Unit One The Book of Poetry（《诗经》）
Ⅰ.背景简介
The Book of Poetry（Shijing），the first anthology of Chinese poems，was written by some anonymous authors dating from 10th to 7th centuries B.C.It was popular around the region from the north of the Yellow River basin to the Jianghan Drainage Area during the period from the early Western Zhou Dynasty to the mid Spring and Autumn Period.It comprises 305 poems and is said to have been complied by Confucius.There were four earliest versions of The Book of Poetry：in the states of Lu（by Shen Gong，），Qi（by Hou Cang and Master Sun）and Han（by Han Ying），and Duke Mao.Only the Mao version has survived until now，and the commentaries to the Han version have survived in the collection Hanshi Waizhuan（《韩诗外传》）.As early as in the Western Han Dynasty，it became one of“Five Classics”with other four books which are Book of Documents（《尚书》），Book of Rites（《礼记》），I Ching（《易经》），Spring and Autumn Annals（《春秋》）as some of the Western Han Dynasty officials adopted Confucianism as the guiding principles of Chinese society.
the antiquated edition in 1920's
The Book of Poetry has four divisions:Feng(Airs of the States),Xiao Ya(the Minor Odes),Da Ya(the Major Odes)and Song(Hymns).Feng is the collection of 160 short lyrics generally recording the love and emotions of the common people.Xiao Ya and Da Ya,both sung at courts or banquets,respectively comprises 74 social critical odes and 31 odes praising the Zhou Dynasty.Song,including 40 hymns in the three parts of the Hymns of Zhou,the Hymns of Lu,and the Hymns of Shang,was used by the upper class during their sacrifices to the gods and ancestors.Each poem in The Book of Poetry is framed in a Small Preface(Xiao Xu),and the first poem of each division has a Great Preface(Da Xu).The Small Prefaces introduce some general background on authors and society,and the Great Prefaces serve a moral or political interpretation of the poems.
The Book of Poetry had a very profound influence on ancient China in terms of culture,language,politics and thinking.Since it received the high praise of Confucius,a sage of China in Spring and Autumn Period,it has played an important part in the daily life of Chinese people.It is believed that through the study of The Book of Poetry people could highly promote the capabilities of observation and personal cultivation.And most importantly,it has exerted a great effect on Chinese literature.As the oldest extant collection of Chinese poetry,it is the onset of Chinese classical poetry.Its poetry style and measure have also been used in the study of Old Chinese phonology since the Qing Dynasty.Its spirit of realism paved a new way for the development of the Chinese literature of later times.Until now,it has been studied and memorized by scholars from all over the world over two millennia.It is a precious cultural heritage the people of ancient China left to the world.
Ⅱ.文本选读
Cooing and Wooing(Songs of Zhou)
By riverside are cooing
A pair of turtledoves①;
A good young man② is wooing
A fair maiden he loves.
Water flows left and right
Of cresses③ here and there;
The youth yearns day and night
For the good maiden fair.
His yearning grows so strong,
He cannot fall sleep.
He tosses all night long,
So deep in love,so deep.
Now gather left and right
The cresses sweet and tender!
O lute,play music bright
For the bride sweet and slender!
Feast friends at left and right
With cresses cooked tender!
O bells and drums,delight
The bride so fair and slender!
(Translated by Xu Yuanchong)
Dense Millets④
Dense millets grow in all the fields,
Green sorghum⑤seedlings wave in wind.
For a long walk I can hardly take,
Past events make my heart⑥sink.
Intimate persons say I am worried,
But outsiders complain what else I want.
Oh!The distant heaven is there,
Who has done such evil thing?
Dense millets grow in all the fields,
Red sorghum spikes drop down.
For a long walk I can hardly take,
Past events like wine make me drunk.
Intimate persons say I am worried,
But outsiders complain what else I want.
Oh!The distant heaven is there,
Who has done such evil thing?
Dense millets grow in all the fields,
Ripe sorghum grains⑦pile up.
For a long walk I can hardly take,
Many past events make me choked.
