《古谣谚》卷八

宣帝讌歌

晉書宣帝紀

天地開闢。日月重光。遭遇際會。畢力遐方。將掃群穢。

還過故鄉。肅清萬里。總齊八荒。告成歸老。待罪舞陽。

A song sung by emperor Xuan to express his mixed feelings for his contribution.

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魏正始中民謠

晉書宣帝紀

何鄧丁。亂京城。

A folk song referring to how three subordinates supported by the emperor’s mother were messing up the capital city.

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愍帝末童謠

晉書愍帝紀

天子何在豆田中。

Why is the emperor standing in the middle of bean fields? Referring to how one hermit was executed because of this song as his surname has the same pronunciation as the word for leaves of bean bushes.

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太安之際童謠

晉書元帝紀

五馬浮渡江。一馬化為龍。

A children’s song referring to how five princes crossed the Yang Zi River and only one of them became an emperor.

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太康中晉世寧舞歌

晉書五行志上

晉世寧。舞杯盤。

The peace of Jin dynasty was as unstable as china wares in one’s hands.

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魏太和中兒鈴曹子歌

晉書五行志中

其奈汝曹何。

A song referring to how Cao Shuang was so dominant and powerful that there was nothing that could be done to stop his abuse of power.

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景初初童謠。

晉書五行志中

阿公阿公駕馬車。不意阿公東渡河。阿公來還當奈何。

A children’s song referring to how a prince would become enthroned. And it actually happened in that way.

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吳永安中南郡兒語

晉書五行志中

三公鋤﹑司馬如。Children’s words referring to how the period of the Three Kingdoms were ended by the Si Ma family.

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吳天紀中童謠

晉書五行志中

阿童復阿童。銜刀游渡江。不畏岸上獸。但畏水中龍。

A children’s song referring to how one general Wang Jun was as heroic and powerful as a dragon in the water.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

平吳後江南童謠三則

晉書五行志中

局縮肉。數橫目。中國當敗吳當復。

宮門柱。且當朽。吳當復在三十年後。

雞鳴不拊翼。吳復不用力。

Three children’s songs referring to the rising and falling of the Wu kingdom.

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永熙中童謠

晉書五行志中

二月末。三月初。桑生裴雷柳葉舒。荊筆楊板行詔書。

宮中大馬幾作驢。A children’s song referring to how one emperor’s subject and one prince were dominating the government and making the high officials into ass-like slaves.

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元康中京洛童謠二則

晉書五行志中

南風起。吹白沙。遙望魯國何嵯峨。千歲髑髏生齒牙。

城東馬子莫嚨哅。比至來年纏女髮。

Referring to the violent and bloody struggle for the throne among princes and the empress at a certain period of the Jin dynasty.

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又元康中童謠

晉書五行志中

屠蘇鄣日覆兩耳。當見瞎兒作天子。

A children’s song referring to the end result of a power struggle among princes during one period of Jin dynasty. The prince who got the throne was blind.

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趙王倫篡時洛中童謠

晉書五行志中

獸從北來鼻頭汗。龍從南來登城看。水從西來河灌灌。

A children’s song referring to how three princes from three different directions of China came to overthrow the blind emperor, and how they stayed in the court to oversee management, yet none of them intended to become an emperor.

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司馬越還絡時童謠

晉書五行志中

絡中大鼠長尺二。若不早去大狗至。A children’s song referring to how the return of a prince to the capital city was bad news.

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苟晞將破汲桑上謠

晉書五行志中

元超兄弟大落度。上桑打葚為苟作。

A folk song referring to the fierce competition between two warlords.

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建興中江南謠歌

晉書五行志中

訇如白坑破。合集持作甒。楊州破換敗。吳興覆瓿罌。

Referring to the southward movement of the Jin imperial court, and to the fact that the territory was still not in peace because many warlords were fighting with the government.

