卷十二

中宗引俗谚
旧唐书礼仪志一
冬至长於岁。On the day of the winter solstice, everyone grows one year older.
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杨伴儿谣
旧唐书音乐志二
杨婆儿。 共戏来。A children’s song referring to how the son of a witch became a companion of an empress.
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寧王引谚
旧唐书五行志
树稼﹑达官怕。
High government officials are afraid of ice storms.

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调露中嵩山谣
旧唐书五行志
嵩山凡几层。 不畏登不得。 但恐不得登。
三度征兵马。 旁道打腾腾。
A song referring to Emperor Zhong’s three attempts to ascend the Song mountain and consecrate it. He failed each time due to the unrest of neighboring foreign tribes on the northern border, and on the third time, he died.

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如意初里歌
旧唐书五行志
黄獐黄獐﹑ 草裏藏。 弯弓射尔伤。
Those roebucks hidden in the bush really can shoot arrows and kill you. Words referring to how an entire army was wiped out by the Qi Dan tribe from the north during the Tang dynasty.

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元和小儿谣
旧唐书五行志
打麦打麦。三三三。 舞了也。
A children’s song referring to the date when and the manner by which (an ambush) Wu YuanHeng was killed.

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鬼门关谚
旧唐书地理之岭南道容州下
鬼门关。 十人九不还。Of those who go past the Gate to the Ghost Realm (referring to the custom on the border between China and present day Vietnam), nine out of ten will not come back alive.

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沧州百姓为薛大鼎歌
旧唐书食货志下
新河得通舟戢利。 直达沧海鱼盐至。
昔日徒行今骋駟。 美哉薛公德滂被。
Words by people of Chang Zhou praising the good work of their official Xue Da Ding, who cleared a river path to the ocean.

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竇建德军中谣
旧唐书竇建德传
豆入牛口。 势不得久。
Words referring to the defeat of a warlord Dou Jiang De by Prince Qin, who was an emperor ofthe Tang dynasty.

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时人为屈突氏兄弟语
旧唐书屈突通传
寧食三斗艾。 不见屈突盖。
寧服三斗葱。 不见屈突通。
Words referring to the strict enforcement of law by two brothers, Qu Tu Tong and Qu Tu Gai, who were both government officials.

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高宗时王府官语
旧唐书江元祥传
寧向儋崖振白。 不事江滕蒋虢。
People would rather live in undeveloped places in the tropical south than have to live under the jurisdiction of four greedy and corrupted princes: Prince of Jiang, Prince of Teng, Prince of Jiang, and Prince of Guo.

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女武王谣
旧唐书李君羡传
当有女武王者。
Words predicting the coming to power of the one and only Empress Wu in the Tang dynasty.
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廉州邑里为顏游秦歌
旧唐书顏籀传
廉州顏有道。 性行同庄老。 爱人如赤子。 不杀非时草。
A song sung by people of Lian Zhou praising their governors Yan Liu and You Qin for their kindness to the people.
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马周引俚语
旧唐书马周传
贫不学俭。 富不学奢。
The poor should not have to learn how to be frugal and the rich should not have to learn to be extravagant.
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景云中海內语
旧唐书柳亨传
姚宋为相。 邪不如正。 太平用事。 正不如邪。
Words referring to how people recommended by Yao Qinand Song Jing all became good officials, whereas people recommended by Princess Tai Ping were all bad.
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时人为李义府及其子婿语
旧唐书李义府传
今日巨唐年。 还诛四凶族。
This is a great time for the Tang dynasty, since four fiercely corrupted officials were eliminated.
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薛仁贵军中歌
旧唐书薛仁贵传
將军三箭定天山。 战士长歌入汉关。
A song sung by soldiers of General Xue Ren Gui, who conquered the Jiu Xing tribe of Tu Jui, which could never cause trouble agian.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

江淮间为许郝田彭四氏语
旧唐书郝处俊传
贵如许郝。 富若田彭。
Among people of Jiang Hui, the most powerful were Xu and Hao, and the most wealthy wereTian and Peng.
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时人为阎麟之裴光庭语
旧唐书裴光庭传
麟之口。 光庭手。
People’s jobs were decided by what Yan Lin Zhi, who was a subordinate to Pei Guang Ting, said to Pei Guang Ting, who was the Secretary of Human Resources at one time during the Tangdynasty.

