Green at the Window | A Modern Song from the Book of Songs | EP023

A contemporary window-cafe story and original Neo-Soul/R&B song inspired by the Book of Songs, Wei Airs · “Qi Ao.” Original text: 瞻彼淇奧，綠竹猗猗。有匪君子，如切如磋，如琢如磨。瑟兮僩兮，赫兮咺兮。有匪君子，終不可諼兮。 瞻彼淇奧，綠竹青青。有匪君子，充耳琇瑩，會弁如星。瑟兮僩兮，赫兮咺兮，有匪君子，終不可諼兮。 瞻彼淇奧，綠竹如簀。有匪君子，如金如錫，如圭如璧。寬兮綽兮，倚重較兮。善戲謔兮，不為虐兮。 Our modern reading: This work begins with green bamboo by the bend of the Qi, a person shaped with care, generosity, and humor that does no harm. What belongs to this new story: The window plants, open notebook, returned pen, cooling coffee, and the quiet ease of an ordinary morning are contemporary inventions. The source poem does not directly describe a café, a modern romance, or a particular present-day relationship. Source text: https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/詩經/淇奧 English reference edition: James Legge, The Shih King (Project Gutenberg #9394) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9394 We record the source text, our reading, and the new song as separate layers. #BookOfSongs #ClassicalPoetry #NeoSoul #RnB #TheSongsEnglish