Princess of Qi Tom Sharp

The princess rides a shaggy horse on the road from Lu to Qi. The road winds around the tall Niu Mountain. She’s returning home after marrying the prince of Lu. Is she just visiting, or has she had enough of the prince? She wears hemp sandals and a double-layered straw hat, which would be worn by any peasant or working woman. She knows the road is long, so she stops at a common inn. Why does she take a room that’s not appropriate for a princess? There is a proper way to do all things— to plant a field or to marry a prince. The princess got her parents’ permission to marry. Did she get their permission to leave her husband? You need the right tool for each task. To find a husband, you need a good matchmaker. But what do you need to leave him? Whose idea was it, anyway, to marry the prince of Lu?

南山 诗经

南山崔崔，雄狐绥绥。 鲁道有荡，齐子由归。 既曰归止，曷又怀止。 葛屦五两，冠緌双止。 鲁道有荡，齐子庸止。 既曰庸止，曷又从止。 蓺麻如之何，衡从其亩。 取妻如之何，必告父母。 既曰告止，曷又鞠止。 析薪如之何，匪斧不克。 取妻如之何，匪媒不得。 既曰得止，曷又极止。