poems about love and marriage

[erhu]

Does anyone know any nice Chinese poems about marriage (in English translation)? I have to give a reading at my brother's wedding.

Thank you!

[skylee]

This is from Shi Jing (the Book of Odes) (note the part in blue) -

Ji Gu (The Roll of Drums)

Hear the roll of our drums !

See how we leap about , using our weapons !

Those do the fieldwork in the State , or fortify Cao ,

While we alone march to the south .

We followed Sun Zizhong ,

Peace having been made with Chen and Song;

[but] he did not lead us back ,

And our sorrowful hearts are very sad .

Here we stay , here we stop ;

Here we lose our horses ;

And we seek for them ,

Among the trees of the forest .

For life or for death , however separated ,

To our wives we pledged our word .

We held their hands ; --

We were to grow old together with them .

Alas for our separation !

We have no prospect of life .

Alas for our stipulation !

We cannot make it good .

擊鼓

擊鼓其鏜，踴躍用兵。土國城漕，我獨南行。

從孫子仲，平陳與宋。不我以歸，憂心有忡。

爰居爰處？爰喪其馬？於以求之？於林之下。

死生契闊，與子成說。執子之手，與子偕老。

於嗟闊兮，不我活兮。於嗟洵兮，不我信兮。

I think the same verse can be translated to read -

For life or for death , however separated ,

To you I pledge my word .

I hold your hands ; --

We are to grow old together .

[skylee]

Here is another lovely poem from Yuan Dynasty -

我儂詞 (管道昇)

你儂我儂，忒煞情多，情多處，熱如火。

把一塊泥，捻一個你，塑一個我。

將咱兩個，一齊打破，用水調和。

再捻一個你，再塑一個我。

我泥中有你，你泥中有我。

與你生同一個衾，死同一個槨。

And a nice English translation from this webpage -

You and I

Have so much love,

That it

Burns like a fire,

In which we bake a lump of clay

Molded into a figure of you

And a figure of me

Then we take both of them,

And break them into pieces,

And mix the pieces with water,

And mold again a figure of you,

And a figure of me.

I am in your clay.

You are in my clay.

In life we share a single quilt.

In death we will share one coffin.

[skylee]

Here is a poem from Han Dynasty (too strong in my opinion, but it has an english translation which is on a wedding readings webpage) -

上邪

上邪！我欲與君相知，長命無絕衰。

山無崚，江水為竭，冬雷震震夏雨雪，天地合，乃敢與君絕。

English version from this webpage

I want to be your friend forever and ever

When the hills are all flat

And the rivers run dry

When the trees blossom in winter

And the snow falls in summer,

When heaven and earth mix

Not till then will part from you.

(IMHO, the 4th line is not very accurate.)

[erhu]

Many thanks for your suggestions Skylee - I appreciate it.

Think I might go with the Yuan dynasty one...nice imagery

[Quest]

The Han Dynasty one is best, very emotional.

The translation can't do it justice.

[bbf88]

Hi all,

I'm looking for the same thing -- I'm the groom and my bride wants a Chinese poem in our invites. I sent her this page and she said that the Han Dynasty poem is too strong (as Skylee said).

Any other suggestions? Something short and sweet ... doesn't have to be a pure love poem, anything to do with love and marriage and joy would do!

Thank you in advance