《古谣谚》 卷七
曹操引谚
三国志魏书崔琰传
生女耳。
Having women’s ears for listening to flatterers, referring to how unpredictable one’s superior’s reaction is to flatterers.
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冀州人称邢顒语
三国志魏书邢顒传
德行堂堂﹑邢子昂。
Xing Zi Ang is very righteous
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军中为典韦语
三国志魏书典韦传
帐下壮士有典君。提一双戟八十斤。
There is such a soldier named Dian Wei who carries an unusually heavy weapon.
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陈思王植引谚
三国志魏书陈思王植传
相门有相。將门有將。
Ministers come from a household of ministers, and generals come from a household of generals.
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王昶引谚
三国志魏书王昶传
救寒莫如重裘。止谤莫如自修。
Heavy coats save people from chills, and self-cultivation saves one from the slander of others.
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襄阳乡里为马良谚
三国志蜀书马良传
马氏五常。白眉最良。
Of the five Ma brothers, the one with the white eyebrow is the most outstanding.
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譙周引谚
三国志蜀书譙周传
射幸数跌。不如审发。
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.
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吴中童谣
三国志吴书吴主权传
三国志吴书吴主权传
黄金车。班兰耳。闓昌门。出天子。
A children’s song referring to the enthronement of the Wu emperor.
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时人为周瑜谣
三国志吴书周瑜传
曲有误。周郎顾。
When the musical tune is going wrong, Zhou Yu will notice right away.
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诸葛恪引里语
三国志吴书孙权传
明镜所以照形。古事所以知今。
Just as mirrors reflect the shapes of things, ancient histories provide windows to knowing current affairs.
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陆凯引童谣
三国志吴书陆凯传
寧饮建业水。不食武昌鱼。寧还建业死。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.
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吴人为诸葛恪谣
三国志吴书诸葛恪传
诸葛恪。何若若。芦苇单衣篾鉤落。於何相求成子阁。
A folk song referring to the way Zhu Ge Ke was buried. He was thrown off a cliff.
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优人青头鸡唱
三国志魏书齐王芳纪
青头鸡。青头鸡。
"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.
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京师为邓颺语
三国志魏书曹爽传注云
以官易富﹑邓元茂。
Eng Yang sells government posts for money and gets rich.
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魏时为蒋济谣言
三国志魏书夏侯玄传注云
欲求牙门﹑当得千匹。百人督﹑五百匹。
A rumor referring to the material costs of obtaining certain positions.
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焦先羖【歷】歌
三国志魏书管宁传注云
祝衄祝衄。非鱼非肉。更相追逐。本心为当杀牂羊。
更杀其羖【歷】邪。
A hermit’s opaque string of words which were interpreted as the mistakes made by the Wei kingdom’s military strategy.
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时人为杨阿若号
三国志魏书阎温传注云
东市相斫﹑杨阿若。西市相斫﹑杨阿若。
Yang A Ruo goes around fighting with people as a means of revenge and mediation.
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鱼豢引谚
三国志魏书任城陈萧王传评注云
贫不学俭。卑不学恭。
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.
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鸿臚中为韩暨韩宣语
三国志魏书裴潜传注云
大鸿臚。小鸿臚。前后治行曷相如。
Words praising two good consecutive ministers.
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博昌乡人为蒋任二姓语
三国志魏书王昶传
蒋氏翁。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.
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东郡谣谚
三国志魏书王凌传
马素羈。西南驰。其谁乘者朱虎骑。
A rumor referring to how Wang Ling and his nephew Ling Hu Yu wanted to support the enthronement of Prince Chu.
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渭滨民谚
三国志蜀书诸葛亮传
死诸葛走生仲达。
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.
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襄阳择妇谚
三国志蜀书诸葛亮传注云
莫作孔明择妇。止得阿承丑女。
Referring to how Zhu Ge Liang did not assume beauty to be a priority in a spouse.
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寿春童谣
三国志吴书孙皓传
吴天子当上。
A children’s song referring to a rumor which says a certain warlord should become the emperor. The warlord believed that.
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公安童谣
三国志吴书诸葛瑾传
白鼉鸣。龟背平。南郡城中可长生。守死不去义无成。
A children’s song referring to the wars between warlords.