Poetry: Ode of Good Wife

Ode of Good Wife
By Tang Poet Zhang Ji (768-830)
Translated by Laijon Liu 20090613

You know I have husband,
So you give me a pair of pearl.
I thank your touching thoughts,
So I tie them on my red coat.
My family dwells on tall building,
And they rest within the high walls;
My husband holds his sharp spear,
And guarding in the palace light.

I understand your heart clearly,
As reading the sun and the moon.
But I’ve sworn to serve my husband,
To be with him in life and death.
And now I must return these pearls,
They are bright as my falling tears.
I only have one thing to regret:
Why didn’t we meet before my marriage?

Note:
This poem is written in simple words, but talks about the controversial topic of love and marriage of society. From its surface that readers may think that poet praises the wife’s choice, but think again, the poet also feels pity about the wife’s condition that she choose to repay her husband to be with him, but refrain from thinking of her love that she really has feeling for. She knows how her family receives the benefit of her marriage, because her husband serves in palace. She is not materialistic at all, but she knows her husband loves her, so she has to hold her true will of pursuing for true love or someone she feels for. Yes, she is a good wife, for she put herself on the altar of love, yet she can’t just privately build another relationship with the man who gift her “a pair of pearl”.62 Chinese characters that shoots a love movie, and he does not give his readers his answer, but only to raise a question. Not only that, this is a political poem, that the poet composes this poem to refuse a minister’s invitation to join the new political party in the Tang court, Chinese poet often use woman and man’ relationship for metaphor of political and social relationship (Like Contemporary Singer Cui Jian’s song ‘Have Nothing To My Name’) , as officials to emperor, students to teacher… but even we just read the poem from its surface, still it brings the same question of principal of loyalty and friendship.

Chinese:
节 妇 吟
张 籍

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Reciprocal Relationship

Wife and husband

reciprocate through love

as a centrifugal force

that settles only

to one another

Wife and husband

reciprocate through understanding

as a bonding conduit

to overrule electrifying

disagreements

Reciprocating wife and husband

make love and understanding

as best way of communication

that sustain the romance

and lasting relationship


When reciprocating collapses

between a husband and wife

romantic expression ceases

and the marital connection

becomes sour and arid

Reciprocating with each other

through love and understanding

builds up stronger foundation

as contented wife and husband

blessed with happy marriage

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Marriage.

A bond which is sensitive-
In which we share a lot.
Leaving our homeland-
We expect a lot.
Marriage is something-
Where we give in a lot.
At the sametime in return-
We want a lot.
Both, husband and wife-
Need to mingle a lot.
Priorites of life-
Change a lot.
Life revolves now-
Near husband a lot.
Lots of expenses-
To buy gifts a lot.
Time is short-
But dreams are lot.
Both, husband and wife-
Work a lot.
As evening arrives-
They talk a lot.
As time pass by-
Family is lot.
Even with grudges-
Love is lot.
And you see-
Marriage is loved a lot.

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Pretty woman

Pretty woman.
But wife is beautiful.
Pretty woman is hot.
But wife is the sexiest.
Pretty woman is just for sex.
But a wife is to make love.
Wife is a forbidden fruit.
To you and all.
and wife is more caring.
Be at home and by her husband.
and wife is the husband diamond.
And the husband love making love to her.
That no other women can.
Make him feel so good.
and her husband always in love.
With her.
And wife is the husband success.
Loving and warm full happiness.
She bears our children. And
She is the most gifted darling.

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Ode 300: Sun and moon, listen to my grievance!

From: Book of Ode
Period: Spring and Autumn
Dynasty: Eastern Zhou
Section: Songs of Wei State
(Collected by Confucius)
Translated by Laijon Liu (2007.08.14)

Sun and moon, listen to my grievance!
Your great lights shining upon earth.
But I have never seen such man,
Who forgot his home and course.
He keeps not vow of husband and wife,
And why he refuses to come into my room?

Sun and moon, listen to my grievance!
Your great lights shining upon earth.
But I have never seen such man,
Who forgot my love and grace.
He keeps not vow of husband and wife,
Why he leaves me alone in my empty room?

Sun and moon, listen to my grievance!
Your great lights shining upon earth.
But I have never seen such man,
Who lost his honor and Heaven’s bliss.
He keeps not vow of husband and wife,
And I should forget him, away with sorrow.

Sun and moon, listen to my grievance!
You rise from east with shining rays.
Ah- my daddy and my mommy,
My husband loves me no more.
He keeps not vow of husband and wife,
And I will not suffer in sorrow any more!

Note:
The poet may be a young and just married wife lived in State of Wei. She complained about her husband that stopped loving her. And she eventually thinks wisely that “Anyway he does not keep his vow, so she gives up her sorrow, or maybe seeks a new beginning.”

From:
http: //laijonliu.blogspot.com/

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Are You a Good Husband?