Intimate persons say I am worried,
But outsiders complain what else I want.
Oh!The distant heaven is there,
Who has done such evil thing?
(Translated by Wang Fanglu)
Tsze⑧ K'in⑨
O you,with the blue collar,
Prolonged is the anxiety of my heart.
Although I do not go(to you),
Why do you not continue your messages⑩(to me)?
O you,with the blue(strings to your)girdle-gems,
Long,long do I think of you.
Although I do not go(to you).
Why do you not come(to me)?
How volatile are you and dissipated,
By the look-out tower⑪ on the wall!
One day without the sight of you,
Is like three months.
(Translated by James Legge)
A Wood Cutter's Song(Songs of Wei)
Chop,chop our blows on the trees go;
On riverside⑫ we pile up wood.
See clear and rippling water flow.
How can those who nor reap⑬ nor sow⑭
Have three hundred sheaves⑮ of corn in their place?
How can those who nor hunt nor chase⑯
Have in their courtyard badgers of each race?
Those lords are good
Who need not work for good.
Chop,chop our blows for wheel-spokes go;
On river shore we pile up wood.
See clear water straightforward flow.
How can those who nor reap nor sow
Have three millions of sheaves in their place?
How can those who nor hunt nor chase
Have in their courtyard games of each race?
Those lords are good
Who need not work to eat their food.
Chop,chop our blows for the wheels go;
At river brink we pile up wood.
See clear and dimpling water flow.
How can those who nor reap nor sow
Have three hundred ricks⑰ of corn in their place?
How can those who nor hunt nor chase
Have in their courtyard winged games of each race?
Those lords are good
Who do not have to work for food.
(Translated by Xu Yuanchong)
The Reed⑱ (Songs of Qin)
Green,green the reed,
Dew and frost gleam.
Where's she I need?
Beyond the stream.
Upstream I go⑲ ,
The way is long;
Downstream I go.
She's thereamong;
White,white the reed,
Dew not yet dried.
Where's she I need?
On the other side⑳ .
Upstream I go;
Hard is the way.
Downstream I go;
She's far away.
Bright,bright the reed,
Dew and frost blend.
Where's she I need?
At river's end.
Upstream I go;
The way does wind㉑ .
Downstream I go;
She's far behind.
(Translated by Xu Yuanchong)
Gather the Thorn-ferns㉒
Let us gather the thorn-ferns,let us gather the thorn-ferns;
The thorn-ferns are now springing up㉓ .
When shall we return?When shall we return?
It will be late in the(next)year.
Wife and husband will be separated㉔ ,
Because of the Xian-yun㉕ .
We shall have no leisure to rest㉖ ,
Because of the Xian-yun.
Let us gather the thorn-ferns,let us gather the thorn-ferns;
The thorn-ferns are now tender㉗ .
When shall we return?When shall we return?
Our hearts are sorrowful;
Our hearts are sad and sorrowful;
We shall hunger,we shall thirst.
While our service on guard is not finished,
We can send no one home to enquire about㉘ our families.
Let us gather the thorn-ferns,let us gather the thorn-ferns;
The thorn-ferns are now hard.
When shall we return?When shall we return?
The year will be in the tenth month㉙ .
But the king's business must not be slackly performed;
We shall have no leisure to rest.
Our sorrowing hearts are in great distress;
But we shall not return from our expedition.
What is that so gorgeous?
It is the flowers of the cherry tree.
What carriage is that?
It is the carriage of our general.
His war carriage is yoked;
The four steeds are strong.
Dare we remain inactive?
In one month we shall have three victories㉚ .
The four steeds are yoked,
The four steeds,eager and strong;
The confidence of the general,
The protection of the men.
The four steeds move regularly,like wings;
There are the bow with its ivory ends㉛ ,and the seal-skin quiver㉜ .
Shall we not daily warn one another?
The business of the Xian-yun is very urgent.
At first,when we set out,
The willows were fresh and green;
Now,when we shall be returning,
The snow will be falling in clouds.
