This English version was translated from the Chinese original with AI assistance. The Chinese text is authoritative.
A good name matters greatly throughout a person’s life. When choosing names, the ancient Chinese followed the maxim “for girls the Book of Songs, for boys the Songs of Chu, for the literary the Analects, for the martial the Book of Changes.” So how can people today choose a good name from the Book of Songs (Shijing)?
【The Airs of the Fifteen States】
1. 蓁蓁 (zhēnzhēn). “Zhou Nan: The Peach Tree Is Young”: “The peach tree is young and fresh, its leaves are lush (蓁蓁).” 蓁蓁 means luxuriant.
2. 燕飞 (Yànfēi). “Bei Feng: Swallows”: “Swallows fly (燕燕于飞), their wings uneven.”
3. 淑慎 (Shūshèn). “Bei Feng: Swallows”: “Gentle and kind to the end, virtuous and careful (淑慎) in her conduct.” 淑慎 means amiable and prudent. For example, there is a Taiwanese entertainer named Xiao Shushen.
4. 惠然 (Huìrán). “Bei Feng: The Wind Blows”: “The wind blows and the dust rises; kindly (惠然) he is willing to come.” 惠然 means compliant.
5. 静姝 (Jìngshū). “Bei Feng: The Gentle Maiden”: “The gentle maiden is lovely (静女其姝); she waits for me at the corner of the wall.” Further on there is also “静娈” (Jìngluán); both mean quiet, refined and beautiful.
6. 炜彤 (Wěitóng). “Bei Feng: The Gentle Maiden”: “The red (彤) tube is bright (炜); I delight in your beauty.” 彤: red. 炜: brilliance.
7. 洵美 (Xúnměi). “Bei Feng: The Gentle Maiden”: “From the pasture she brings me a shoot, truly beautiful (洵美) and rare.” 洵美 means truly beautiful. “Zheng Feng: Shu Has Gone Hunting”: “truly handsome and kind,” “truly handsome and good.”
8. 燕婉 (Yànwǎn). “Bei Feng: The New Tower”: “She sought a gentle mate (燕婉).” 燕婉: quiet and gentle, also an ideal husband. The words are pretty, but the theme of “The New Tower” is a satire on the incest of Duke Xuan of Wei, and the context is not very good, so use it with care.
9. 如云 (Rúyún). “Yong Feng: Growing Old Together with Her Lord”: “Her black hair is like clouds (如云); she disdains false locks.” 如云: as numerous as clouds. “Zheng Feng: Out of the East Gate”: “Out of the east gate, there are girls like clouds.” Qu Yuan’s “The Lady of the Xiang”: “The spirits of Jiuyi come in throngs to meet her; the spirits arrive like clouds.”
10. 邦媛 (Bāngyuàn). “Yong Feng: Growing Old Together with Her Lord”: “Truly such a person is the beauty of the state (邦之媛).” 邦: state. 媛: beautiful woman. There is also “邦彦” (Bāngyàn), from “Zheng Feng: Lamb’s Fur”: “That gentleman is the outstanding man of the state (邦之彦).” 彦: outstanding talent. For example, there was the Northern Song lyricist Zhou Bangyan.
11. 灵雨 (Língyǔ). “Yong Feng: The Ding Star in the Middle of the Sky”: “The timely rain (灵雨) has fallen.” 灵雨: timely rain. It should be pointed out that southerners do not distinguish front and back nasals, so this word is very easily pronounced as “淋雨” (línyǔ, “getting soaked in the rain”), which would be unfortunate.
12. 朝雨 (Zhāoyǔ). “Yong Feng: The Rainbow”: “A rainbow rises in the west in the morning; all morning it rains (崇朝其雨).” It means morning rain. The Tang poet Wang Wei wrote: “The morning rain (朝雨) of Weicheng settles the light dust; by the inn, the willows are fresh and green.”
13. 芃芃 (péngpéng). “Yong Feng: Galloping”: “I walk through the fields; the wheat grows thick (芃芃).” 芃芃: luxuriant vegetation. Worth mentioning is that the author of this poem, Lady Xu Mu, is the first recorded woman poet in China.
14. 绿竹 (Lǜzhú). “Wei Feng: The Bend of the Qi”: “Look at that bend of the Qi, where the green bamboos (绿竹) grow lush.”
