景武昭宣成元功臣表

    出居安能。WhyamIfeelingunhappyasagovernmentofficial?——

    班固引刑法

    邢法志

    鬻棺者欲之疫。

    Coffinsalespeoplewouldliketohaveaplagueeveryyear——

    元帝童

    五行志二

    井水溢。灶。灌玉堂。流金。

    Ontheoverthrowofthepresentrulinggovernment——

    成帝燕燕童

    五行志二

    燕燕尾涎涎。

    公子相。木琅根。燕。啄皇。

    皇死。燕啄矢。

    OnhowthewomandancerZhaoFeiYanenteredtheemperor’spalacebypleasingtheemperorandmurderedtheprincesforherownbenefit——

    成帝爵

    五行志二

    邪良田。口善人。桂不。爵巢其。

    故未人所。今人所。

    OnhowtheHandynastyfelltodisgracebecauseofmismanagementofaffairsandpersonnel,leadingtothetake-overbyWangMang——

    魏河民史起歌

    洫志

    有令兮史公。漳水兮灌旁。古舄兮生稻梁。

    OnYe’s(placename)havingagoodofficialwhowasabletoresolveanirrigationproblemandtoenablecropsgrowingonsaltedland——

    白渠歌

    洫志

    田於何所。池谷口。在前。白渠起後……渠雨。水流灶下。入釜。

    水一石。其泥斗。且溉且。我禾黍。

    衣食京。之口。

    Ontheaccomplishmentofanefficientirrigationsystemthatensuredlargeharveststofeedmanyinthecapitalcity——

    班固引方

    文志

    有病不治。常得中。

    Ifonedelaysthetreatmentofadisease,onedoesnotrecoverquickly——

    引里廉

    欲投鼠而忌器。

    Onwantingtoattacksomeoneyetbeingafraidoftheconsequences——

    路引俗

    路

    地不入。刻木吏期不。

    Onhowtheprisonofficialspracticedsuchexcessivecrueltythattheywerejeopardizingtheentiresystem——

    川王去陶望卿歌

    川惠王越

    背尊章。嫖以忽。屈奇。起自。行周流。自生患。

    非望。今怨。OnastrifebetweentwomistressesofPrinceQi.Oneofthemhadtotakeherownlifeafterfailingtopleasetheprincebecauseoftheother’sslanderofher——

    川王去姬歌

    川惠王越

    愁莫愁。居聊。心重。意不舒……哀。

    上不天生何益。日崔。不再……死悔。

    OntotheboringlifeofPrinceQi’smistressesaftertheywereorderedtostaywithintheirlivingquartersandgrantednofreedomofgoingout——

    李陵海上歌

    武

    里兮度沙幕。君兮匈奴。路兮矢刃摧。

    士兮名已。老母已死。欲恩安。AsongsungbyLiLing,aHangeneralwhohadtosurrendertoXiongNuafterhewassetuptoloseonekeybattle.Thissongexpresseshisfeelingsofhopelessnessandsorrowbecauseofhismother’sexecutionbytheemperorbecauseofhissurrender——

    司引

    司

    之。孰令之。

    OnthesadnessofSiMaQianwhoadvocatedjusticebyspeakingonbehalfofLiLing(asin0171),andyetwaspunishedbytheemperor——

    燕王旦歌

    燕刺王旦

    空城兮。狗不吠。不。何兮。固知中之人。Asongsungbyaprincewhocomplainedthattherewerenoqualifiedpeopletoserveasofficials——

    容夫人歌

    燕刺王旦

    兮渠。骨藉藉兮亡居。母求死子兮妻求死夫。

    裴回渠兮君子安居。

    AsongthatexpressesthegreatsufferingofMadamHuaRongwhoexperiencedtheexecutionofherhusbandandchildrenandwasabductedintotheserviceofapowerfulman——

    陵王胥歌

    陵王胥

    欲久生兮。不兮安。奉天期兮不得臾。

    千里兮待路。泉下兮幽深。人生要死何苦心。

    何用心所喜。出入亟。

    蒿里召兮郭。死不得取代庸。身自逝。

    AsongsungbyPrinceXuonthebrinkofhisexecutionafterhewasfoundtohaveusedvoodooorshamanismtotrytooverthrowtherulingemperor——

    拊缶歌

    田彼南山。不治。一豆。落而萁。

    人生行耳。富何。

    AsongsungbyYangYunabouthowthegovernmentisinamessandhowpeopleshouldtrytoenjoytheirlivesbynotworryingaboutpursingwealthandfame——

    儒朱

    朱

    五鹿。朱折其角。HowZhuYunwasabletodefeattheemperor’sfavoritefivescholarsindebate——

    琅邪里中王吉

    王吉

    家有。王去。家完。去。

    HowWangJidivorcedhiswifeforpickingfruitfromatreegrownoverfromnextdoor.Hisneighborcutthefruittreedownandaskedhimtotakehiswifeback——

    王

    王

    王在位。公冠。

    HowWangJiandGongYuwouldbothworktogetherandretreatfromworktogether——

    京王

    王吉

    前有。後有三王。

    ThecapablepeopleinthecapitalcityarefirstChaoandthenthreemenwiththesamesurnameWang——

    禹引俗

    禹

    何以孝弟。多而光。何以。史而仕宦。

    何以慎。勇猛而官。

    Howthemoralityofsocietyhasdeterioratedsomuchduetothegovernment’sbadpolicyofsellingofficepositions——

