The units of measurement with accurate meaning in "The Book of Songs" are roughly divided into four categories: length, area, time and volume.
Verses in which the length measurement unit appears
My service is completed, at thirty miles ("Xiaoya·June"). The meaning of this sentence is: Our army's uniforms are ready and we have marched for more than 30 miles.
The horse is sent away privately, and it ends thirty miles away ("Song of Zhou·Ai Xi").
The meaning of this sentence is: quickly develop your private land and plant it within 30 miles.
It is a judgment that is a measure, a search that is a ruler ("Lu Song·Zhen Gong").
This sentence means: cut it into pieces and use it to measure the size.
The words "Li", "Xun" and "Chi" in the poem are the units of length measurement in ancient my country. In ancient my country, ten inches was one foot, eight feet was one fathom, ten feet was one zhang, and one hundred and eighty feet was one mile. In ancient times, an army marched 30 miles to a camp. Specially, in the Zhou Dynasty of my country, one foot was equal to approximately 0.231 meters, eight feet was equal to one step ("Book of Rites: King System"), which was 1.848 meters, and one hundred steps was equal to 554.4 meters. After the Qin Dynasty, six feet was used as a step, and later it was also used as five feet. It has been different in the past dynasties.
Poetry in which the unit of measurement of area appears. Between ten acres, the mulberry trees are leisurely. Xing and Zi are back. Ten acres away, there are mulberry trees. The journey and son passed away ("Wei Feng·Between Ten Acres").
The meaning of this poem is: Ten acres of fields are mulberry gardens, and the mulberry pickers are so leisurely. Let's go and return my home to you! Beyond the ten acres of the field is a mulberry forest, and the mulberry pickers are smiling. Let's go, hand in hand with you! Every day the country expands hundreds of miles, and today it also shrinks hundreds of miles every day ("Daya Zhaomin").
The meaning of this sentence is: At first, the land was expanded by hundreds of miles, but now the land is being damaged day by day.
The "li" here is the area measurement unit in ancient my country. One mile at that time was equal to 0.307 square kilometers today.
"Mu" is China's municipal unit of land area. One mu is equal to 60 square feet, approximately 666.67 square meters. Fifteen acres equal one hectare. 60 square feet was chosen because of ancient Chinese counting methods. Nowadays, counting is mostly carried out in units of "10", while in ancient times, carrying was mostly carried out in units of "60". According to the regulations of the Zhou Dynasty, 6 feet is a step (some say 6 feet 4 inches, others say 8 feet), and a hundred steps is an mu.
Verses in which the unit of measurement of time appears
Uncle Xi Bo Xi, how many days will it be ("Beifeng·Yanqiu")?
This sentence means: Uncle, uncle, why have you delayed it for so many days?
I was born poor at the age of three. ... When you are three years old, you are a wife, and you have to work hard at home; if you work hard and sleep at night, you have a court ("Wei Feng·Meng"). This sentence means: Since I married into your family, I have endured a life of poverty for many years. ...I have been your wife for many years, and I have done all the hard work at home. I get up early and go to bed late every day, and there is not a day when I am not like this. He is picking kudzu, and he has not been seen for a day, as if he were in March! He is picking wormwood, and he has not been seen for a day, as if he were three years old! The literal translation of this poem is: You went to pick kudzu and haven't come back yet. I haven't seen you for a day, which is like three months. You went to pick Xiao and you didn't come back. You haven't seen her for a day, which is like three autumns. You went to pick mugwort and you haven't come back yet. I haven't seen you for a day, which seems like three years. This poem expresses the strong feeling of a man in love who is eager to meet his lover. This poem adopts the form of overlapping repetitions. "Picking Ge", "Picking Xiao" and "Picking Artemisia" are all different labor scenes of the heroine, but the author's thoughts range from "March" to "Three Autumn" and "Three Autumn". Years old", each layer becomes deeper and deeper.
Not seeing him for one day is like missing him for three months ("Zheng Feng·Zijin").
The meaning of this sentence is: It seems like three months have been so long without seeing you for a day!