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太寧初童謠

晉書五行志中

惻惻力力。放馬山側。大馬死。小馬餓。高山崩。石自破。

A children’s song referring to how one dominant official and his brother in the imperial court were jeopardizing the system. However, they eventually lost power and were executed.

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成帝末童謠

晉書五行志中

磕磕何隆隆。駕車入梓宮。

A children’s song referring to the emperor’s tardiness in attending to his work; meanwhile, there was much stormy weather which offered little sunlight.

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咸康初河北謠

晉書五行志中

麥入土。殺石武。

A folk song accurately predicting the execution of Shi Wu.

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石頭民為庾亮歌二則

晉書五行志中

庾公上武昌。翩翩如飛鳥。庾公還揚州。白馬牽旒旐。

庾公初上時。翩翩如飛鳥。庾公還揚州。白馬牽流蘇。

A song sung by people in Wu Chang, praising the general Yu Liang whose army was stationed there.

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阿子歌

晉書五行志中

阿子聞。阿子汝聞不。

A children’s song referring to the imminent death of the emperor, mimicking the crying of the empress’ mother: "My son, you heard me. My son, do you not hear me?"

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升平末廉歌

晉書五行志中

白門廉。宮庭廉。A folk song saying that the curtain of the imperial court was white in color. Soon after the song was spread, the emperor died.

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隆和初童謠二則

晉書五行志中

升平不滿斗。隆和那得久。桓公入石頭。陛下徒跣走。

歲復改興寧。亦復無聊生。Two children’s songs predicting the short life of the new emperor and complaining about the bad living conditions that continued even after the emperor changed to an auspicious era name.

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太和末童謠

晉書五行志中

犁牛耕御路。白門種小麥。A children’s song referring to how life had become so bad that people were planting wheat for food right on their doorstep literally. Farm cows were therefore plowing the road leading to the imperial palace.

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荊州百姓歌二則

晉書五行志中

黃曇子曲中。

黃曇英揚州。大佛來上明。

Two folk songs by Jing Zhou people predicting the death of their current governor and the coming of their new governor. Indeed, the predictions came to be true.

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太元末京口謠

晉書五行志中

黃雌雞。莫作雄父啼。一旦去毛衣。衣被拉颯栖。A folk song referring to fighting between warlords.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

歷陽百姓歌

晉書五行志中

重羅黎。重羅黎。使君南上無還時。

A song sung by people of Li Yang referring to the general Yu Kai when he was stationed in their county. He was later killed by Huan Xuan when Yu somehow went south to depend on Huan, as predicted in the song.

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荊州童謠

晉書五行志中

芒籠日。繩縛腹。殷當敗。桓當復。

A folk song predicting the rise of one warlord and the demise of another. Somehow the prediction came true.

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京口民謠

晉書五行志中

昔年食白飯。今年食麥麩。天公誅譴汝。教汝捻嚨喉。

嚨喉喝復喝。京口敗復敗。

A folk song referring to the temporary victory of one warlord and his eventual death.

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又京口民謠

晉書五行志中

黃頭小兒欲作賊。阿公在城下指縛得。

黃頭小兒欲作亂。賴得金刀作藩扞。

A folk song indicating one warlord’s intention of starting a war in order to gain control over some territory.

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懊惱歌

晉書五行志中

草生可攪結。女兒可攪擷。

A folk song expressing the sorrow that people have over the fate of warlord Huan Xuan’s concubines and the children and servants of his associates after Huan Xuan lost control over the territory that he conquered. These women and children were given as rewards to the military personnel who participated in defeating Huan Xuan.

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桓玄時童謠

晉書五行志中

草生及馬腹。鳥啄桓玄目。

A children’s song predicting the time of the death of Huan Xuan. He died at the time predicted.

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義熙初童謠

晉書五行志中

官家養蘆化成荻。蘆生不止自成積。

A children’s song predicting the rise of a warlord who was spoiled by the court with a title, money, and territory. The song also predicted his demise, as a result of which many people would lose their lives.