All married men want to be called a good husband
A good husband is a decent husband
Mr. Husband what you done to deserve this decency?
Has your wife ever referred to you as her good husband?
It is known that the eyes cannot see itself
Unless by reflection. Have you ever asked
Your wife for a performance appraisal
Honey, how did I perform last year?
On a scale of one to ten, one for very poor
Ten for excellent, how did I perform?
Your wife may think you are now on new drugs
If you receive less than six, you need to
Start fence mending before it is too late
A good husband sees his wife as his friend
A nice husband treats his wife as his lover
A decent husband regards his wife as a soul-mate
You should anticipate what your wife
Will need before she makes any request
By the way, have you ever bought a gift
For your wife without an occasion?
Do you have to wait for her birthday?
To inform her that she is very special to you?
Do you have to wait for your wedding anniversary?
To tell her that she is the best thing in your life
When last did you talk to your wife in-laws?
When last did you visit your wife in-laws?
What have you done to be called a good husband?
Ask for performance appraisal on a regular basis
Remember, if you make your wife happy
You will get happiness in return

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A Poem Whose Meaning The Poet Does Not Know

A POEM WHOSE MEANING THE POET DOES NOT KNOW


A poem whose meaning the poet does not know
Is a question only its readers can answer.
But if in the silence of endless absence
There are no readers
A poem whose meaning the poet does not know
Becomes a poem which does not exist.
And a poem which does not exist
Is not the poem the poet dreamed
When he heard in the night or the early morning
That rush of music that sequence of sounds
Which seemed to say more than he would ever understand
As he wrote it down in haste
For fear it somehow would be lost.

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Family life

At home
Husband
And wife...
Some time fighting...

Word's to words...
With bad words...
Sometime hit
The husband wife

Mistakes...
Wife was crying...
Husband was woory...
Wife also

Lovingely hit...
Husband also take easy...
At night husband
Wanted wife

For sex...
Wife will say
Backpain acting
Going for

Hear with life
Every day
At familylife...!

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Moon to sky

Moon to sky
Wife to husband
King to state
Poem to poet
Poet to world.

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A Husband...

A husband should be
Loyal and honest
A husband should be
Strong and protective

A husband should be
Loving and romantic
A husband should be
Patient and understanding

A husband should know
When enough is enough
A husband should know
When to fight and when to cry

A husband should know
all your goals and dreams
A husband should know
your strengths and well as your weaknesses

A husband needs to be a true man
A husband needs to love you unconditionally
A husband needs to know your heart is forever his

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99 Times A Day

Every day she receives

the same 99 sms in her mobile

'Hi, what's up? Your husband'

The 99 sms he sends every day
only few of his yearning

to express how much he loves

the only woman in his life

She sometime replies to his message

sometime she doesn't

the husband starts thinking;

'Do I love her too much? '

The wife pisses off to death

the 99 sms doesn't allow her to sleep

she's really had hard time

to throw away his silly possessiveness

Husband and wife live with suspicious

guessing, and wondering each other

believing and trust is precious thing

Which cannot easily building in hours and days

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I know one husband and wife who, whatever the official reasons given to the court for the break up of their marriage, were really divorced because the husband believed that nobody ought to read while he was talking and the wife that nobody ought to talk while she was reading.

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Ell Briddley

Ell Briddley she knows of the hard side of life
For many years she has been a battered wife
Her late husband Jake often bashed her and their only child Joe
He succumbed to cancer some five years ago.

Her twenty years of marriage one might say tough
And of marriage she feels she's had more than enough
The reason is not hard to understand why
That she will not give marriage another try.

At her husband's passing she did not shed tears
She feels her life with him were sad wasted years
Her son Joe is married in a distant town with a one year old son
And she feels quite proud of how well he has done.

Ell Briddley she is fifty seven years old
And for her years she is attractive to behold
To a few proposals of marriage she has said no
She is one who will not give marriage another go.

Ell Briddley is a happy woman today
And the single life seems to suit her okay
For falling for Jake she paid the bitter price
And now she will remain as single by choice.

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Women’s Era Vavroovahana Patra

Woman and man’s is love is natural on Earth;
With all creatures it is endowed with mirth.
Wife’s love is perennial, certified by the society;
With Wife’s true love husband derives gaiety.

Wonderers’ is woman’s beauty;
Wonderful is her gait with gaiety.
Woman allures man in various way;
With profound love entices, embraces with gay.

Woman and man are endowed with Divine Bliss;
Wise woman serves the society with good wish.
Woman and man’s love begins from Adam Era on Earth;
Wife enjoys with a polite husband with mirth.

Weary husband is tranquilised by lovely wife day and night;
Warmth of encouragement shows us the light path with delight.
Wealthy woman is optimistic on Earth;
Way to peace is the prosperity of woman, provides mirth.

World smiles with woman’s chastity;
Worshipping God the couple live with gaiety.
Woman’s life dazzles being singer, film star;
Woman smiles being a popular writer.

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Love your family

Newely married
Husband and
wife...
Sincerley

Love move the bed...
Wife with
Husband...
Don't fight...

Every time...
Speand the
Love on
The bed...

Don't waste
The time...
If you are
Imedetely start

The fight...
Life was boor...
Minde gore...
So...

Married one are
Two years run...
Fight too fight...
Words and hit too

Fight...
With love...
Every day's family life
It is simple...

