| 曹操引諺 三國志魏書崔琰傳 生女耳。 Having women’s ears for listening to flatterers, referring to how unpredictable one’s superior’s reaction is to flatterers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 冀州人稱邢顒語 三國志魏書邢顒傳 德行堂堂﹑邢子昂。 Xing Zi Ang is very righteous -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 軍中為典韋語 三國志魏書典韋傳 帳下壯士有典君。提一雙戟八十斤。 There is such a soldier named Dian Wei who carries an unusually heavy weapon. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 陳思王植引諺 三國志魏書陳思王植傳 相門有相。將門有將。 Ministers come from a household of ministers, and generals come from a household of generals. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 王昶引諺 三國志魏書王昶傳 救寒莫如重裘。止謗莫如自修。 Heavy coats save people from chills, and self-cultivation saves one from the slander of others. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 襄陽鄉里為馬良諺 三國志蜀書馬良傳 馬氏五常。白眉最良。 Of the five Ma brothers, the one with the white eyebrow is the most outstanding. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 譙周引諺 三國志蜀書譙周傳 射幸數跌。不如審發。 To prevent arrows from missing the targets, one should caution to aim well when shooting the arrow. The key to winning a battle is to not burden the general population with military expenses. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 吳中童謠 三國志吳書吳主權傳 三國志吳書吳主權傳 黃金車。班蘭耳。闓昌門。出天子。 A children’s song referring to the enthronement of the Wu emperor. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 時人為周瑜謠 三國志吳書周瑜傳 曲有誤。周郎顧。 When the musical tune is going wrong, Zhou Yu will notice right away. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 諸葛恪引里語 三國志吳書孫權傳 明鏡所以照形。古事所以知今。 Just as mirrors reflect the shapes of things, ancient histories provide windows to knowing current affairs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 陸凱引童謠 三國志吳書陸凱傳 寧飲建業水。不食武昌魚。寧還建業死。不止武昌居。 A children’s song explaining that choosing Wu Chang as the capital will be a bad choice, while choosing Jian Ye will be a good choice. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 吳人為諸葛恪謠 三國志吳書諸葛恪傳 諸葛恪。何若若。蘆葦單衣篾鉤落。於何相求成子閣。 A folk song referring to the way Zhu Ge Ke was buried. He was thrown off a cliff. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 優人青頭雞唱 三國志魏書齊王芳紀 青頭雞。青頭雞。 "Green-headed chicken" refers to ducks. This was the verse of a song sung by one emperor’s entertainer. The emperor was on the verge of losing his throne. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 京師為鄧颺語 三國志魏書曹爽傳注云 以官易富﹑鄧元茂。 Eng Yang sells government posts for money and gets rich. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 魏時為蔣濟謠言 三國志魏書夏侯玄傳注云 欲求牙門﹑當得千匹。百人督﹑五百匹。 A rumor referring to the material costs of obtaining certain positions. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 焦先羖【歷】歌 三國志魏書管甯傳注云 祝衄祝衄。非魚非肉。更相追逐。本心為當殺牂羊。 更殺其羖【歷】邪。 A hermit’s opaque string of words which were interpreted as the mistakes made by the Wei kingdom’s military strategy. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 時人為楊阿若號 三國志魏書閻溫傳注云 東市相斫﹑楊阿若。西市相斫﹑楊阿若。 Yang A Ruo goes around fighting with people as a means of revenge and mediation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 魚豢引諺 三國志魏書任城陳蕭王傳評注云 貧不學儉。卑不學恭。 One is poor because of not knowing to be frugal, and one is in the lower class of society because of not learning to be humble. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 鴻臚中為韓暨韓宣語 三國志魏書裴潛傳注云 大鴻臚。小鴻臚。前後治行曷相如。 Words praising two good consecutive ministers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 博昌鄉人為蔣任二姓語 三國志魏書王昶傳 蔣氏翁。任氏童。The people in the Jiang household became learned only when they reached old age, and the people in the Ren household were child prodigies. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 東郡謠諺 三國志魏書王凌傳 馬素羈。西南馳。其誰乘者朱虎騎。 A rumor referring to how Wang Ling and his nephew Ling Hu Yu wanted to support the enthronement of Prince Chu. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 渭濱民諺 三國志蜀書諸葛亮傳 死諸葛走生仲達。 Words referring to how the supreme military strategist Zhu Ge Liang might have died, not knowing that, the enemy camp was still retreating to avoid his army. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 襄陽擇婦諺 三國志蜀書諸葛亮傳注云 莫作孔明擇婦。止得阿承醜女。 Referring to how Zhu Ge Liang did not assume beauty to be a priority in a spouse. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 壽春童謠 三國志吳書孫皓傳 吳天子當上。 A children’s song referring to a rumor which says a certain warlord should become the emperor. The warlord believed that. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 公安童謠 三國志吳書諸葛瑾傳 白鼉鳴。龜背平。南郡城中可長生。守死不去義無成。 A children’s song referring to the wars between warlords. |
