THE SHE KING; OR, THE BOOK OF ANCIENT POETRY

136 THE BOOK OP POETEY. [PAET I.
4 How do we act when firewood we would split ?
'Tis through the axe in hand that we succeed.
Taking a wife, this form we must admit,—
Without the go-between we cannot speed.
When you brought home your wife, all this was done;—
Why let her now to such excesses run ?
The Foo t'een; metaphorical.
BEYOND ONE'S STRENGTH.
VII.
THE FOLLY OP PURSUING OBJECTS
1 The weeds will but the ranker grow,
If fields too large you seek to till.
To try to gain men far away
With grief your toiling heart will fill.
2 If fields too large you seek to till,
The weeds will only rise more strong.
To try to gain men far away
Will but your heart's distress prolong.
3 Things grow the best when to themselves
Left, and to nature's vigour rare.
How young and tender is the child,
With his twin tufts of falling hair !
But when you him ere long behold,
That child shall cap of manhood wear!
vin.
The Loo ling ; narrative. THE ADMIRATION IN TS'E or HOUNDS AND
HUNTERS.
1 Lin-lin go the hounds; lin-lin the hounds go.
Their master is kindly and good, as we know.
2 With double rings furnished, on go the hounds;
In goodness and grace their master abounds.
3 Three rings at their necks, they rush to the chase ;
Their master is famous for power and for grace.
VIII. X.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 137
IX.
The Pe Turn; metaphorical. THE BOLD LICENTIOUS FREEDOM OF
WAN KEANG IN RETURNING TO TS'E ;—AGAINST DUKE CHWANG OF
Loo, HER SON.
The old and new schools alike understand "Ts'e's daughter "of this
piece to be Wan Keang ; but the preface speaks of it as directed against
her husband. This is altogether unlikely. See on ode VI.
1 Rent is the basket at the dam,
Where bream and kwan abound;
As useless is the prince of Loo,
In vigour wanting found.
Ts'e's daughter now to Ts'e comes back,
Her followers as a cloud;
Her son should hold her fast in Loo,
Her wickedness to shroud.
2 Rent is the basket at the dam,
Where bream and tench abound ;
As useless is the prince of Loo,
In vigour wanting found.
Back comes Ts'e's daughter, with a shower
Of followers at her side;
Her son should hold her fast in Loo,
Her wanton ways to hide.
3 Rent is the basket at the dam;
Fish in and out can go;
As useless is the prince of Loo,
And vigour fails to show.
Back comes Ts'e's daughter, with a stream
Of followers behind;
Her son should hold her fast in Loo,
From such lewd ways confined.
The Tsae Jt'eu; narrative. THE OPEN SHAMELESSNESS OF WAN
KEANG IN HER MEETINGS WITH HER BROTHER.
1 On comes her chariot, fast and loud,
With screen of bamboos finely wove,