太白山俗語
三秦記
武功太白。去天三百尺。孤雲兩角。去天一握。山水險阻。
黃金子午。蛇盤烏櫳。氣與天通。
A folk saying concerning the great height and vareigated geography of Mount Tai Bai, which was said to have water within it.
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隴頭俗歌
三秦記
隴頭流水。鳴聲幽咽。遙望秦川。心肝斷絕。
震關遙望。秦川如帶。
Words said about a site, Long Xi, in the western border of China. People from central China often went up to a high military construction to look eastward to their home town. Some people were said to hvae cried to death there because of their extreme homesickness.
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渡海往大秦國者諺
三秦記
心無憂患。不經二句。心若憂患。遠離三春。A saying about sea travel to the Roman Empire. If one has no worries in one’s heart and meets tail winds, then one arrives there in twenty days. If one has worries in one’s heart, then one cannot get there even in a few years’ time.
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甯戚飯牛歌
三齊記
南山粲。白石爛。生不遭堯與舜禪。短布單衣適至骭。從昏飯牛薄夜半。長夜曼曼何時旦。
A song sung by Ning Qi to King Huan of the Qi kingdom. The words say that he is sorry not to meet a good king whom he could serve. King Huan employed him after hearing this song.
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成武父老為王譚歌
吳錄
王世容。治無雙。省徭役。盜賊空。A song sung by people of Cheng Wu about their mayor, who was praised as unique in his governing skill. He was able to save the people from mandatory labor and to eliminate robbery.
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廣陵為陸稠諺
吳錄
解結理煩。我國陸君。
A saying by the people of Guang Ling about Lu Chou’s leadership, illustrated by his ability to make his subordinates behave.
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泡魚蒿豬諺
粵志
朝為泡魚。暮為蒿豬。朝為嬾婦。暮為奔【豚】。
A folk saying about the transformation of the Pao Fish into a porcupine.
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南土人為牡蠣語
南越志
得合澗一蠔。雖不足豪。亦可以高。A folk saying by natives of Southern China about their love for oysters.
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黃牛灘行者語
荊州記
朝發黃牛。暮宿黃牛。三朝三暮。黃牛如故。
Words said about a section of the Yang-tzi River gorge. One could start one’s journey in the morning at Yellow Cow beach and would still be in the same place by nightfall. This could go on for three days and nights, so difficult is travel in the section of the river.
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盛弘之引楚諺
荊州記
洲不滿百。故不出王者。
Since there are only ninety nine island in the rivers of the Jing Zhou area, no emperor will arise. This alludes to the conicidnece of Emperor Jiang Biao’s emergence at the same time as the sudden appearance of an extra island. After his demise, that one hundredth island disappeared.
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麥城諺
荊州記
東驢西磨﹑麥自破。
The two cities, named Donkeys and Mills were built to attack the city of Wheat inbetween. The attack was a success.
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人為太白山橫雲語
長安志
南山瀑布。非朝則暮。
The clouds up in Tai Bai Mountain look as though they are emitting rain in the morning and evening.
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人為洪堰量水語
長安志
水到龜兒嘴。百二十徼水。
Words said about the amount of water in a reservoir.
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陸機引洛陽俗語
洛陽記
金馬門外聚群賢。銅駝街上集少年。
Words said about two districts in the city of Luo Yang. All the intelligent people gather outside the Golden Horse Gate, and the adolescents gather on Bronze Camel Street.
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射的山諺
會稽記
射的白。斛一百。射的玄。斛一千。
A folk saying about how people determine the price of rice. One shoots an arrow at a rock in a cave. If the arrow lands at a dark, shaded part of the rock, then the price of rice will be high.
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五蓋山鄉人占年諺
湘中記
五蓋雪普。米賤如土。雪若不均。米貴如銀。A folk saying concerning how people predict the price of rice in the Five Peak Mountains area. If all of the five peaks are covered with snow, then the price of rice will be low.
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占霧諺
湘中記
臘月有霧露。無水做酒醋。
It there are fog and dew in the lunar month of December, then there will be a drought in the following year, so severe that there will be no water with which to make vinegar and wine.
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堯峰院俗語
吳郡圖經
堯所基。洪川不能沒。上有萬眾棲。Words said about the location of Yao Fong Temple. It is high up in a mountain where a river’s flood cannot possibly reach. There are thousands of people living up there, too.
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錫山古謠
常州圖經
有錫兵。無錫寧。
A folk saying concering Tin mountain. If there is mining of tin, there is war; if there is no mining of tin, there is peace.
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京口士大夫語
嘉定鎮江志
生居洛陽。死葬朱方。
Words said by the intellectuals in the capital city of Luo Yang concerning their choice of burial sites, which were in the southeast coast of China.
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鞭春看燈里諺
至順鎮江志
好男勿鞭春。好女勿看燈。
Concerning customs of the Chinese new year in the Zhen Jiang area: on the first day of spring, men should not go to see the whipping of the cow,since they might be trampled to death by the crowd trying to catch pieces of the animal. Likewise, women should not go to the light show because of the crowd there.
