詩経(しきょう)・邶風(はいふう)・擊鼓
執子之手,與子偕老
Taking your hand, living to old age
together with you

Battle-Drum Beating
When battle-drums resound each time; soldiers sitting on the ground to
string their crossbows and quickly put the arrow on then stand up and jump
onto the chariot repeatedly.
For war, construction of the wall of CAO castle begins. The pubplic defense
works started at our capital, too,
While we go south to war.
We follow General Sun Zizhong,
To mediate kingdoms of Qi and Song.
We are stationed there (Zheng kingdom?) for a long time,
We are filled with cares and fears.
We soldiers are scattered and billeted here and there;
I lose my horse because I did not tied it firmly.
When I was looking for it here and there,
But I find the dead horse by trees among the groves.
My wife, I swore to you at the time of wedding;
"We're bound in martial union whenver life or dead, wherever live
together or apart".
I grasped your hand and promised,
"We will grow old together."
Long have I parted from my wife;
How can I meet you again?
The war has kept us far apart;
How can I achieve my oath?
Note:"The Book of Poetry" is the first anthology of poems in China, including altogether 305 poems
composed from the Western Zhou Dynasty (the 11th century B.C.) to the Spring
and Autumn Period (the 6th century B.C.).
"The Book of Poetry" consists of three parts: Regional Songs, Odes and Hymns. The Regional Songs is divided into 15 sections in all: 1.Sourthern Zhou, 2.Southern Shao, 3.Songs of Bei, 4.Songs of Yong, 5.Songs
of Wei, 6.Songs of Wang, 7.Songs of Zheng, 8.Songs of Qi, 9.Songs of Wei,
10.Songs of Tang, 11.Songs of Qin, 12.Songs of Chen, 13.Songs of Gui, 14.Songs
of Cao, 15.Songs of Bin. These 15 sections names mean small kingdoms or regions. The "Battle-Drum Beating" is included in No. 3 Song of Bei.
We guess this war of "Battle-Drum Beating" occured during the fall from the spring of B.C. 719. This poem tells the
feeling of one ancient soldier who honestly yearned for his wife and hometown.
But even if starlit sky rotated many times, and scenery changed time and
time again, the hearts of loving men and women remain unchanged till now.
Therfore in China, the words of "Taking your hand", "Living
to old age together with you" have been the unchangeable oath of wedding
since two thousand seven hundred years ago.