(no subject)

[liukaiqin]

This is nice. You may know this pretty song from the 70s:

"When Robin goes on holiday
There's no one livin' in our lane.
Oh yes, folks still live in our lane;
But they're not like Robin."
　　　　　　　　　(Carly Simon, "His Friends Are More Than Fond Of Robin")

Now look at this line (circa 7th century BC) from the Book of Songs:

叔于田，巷無居人，豈無居人，不如叔也，洵美且仁。
　　　　　　　　　（《試經•鄭風•叔于田》）

and in Waley's translation:

"Shu is away in the hunting-fields,
There is no one living in our lane.
Of course there are people living in our lane;
But they are not like Shu,
So beautiful, so good."
　　　　　　　　　(Arthur Waley, Songs of Courtship from the Book of Songs, no. 9)