were two queens[18] called Huang and Ying. And they
stood on the shores of the Hsiao-hsiang, to the south of Lake
Tung-t'ing. Their sorrow was deep as the waters of the Lake that
go straight down a thousand miles. Dark clouds blackened the sun.
Sh? j? [19] howled in the mist and ghosts whistled in the rain.