穆天子

    白在天。山陵自出。道里悠。

    山川之。子死。尚能。

    AsongsungbyXiWangMu("westernkingmother,"asupposedlymythologicalfigure)forEmperorMu.Thewordsexpressthelongdistancethathehadtotravelinordertovisither——

    穆王答西王母

    穆天子

    予土。和治夏。民平均。

    吾汝。比及三年。而野。

    AsongsungbyEmperorMuinreplytoXiWangMu’ssonginthepreviousitem.Thewordssaythathewoulddoagoodjobgoverningtheentirecountryandmakingpeoplehappy.Hewouldcomebackinthreeyearstovisither——

    穆王西巡吟

    穆天子

    彼徂西土。爰居其野。虎豹群。於。嘉命不。

    我帝天子。大命而不可。世民之恩。流涕卉。

    吹笙鼓簧。中心翱翔。世民之子。唯天子望。

    AversemadebyEmperorMuwhenhetraveledwesttoseetheterritoryhereigned.Heexpressedhisconcernsforhispeopleandrealizedthatpeoplewouldwishforhimtodoagoodjob——

    穆王使

    穆天子

    之地。其沙。皇人威。之。其玉。

    皇人受。

    AsongsungbyEmperorMu’smusician.ThewordsarepraisingEmperor’sMu’smajesticradianceandwishinghimalonglife——

    壤歌

    帝王世

    吾日出而作。日入而息。井而。耕田而食。

    帝何力於我哉。

    Wegotoworkwhenthesunrisesandquitworkwhenthesunsets.Wedigourownwellfordrinkingwaterandwegrowourownfood.Innowayistheemperor’spowerconstrictingus——

    皇初太原童

    大唐起居注

    法律存。道德在。白旗天子出海。

    Achildren’ssongfromTaiYuanwherethefirstemperorofTangdynastyoriginated.Thewordsgolikethis:aslongasthelawexists,therewillbemorality.TheemperorgoesonshipsontheEasternSea——

    桃李子歌

    大唐起居注

    桃李子。莫浪。山。宛花。

    桃花。宛旌。

    Asongaboutapeachgardenandplums.Tangemperor’ssurnameisLi,whichliterallymeansplum.ThissongpredictedthecomingtopoweroftheLifamily.Peoplewereamazedthatwhatthesongwashintingatshouldcometrue——

    慧化尼歌

    大唐起居注

    海十八子。八井三。手持白雀。上戴紫。

    丁丑甲子。深藏入堂。何意坐堂。中央有天子。

    西北天光照。山昭童子。赤光北斗。童子木上白。

    胡兵前後。拍手唱堂堂。羊向南走。

    胡兵未不整。治中都有八井。伍伍。仁行。武得九九得名。童子木底百丈水。

    家井五色星。我不可信。取先生。

    AsongsungbyanunconcerningwhatChinawouldbecome——

    引

    通

    生子。了官事。Ifoneshouldhavestupidsons,thenonedoesnoteverhavetoworryaboutthemgettingintotroublewiththegovernment,astheycouldnotpossiblybeinanygovernmentposts——

    魏孝武帝安

    通

    惑入南斗。天子下殿走。

    Theemperorwouldrunoffthecourtwhentheconstellationwasincertainarrangement——

    唐太宗引

    通

    生狼恐如羊。

    Awolfisafraidofgivingbirthtoasonwhohasthecharacterofalamb.AproverbreferredtobyTangEmperorTaiconcerninghiscrownprince,Zhiwhosecharacterwastooweak——

    薛克引

    通

    娶得公主。事取官府。

    Ifoneismarriedtoaprincess,itisliketryingtohavemoretroublewiththegovernment——

    上元元年淮西言

    通

    手金刀起方。

    Arumorpredictingtheuprisingofawarlordholdingagoldsaberintheeast——

    人益二州

    通

    一。益二。

    Inthecountry,YangZhou(equivalenttoastate)isthemostprosperousandYiZhouisnexttothat——

    胡三省引鄙司懿

    通

    棋逢手藏行。

    Whenonemeetsanopponentwithequalcompetenceinachessgame,itishardtohideanysecretskills——

    胡三省引鄙後唐後二后

    通

    福至心。神昧。Whenoneishavinggoodfortune,one’smindtendstobeclear.Whenoneisstruckbyadisaster,one’smindtendstobemuddled——

    理宗定人

    宋季三朝政要

    眠理。天地醉。

    WordssaidduringtheShaoDingeraofSong’sEmperorLi.Itsaysthattheemperor’schiefadvisorissickinbedandtheemperorhimselfistoodrunktodoanything.Thesewords,ofcourse,weresaidveryindirectly——