Long and tedious will be our marching;
We shall hunger;we shall thirst.
Our hearts are wounded with grief,
And no one knows our sadness.
(Translated by James Legge)
Ⅲ.难点释义
① turtledoves，“雎鸠”，一种水鸟名。
② A good young man，“君子”，《诗经》中对贵族男子的通称。
③ cresses，“荇菜”，草本植物，叶浮于水面。
④ millets，“黍”，一种农作物，即糜子，籽实去皮后叫黄米，有黏性，可以酿酒、做糕等。
⑤ sorghum，“稷”，谷子，一说高粱。黍的一个变种，散穗，籽实不黏或黏性不及黍者为稷。
⑥ my heart，“中心”，指内心。
⑦ grains，“实”，籽粒。
⑧ Tsze，“子”，古代对男子的美称。
⑨ K'in，“衿”，衣领。
⑩ continue your messages，“嗣音”，传音讯。嗣，通“贻”，音yí。
⑪ the look-out tower，“城阙”，城门楼。
⑫ riverside，“干（àn）”，通“岸”，水边。
⑬ reap，“稼”，播种。
⑭ sow，“穑”，收获。
⑮sheaves，“廛（chán）”，古制百亩。三百廛，三百户。
⑯ nor hunt nor chase，“不狩不猎”，不打猎。狩，冬猎；猎，夜猎。诗中皆泛指打猎。
⑰ ricks，“囷（qūn）”，束。一说圆形的谷仓。
⑱ the reed，“蒹葭（jiān jiā）”，芦荻，芦苇。
⑲ upstream I go，“溯洄（sù huí）”，逆流而上。
⑳ on the other side，“湄（méi）”，岸边，水与草交接之处。
㉑ wind，“右”，迂回曲折。
㉒ thorn-ferns，“薇”，豆科野豌豆属的一种，学名叫荒野豌豆，现在称作大巢菜，种子、茎、叶均可食用。
㉓ springing up，“作”，指薇菜冒出地面。
㉔ wife and husband will be separated，“靡（mǐ）室靡家”，没有正常的家庭生活。靡，无。室，与“家”义同。
㉕ Xian-yun，“玁狁（xiǎn yǔn）”，中国北方古代少数民族名，即北狄、匈奴。
㉖ no leisure to rest，“启居”，跪、坐，指休息、休整。启，跪、跪坐。居，安坐、安居。古人席地而坐，两膝着席，危坐时腰部伸直，臀部与足离开；安坐时臀部贴在足跟上。
㉗ tender，“柔”，柔嫩。“柔”指比“作”更进一步的生长，形容刚长出来的薇菜柔嫩的样子。
㉘ enquire about，“聘（pìn）”，问，谓问候。
㉙ the tenth month，“阳”，此处指农历十月，小阳春季节。
㉚ three victories，“三捷”，三次胜利。谓接战、交战。一说，捷，邪出，指改道行军。此句意为一月多次行军。
㉛ivory ends，“象弭（mǐ）”，“弭”为弓的一种，其两端饰以骨角。象弭，以象牙装饰弓端的弭。
㉜ seal-skin quiver，“鱼服”，鱼皮制的箭袋。
Ⅳ.问题思考
1.Why the onomatopoeic Cooing and Wooing,in your opinion,is put at the beginning of The Book of Poetry?
2.What is the relationship between the collecting cresses and courting the lover in the poem of Cooing and Wooing?What kind of spirits could be reflected in Cooing and Wooing?
3.What is the metaphorical meaning of Dense Millets in the poem?
4.What,in you opinion,does the"past events"refer to in the poem?How many figurative speeches has the poet applied to developing the theme of Dense Millets?
5.Why the poet repeatedly mentioned the collar and accessory of her lover in the poem Tsze K'in?How does the poet express the love and missing in the poem Tsze K'im?Discuss with your classmates by giving more examples.
6.According to the verses"How can those who nor hunt nor chase/Have in their courtyard winged games of each race?/Those lords are good/Who do not have to work for food",what issue is raised in the poem The Reed?
