THE SHE KING; OR, THE BOOK OF ANCIENT POETRY

144 THE BOOK OF POETEY. [?AET L
You sow no seed; no harvest tasks
Your soft hands take in charge;
And yet each boasts three hundred farms,
And stores the produce large.
You never join the hunt's halloo,
Nor dare to share its toils ;
Yet lo ! your wide courtyards are seen
Hung round with badgers' spoils.
, I must conclude that woodman rude
A man of higher style.
To eat the bread of idleness
He feels would stamp him vile.
2 K'an-k'an upon the sandal wood
The woodman's strokes resound,
Then by the river's side he lays
What fit for spokes is found;
The while the river onward flows,
Its waters clear and smooth.
You work not so, O Wei's great men,
From me now hear the truth.—
You sow no seed; no harvest tasks
Your dainty fingers stain;
And yet each boasts three million sheaves ;-
Whence gets he all that grain ?
You never join the hunt's halloo,
Nor brave its ventures bold;
Yet lo ! your wide courtyards display
Those boars of three years old.
I must conclude that woodman rude
A man of higher style.
To eat the bread of idleness
• He feels would stamp him vile.
3 K'an-Tt'an resound the woodman's strokes
Upon the sandal wood ;
Then on the river's lip he lays
What for his wheels is good;
The while the river onward flows,
Soft rippled by the wind.
That you dou't work, 0 Wei's great men,
Is thus brought to my mind.
BE IX. VII.] THE BOOK Or POETET. 145
You sow no seed; no harvest tasks
Your soft hands undertake;
Yet grain each boasts, three hundred binns;—
Who his that grain did make ?
You never join the hunt's halloo;
Your feeble courage fails;
Yet lo ! your wide courtyards display
Largo strings of slaughtered quails.
I must conclude that woodman rude
A man of higher style.
To eat the bread of idleness
He feels would stamp him vile.
VII.
The Shift s7ioo; metaphorical. AGAINST THE OPPRESSION A.OT EX-
TOE1ION or THE GOVERNMENT OF "VVEL
1 Large rats, large rats, let us entreat
That you our millet will not eat.
But t-he large rats we mean are you,
With whom three years we've had to do,
And all that time have never known
One look of kindness on us thrown.
We take our leave of Wei and you;
That happier land we long to view.
0 happy land! O happy land!
There in our proper place we'll stand.
2 Large rats, large rats, let us entreat
You'll not devour our crops of wheat.
But the large rats we mean are yon,
With whom three years we've had to do;
And all that time you never wrought
One kindly act to cheer our lot.
To you and Wei we bid farewell,
Soou in that happier State to dwell.
0 happy State ! O happy State !
There shall we learn to bless our fate.
3 Large rats, large rats, let us entreat
Our springing grain you will not eat.
VOL. III. 10