The Joyous wind (south wind) comes from the south, it blows on the heart of the jujube-tree; the heart of the jujube-tree is delicately beautiful; our mother toils and works.
The Joyous wind comes from the south, it blows on the brushwood of the jujube-tree; our mother is wise and good, but among us there is no good man.
And then there is the Cool spring, down below Sün; there are sons, seven men, but our mother toils and suffers bitterness.
Beautiful are the yellow birds, and now they make fine their song; there are sons, seven men, but none of them consoles the mother’s heart.
(Bernhard Karlgren 译)
Our Mother
From the south blows the breeze
Amid the jujube trees.
The trees grow on the soil;
We live on mother’s toil.
From the south blows the breeze
On branches of the trees.
Our mother’s good to sons;
We are not worthy ones.
The fountain’s water runs
To feed the stream and soil.
Our mother’s seven sons
Are fed by her hard toil.
The yellow birds can sing
To comfort us with art.
We seven sons can’t bring
Comfort to mother’s heart.
(许渊冲 译)
The Southern Breeze
From the south comes the breeze,
Caressing tender jujube trees.
When tender trees sprout and bloom,
My mother’s heavy worries loom.
From the south comes the breeze,
Caressing grown-up jujube trees.
My mother’s loving and ever kind,
But we let her down in her mind.
Where is the cool fountainhead?
It’s under the flowing river-bed.
My mother now has seven sons,
But never rests even once.
How the siskins sweetly twitter!
Melodious sounds they utter.
My mother now has seven sons,
But none of them are perfect ones.
(汪榕培、潘智丹 译)
Warm Wind
A warm southerly gusts through a young jujube grove.
Jujube grow swiftly, while ceaselessly my mother toils.
A warm southerly swells, maturing jujubes into fuel.
Mother’s love is a fathomless well – I fear I am unworthy.
Where is the pure spring in the city of Jun?
Seven brothers have grown up; mother’s drudgery knows no end.
A gold finch sings a tender, moving melody.
None of the seven brothers comforts our mother’s heart.