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益州人吏为杜景俭语
旧唐书杜景俭传
录事意与天通。 益州司马折威风。
Words referring to how the Secretary of Yi Zhou advised the new military chief of Yi Zhou,Fang Si Ye, not to impose his power on people before the official notice had arrived. It turnedout that Fang Si Ye was appointed the military chief of Jing Zhou instead of Yi Zhou.

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时人称徐有功杜景俭来俊臣侯思止语
旧唐书杜景俭传
遇徐杜者必生。遇来侯者必死。Among the four prison officials, whoever met Xu and Du would live, and whoever met Lai and Hou would definitely die.
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时人为贾敦颐张任愿语
旧唐书张任愿传
洛州有前贾后张。 可敌京兆三王。Words referring to the effective law enforcement of Jia and Zhang, the governers of Luo Zhou.

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时人为张嘉贞语
旧唐书张嘉贞传
令公四俊。 苗吕员训。
There are four outstanding officials working under Zhang Jai Zhen, the Interior Secretary: Miao, Lu, Yuan, Cui.

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司府吏人为尹思贞语
旧唐书尹思贞传
不畏侯卿杖。 惟畏尹卿笔。
One should not have to be afraid of Huo Zhi Yi’s sticks but should be afraid of Yi Si Zhen’s pen.
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时人为卢从愿语
旧唐书卢从愿传
吏部前有马裴。 后有卢李。
In the Department of Human Resources, there were four good officials, the ealier two were Ma and Pei, the later two were Lu and Li.
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玄宗时人间唱得体歌
旧唐书韦坚传
得体紇那也。 紇囊得体耶。 潭裏船车闹。
扬州铜器多。 三郎当殿坐。 看唱得体歌。
A song concerning how an articifial lake was built in the capital city of Chang An under Wei Jian’s supervision. The oddities were his enforcement of license plates for boats, boatmen in uniforms that had a southern (tropical) style, and the goods filling those boats.

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崔成甫使妇人唱得宝歌
旧唐书韦坚传
得宝弘农野。 弘农得宝那。 潭裏船车闹。
扬州铜器多。 三郎当殿坐。 看唱得宝歌。
A song that the county mayor of Shan made some women sing. The song concerned an auspicious omen that was found in Hong Nong, and the boats in the lake seen in the previousitem.
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京师为李峴谣
旧唐书李峴传
欲得米粟贱。 无过追李峴。A song sung by people of the capital city, which had rain for over sixty days, causing the price ofrice to skyrocket. The good mayor, Li Xian, was blamed for the natural disaster and was sent offto southern China. The song says that only Li Xian could bring the price of rice back down.
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卢群醉歌
旧唐书卢群传
祥瑞不在凤凰麒麟。 太平须得边將忠臣。 卫霍真诚\奉主。
貔虎十万一身。 江河潜注息浪。 蛮貊款塞无尘。
但得百寮师长肝胆。不用三军罗綺金银。
A song sung by Lu Qun when he was drunk. The song was about his feeling that his talents and loyalty were unknown by those who had power to make him an official.

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时人为竇怀贞语
旧唐书竇怀贞传
竇仆射前为韦氏国遮。 后作公主邑丞。Words referring to Duo Hui Zhen, who got his petty jobs by pleasing the empress and princesswhose unwise projects he served.

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时人为武懿宗何阿小语
旧唐书武懿宗传
唯此两何。 杀人最多。
These two He’s had killed the most people. Words referring to how one Tang Emperor Yi, when he was Prince of He Nei, killed many civilians who were returned after being abducted by a foreign tribe, Qi Dan. The other He was a general of that foreign tribe.