7.Apparently"cutting woods"is a symbolized action in the poem A Wood Cutter's Song.What do you think of its function in developing the theme?
8.What is the function of depicting"reeds"in the poem The Reed?Is the tone of the poem happy,ironic,sad,humorous,or detached?How is the tone established and revealed?
9.What is the relationship between the homesickness and"gathering the thorn-ferns"in the poem Gather the Thorn-ferns?What kind of spirits could be reflected in the poem Gather the Thorn-ferns?
Ⅴ.经典导读
《诗经》是我国第一部诗歌总集，先秦时称为“诗”，西汉时被奉为儒家经典，始称“诗经”，其创作年代，距今大约2500年。
《诗经》共收录诗歌305首，因此又被称为“诗三百”。诗集中所有的诗歌都按照“风、雅、颂”的标准进行分类。历来对“风、雅、颂”的解释各有不同，比较广泛的是“题材说”、“用途说”和“曲调说”，即分别认为“风、雅、颂”是《诗经》中的诗歌在题材上、用途上或音乐曲调上的一种划分。“风”在《诗经》中又名“国风”，共160首，包括当时周南、召南、郑、齐、魏等十五国在内的民间乐谣。“雅”分“大雅”和“小雅”，共105篇，其中“大雅”31篇，多作于西周初期，“小雅”74篇，多作于西周末期；“雅”意为“正”，雅乐即为正乐，正乐之歌乃宫廷乐歌，也就是说，雅是周代朝廷的正乐。“颂”共40篇，分“周颂”、“鲁颂”、“商颂”，乃庙堂之音，是王侯举行祭祀或其他重大典礼时专用的乐歌。
《诗经》在表现手法上大量运用了“赋、比、兴”，它们与“风、雅、颂”合称“六义”。“赋”的特点是直接叙事，通过铺陈情节来抒发感情，“比”就是在文中运用比喻和比拟，“兴”即“起”，在诗歌创作中常常表现为托物言情。《诗经》中赋中有比，比中起兴，兴中再转赋，“赋、比、兴”的运用娴熟自然，是构成《诗经》民歌中浓郁风土气息的重要原因。
《诗经》中的绝大多数篇目都是反映普通百姓的现实生活和日常经验的抒情诗，其主要内容可分为以下七类：
（1）反映婚姻和爱情，如《周南·关雎》、《邶风·静女》、《秦风·蒹葭》，等等。
（2）反映战争和徭役，如《齐风·东方未明》、《小雅·何草不黄》、《小雅·采薇》，等等。
（3）反映生产劳动，如《周南·芣苢》、《魏风·十亩之间》、《小雅·大田》，等等。
（4）反映阶级压迫和社会不平，如《魏风·伐檀》、《魏风·硕鼠》，等等。
（5）反映周民族兴起，如《大雅》中的《生民》、《皇矣》、《大明》，等等。
（6）揭露不公、讽喻时政，如《齐风》中的《南山》、《载驱》和《秦风·黄鸟》，等等。
（7）尊天敬祖的宗教性祭歌，如《维天之命》、《文王》，等等。
《诗经》中的诗歌大多由韵律整齐的四言写成，间或杂有二言至八言不等，结构中较多采用重章叠字的形式，每章只换少数几个字，造成一咏三叹、强化感情的艺术效果。《诗经》中的诗歌大多隔句押韵，采用韵脚押在偶句尾部的押韵方式。这种押韵方式既增加了语言上的节奏之美，又间接起到了层层推进主题的作用。
《诗经》在总体上是一部富含现实主义精神的诗歌总集，带有鲜明的政治与道德色彩，它揭示了奴隶制社会中被剥削者和剥削者之间不可调和的阶级矛盾，表达了当时劳动人民对统治阶层的抗争和怨恨，预示了整个奴隶制社会行将崩溃与覆灭。作为中国文学的主要源头之一，《诗经》无论在诗歌形式还是思想内容上，都为我国后世的诗歌创作奠定了深厚的基础，并对我国的文学发展产生了深远的影响。
