i 



cause of the great care of the father, now bloom with great luxur- 

 iance, early like the plum flower. 



According to Chinese mythology, a good horse sometimes travels 

 1000 miles a day and accomplishes wonderful work. This symbolizes 

 a man of unusual ability. The wagon is spoken of as loaded with salt, 

 because salt is a preservative which gives great benefit to the world. 



In Stanza I, the cow and the dog are mentioned. Cows and dogs 

 symbolize men of lower rank. No matter how poor a man may be and 

 no matter how important his own business or dignified his position, this 

 man always shows friendship and lends a helping hand. 



In Stanza II, geese are mentioned. The geese always fly together 

 in a certain formation, calling to each other in the autumnal sky. This 

 represents the three brothers. Chu and Han are the names of the two 

 great kingdoms into which China was divided after the fall of the 

 dynasty of Hsin Hwang Ti. These two kingdoms were deadly enemies. 

 Therefore, the combination of Chu and Han represents the entire 

 Chinese nation. 



In Stanza IV, the male and female Mandarin Ducks signify a mar- 

 ried couple, because the male and female ducks love each other and 

 never separate. "The Heron" is the title of a famous Chinese song. In 

 this song, the person always disregarded the opinions and criticisms 

 of the public and held himself aloof and independent of others. 



The Chinese word "Kui" is the name of a tree which is different 

 from the Occidental cinnamon tree, although this is the nearest trans- 

 lation in English. 



"Kui" symbolizes a person pure and noble, and far above the aver- 

 age person. It is often associated with the purity and calm of the 

 moon. 



In Stanza VI, the water rail is a bird that lives in the cultivated 

 fields and signals others. It is often compared to a rich and distin- 

 guished farmer. The lonely monkey represents a poor, friendless man. 

 The crane, isolated and aloof, represents a man of education and genius 

 who is isolated from the common people. Therefore, in old age, this 

 man associates with people of all ranks, never forgetting those who 

 have once been his friends, no matter what their station in later life. 



The second poem: 



179 