15. 琇莹 (Xiùyíng). “Wei Feng: The Bend of the Qi”: “There is our elegant lord, with ear-plugs of lustrous gems (琇莹).” 琇: precious stone. 莹: bright and translucent.
16. 巧倩 (Qiǎoqiàn), 美盼 (Měipàn). “Wei Feng: The Tall Lady”: “Her artful smile is charming (巧笑倩兮), her beautiful eyes sparkle (美目盼兮).” The preceding lines use six similes in a row to praise the beauty of the wife of Duke Zhuang of Wei; the language is very beautiful.
17. 佩玉 (Pèiyù). “Wei Feng: The Bamboo Rod”: “Her artful smile shows white teeth; her girdle jades (佩玉) move gracefully.”
18. 琼琚 (Qióngjū). “Wei Feng: The Quince”: “She threw me a quince; I repaid her with a fine jade pendant (琼琚).” Further on there are also the (famous) “琼瑶” (Qióngyáo) and “琼玖” (Qióngjiǔ).
19. 陶陶 (Táotáo). “Wang Feng: My Lord Is Joyful”: “My lord is happy (陶陶).” 陶陶: joyful.
20. 佩玖 (Pèijiǔ). “Wang Feng: Hemp on the Hill”: “That young man of the Liu family gave me a jade pendant (佩玖).” 佩玖: a fine jade worn on the girdle.
21. 静好 (Jìnghǎo). “Zheng Feng: The Woman Says the Cock Crows”: “The zither and lute are at hand; all is quiet and good (静好).” 静好: calm and lovely. When Hu Lancheng married Eileen Chang, he wrote: “May the years be quiet and good (静好), and the present world peaceful and secure.”
22. 舜华 (Shùnhuá), 舜英 (Shùnyīng). “Zheng Feng: There Was a Girl in the Carriage”: “There was a girl in the carriage with me, her face like the hibiscus flower (舜华)… her face like the hibiscus blossom (舜英).” Both 舜华 and 舜英 refer to the rose of Sharon (hibiscus).
23. 德音 (Déyīn). “Zheng Feng: There Was a Girl in the Carriage”: “That beautiful eldest Jiang, her fine virtue (德音) is not forgotten.” 德音: fine moral character. This word appears many times throughout the Book of Songs; we will not list them all here.
24. 子佩 (Zǐpèi). “Zheng Feng: Your Collar”: “Blue, blue is your girdle-pendant (子佩); long, long is my longing.” Here both 子佩 and 子衿 refer to the other person’s clothing and ornaments (and thus stand for the person).
25. 零露 (Línglù). “Zheng Feng: In the Wilds There Are Creeping Grasses”: “In the wilds there are creeping grasses, the falling dew (零露) lies thick.” 零露: scattered dew. However, the word is steeped in melancholy (extended meaning: something that easily vanishes).
26. 婉兮 (Wǎnxī), 婉如 (Wǎnrú). “Zheng Feng: In the Wilds There Are Creeping Grasses”: “There is a beautiful one, with clear brows, lovely (婉兮)… lovely (婉如), with clear brows.” 婉: beautiful. As for “清扬” (Qīngyáng), presumably no one wants to share a name with a shampoo brand.
27. 琼华 (Qiónghuá). “Qi Feng: The Screen”: “Adorned with fine jade flowers (琼华).” The following “琼莹” (Qióngyíng) and “琼英” (Qióngyīng) also describe fine jade.
28. 美清 (Měiqīng). “Qi Feng: Oh, Alas”: “Oh, how renowned he is, his beautiful eyes so clear (美目清兮),” praising the beauty and clarity of the eyes. The Eastern Jin poet Tao Yuanming wrote: “Fair ladies delight in the clear night (美清夜), singing merrily until dawn.”
29. 如英 (Rúyīng). “Wei Feng: By the Marshes of the Fen”: “Beautiful as a flower (美如英),” and further on “beautiful as jade.” It describes beauty like flowers and jade.
30. 清猗 (Qīngyī). “Wei Feng: Cutting Sandalwood”: “The river water is clear and rippling (清且涟猗).”