《关雎》是《诗经》的首篇，古人把它冠于三百篇之首，说明它在《诗经》中具有不言而喻的重要地位。孔子认为，《关雎》中男主人公在情感表达上的含蓄内敛与自我克制是表现“中庸”（the doctrine of the Mean）之德的典范，谓之“乐而不淫，哀而不伤”（Joyous but not indecent，mournful but not distressing）；《毛诗序》则赋予该诗在道德意义上的另一层解读，认为其表现的是典范意义上的夫妇伦理思想，而夫妻为人伦之始，夫妇之德乃天下一切道德纲常的基础。然而后世的很多学者却认为，《关雎》的主题并非如此大义，它的内容其实很单纯，就是描写一位男子追求自己的心上人，从求之不得到求而得之的情绪转换过程。一个“求”字贯穿通篇，男子追求女子过程中的微妙心态纤毫毕现，有首有尾，心理刻画曲折入微，是一篇极传神的男女言情佳作。
《黍离》一诗采用典型的比兴手法。诗人运用黍的散穗向四周分开下垂的姿态来喻指亲人的离散和国家的衰亡。全诗层次分明，共三章，每章十句，三章的结构相同，每章只换两个词，一唱三叹，采用层层递进的方式，迂回往复地表现出主人公的无限忧思。
《子衿》是一首郑国民歌，全诗共三章，只有四十九个字，采用倒叙的手法，描写了一位女子因思念爱人而产生的既焦灼又责怨的微妙心理。“赋、比、兴”三种手法的交相使用，彼此融合，赋中用比，比中有兴，或起兴后再用赋。“子衿”、“子佩”与爱人的类比，“挑兮达兮，在城阙兮”的平铺直叙，“一日不见，如三月兮”（one day without the sight of you，is like three mouths）的赋中起兴，共同创造了一个痴情女子的艺术形象，使《子衿》成为中国两千年来爱情诗作中永恒不朽的千古绝唱。
所谓伊人，在水一方
《伐檀》是《诗经》中表现反剥削、反压迫主题最有代表性的诗篇之一。诗中运用的“赋、比、兴”的写作手法及回旋重沓的方式非常有特点。句式变化丰富，长短不一，参差灵活，富有感染力，有四言、五言、六言、七言乃至八言，或叙事，或抒情，生动的语言使得主题得到充分表现。
《蒹葭》总共三章，全诗采用重章的形式，一咏三叹，每章八句，每一章的前两句都以“蒹葭”发端起兴，后六句则借景叙事抒情。融实景和幻境于一体，将实情与幻想相结合，是该诗最大的艺术特色。正如王国维《人间词话》所言，“《诗·蒹葭》一篇，最得风人深致”，“以我观物，故物皆着我之色彩”。虚与实的相互生发，景与情的彼此交合，让诗篇充满了韵味无穷的艺术感染力。
在《采薇》中，诗人以一位当时戍边士兵的口吻自述，他长年转战边陲，受尽思乡之苦。在一个大雪纷飞的冬日里，他终于解甲归里，独行在寒冷、泥泞的返乡路上，心中充满了对战争、家乡、祖国的种种忧思和怀想。《采薇》全诗六章，按其主题内容又可分为三层。整首诗歌采用自述和倒叙的手法，从对战争的追忆写起。诗歌的第一层为前三章，采用句式重叠的手法一咏三叹，表现戍兵在征战期间生活的艰难和对故乡深切的思念之情，并叙述了迟迟难归的原因。
Ⅵ.译本链接
1.James Legge,The Shi King,Taipei:SMC Publishing Inc.,1991.
2.William Jennings,The Shi King,London&New York:George Routledge and Sons Limited,1891.
3.Arthur Waley,The Book of Songs,New York:Grove Press,1987.
4.许渊冲：《许渊冲经典英译古代诗歌1，000首·诗经》，北京：海豚出版社，2013年版。
5.汪榕培、任秀桦译注：《诗经》（中英文版），沈阳：辽宁教育出版社，1995年版。