The Calm Maiden | The calm maiden is beautiful

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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Translation © by Kairui (Kerry) Zhou

静女

Language: Chinese (中文)

Our translations: ENG

静女其姝，
俟我于城隅。
爱而不见，
搔首踟蹰。

静女其娈，
贻我彤管。
彤管有炜，
说怿女美。

自牧归荑，
洵美且异。
匪女之为美，
美人之贻。

Notes from the researcher (Kairui Zhou): The text is from 诗经 (Classic [Collection] of Poems), a collection created between the 11th and 7th centuries BCE (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_of_Poetry [wikipedia] ). The source website was https://so.gushiwen.cn/gushi/shijing.aspx. This type of ancient Chinese is written in an unbroken series of characters, without modern punctuation, but the editor of the website has added punctuation to provide a more structural feeling. We have changed the formatting to allow the English translation to appear in parallel.

Text Authorship:

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, appears in Shi Jing (or Schi-King) - Classic of Poetry - Book of Songs -- Book of Odes -- Chinesische Liederbuch [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , "静女" [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Kairui (Kerry) Zhou) , "The Calm Maiden", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Kairui (Kerry) Zhou

This text was added to the website: 2024-03-06
Line count: 12
Word count: 12

The Calm Maiden

Language: English after the Chinese (中文)

The calm maiden is beautiful,
Awaiting me at the city's corner.
Hiding for me to seek,
I scratch my head and hesitate.

The calm maiden is charming,
Gives me a red pipe.
The red pipe glows bright,
Her beauty delights me.

From her herding, she returns with thistles — 
Truly beautiful and unique. 
Not that thistles itself are captivating — 
She enchants her gift.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Chinese (中文) to English copyright © 2024 by Kairui (Kerry) Zhou, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Chinese (中文) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , appears in Shi Jing (or Schi-King) - Classic of Poetry - Book of Songs -- Book of Odes -- Chinesische Liederbuch
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2024-03-06
Line count: 12
Word count: 64