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郢州百姓为田仁会歌
旧唐书田仁会传
父母育我田使君。 精诚\为人上天闻。 田中致雨山出云。
仓廩既实礼义申。 但愿常在不患贫。
A song sung by people of Ying Zhou, praising its governor Tian Ren Hui for being able to get rain for them so that their storehouse was filled with grain.

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时人为傅孝忠姜师度语
旧唐书姜师度传
傅孝忠两眼看天。 姜师度一心穿地。
Fu Xiao Zhong was good at astrology, and Jiang Shi Du was good at knowing where underground water was.
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中宗时人语
旧唐书崔无詖传
皇后嫁女。 天子娶妇。Words referring to a royal matrimony between a dead princess (the emperor’s maternal uncle’s daughter) and a dead prince (the emperor’s younger brother). The family of the dead princess obtained much dowry for the marriage.

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天宝中时人语
旧唐书赵曄传
殷顏柳陆。 萧李邵赵。
Words about the true friendship among eight men.
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赵州乡族为李太冲李孝端语
旧唐书李知木传
太冲无兄。 孝端无弟。
Words about two cousins who were government officials, Li Tai Chong and Li Xiao Duan. Tai Chong’s rank was higher than Xiao Duan’s.
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时人为贺氏兄弟语
旧唐书贺德仁传
学行可师﹑贺德基。 文质彬彬﹑贺德仁。
Both He De Ji and He De Ren, who are brothers, are learned persons.
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四郡人为杨德干语
旧唐书杨浻传
寧食三斗蒜。 不逢杨德干。
One would rather eat lots of garlic than confront the strict official Yang De Gan.

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张果引谚
旧唐书张果传
娶妇得公主。 平地生公府。
If one were to be married to a princess, it would be like cohabiting with a high authorityinstantly.

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高昌童谣
旧唐书高昌国传
高昌兵马如霜雪。汉家兵马如日月。
日月照霜雪。 回手自消灭。A children’s song from a kingdom in present-day northwest of China. The words go like this: the army of Gao Chang is like frost and snow and the Han army is like the sun and the moon. The frost and snow melts when shoned upon by the sun and the moon.

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干符中谣言
旧唐书黄巢传
金色虾蟆爭努眼。 翻却曹州天下反。A rumor predicting the Huang Chao’s uprising against the central Tang government.

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大理囚为袁仁敬歌
旧唐书逸文
天不恤冤人兮。 何夺我慈亲兮。
有理无申兮。痛哉安诉陈兮。
The prisoners of Da Li mourned the death of their warden. They cried out the song: Heaven hasno mercy on people who have been framed. That is why it took Yuan Ren Jing, who was as dear as our parent, away. From now on, we have no way of petitioning our innocence.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
时人为杨贵妃语
旧唐书五行志一
义髻拋河裏。 黄裙逐水流。The empress Yang Tai Zhen threw her wigs and yellow skirts out into the river.
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调露初京城民谣
新唐书五行志二
侧堂堂。 橈堂堂。
A folk song sung in the capital city of Tang proclaiming that depite the messy internal power struggle in the imperial court, the Tang dynasty would continue on.

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永淳中童谣
新唐书五行志二
新禾不入箱。 新麦不入场。 迨及八九月。 狗吠空垣墙。A children’s song predicting that there would be no harvest for a specific year because of too much rain.
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永淳后民歌
新唐书五行志二
杨柳杨柳漫头驼。A folk song predicting the failure of a warlord named Xu Jing Yei.

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神龙后民谣
新唐书五行志二
山南鸟鹊窠。 山北金骆驼。 镰柯不凿孔。 斧子不施柯。Words referring to how the Tang territory was bothered by the invasions of Tu Jui and therefore people could not even farm or harvest regularly.