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廣州人謠

晉書五行志中

蘆生漫漫竟天半。

A folk song sung by people in Guang Zhou describing the immense territory that Lu Long, who was the same warlord as in 0358, had control over.

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義熙初小兒語

晉書五行志中

盧健健。鬥歎。鬥歎。翁年老。翁年老。These were words that children said to one another at some point during Jin dynasty within the territory of Lu Long. At the time, people were said to not understand why these words were spoken. The words were a prediction both of the trouble Lu Long was creating for the government and of his eventual demise.

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又義熙初謠

晉書五行志中

盧橙橙。逐水流。東風忽如起。那得入石頭。

A song predicting the demise of Lu Long.

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苻堅初童謠

晉書五行志中

阿堅連牽三十年。後若欲敗時。當在江湖邊。

A children’s song predicting the warlord Fu Jian’s thirty-year-long success and his eventual loss in one key battle at the shore of Fei river. The amazing thing was that these predictions all came true.

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苻堅時新城謠

晉書五行志中

河水清復清。苻堅死新城。

A song sung in Xin Cheng during Fu Jian’s reign over a certain part of Northern China. The rumor said that Fu Jian would die in Xin Cheng, and it came to be true.

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苻堅時魚羊謠

晉書五行志中

魚羊田千當滅秦。

A song saying that Fu Jian’s regime would be destroyed by the Xian Bei tribe which Fu Jian defying his advisor’s advice, did nto eliminate completely.

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時人為王祥歌

晉書王祥傳

海沂之康。實賴王祥。邦國不空。別駕之功。

A folk song praising the good government of the thirty-year hermit Wang Xiang, who came out to work for Lu Qian Xi in governing Xu Zhou.

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時人為石苞語

晉書石苞傳

石仲榮。姣無雙。

Words describing the unparalleled good looks and wisdom of the man Shi Pao.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

時人為歐陽建語

晉書歐陽建傳

渤海赫赫。歐陽堅石。

Words referring to the talent of Ou Yang Jian.

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時人為羊祜語

晉書羊祜傳

二王當國。羊公無德。

Words referring to how two officials with the surname Wang were the main critics of one official Yang Hu.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

杜預軍中謠

晉書杜預傳

以計代戰﹑一當萬。A song sung in General Du Yu’s camp. The words said that good military strategies could win a battle without actually fighting the battle.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

南土為杜預歌

晉書杜預傳

後世無叛由杜翁。孰識智名與勇功。A song sung in Southern China praising the good work of Du Yu. The words said that even posterity would benefit from his work, and that Du Yu had both courage and wisdom.

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時人為裴秀語

晉書裴秀傳

後進領秀﹑有裴秀。Of the newly arising young leaders, there is Pei Xiu.

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時人為衛玠語

晉書衛玠傳

衛玠談道。平子絕倒。

Words referring to how Wang Ping Zi totally admired Wei Jie’s knowledge of Daoism.

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幽州民為棗嵩謠

晉書王浚傳

十囊五囊﹑入棗郎。

Words referring to how the governor of You Zhou, Wang Jun was using his son-in-law as an official; the governor was not capable of really penalizing his son-in-law when he made mistakes.

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幽州民為王浚謠

晉書王浚傳

幽州城門似藏戶。中有伏尸王彭祖。

A song sung by people of You Zhou about the death of their governor Wang Jun.

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京都為荀闓語

晉書荀闓傳

洛中英英﹑荀道明。

Words praising the talent of one man Xun Kai.

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魏泰始中謠

晉書賈充傳

賈裴王。亂紀綱。王裴賈。濟天下。A folk song citing three man as responsible for the ending of Wei dynasty and yet equally responsible for the good work they had done for the new Jin dynasty.

