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汉 Han · 诗 Poem

同声歌

Song of the Same Voice

张衡

Zhang Heng

婚姻/祝颂marriage / blessing 爱情/相思love / longing

邂逅承际会，得充君后房。
情好新交接，恐栗若探汤。
不才勉自竭，贱妾职所当。
绸缪主中馈，奉礼助烝尝。
思为苑蒢席，在下蔽匡床。
愿为罗衾帱，在上卫风霜。
洒扫清枕席，鞮芬以狄香。
重户结金扃，高下华灯光。
衣解巾粉御，列图陈枕张。
素女为我师，仪态盈万方。
众夫所希见，天老教轩皇。
乐莫斯夜乐，没齿焉可忘。

By chance we met and I received the call, to fill your inner chambers.
New in love, our bond just joined, I tremble as if probing boiling water.
With little worth I strive to give my all — my lowly duty, as it should be.
With care I keep the household, serving rites, aiding winter and autumn rites.
I would be the mat beneath, shielding the bed below;
I would be the silk canopy above, guarding against wind and frost.
I sprinkle and sweep, making pillow and mat clean; with Di incense a fragrant scent.
Double doors fastened with golden locks; high and low, the bright lamp's light.
Robes loosened, powder and veil to serve the night; pictures spread, by the pillow laid.
The Plain Maiden is my teacher; my bearing, graceful in ten thousand ways.
What few men have seen — the Heaven Elder taught the Yellow Lord.
No joy surpasses this night's joy; to my dying day how could I forget?

Listen

Meaning

By chance we met and I received this fortune, to become the concubine in your inner rooms. New in love and just joined, I tremble and am cautious as if testing boiling water with my hand. One of little talent, I strive to exhaust myself — what my lowly self ought to do. Tending the household with care, I serve the rites and help with the winter steaming and autumn offering sacrifices. I would be the rush mat below, shielding the bed; I would be the silk canopy above, warding off wind and frost. I sprinkle and sweep to make the pillow clean, and scent it with Di-region incense. Double doors are locked with golden bolts; lamps burn bright high and low. I loosen my robe and apply powder to serve the night; pictures are laid out by the pillow. The Plain Maiden is my teacher, and my bearing is graceful in countless ways. This is what few men ever see — as the Heaven Elder taught the Yellow Lord the arts of the bedchamber. No joy surpasses the joy of this night; to my dying day how could I forget?

偶然相逢得此机缘，得以充当你内室的妾身。情意 newly 交接，我战栗小心如以手探沸水。无才之人勉力尽心，原是妾所当尽的职分。殷勤主持家中膳食，奉礼助办冬蒸秋尝的祭祀。愿做莞席铺在身下遮蔽卧榻，愿做罗帐盖在上面抵御风霜。洒扫使枕席洁净，以狄地香料熏得芬芳。重重门户系上金锁，高低燃起华灯之光。解衣敷粉侍寝，列图陈于枕旁。以素女为师，仪态万方俱全。这是众男子罕能得见的，正如天老教黄帝房中之术。欢乐莫如此夜之乐，终老岂能相忘。

Appreciation

This poem is a yuefu-style piece by Zhang Heng of the Eastern Han, spoken in the first person of a new bride. The title 'Same Voice' derives from the Book of Changes — 'like voices answer, like breaths seek' — quietly hinting at the bond between ruler and minister or friend and friend. The Han often likened lord and wife to ruler and subject; Zhang Heng uses the intimacy of the bedroom to write the good fortune of being received, in truth a metaphor for the scholar's hope of a wise lord's favour. Though it touches conjugal and even bedroom detail, it is carried off with decorum, reflecting the new turn of Eastern-Han literati poetry toward feeling that is ornate yet not without reserve.

【白话串讲】张衡写新婚妻子：“邂逅承际会，得充君后房”。“思为苑蒢席，在下蔽匡床”——她愿做你身下的席子，为你遮蔽风霜。“愿为罗衾帱，在上卫风霜”——她愿做你的被子。一个汉代新娘的深情告白。【意象与手法】此诗为汉张衡之作，精要赏析详见下方深度赏析。【情感与主旨】《同声歌》为东汉张衡拟乐府之作，以新婚女子第一人称自陈【名句点睛】本诗宜从‘托喻手法与女性自陈体’角度命题。考点一：理解‘同声’题旨与君臣遇合的托喻；考点二

Background

Song of the Same Voice is a yuefu-style piece by Zhang Heng of the Eastern Han, spoken in the first person of a new bride. The title 'Same Voice' comes from the Book of Changes' 'like voices answer, like breaths seek', quietly holding the metaphor of ruler and minister, friend and friend in accord. The Han often likened lord and wife to ruler and subject; Zhang Heng uses the bedroom's intimacy to write the good fortune of being received, in truth a metaphor for the scholar's hope of a wise ruler's favour. Though the poem touches conjugal and even bedroom detail, it is carried off with dignity, reflecting the new turn of Eastern-Han literati poetry toward 'feeling yet ornate' without losing admonitory reserve.

