Xiao Wan

Preface to “Xiaowan”: “Xiaowan” is a poem by a grandee satirizing King You of Zhou.

That little turtledove flies high, straight up to the sky. My heart is filled with sorrow, yearning for the ancestors of old. I cannot sleep until dawn, my thoughts dwelling on my father and mother.

Those who are wise and virtuous drink with restraint and moderation. Those who are benighted and ignorant grow daily more drunken with each cup. Let each be cautious of his dignity and bearing; Heaven’s decree will not come again.

In the open fields are bean sprouts; the common folk gather them. The corn earworm moth has larvae; the potter wasp carries them away. Teach your sons to follow the good example.

Look at that wagtail, flying and calling as it goes. I am busy day after day, while you journey month after month. Rise early and sleep late, labor diligently; do not disgrace the parents who bore you.

The chirping mulberry finch pecks at grains along the threshing floor. Pity me, poor and lonely, justly facing imprisonment. Take a handful of millet for divination—how can I obtain good fortune?

The gentle and reverent man seems to gather on a branch; trembling and cautious, as if approaching a deep valley; fearful and wary, as if treading on thin ice.

“Xiaowan” has six stanzas, each with six lines.