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襄陽童兒為山簡歌

晉書山簡傳

山公出何許。往至高陽池。日夕倒載歸﹑酩酊無所知。

時時能騎馬。倒著白接樆。舉鞭向葛疆﹑何如并州見。

A children’s song referring to the irresponsible life style of the alcoholic General Shan Jian in Xiang Yang.

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三魏為劉毅語

晉書劉毅傳

但聞劉功曹。不聞杜府君。

We have heard only about the personnel officer Liu, and never about the mayor Du Shu.

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孫尹引諺

晉書劉毅傳

受堯之誅。不能稱堯。

A proverb stating that if one were to be penalized in any way by one’s superior, one would have no good words to say about that superior.

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時人為崔洪語

晉書崔洪傳

叢生荊刺。來自博陵。在南為鷂。在北為鷹。

Words referring to the tough judiciary officer Cui Hong.

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廣陵人為劉氏語

晉書劉頌傳

雷蔣穀魯。劉最為祖。

The surname that appeared earliest was Liu; Lei, Jiang, Gu, and Lu all came later.

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時人為謝鯤語

晉書謝鯤傳

任達不已。幼輿折齒。

Words referring to Xie Kun’s frivolous behavior in harassing a beautiful, young neighbor girl who broke her teeth on her loom while dodging his touch.

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陽平人為束皙歌

晉書束皙傳

束先生。通神明。請天三日甘雨零。

我黍以育。我稷以生。何以疇之。報束長生。

Mr. Shu knew how to communicate with heaven: he prayed for rain for three days and we got rain, so our crops could grow again. May Mr. Shu have a long life.

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或人引諺問華譚

晉書華譚傳

人之相去。如九牛毛。

The difference between people are really great in terms of the level of their aspirations.

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陳留人為江統語

晉書江統傳

嶷然稀言﹑江應先。

Jiang Tong is quiet yet he has very far-reaching aspirations.

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蜀人為羅尚言

晉書羅尚傳

尚之所愛。非邪則佞。尚之所憎。非忠則正。富擬魯衛。家成市里。貪如豺狼。無復極已。蜀賊尚可。羅尚殺我。平西將軍。反更為禍。

Words expressing discontent with General Luo Shang, who would only do bad things and kill good people. He was also very greedy about collecting wealth. He was considered to be worse than bandits.

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趙王倫僭位時民諺

晉書趙王倫傳

貂不足。狗尾續。Words referring to the unqualified people whom Prince Lun used as officials after he stole the throne.

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齊王冏盛時民諺

晉書齊王冏傳

著布袙腹。為齊持服。

A folk song predicting the death of Prince Qi. The words are: "wearing a cloth vest, I observe the rules in Prince Qi’s funeral."

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長沙王乂執權時洛下謠

晉書長沙王乂傳

草木萌芽﹑殺長沙。

A folk song predicting the death of Prince Chang Sha. The words said that: "Prince Chang Sha would die when the plants were budding.

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京都為二劉語

晉書劉琨傳

洛中弈弈。慶孫越石。

Words praising the two Liu brothers.

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豫州耆老為祖逖歌

晉書祖逖傳

幸哉遺黎免俘虜。三辰既朗遇慈父。玄酒忘勞甘瓠脯。何以詠恩歌且舞。

Song sung by some old folks who were invited for a meal by the governor of Yu Zhou, General Zu Ti. The song expresses their gratitude toward Zu Ti as though Zu Ti was their parent.

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時人為王玟王珣語

晉書王珣傳

法護非不佳。僧彌難為兄。Words praising the equally talented two Wang brothers.

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桓溫府中為郤超王珣語

晉書郤超傳

髯參軍。短主簿。能令公喜。能令公怒。

The military advisor Xi Cao who had long sideburns and the secretary Wang Xun who had short hair could really please and anger our master.

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荊州三郡民為應詹歌

晉書應詹傳

亂離既普。殆為灰朽。僥倖之運。賴茲應后。

歲寒不凋。孤境獨守。拯我塗炭。惠隆邱阜。

潤同江海。恩猶父母。

A song sung by people in three counties under Ying Zhan’s rule. The three counties were the only peaceful territory when the whole country was in chaos.