《同声歌》为东汉张衡所作，是写新婚之妇自述的诗。此诗：邂逅承际会，得充君后房。情好新交接，恐栗若探汤。不才勉自竭，贱妾职所当。绸缪主中馈，奉礼助烝尝。思为苑蒻席，在下蔽匡床。愿为罗衾帱，在上卫风霜。洒扫清枕席，鞮芬以狄香。……全诗写新妇自述、愿侍君子，是汉诗的名篇。

Art

The whole poem follows the bride's voice in chronological order: from the trepidation of entering service at 'by chance we met', to the dutifulness of 'with care I keep the household', to the giving of body and heart in 'I would be the mat beneath' and 'I would be the silk canopy above'. Feeling moves from fear to intimacy, from respect to love, in clear layers. 'I tremble as if probing boiling water' captures the new-wife's mind with utter truth; 'the Plain Maiden is my teacher' quietly uses an allusion without indecorum. The language is clear and dense, expounding the bedchamber by fu method yet with measure, revealing dignity within delicacy — a fine work of Eastern-Han literati yuefu.

《同声歌》艺术上以新妇自述的谦婉与侍君之愿的深挚见长。全诗写新妇自述：首写邂逅得充君房——“邂逅承际会，得充君后房”写邂逅际会、得充君房，“情好新交接，恐栗若探汤”写情好交接、恐栗探汤，“不才勉自竭，贱妾职所当”写不才自竭、贱妾职当；中写主馈奉礼——“绸缪主中馈，奉礼助烝尝”写绸缪中馈、奉礼烝尝；末写侍君之愿——“思为苑蒻席，在下蔽匡床。愿为罗衾帱，在上卫风霜”写思为蒻席蔽床、愿为罗衾卫霜，“洒扫清枕席，鞮芬以狄香”写洒扫枕席、鞮芬狄香。全诗以自述写侍君之愿，正是张衡诗深挚的笔法。

Allusions

The allusions are elegant. 'Bind tight' (chou-mou) comes from the Shi Jing 'bind the firewood tight', writing conjugal devotion; 'winter and autumn rites' comes from the Shi Jing 'offer the rites of the four seasons', marking the weight of a wife's duty; 'Plain Maiden' and 'Heaven Elder taught the Yellow Lord' use the myth of the Yellow Lord receiving the Plain Maiden's bedroom arts, quietly refining the bedroom's secrecy into something dignified; 'same voice' sums up the Changes' 'like voices answer'. All these draw on the classics to make the love between man and woman weighy and proper, avoiding the vulgar while keeping the admonitory.

《同声歌》用典在“中馈”“烝尝”。“中馈”写主妇之职（中馈为家中饮食之事）；“烝尝”写秋冬之祭（烝为冬祭、尝为秋祭）；“苑蒻席、罗衾帱”写蒻席、罗帐。全诗以这些意象写新妇自述、侍君之愿，不用深典而深挚自见，正是张衡诗的笔法。

Commentary

The Ming critic Hu Yinglin in his Poetic Critique says of Zhang Heng's Song of the Same Voice that 'its diction and intent are elegant and fair, inheriting the poets' manner'. The modern scholar Yu Guan-ying holds that the poem 'writes marital feeling in the bride's voice, yet harbours the metaphor of ruler and minister in accord'. The Qing commentator Zhang Yu-gu in his Reading of Ancient Poetry praises it: 'from fear to intimacy, from duty to feeling, in order like a painting' — enough to show its delicate exposition and deep, gentle allegory.

《同声歌》是张衡诗的名篇，也是汉诗中写新妇自述的代表作。此诗写新妇自述、愿侍君子，向为论者称道。论者多赏其新妇自述的谦婉与侍君之愿的深挚——“邂逅承际会，得充君后房”写邂逅际会、得充君房，谦婉之极；“思为苑蒻席，在下蔽匡床。愿为罗衾帱，在上卫风霜”写愿为席帐、卫护君子，更见其深挚。张衡兼善辞赋与诗，此诗正以深挚之笔写新妇之愿，是其诗的代表作。