31. 素衣 (Sùyī). “Tang Feng: The Rising Waters”: “White robe (素衣) with a red-embroidered collar, I follow you to Wo.” 素衣: white clothing. The Northern Song lyricist Yan Jidao wrote: “The white robe is steeped in heavenly fragrance; jade wine adds the beauty of the realm.” However, in classics such as the Book of Rites, “素衣” also refers to mourning dress.
32. 菁菁 (Jīngjīng). “Tang Feng: The Solitary Pear Tree”: “There is a solitary pear tree; its leaves are lush (箐箐).” 菁菁: luxuriant vegetation.
33. 采苓 (Cǎilíng). “Tang Feng: Gathering Licorice”: “Gathering licorice (采苓), gathering licorice, on the summit of Shouyang.” In the Book of Songs, words of the form “采～” appear many times; besides this one there are also “采蘩” (Cǎifán), “采薇” (Cǎiwēi), “采菲” (Cǎifēi), “采芑” (Cǎiqǐ), “采菽” (Cǎishū) and others. All mean gathering a certain plant.
34. 文茵 (Wényīn). “Qin Feng: The Small War Chariot”: “Patterned cushions (文茵) and long hubs; I drive my dappled horses with white feet.” 文茵: the tiger-skin seat cushion in a chariot. Isn’t this word gentle outside and strong inside!
35. 湄 (Méi). A single-character name, 湄, taken from “Qin Feng: Reeds”: “The one I love is on the water’s edge (在水之湄).” Although it is not as famous as the earlier line “on the other side of the water,” it is better suited to a name.
36. 渥丹 (Wòdān). “Qin Feng: Zhongnan Mountain”: “His face is ruddy as cinnabar (渥丹); he is truly our lord!” 渥丹: rosy and lustrous.
37. 美淑 (Měishū). “Chen Feng: The Pond by the East Gate”: “That beautiful, virtuous lady (美淑姬), one could sing with her.”
38. 舒窈 (Shūyǎo). “Chen Feng: The Moon Comes Out”: “Graceful and slender (舒窈纠兮), my heart is troubled.” 舒: leisurely and light; 窈纠 (jiǎo) actually go together, describing a slender, graceful figure.
39. 楚楚 (Chǔchǔ). “Cao Feng: The Mayfly”: “The mayfly’s wings, clothes so bright (楚楚).” 楚楚: bright and fresh. The mayfly is a short-lived little insect, so the mood of this poem is somber.
40. 如雪 (Rúxuě). “Cao Feng: The Mayfly”: “The mayfly bursts from its hole, its hemp robe like snow (如雪).” Personally, my favorite line is Liu Yuxi’s: “In the evening the wind rises, the blossoms like snow (如雪), flying into the palace walls where no one is seen.”
41. 荟蔚 (Huìwèi). “Cao Feng: The Waiting Officer”: “Dense and thick (荟兮蔚兮), the morning mist rises on the southern hills.” 荟蔚: clouds and mist spreading everywhere.
【The Lesser Odes】
1. 翕 (xī). A single-character name, 翕, taken from “Lesser Odes, Decade of Lu Ming: The Cherry Tree”: “When brothers are in harmony (既翕), they are happy and joyful.” 翕: harmonious and compliant. Many people have names pronounced xī, but this character is uncommon. The Book of Changes, “Appended Statements I,” chapter 6, says: “Kun, in stillness, is closed (翕); in motion, it opens; thus it gives life broadly.” “静翕” (Jìngxī) is also a quiet, reserved name.
2. 依依 (Yīyī). “Decade of Lu Ming: Gathering Ferns”: “When I set out long ago, the willows swayed (依依).” 依依: willow branches swaying in the wind. In other contexts it also describes reluctance to part.
3. 霏霏 (Fēifēi). “Decade of Lu Ming: Gathering Ferns”: “Now that I return, the snow falls thick (霏霏).” 霏霏: snowflakes swirling. However, the word is mostly used to describe rainy or snowy weather and a gloomy atmosphere, so use it with care.
4. 燕绥 (Yànsuí). “Decade of Nan You Jia Yu: In the South There Are Fine Fish”: “Our lord has wine; his fine guests feast in peace (燕绥).” 燕: that is, “宴,” here meaning to host a banquet, describing the scene at the feast; 绥: peace. Further on there are also “燕笑” (Yànxiào), “燕喜” (Yànxǐ) and so on.