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濟陰人為卞氏語

晉書卞壺傳

卞氏六龍﹑元仁無雙。There are six dragons (good sons) in the Pian family. The father is unique in being able to produce six good sons.

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苻堅國中民謠

晉書桓豁傳

誰謂爾堅石打碎。

A folk song making satirical remarks about Fu Jian, whose given name means "being hard." The song said:" who said you are hard, rocks will break you."

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時人為謝安郤超王坦之語

晉書王坦之傳

大才槃槃﹑謝家安。盛德絕倫郤嘉賓。江東獨步王文度。

Words praising three men: Xie An who is greatly talented, Xi Cao who is extremely virtuous, and Wang Tan Zhi whom no one excels.

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時人為劉氏昆弟語

晉書劉惔傳

洛中雅雅﹑有三碬。There are three talented brothers in the Luo area.

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時人為蔡謨語

晉書蔡謨傳

蔡公過浮航。脫帶腰舟。

Words describing Cai Muo’s overtly cautious personality.

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時人為蔡荀諸葛三姓語

晉書諸葛恢傳

京都三明各有名。蔡氏儒雅荀﹑葛清。

The three famous men in the capital city, who all had the word Ming in their given name, have their own virtues. Cai Muo is gentle and graceful. Xun Kai and Zhu Ge Hui do not take money unduly.

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何穆引鄙語

晉書劉牢之傳

高鳥盡。良弓藏。狡兔殫。獵犬烹。

A proverb expressing the idea that just like once the birds in the sky are all gone, the good bows are no longer needed, and once the rabbits have all died, the hounds are not needed and thus are killed as food, when a mission is accomplished, the missionary will be dismissed.

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京師為張軌歌

晉書張軌傳

涼州大馬。橫行天下。涼州鴟苕寇賊消。鴟苕翩翩怖殺人。

A folk song describing how the warlord of Liang Zhou was conquering many places and taking many lives in the process.

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永嘉中長安謠

晉書張寔傳

秦川中﹑血沒腕。唯有涼州倚柱觀。

A folk song describing how one warlord set out taking his army to help the emperor in trouble in the capital,and was ambushed and annihilated by foreign tribes on the way. No other Chinese warlords who were stationed close by the battlefield came to his assistance.

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涼州民謠

晉書張寔傳

手莫頭。圖涼州。

A folk song describing how someone was ambitious in obtaining control of the place, Liang Zhou, by thinking that his given name was in the song. The person who was in power believed the song and killed that man.

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姑臧謠

晉書張茂傳

鴻從南來雀不驚。誰謂孤鶵尾翅生。高舉六翮鳳皇鳴。

A folk song describing a warlord who was successful in taking back territories occupied by the foreign tribe Qiang.

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氾稱引諺

晉書涼後主李歆傳

野獸入家。主人將去。

A proverb saying that if wild beasts should enter a home, it is a sign that the owner of the house would have to go.

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令狐熾夢白頭公言

晉書涼後主李歆傳

南風動。吹長木。胡桐椎。不中轂。

Ling Hu Chi had a dream in which an old man with gray hair said to him that a warlord would lose his battles and die. This came to be true.

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西州為麴游二姓語

晉書麴 允傳

麴與游。牛羊不數頭。南開朱門。北望青樓。Words about the two wealthy households with the two surnames of Qu and You in the Xi Zhou area.

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吳郡民為鄧攸歌

晉書鄧攸傳

紞如打五更。雞鳴天欲曙。鄧侯拖不留。謝令推不去。

A song describing how the people in Wu Jun were holding onto the county mayor’s boat in order to keep him from leaving the county after he resigned. Yet he got away in the middle of the night after pretending that he was not leaving.

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時人為鄧攸語

晉書鄧攸傳

天道無知。使鄧伯道無兒。