KËW MUH
1 In the south are the trees with curved drooping branches,
With the dolichos creepers clinging to them.
To be rejoiced in is our princely lady:—
May she repose in her happiness and dignity!
2 In the south are the trees with curved drooping branches,
Covered by the dolichos creepers.
To be rejoiced in is our princely lady:—
May she be great in her happiness and dignity!
3 In the south are the trees with curved drooping branches,
Round which the dolichos creepers twine.
To be rejoiced in is our princely lady:—
May she be complete in her happiness and dignity!
Ode 4. CELEBRATING T'AE-SZE'S FREEDOM FROM JEALOUSY, AND OFFERING FERVENT WISHES FOR HER HAPPINESS. So far both the schools of interpreters are agreed on this ode, and we need not be long detained with it. The piece is allusive,supposed to be spoken or sung by the ladies of the harem, in praise of T'ae-sze, who was not jealous of them, and did not try to keep them in the back ground,but cherished them rather, as the great tree does the creepers that twine round it. The stanzas are very little different, the 3rd character in the 2d and 4th lines being varied, merely to give different rhymes.
St.1. L.1. For 'the south' we need not go beyond the south of the territory of Chow. K'ang-shing errs in thinking that the distant provinces of King and Yang,beyond the Këang, are meant. Trees whose branches curved down to the ground were designated 樛木.
L.2. The 藟 was, probably, a variety of the 葛; 纍 is explained by 擊, 'to be attached to'. L.3. 只 is another of the untranslatable particles; it occurs both in the middle and at the end of lines. The critics differ on the interpretation of 君子. Maou and his school refer it to king Wăn, and construe the last two lines,—'She is able also to rejoice her princely lord, and make him repose in his happiness and dignity.' Choo refers it to T'ae-sze, and what follows is a good wish or prayer for her. He defends his view of the phrase by the designation of 小君, given to the wife of a prince,(Ana. XVI. xiv.), and of 內子, given to the wife of a great officer. The imperial editors allow his exegesis.It certainly gives a unity to the piece, which it does not have on the other view, and I have followed it.'L.4. Choo, after the Urh-ya and Maou, takes 履=祿, Such branches were easily laid hold of by creepers. 'emolument', 'dignity'. Trying to preserve the proper meaning of 履, 'to tread on', 'footsteps', Yen Ts'an (嚴粲; Sung dyn.) and others say, 動罔不吉謂之褔履, 'The movements all felicitous are what is meant by 褔履.'綏=安, 'to give repose to'.