5. 令仪 (Lìngyí). “Decade of Nan You Jia Yu: Heavy Dew”: “Our amiable lords, none without fine deportment (令仪).” 令仪: graceful bearing. Well-known people with this name include Bao Lingyi, father of Bao Zheng, and Kong Lingyi, eldest daughter of H. H. Kung and Soong Ai-ling.
6. 闻天 (Wéntiān). “Decade of Hong Yan: The Crane Cries”: “The crane cries in the nine marshes; its voice is heard in heaven (声闻于天).” Everyone knows Zhang Wentian.
7. 金玉 (Jīnyù). “Decade of Hong Yan: The White Colt”: “Do not treasure your words like gold and jade (金玉) and harbor a distant heart.” 金玉: a metaphor for something precious and fine. Here it is used as a verb, meaning to treasure.
8. 攸宁 (Yōuníng). “Decade of Hong Yan: The Stream Bank”: “Where the lord dwells in peace (攸宁).”
9. 骏德 (Jùndé). “Decade of Jie Nan Shan: Rain Without Order”: “Vast and boundless is great heaven, yet it does not make its virtue lasting (不骏其德).” 骏德: roughly, fine virtue.
10. 翰飞 (Hànfēi). “Decade of Jie Nan Shan: The Little Turtledove”: “Small is that cooing dove, yet it flies high (翰飞) up to heaven.” 翰飞: to fly high.
11. 巧颜 (Qiǎoyán). This name is definitely a pretty vase with nothing inside; see what “Decade of Jie Nan Shan: Artful Words” says: “Artful words (巧言) like the reed of a pipe; how thick is his face (颜之厚矣)!” Now that is insulting someone without a single dirty word. In the context of the Book of Songs, both “巧言” and “巧颜” are very bad names; don’t be fooled by their surface.
12. 溱溱 (zhēnzhēn). “Decade of Hong Yan: No Sheep”: “Tortoise-and-snake banners and falcon banners; households are many (溱溱).” It has the same meaning as the first entry in the Airs section, “蓁蓁,” meaning numerous. If the Five Phases chart lacks water, “溱” can be used. This character has more than one reading; it is also read like 秦 (qín).
13. 嘉卉 (Jiāhuì). “Decade of Gu Feng: The Fourth Month”: “On the hills there are fine plants (嘉卉): chestnut trees and plum trees.” 嘉卉: beautiful plants. It is a name with the scent of green grass, fresh and simple in style.
14. 雅南 (Yǎnán). “Decade of Gu Feng: Bells and Drums”: “With the ya and the nan (以雅以南), with the flutes, all in harmony.” Both 雅 and 南 refer to music, roughly the kind of refined music performed in the Golden Hall of Vienna.
15. 苾芬 (Bìfēn). “Decade of Gu Feng: Thorny Caltrop”: “Fragrant (苾芬) are the filial sacrifices; the spirits relish the food and drink.” 苾芬: fragrant. Likewise “Decade of Gu Feng: The Southern Mountain”: “We offer and we present, so fragrant (苾苾芬芬).”
16. 思柔 (Sīróu). “Decade of Fu Tian: The Grosbeak”: “The rhinoceros-horn cup curves; the fine wine is mild (旨酒思柔).” Here 思 is a particle and 柔 means mild, describing the gentleness of fine wine.
【The Greater Odes】
1. 维桢 (Wéizhēn). “Greater Odes, Decade of King Wen: King Wen”: “The royal state is able to bring them forth, the pillars (桢) of Zhou.” 维: to sustain; 桢: pillar, mainstay. Later, in “Hymns of Zhou: How Clear,” there is also “the auspiciousness (祯) of Zhou”; 祯 means auspicious.
2. 缉熙 (Jīxī). “Decade of King Wen: King Wen”: “August was King Wen, oh, continuously bright (缉熙) and reverent.” 缉熙: brightness. The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons, “Times and Sequences,” says: “Together civilization comes from heaven, its bright (缉熙) and great fortune.”
