The East Not Bright Yet

东方未明，

颠倒衣裳。

颠之倒之，

自公召之。

In the east ‘tis still dark,

O, we dress upside down.

Pants taken as the gown,

For liege’s men at us bark.

东方未晞，

颠倒裳衣。

颠之倒之，

自公令之。

In the east it dawns not,

O, we dress upside down.

Pants taken as the gown,

For liege’s fiat we’ve just got.

折柳樊圃，

狂夫瞿瞿。

不能辰夜，

不夙则莫。

To make fence, twigs we snap,

The foremen snap at us.

No dawns, no dusks, as thus,

We toil till drain our sap.

Tr. Ziyuzile