Take it easy to live...
With your family love...
Ok...
My dear husband
And wife...!

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Poet vs Poem

Does a poet makes poem
Or poem makes poet?
The eternal war goes on.
The big confusion who will solve it?

Poet fight with sword of pen.
Poem armoured with shield of senses.
Poet tries to rich sky high,
Poem pulls rope of meaning and tenses.

Does poet sketc the poem
Or poem drags him through the invigible gravity.
A piece of paper becomes battlefield.
The war of ink and vocabulary,
Creates a historic beauty.

Poet cages the poem in a book.
Where the world will look.
Praises all to poet 'oh how great'
But the poem is what counts after his death.

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A Not a Poem Poem

A Not a Poem Poem

I will not write a poem
For I am not a poet
I cannot makes things rhyme
I’ve tried for quite some time
So will I write a poem?
NO!

I can’t write poetry
I’ve tried to all my life
Once, I tried to write a poem
About a husband and his wife
It sounded really silly
So I crumbled it up into a ball
That’s why I decided
That I couldn’t write poetry at all
Am I gonna write a poem?
NO!

Well, I’ll try to write a poem
But it will be really bad
It will be absolutely lousy
It will be completely horrible
It won’t be up to snuff
People will say, “Who wrote this stuff? ”
Will my poem be good?
NO!

Can I write a poem?
NO!

Will I write a poem?
NO!

Well, what do you know! ? !
I wrote a poem!
And it’s a pretty good poem, too!
I guess I can write poetry if I try
The next time I’m asked to write a poem,
Will I say no?
NO!

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The Faithful Wife

The faithful wife in the Christ
Obeys her husband's word;
Claims her own authority
By calling her husband, lord.

She will love her husband dearly
As she submits unto his hand,
Teaches younger women so
In this her family stands.

The faithful wife perceives in God
Her husband is given rule;
As he submits unto the Lord
But a rebellious wife is a fool.

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Mistake of Fact!

Crow! Crow!
Male crow! Female crow!
Love each other,
Wife and husband;

Wife crow lays eggs,
All are white!
Husband crow suspects
Loyalty and fidelity;

Ignorant husband,
Innocent wife,
Wife crow shows
other nests;

Trust assured
Sorry sorry,
Mistake of Fact, Forget it,
We love for ever!

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I Marriage Is For Old Folks

Mort Shuman, Leon Carr
I love dancing
Crazy romancing
Fellas advancing constantly
Marriage is for old folks
Old folks, not for me!
One husband
One wife
Whaddya got?
Two people sentenced for life!
I love singing
Good healthy clinging
Quietly bringing on a spree
Marriage is for old folks
Cold folks!
One married he
One married she
Whaddya got?
Two people watchin' tv!
I'm not ready
to quit bein' free
And I'm not willing
to stop being me
I've gotta sing my song
Why should I belong
to some guy who says
that I'm wrong?
Doo doo dooo
de doo de doo
de-doo de-doo
doo doo doo
dooo
Cookin' dinner
Lookin' no thinner
Gray elbows and
a sudsy sea
Marriage is for old folks
Cold folks,
and it's not for me!
One husband
One wife
Whaddya got?
Two people sentenced for life!
I'm exploding
with youth and with zest
Who needs corroding
in some vulture's nest?
I've gotta fly my wings
Go places, do things
My freedom bell's really
gonna ring!
Doo doo dooo....(etc.)
I've been through years
Too many blue years
Now I want New Year's every eve
Marriage is for old folks
Marriage is for cold folks
One husband
One wife
Whaddya got?
Two people sentenced for life
Marriage is for old folks
Marriage is for cold folks
Not for me
Can't you see
Marriage ain't for me

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Marriage Is For Old Folks

Mort shuman, leon carr
I love dancing
Crazy romancing
Fellas advancing constantly
Marriage is for old folks
Old folks, not for me!
One husband
One wife
Whaddya got?
Two people sentenced for life!
I love singing
Good healthy clinging
Quietly bringing on a spree
Marriage is for old folks
Cold folks!
One married he
One married she
Whaddya got?
Two people watchin tv!
Im not ready
To quit bein free
And Im not willing
To stop being me
Ive gotta sing my song
Why should I belong
To some guy who says
That Im wrong?
Doo doo dooo
De doo de doo
De-doo de-doo
Doo doo doo
Dooo
Cookin dinner
Lookin no thinner
Gray elbows and
A sudsy sea
Marriage is for old folks
Cold folks,
And its not for me!
One husband
One wife
Whaddya got?
Two people sentenced for life!
Im exploding
With youth and with zest
Who needs corroding
In some vultures nest?
Ive gotta fly my wings
Go places, do things
My freedom bells really
Gonna ring!
Doo doo dooo....(etc.)
Ive been through years
Too many blue years
Now I want new years every eve
Marriage is for old folks
Marriage is for cold folks
One husband
One wife
Whaddya got?
Two people sentenced for life
Marriage is for old folks
Marriage is for cold folks
Not for me
Cant you see
Marriage aint for me

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