3. 鹰扬 (Yīngyáng). “Decade of King Wen: Great Brightness”: “There was the Grand Master Shangfu, like an eagle soaring (鹰扬).” 鹰扬: like an eagle in flight, martial and mighty. Book of the Later Han, “Biography of Liu Tao”: “soaring like an eagle over all under heaven.” Isn’t that an imposing air! But the word is very easily pronounced as “阴阳” (yīnyáng, “yin and yang”).
4. 玉瓒 (Yùzàn). “Decade of King Wen: The Foot of Mount Han”: “Fine is that jade ladle (玉瓒), with the yellow wine within.” 玉瓒: a wine vessel used by the Son of Heaven in sacrifices.
5. 思齐 (Sīqí). “Decade of King Wen: Dignified”: “Dignified (思齐) was Tairen, the mother of King Wen.” Here 齐 is actually read “zhāi,” interchangeable with 斋, meaning dignified. Analects, “Li Ren”: “When you see a worthy person, think of becoming equal to him (思齐); when you see an unworthy person, examine yourself within,” from which comes the idiom “见贤思齐,” and there it is read “qí.” An example is Liu Siqi, widow of Mao Anying.
6. 徽音 (Huīyīn). “Decade of King Wen: Dignified”: “Taisi continued her fine reputation (徽音), and so had a hundred sons.” 徽音: good reputation.
7. 静嘉 (Jìngjiā). “Decade of Sheng Min: Already Drunk”: “What does the announcement say? The bamboo and wooden vessels are pure and fine (静嘉).” 静嘉: clean and beautiful.
8. 清馨 (Qīngxīn). “Decade of Sheng Min: Wild Ducks and Gulls”: “Your wine is clear (清), your dishes fragrant (馨).”
9. 柔嘉 (Róujiā). “Decade of Dang: Restraint”: “Be reverent in your dignified deportment, all gentle and good (柔嘉).” 柔嘉: gentle and virtuous. “Decade of Dang: The Multitudes”: “The virtue of Zhong Shanfu: gentle and good (柔嘉) is his rule.”
10. 柔惠 (Róuhuì). “Decade of Dang: High and Lofty”: “The virtue of the Earl of Shen, gentle, kind (柔惠) and upright.” 柔惠: gentle and benevolent.
11. 懿德 (Yìdé). “Decade of Dang: The Multitudes”: “The people hold to the constant norms and love this admirable virtue (懿德).” 懿德: virtue. This word seems to be generally used in titles for empress dowagers and the like.
12. 穆清 (Mùqīng). “Decade of Dang: The Multitudes”: “Jifu made this ode, harmonious as a clear breeze (穆如清风).” 穆清 refers to a pure, harmonious air.
【The Three Hymns】
1. 秉文 (Bǐngwén). “Hymns of Zhou: The Pure Temple”: “The many officers in dignified array uphold the virtue of King Wen (秉文之德).”
2. 德纯 (Déchún). “Hymns of Zhou: The Mandate of Heaven”: “Oh, how illustrious, the purity of King Wen’s virtue (德之纯)!” 德纯: pure virtue.
3. 骏惠 (Jùnhuì). “Hymns of Zhou: The Mandate of Heaven”: “We follow (骏惠) our King Wen; may his descendants hold to it firmly.” The two characters 骏 and 惠 stand in parallel, both meaning to follow.
4. 振鹭 (Zhènlù). “Hymns of Zhou: The Egrets in Flight”: “The egrets in flight (振鹭), at that western moat.” 振鹭: white egrets flapping their wings and soaring.
5. 和铃 (Hélíng). “Hymns of Zhou: They Appeared”: “The dragon banners are bright, the harmonious bells (和铃) jingle.”
6. 馨宁 (Xīnníng). “Hymns of Zhou: Clearing the Grass”: “There is the fragrance (馨) of pepper, the peace (宁) of the aged.” 馨: fragrance; 宁: peace.
7. 纯熙 (Chúnxī). “Hymns of Zhou: The Libation”: “The times are greatly bright (纯熙), and so they are greatly blessed.” 纯: great. 熙: bright.
8. 其琛 (Qíchēn). “Hymns of Lu: The Pan River”: “The far-off Huai Yi come to present their treasures (其琛).” 琛: treasure. An example is Qian Qichen, former Minister of Foreign Affairs.
