三秦

    武功太白。去天三百尺。孤角。去天一握。山水阻。

    金子午。蛇。天通。

    AfolksayingconcerningthegreatheightandvareigatedgeographyofMountTaiBai,whichwassaidtohavewaterwithinit——

    俗歌

    三秦

    流水。幽咽。望秦川。心肝。

    震望。秦川如。

    Wordssaidaboutasite,LongXi,inthewesternborderofChina.PeoplefromcentralChinaoftenwentuptoahighmilitaryconstructiontolookeastwardtotheirhometown.Somepeopleweresaidtohvaecriedtodeaththerebecauseoftheirextremehomesickness——

    渡海往大秦者

    三秦

    心患。不二句。心若患。三春。AsayingaboutseatraveltotheRomanEmpire.Ifonehasnoworriesinone’sheartandmeetstailwinds,thenonearrivesthereintwentydays.Ifonehasworriesinone’sheart,thenonecannotgetthereeveninafewyears’time——

    甯戚牛歌

    三

    南山粲。白石。生不遭舜。短布衣至。昏牛薄夜半。夜曼曼何旦。

    AsongsungbyNingQitoKingHuanoftheQikingdom.Thewordssaythatheissorrynottomeetagoodkingwhomhecouldserve.KingHuanemployedhimafterhearingthissong——

    成武父老王歌

    王世容。治。省徭役。空。AsongsungbypeopleofChengWuabouttheirmayor,whowaspraisedasuniqueinhisgoverningskill.Hewasabletosavethepeoplefrommandatorylaborandtoeliminaterobbery——

    陵稠

    解理。我君。

    AsayingbythepeopleofGuangLingaboutLuChou’sleadership,illustratedbyhisabilitytomakehissubordinatesbehave——

    泡蒿

    志

    朝泡。暮蒿。朝。暮奔【豚】。

    AfolksayingaboutthetransformationofthePaoFishintoaporcupine——

    南土人牡

    南越志

    得合一。不足豪。亦可以高。AfolksayingbynativesofSouthernChinaabouttheirloveforoysters——

    牛行者

    州

    朝牛。暮宿牛。三朝三暮。牛如故。

    WordssaidaboutasectionoftheYang-tziRivergorge.Onecouldstartone’sjourneyinthemorningatYellowCowbeachandwouldstillbeinthesameplacebynightfall.Thiscouldgoonforthreedaysandnights,sodifficultistravelinthesectionoftheriver——

    盛弘之引楚

    州

    洲不百。故不出王者。

    SincethereareonlyninetynineislandintheriversoftheJingZhouarea,noemperorwillarise.ThisalludestotheconicidneceofEmperorJiangBiao’semergenceatthesametimeasthesuddenappearanceofanextraisland.Afterhisdemise,thatonehundredthislanddisappeared——

    城

    州

    西磨自破。

    Thetwocities,namedDonkeysandMillswerebuilttoattackthecityofWheatinbetween.Theattackwasasuccess——

    人太白山

    安志

    南山瀑布。非朝暮。

    ThecloudsupinTaiBaiMountainlookasthoughtheyareemittingraininthemorningandevening——

    人洪堰量水

    安志

    水到嘴。百二十徼水。

    Wordssaidabouttheamountofwaterinareservoir——

    引洛俗

    洛

    金外聚群。街上集少年。

    WordssaidabouttwodistrictsinthecityofLuoYang.AlltheintelligentpeoplegatheroutsidetheGoldenHorseGate,andtheadolescentsgatheronBronzeCamelStreet——

    射的山

    稽

    射的白。斛一百。射的玄。斛一千。

    Afolksayingabouthowpeopledeterminethepriceofrice.Oneshootsanarrowatarockinacave.Ifthearrowlandsatadark,shadedpartoftherock,thenthepriceofricewillbehigh——

    五山人占年

    湘中

    五雪普。米如土。雪若不均。米如。AfolksayingconcerninghowpeoplepredictthepriceofriceintheFivePeakMountainsarea.Ifallofthefivepeaksarecoveredwithsnow,thenthepriceofricewillbelow——

    占

    湘中

    月有露。水做酒醋。

    IttherearefoganddewinthelunarmonthofDecember,thentherewillbeadroughtinthefollowingyear,soseverethattherewillbenowaterwithwhichtomakevinegarandwine——

    峰院俗

    郡

    所基。洪川不能。上有。WordssaidaboutthelocationofYaoFongTemple.Itishighupinamountainwhereariver’sfloodcannotpossiblyreach.Therearethousandsofpeoplelivingupthere,too——

    山古

    常州

    有兵……

    AfolksayingconceringTinmountain.Ifthereisminingoftin,thereiswar;ifthereisnominingoftin,thereispeace——

    京口士大夫

    嘉定江志

    生居洛。死葬朱方。

    WordssaidbytheintellectualsinthecapitalcityofLuoYangconcerningtheirchoiceofburialsites,whichwereinthesoutheastcoastofChina——

    鞭春看里

    至江志

    好男勿鞭春。好女勿看。

    ConcerningcustomsoftheChinesenewyearintheZhenJiangarea:onthefirstdayofspring,menshouldnotgotoseethewhippingofthecow,sincetheymightbetrampledtodeathbythecrowdtryingtocatchpiecesoftheanimal.Likewise,womenshouldnotgotothelightshowbecauseofthecrowdthere.