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神龙后童谣
新唐书五行志二
可怜安乐寺。 了了树头悬。
A children’s song referring to the death of Princess An Le, whose head was cut off and hung on a tree.
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景龙中民谣
新唐书五行志二
黄牸犊子挽紖断。 两足踏地鞋【麻】断。城南黄牸犊子韦。
A folk song referring to the failure of an uprising organized by Wei.

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又景龙中谣
新唐书五行志二
可怜圣善寺。 身著绿毛衣。 牵来河裏饮。 踏杀鲤鱼儿。
A folk song referring to the failure of an uprising organized by the Prince of Jiao, who killedhimself by plunging into the Luo River.

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潞州童谣
新唐书五行志二
羊头山北作朝堂。
A children’s song predicting the imperial visit by Emperor Xuan.
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安禄山未反时童谣
新唐书五行志二
燕燕飞上天。 天上女儿铺白毡。 毡上有千钱。A children’s song predicting the major uprising of An Lu Shan.
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幽州谣
新唐书五行志二
旧来夸戴竿。 今日不堪看。 但看五月裏。 清水河边见契丹。
A song predicting the invasion of the Qi Dan tribe.

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朱泚未败前童谣
新唐书五行志二
一只箸。 两头朱。 五六月。 化为蛆。
A children’s song predicting the death of a warlord named Zhu Ci.

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咸通七年童谣
新唐书五行志二
草青青。 被严霜。 鹊始復。 看顛狂。
The grass was green before it was covered by bitter frost. Look at the crazy mess in the country.
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咸通十四年成都童谣
新唐书五行志二
咸通癸巳。 出无所之。 蛇去马来。
道路稍开。 头无片瓦。 地有残灰。
During this year, people could not really get anywhere. Next year, it should be better. However, people will still not have a stable life.

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干符六年童谣
新唐书五行志二
八月无霜塞草青。 將军骑马出空城。
汉家天下西巡狩。 犹向江东更索兵。
In the month of August, there was no frost and therefore the grass outside the northern borderwas green. The general rode on his horse out of the empty city. The Han’s emperor travelled tothe west. It was as though he was inviting invasion from warlords in the southeast.

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中和初童谣
新唐书五行志二
黄巢走。 泰山东。 死在翁家翁。
A children’s song concerning the place and manner (killed by his own subordinate) of death for Huang Chao, who organized an uprising against the central government.

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门匠谣
新唐书食货志三
古无门匠墓。
Guides for crossing a certain river with underwater rocks usually drown after shipwreck;therefore there are generally no graves for these people.

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荆南民为段文昌语
新唐书段文昌传
旱不苦。 祷\而雨。 雨不愁。 公出游。
People of Jing Nan praising Duan Wen Chang, a general stationed there. He could somehow control the weather. When they needed rain, he could make it rain. When they wanted it sunny,he could make it sunny.

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崔仁师引谚
新唐书崔仁师传
杀人刖足。 亦皆有礼。
There should be rules guiding the execution of people and the cutting off of their legs. In other words, the punishment should fit the crime.
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时人为权怀恩语
新唐书权怀恩传
寧饮三斗尘。 无逢权怀恩。One would rather devour a great amount of dust than confront the strict law enforcer, Quan Hui An.

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时人为李乂语
新唐书李乂传
李下无蹊径。
There is no short cut to getting favors from Li Yi.
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哥舒翰引谚
新唐书哥舒翰传
狐向窟嗥不祥。
It is not auspicious for a fox to howl at its own cave.

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长安民为鲜于氏兄弟歌
新唐书李叔明传
前尹赫赫。 具瞻允若。 后尹熙熙。 具瞻允斯。
A song sung by people of Chang An, the capital city, praising their two mayors who were brothers to each other.

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时人为崔鉉语
新唐书崔鉉传
郑杨段薛。 炙手可热。 欲得命通。 鲁绍瑰蒙。
Words referring to the four powerful consultants of Cui Xuan, who was trusted by the emperor atthe time.

