How to cut wood?
It’s hard without
an axe.
an axe.
How to find a
wife?
wife?
It’s hard without
a go-between.
a go-between.
Cutting wood…
cutting wood…
cutting wood…
The rule’s
pretty clear:
pretty clear:
To find a girl
You need a lot
of gifts.
of gifts.
Original Chinese
|
Traditional
|
Simplified
|
Pronunciation
|
|
伐柯
|
伐柯
|
fá
kē |
|
|
|
|
|
伐柯如何？
|
伐柯如何？
|
fá
kē rú hé ？ |
|
匪斧不克。
|
匪斧不克。
|
fěi
fǔ bù kè 。 |
|
取妻如何？
|
取妻如何？
|
qǔ
qī rú hé ？ |
|
匪媒不得。
|
匪媒不得。
|
fěi
méi bù dé 。 |
|
伐柯伐柯，
|
伐柯伐柯，
|
fá
kē fá kē ， |
|
其則不遠。
|
其则不远。
|
qí
zé bù yuǎn 。 |
|
我覯之子，
|
我觏之子，
|
wǒ
gòu zhī zǐ ， |
|
籩豆有踐。
|
笾豆有践。
|
biān
dòu yǒu jiàn。 |
Translation Notes
|
伐柯
|
Cut-down
axe-handle
[fig.
How to make an axe handle?] |
|
|
|
|
伐柯如何？
|
Cut-down
axe-handle like how?
[like
how = how?] |
|
匪斧不克。
|
Not/bandits
axe no overcome. |
|
取妻如何？
|
Take
wife like how? |
|
匪媒不得。
|
Not/bandits
matchmaker not obtain. |
|
伐柯伐柯，
|
Cut-down
axe-handle cut-down axe-handle, |
|
其則不遠。
|
His
rule not far. |
|
我覯之子，
|
I meet her child,
|
|
籩豆有踐。
|
Bamboo-container
beans have trample. |