    里巷光祖堪史嵩之

    宋季三朝政要

    光祖做。堪制。丞相要起。援例。

    Wordssaidbypeopleaboutfivecourtofficialswhowereonlygoodatpleasingtheemperorratherthanatdoinganygoodwork——

    池州二士哭昴言

    宋季三朝政要

    生大宋人。死大宋鬼。何以洗此污。清溪一泓水。

    WordssaidbytwopeoplewhomournedacouplewhohangedthemselvesbecauseoftheendoftheSongdynasty——

    京伯

    庚申外史

    上把君欺。下把民虐。倚恃著太皇太后。WordssaidinthecapitalcityaboutBuoYanwhowasanofficialofSongyetsurrenderedtothenewYuandynasty.Thewordsgolikethis:Heliestotheemperorandabusespeopleunderhim.Heisrelyingonhiscloserelationshipwiththeemperor’sgrandmother——

    京人丞相

    庚申外史

    丞相乾河。

    Wordsreferringtothefailedattemptoftheemperor’schiefadvisor,TuoTuo,todigupacanalinthecapitalcity——

    江西民林土官兵

    炎徼

    林。亦得。土兵。死不。狐跳梁白狐立。十家九家柴棘。

    AsongsungbypeopleofJiangXiconcerningthebanditsandthegovernmenttroopswhoweredispatchedtoeliminatethebandits.Thewordsgolikethis:Itisnottoobadwhenthebanditscome,butwhenthegovernmenttroopscome,wecoulddieeasilyandeveryonenolongerhasapeacefullife——

    西人

    炎徼

    盎有一斗米。莫藤水。囊有一陌。莫上府江船。

    AsongsungbypeopleofGuangXiaboutonesectionofarivergorgeinwhichthebanditsgottogetherandstoodonthehillsoverlookingtheboatsgoingby,thenrobbedandkilledthetravelers——

    雍引

    炎徼

    救火焉。而之。

    Whenonetriestoputoutafire,oneshouldnotgivethefiremorewindtoburnhigher——

    西宣慰氏族

    炎徼

    思播田。岑。WordsreferringtothemajorpopulationgroupswiththefamilynamesofTian,Yang,ChenandHuanginsouthwesternandsouthernChina——

    播二州人氏兄弟

    炎徼

    骨肉醢。商播。

    Ofallthebloodystrifebetweenbrothers,YangYouandYangAihadtheworstcase——

    苗人

    炎徼

    苗家仇。九世休。

    ThefeudamongthegroupsofMiaopeoplecanbeextendedtoninegenerations——

    炎徼

    水西鬼。掉尾。

    WordsreferringtosometribalgroupsinSouthernChinawhosepeopleareviolentandtakepleasureinbloodyconflicts——

    征

    炎徼

    比年小征。三年大征。

    InGuangDongandGuangXi,thereisconstantlywarfarebetweentheChinesewithneighboringtribalgroups——

    京仁二

    明季北略

    崇皇帝。老。崇皇帝遭了。

    TwosongssungbypeopleinthecapitalcityduringMingEmperorCongZhen’sreign(thelastemperorofMing),indicatingthattheemperorhasusedthewrongpersonashischiefadvisor——

    州民宦妾

    明季北略

    一打死二大王。

    Onecannonshotkilledtwobanditsleaders.WordssaidbypeopleofLuZhouaboutXuHuanQiewholitupthecannoninLuZhouwhenbanditswereattackingtheplace——

    四川人士奇

    明季北略

    文。

    WordssaidbypeopleofSuChuanaboutChenShiQi,whowasthesuperintendentoftheschoolsystem.Underhismanagement,evenpoorpeoplegottoattendtheschools——

    京懋

    寇略

    事裁省。民。

    AsongsungbypeopleinthecapitalcityforLiuMao,whohadproposedsomepolicyconcerningthegovernmentsystemwhichresultedinthecreationofmorebandits——

    熹宗童

    寇略

    天下兵起。遍地皆。Whentheworldisgoingtohaveunrestbecauseofrebels,weseesmokefirst.Thesmokereferstoakindoffiretherapyusedforhealing.Smoketherapyseemstobeinvogueeverytimethereisamajorunrest——

    中良臣

    明史事本末

    不怕金牌。惟怕七。

    ZhangLiangChenwhohadagoldenshieldisnottobefeared;itishissevengodsonswhousedspearswhoshouldbefeared——

    李登木歌

    明史事本末

    之不而狃於。危巢不覆而令止。

    Asongsungbyanoilvendorabouthowtoeliminatedifferentfactionsofawarlord’sfollowersbyusinginternalstrifetomakethemkilleachother.