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时人为苏张三杨语
新唐书杨虞卿传
欲趋举场﹑ 问苏张。 苏张犹可。 三杨杀我。If one wants to take the civil service test, one should ask for advice from Su and Zhang. Su and Zhang may give good advice, but the best advice would come from Yang Yu Qing.

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真源邑中为华南金语
新唐书张巡传
南金口。 明府手。Words about how Hua Nan Jin, who was abusing his power as a key offcial, was executed by Governor Zhang Xun.
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学者为苏李沈宋语
新唐书宋之问传
苏李居前。 沈宋比肩。
Words referring to four poets’ style of poetry.

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李邕妻引谚
新唐书李邕传
士无贤不肖。 入朝见疾。
There are no such thing as good or bad people, since as long as they serve in the imperial court, jealousy comes around to them.

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唐时为八诗人语
新唐书卢纶传
前有沈宋王杜。 后有钱郎刘李。Words about eight poets during the Tang dynasty.

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武三思干政时天下语
新唐书武三思传
崔冉郑。 乱时政。Words referring to the people who were messing up the imperial court, and who got their power from allying with Wu San Si.

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京师里閭诅
新唐书王旭传
若违教。 值三豹。A curse that people used when swearing against their own actions. It says that if I were to have gone against the teaching (of something not specified), then I would meet any of the three ruthless officials in the capital city.

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时人为魏牙军语
新唐书罗绍威传
长安天子。 魏府牙军。
The people from the Wei Ya army camp were like the emperors in the capital city. This is referring to the unreasonable and illicit behavior of these military personnel.

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蜀人为吐蕃南詔语
新唐书四夷列传序
西戊尚可。 南蛮残我。
Words referring to the aggressively and viciously strong military force of Tu Fan, which is the present day Tibet.
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贾言忠引谚
新唐书高丽传
军无媒。 中道回。
If a military mission has no guide who knows the inside information of the opponents, it will likely have to retreat half of the way.

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黄巢军中谣
新唐书黄巢传
逢儒则肉﹑师必覆。
If intellectuals who know nothing about a warfare are attacked in a military action, then that action will definitely fail.
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张蒙传太白山神语
旧五代史唐书末帝纪上
三珠併一珠。 驴马没人驱。 岁月甲庚午。 中兴戊己土。
Words spoken by a fortune teller are said by a mountain deity. However, the fortune teller said he could not interpret these words. He became an advisor to the emperor anyway.

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诸军为唐末帝谣
旧五代史唐书末帝纪上
去欲生菩萨。 扶起一条铁。
A song sung by the military complaining about the meager pay they receive forprotecting the emperor.

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唐昭宗引俚语
新五代史寇彦卿传
紇干山头冻死雀。 何不飞去生处乐。
An idiom referred to by Tang’s emperor Zhao, saying that instead of freezing to death in a cold mountain, people should go somewhere where they could live.

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郭崇韜故人子弟引俚语
新五代史郭崇韜传
骑虎者势不得下。
Once a person rides on a tiger, it is hard for that person to get down from the tiger without being hurt.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

王彦章引俚语
新五代史王彦章传
豹死留皮。 人死留名。
What is left behind by a leopard when it dies is its skin, and what is left behind by a person when he or she dies is his or her reputation.

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杜重威引俚语
新五代史杜重威传
逢贼\得命。 更望复子乎。
If one survives a confrontation with bandits, one is lucky enough and should not think about getting anything else.

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吴越王还乡歌
新五代史吴越世家
三节还乡兮掛锦\衣。 碧天朗朗兮爱日暉。
功成道上兮列旌旗。 父老远来相追隨。
家山乡眷兮会时稀。 今朝设宴兮觥散飞。
牛斗无孛人无欺。 吴越一王駟马归。
A song sung by Qian Liu who was crowned as a king by Tang’s emperor Zhao. The song is about how he loves his hometown and his people.
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闽人为归守明歌
新五代史闽世家。
谁谓九龙帐。 惟贮一归郎。
Who calls for the making of that nine-dragon canopy? He will not get to use it but his wife’s lover will.