Crying out love in the center of the world

"Crying out love, in the center of the world" (Japanese: 世界の中心で、愛をさけぶ), which novel has been sold over three million copies and adapted to movie and TV with numerous awards, has just become my candy since it showed in TV last Monday. The pretty main female character, the bittersweet romance, the pure innocent love and the fresh farm environment weaved the love story between Aki Hirose, who eventually died from leukemia, and Sakutaro Matsumoto, who cried for her death and their love in the Ayers Rock that is so-called the center of the world.

Interestingly, in a shot of the TV, a Chinese poem was shown on the back of a photo owned by Sakutaro's grandfather. The poem is known as Dolichos (Chinese: 葛生) from Book of Odes (Chinese: 詩經). This shot reminds me the earliest romance.

Book of Odes, published three thousand years ago, is the earliest Chinese poem collection. Authors of the poems have been unknown. In the section of Lessons From The States (Chinese: 國風), poems are most folk songs and are considered as works with pure love and starting realism in Chinese literature.

Let us hear the love cried out in the center of the world three thousand years ago. My favorites of the poems are listed as the following:

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關睢

關關睢鳩、在河之洲。
窈宨淑女、君子好逑。

參差荇菜、左右流之。
窈宨淑女、寤寐求之。
求之不得、寤寐思服。
悠哉悠哉、輾轉反側。

參差荇菜、左右采之。
窈宨淑女、琴瑟友之。
參差荇菜、左右芼之。
窈宨淑女、鍾鼓樂之。

Guan Sui

Guan-guan go the ospreys ,
On the islet in the river .
The modest , retiring , virtuous , young lady : --
For our prince a good mate she .

Here long , there short , is the duckweed ,
To the left , to the right , borne about by the current .
The modest , retiring , virtuous , young lady : --
Waking and sleeping , he sought her .
He sought her and found her not ,
And waking and sleeping he thought about her .
Long he thought ; oh ! long and anxiously ;
On his side , on his back , he turned , and back again .

Here long , there short , is the duckweed ;
On the left , on the right , we gather it .
The modest , retiring , virtuous , young lady : --
With lutes , small and large , let us give her friendly welcome .
Here long , there short , is the duckweed ;
On the left , on the right , we cook and present it .
The modest , retiring , virtuous , young lady : --
With bells and drums let us show our delight in her .

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子衿

青青子衿、悠悠我心。
縱我不往、子寧不嗣音。

青青子佩、悠悠我思。
縱我不往、子寧不來。

挑兮達兮、在城闕兮。
一日不見、如三月兮。

Your Collar

O you , with the blue collar ,
Prolonged is the anxiety of my heart .
Although I do not go [to you] ,
Why do you not continue your messages [to me] ?

O you with the blue [strings to your] girdle-gems ,
Long , long do I think of you .
Although I do not go [to you] ,
Why do you not come [to me] ?

How volatile are you and dissipated ,
By the look-out tower on the wall !
One day without the sight of you ,
Is like three months .

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葛生

葛生蒙楚、蘞蔓于野。
予美亡此、誰與獨處。

葛生蒙棘、蘞蔓于域。
予美亡此、誰與獨息。

角枕粲兮、錦衾爛兮。
予美亡此、誰與獨旦。

夏之日、冬之夜、百歲之後、歸於其居。

冬之夜、夏之日、百歲之後、歸於其室。

Dolichos

The dolichos grows , covering the thorn trees ;
The convolvulus spreads all over the waste .
The man of my admiration is no more here ;
With whom can I dwell ? -- I abide alone .

The dolichos grows , covering the jujube trees ;
The convolvulus spreads all over the tombs .
The man of my admiration is no more here ;
With whom can I dwell ? -- I rest alone .

How beautiful was the pillow of horn !
How splendid was the embroidered coverlet !
The man of my admiration is no more here ; --
With whom can I dwell ? -- Alone [I wait for] the morning .

Through the [long] days of summer ,
Through the [long] nights of winter [shall I be alone] ,
Till the lapse of a hundred years ,
When I shall go home to his abode .

Through the [long] nights of winter ,
Through the [long] days of summer [shall I be alone] ,
Till the lapse of a hundred years ,
When I shall go home to his chamber .

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蒹葭

蒹葭蒼蒼、白露為霜。
所謂伊人、在水一方。
溯洄從之、道阻且長。
溯游從之、宛在水中央。

蒹葭淒淒、白露未晞。
所謂伊人、在水之湄。
溯洄從之、道阻且躋。
溯游從之、宛在水中坻。

蒹葭采采、白露未已。
所謂伊人、在水之涘。
溯洄從之、道阻且右。
溯游從之、宛在水中沚。

Reeds and Rushes

The reeds and rushes are deeply green ,
And the white dew is turned into hoarfrost .
The man of whom I think ,
Is somewhere about the water .
I go up the stream in quest of him ,
But the way is difficult and long .
I go down the stream in quest of him ,
And lo ! he is right in the midst of the water .

The reeds and rushes are luxuriant ,
And the white dew is not yet dry .
The man of whom I think ,
Is on the margin of the water .
I go up the stream in quest of him ,
But the way is difficult and steep .
I go down the stream in quest of him ,
And lo ! he is on the islet in the midst of the water .

The reeds and rushes are abundant ,
And the white dew is not yet ceased .
The man of whom I think ,
Is on the bank of the river .
I go up the stream in quest of him ,
But the way is difficult and turns to the right .
I go down the stream in quest of him ,
And lo ! he is on the island in the midst of the water .

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* The above English translation of poems is quoted from Chinese Text Initiative of University of Virginia Library at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/chinese/