Well loaded with millet were the dishes ，
And long and curved were spoons of thorn-wood .
The way to Zhou was like a whetstone ，
And straight as an arrow .
[So] the officers trod it ，
And the common people looked on it .
When I look back and think of it ，
My tears run down in streams .
In the States of the east ， large and small ，
The looms are empty .
Thin shoes of dolichos fibre ，
Are made to serve to walk on the hoar-frost .
Slight and elegant gentlemen ，
Walk along that road to Zhou .
Their going and coming ，
Makes my heart ache .
Ye cold waters ， issuing variously from the spring ，
Do not soak the firewood I have cut .
Sorrowful I awake and sigh ； ——
Alas for us toiled people ！
The firewood has been cut ； ——
Would that it were conveyed home ！
Alas for us the toiled people ！
Would that we could have rest ！
The sons of the east ，
Are only summoned [to service] ， without encouragement ；
While the sons of the west ，
Shine in splendid dresses .
The sons of boatmen ，
Have furs of the bear and grisly bear .
The sons of the poorest families ，
Form the officers in public employment .
If we present them with spirits ，
They do not look on them as liquor .
If we give them long girdle-pendants with their stones ，
They do not think them long enough .
There is the milky way in heaven ，
Which looks down on us in light ；
And the three stars together are the Weaving Sisters ，
Passing in a day through seven stages [of the sky] .
Although they go through their seven stages ，
They complete no bright work for us .
Brilliant shine the Draught Oxen ，
But they do not serve to draw our carts .
In the east there is Lucifer ；
In the west there is Hesperus ；
Long and curved is the Rabbit Net of th esky ； ——
But they only occupy their places .
In the south is the Sieve ，
But it is of no use to sift .
In the north is the Ladle ，
But it lades out no liquor .
In the south is the Sieve ，
Idly showing its mouth .
In the north is the Ladle ，
Raising its handle in the west .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
有饛簋飧、有捄棘匕。
周道如砥、其直如矢。
君子所履、小人所視。
眷言顧之、潸焉出涕。
小東大東、杼柚其空。
糾糾葛屨、可以履霜。
佻佻公子、行彼周行。
既往既來、使我心疚。
有冽氿泉、 無浸獲薪。
契契寤嘆、哀我憚人。
薪是獲薪、尚可載也。
哀我憚人、亦可息也。
東人之子、職勞不來。
西人之子、粲粲衣服。
舟人之子、熊羆是裘。
私人之子、百僚是試。
或以其酒、不以其漿。
鞙鞙佩璲、不以其長。
維天有漢、監(jiān)亦有光。
跂彼織女、終日七襄。
雖則七襄、不成報章。
睆彼牽牛、不以服箱。
東有啟明、西有長庚。
有救天畢、載施之行。
維南有箕、不可以簸揚。
維北有斗、不可以挹酒漿。
維南有箕、載翕其舌。
維北有斗、西柄之揭。
And long and curved were spoons of thorn-wood .
The way to Zhou was like a whetstone ，
And straight as an arrow .
[So] the officers trod it ，
And the common people looked on it .
When I look back and think of it ，
My tears run down in streams .
In the States of the east ， large and small ，
The looms are empty .
Thin shoes of dolichos fibre ，
Are made to serve to walk on the hoar-frost .
Slight and elegant gentlemen ，
Walk along that road to Zhou .
Their going and coming ，
Makes my heart ache .
Ye cold waters ， issuing variously from the spring ，
Do not soak the firewood I have cut .
Sorrowful I awake and sigh ； ——
Alas for us toiled people ！
The firewood has been cut ； ——
Would that it were conveyed home ！
Alas for us the toiled people ！
Would that we could have rest ！
The sons of the east ，
Are only summoned [to service] ， without encouragement ；
While the sons of the west ，
Shine in splendid dresses .
The sons of boatmen ，
Have furs of the bear and grisly bear .
The sons of the poorest families ，
Form the officers in public employment .
If we present them with spirits ，
They do not look on them as liquor .
If we give them long girdle-pendants with their stones ，
They do not think them long enough .
There is the milky way in heaven ，
Which looks down on us in light ；
And the three stars together are the Weaving Sisters ，
Passing in a day through seven stages [of the sky] .
Although they go through their seven stages ，
They complete no bright work for us .
Brilliant shine the Draught Oxen ，
But they do not serve to draw our carts .
In the east there is Lucifer ；
In the west there is Hesperus ；
Long and curved is the Rabbit Net of th esky ； ——
But they only occupy their places .
In the south is the Sieve ，
But it is of no use to sift .
In the north is the Ladle ，
But it lades out no liquor .
In the south is the Sieve ，
Idly showing its mouth .
In the north is the Ladle ，
Raising its handle in the west .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
有饛簋飧、有捄棘匕。
周道如砥、其直如矢。
君子所履、小人所視。
眷言顧之、潸焉出涕。
小東大東、杼柚其空。
糾糾葛屨、可以履霜。
佻佻公子、行彼周行。
既往既來、使我心疚。
有冽氿泉、 無浸獲薪。
契契寤嘆、哀我憚人。
薪是獲薪、尚可載也。
哀我憚人、亦可息也。
東人之子、職勞不來。
西人之子、粲粲衣服。
舟人之子、熊羆是裘。
私人之子、百僚是試。
或以其酒、不以其漿。
鞙鞙佩璲、不以其長。
維天有漢、監(jiān)亦有光。
跂彼織女、終日七襄。
雖則七襄、不成報章。
睆彼牽牛、不以服箱。
東有啟明、西有長庚。
有救天畢、載施之行。
維南有箕、不可以簸揚。
維北有斗、不可以挹酒漿。
維南有箕、載翕其舌。
維北有斗、西柄之揭。