    子金。不如一。

    Leavingthechildrenwithalotofgoldisnotasgoodasleavingthemwithjustonebook——

    京葛

    葛

    何。逢葛。

    HowZhuGeFongisdoingagoodjobathispost——

    引里

    腐木不可以柱。卑人不可以主。Rottenwoodshouldnotbeusedaspostsandservantsshouldnotbeactingasmasters——

    安朱王

    育

    朱。王冠。Howfriendsrecommendoneanotherforjobs——

    上郡氏兄弟歌

    野王

    大君。小君。兄弟踵相因循。明知惠吏民。

    政如德化。周公康叔二君。

    AsongsungbypeopleinShangcountyonhowthetwoFongbrothersaredoingagoodjobasofficialsinthatcounty——

    儒匡衡

    匡衡。匡鼎。匡。解人。

    KuangHengisgoodatinterpretingpoetry——

    儒禹

    禹

    欲。念文。

    HowZhangYuistheultimateexpertonConfucius’LunYu(theAnnalect)——

    薛宣引鄙

    薛宣

    苛政不。苦恩。

    Inappropriateandharshpoliciesdistancethepeoplefromthegovernment.Notonlydotheyinducesufferingandpain,theyalsocounterthefavorsgiventothepeopleinthepast——

    汝南陂童

    翟方

    陂。翟子威。我豆食羹芋魁。反乎覆。陂。

    云者

    Achildren’ssongonhowapastpolicyofdismantlingadykeandmakingalakeoutofariverbyZhaiZiWeiiscausingthecurrentdroughtproblem——

    王嘉引里

    王嘉

    千人所指。病而死。

    Ifthousandsofpeoplehavecomplaintsagainstoneperson,thatpersonwilldieevenwithnoillness——

    京雄

    雄

    惟寂寞。自投。清。作符命。

    OnsomepoliticalcomplicationafterWangMangtookthethrone.WangMangwastryingtogetridofsomepeoplewhoassistedhimintakingovertheofficefearingthattheywoulddothesameforarival——

    安中尹歌

    尹

    安所求子死。桓少年。生不。枯骨後何葬。

    OnhowthemayorofChangAn,YinShang,arrestedafewhundredjuveniledelinquentsinthecityandleftthemtodieinadeepcavecoveredwithrocks.Onlyonehundreddayslater,heallowedthefamilytoidentifythebodiesandtakethemhome.Thesongsaysthatthosejuvenilesmayhavebeenbad,yetisitrighttoburyabodythatismereskeleton——

    班固引殖

    殖序

    以求富。不如工。工不如商。刺文。不如倚市。

    Thebestwaytobecomewealthyisthroughtrade——

    安谷永

    谷子札。君卿舌。

    Ontwocelebritiesofthetime,onewasagoodwriterbythenameofGuZiYun,theotherwasagooddebaternamedLouJunQing——

    里歌

    五侯治君卿。

    AllkeygovernmentofficialsassistedwiththefuneralproceedingsofLouJunQing’smother——

    牢石歌

    石

    牢邪石邪。五鹿客邪。印何。若若邪。

    Onhowafewpeopleweresopowerfulpoliticallyspeaking——

    安

    石

    伊徙。鹿徙菟。去牢。

    AfolksongofChangAncityonhowtheywerehappyaboutthosepowerfulpeople(describedin0197)losttheirpoliticalclout——

    平城歌

    匈奴

    平城之下亦苦。七日不食不能彀弩。

    TheXiongNu(atribeatthenorthoftheChineseborderatthetime)armyhadsurroundedthecityofPingandtheHanpeopleandarmywerestuckinthecitywithoutfoodforsevenwholedays.Thesoldierscouldnotevenusetheirbows——

    公主悲愁歌

    吾家嫁我兮天一方。兮王。穹室兮旃。

    以肉食兮酪。居常土思兮心。兮故。

    AsongsungbyaChinesegirlwhomarriedthechiefofaneighboringforeigntribeforthesakeofdiplomaticties.Shedidnotlikethenomadicfoodandenvironmentandshedidnotknowthetriballanguage.Shewashopingtobecomeaswanandflyhome——

    戚夫人歌

    后

    子王。母。日舂薄暮。常死伍。相三千里。

    使告女。

    AsongsungbyoneoftheconcubineswhosesonbecamethesecondemperorofHandynasty.Hercomplaintaboutbeingunderhousearrestcausedtheempresstoorderherexecution——

    李延年歌

    李夫人

    北方有佳人。世而立。一人城。再人。不知城。佳人再得。

    Asongsungtotheemperorbytheemperor’smusicianLiYanNianwhowastryingtoinformtheemperortheexquisitenessofhisbeautifulsister——

    安民王氏五侯歌

    元后

    五侯初起。曲最怒。高都。竟外杜。

    土山西白虎。

    AsongsungbyciviliansinthecityofChangAnabouttheextravagantlifestyleoffiveprinces——

    安竦

    王莽

    欲求封。伯松。力。不如巧奏。

    AsongsungbypeopleofChangAnaboutChangSongwhowroteatributetoWangMang,theregentoftheemperor’scourt.ChangSongwasrewardedforthisflatteringact——

    方王匡廉丹

    王莽

    逢赤眉。不逢太。太尚可。更始我。

    AsongsungbypeopleinnortheasternChinawhowereplaguedbypillagingofofficialsandsoldierssentbythecentralrulinggovernment——

    人高昌人歌

    逸文

    非。非。

    AsongdescribinghowbarbarictheGaoChangpeoplewere.GaoChangwasakingdominnorthwesternChina——

    孟康引民

    景帝

    金可作。世可度。

    Asayingreferringtotheadvantageofapenalcodeforproducingfakegold.