Prosody

Form Eastern-Han literati poem · yuefu-style (five-character)五言古诗

Rhyme Ping-shui rhyme, yang-tang group, single sustained rhyme throughout (chambers / water / should / rites / bed / frost / scent / light / night / ways / lord / forget)《同声歌》为五言古诗，押平声韵。此诗用韵：房、汤（阳部）、当、尝（阳部）、床、霜（阳部）、香（阳部），一韵到底，音节深婉。

Tone pattern Not traceable (five-character ancient poem, no level-oblique rule)五言古诗以音节深婉、情致谦谨见长。此诗写新妇自述、愿侍君子，音节深婉而谦谨。全诗以五言贯底，声调与新妇之愿的内容相合，是汉诗中深挚的一路。

Reading note Five-character narration, expounding the bedchamber in the female first person; dignified and dense.《同声歌》为东汉张衡所作，是写新婚之妇自述的诗。此诗以“邂逅承际会，得充君后房”写得充君房，以“绸缪主中馈，奉礼助烝尝”写主馈奉礼，以“思为苑蒻席……愿为罗衾帱，在上卫风霜”写愿为席帐卫护君子。写新妇自述、愿侍君子，正是汉诗的名篇。

Line by line

邂逅承际会，得充君后房。情好新交接，恐栗若探汤。

By a chance encounter I was chosen to fill your inner chamber. Our love is newly joined, and I tremble as if dipping my hand in boiling water.

邂逅承际会，得充君之后房。情好新交接，恐栗若探汤。

By a chance meeting I was privileged to enter your inner chamber. Our love is newly sealed, and I am as fearful as if dipping my hand in boiling water.

首写邂逅得充君房、情好恐栗，是全诗新妇自述的起点。“邂逅承际会，得充君后房”写邂逅得充君房——“邂逅承际会”写邂逅承此际会，“得充君后房”写得充君之后房——邂逅际会，得充君房；“情好新交接，恐栗若探汤”写情好恐栗——“情好新交接”写情好新交接，“恐栗若探汤”写恐栗若探汤（恐惧如探沸汤）——情好新交接，恐栗探汤。四句写新妇自述之始：邂逅承际会、得充君后房，情好新交接、恐栗若探汤。以“邂逅承际会，得充君后房”写因缘际会、得为君妻，以“情好新交接，恐栗若探汤”写新婚交接、恐栗如探汤，正是张衡诗写新妇自述、谦谨之情的起点——得幸而恐，战战兢兢。

The new bride's fear. By a chance encounter I was chosen for your inner chamber; our love is newly joined, and I tremble as if dipping my hand in boiling water. The trembling is the bride's deference: the favor she has received is almost too great. The boiling-water simile is the body's nervousness. To have said the new wife was nervous would be a mood; the chance encounter and the boiling-water trembling are the mood.

不才勉自竭，贱妾职所当。绸缪主中馈，奉礼助烝尝。

Untalented as I am, I strive to do my utmost; this is my lowly duty. Carefully I manage the household meals and, with due ritual, assist at the sacrifices.

不才勉力自竭，贱妾职所当。绸缪主中馈，奉礼助烝尝。

Though untalented, I strive to the utmost; this is my humble duty. I shall carefully manage the kitchen rites and, with proper ritual, assist at the seasonal sacrifices.

此四句写主馈奉礼，是全诗新妇之愿的深化。“不才勉自竭，贱妾职所当”写贱妾职当——“不才勉自竭”写不才勉力自竭，“贱妾职所当”写贱妾职所当——不才自竭，职所当；“绸缪主中馈，奉礼助烝尝”写主馈奉礼——“绸缪主中馈”写绸缪主中馈（主妇之职），“奉礼助烝尝”写奉礼助烝尝（祭祀）——绸缪中馈，奉礼烝尝。四句写主馈奉礼：不才勉自竭、贱妾职所当，绸缪主中馈、奉礼助烝尝。以“不才勉自竭，贱妾职所当”写自谦不才、勉力尽职，以“绸缪主中馈，奉礼助烝尝”写主中馈、助祭祀之职，正是张衡诗写新妇之愿、尽责守礼的笔法。

The duties. Though untalented, I strive to the utmost; this is my humble duty. I carefully manage the household meals and, with due ritual, assist at the sacrifices. The self-deprecation and the listing of duties (kitchen, sacrifices) are the Confucian wife's program. To have said she would do her wifely duties would be a promise; the untalented-but-striving and the careful kitchen and ritual sacrifices are the promise.

思为苑蒻席，在下蔽匡床。愿为罗衾帱，在上卫风霜。

I long to be the soft rush mat, below, to cover your square bed; I wish to be the silk quilt, above, to shield you from wind and frost.

思为苑蒻之席，在下遮蔽匡床。愿为罗衾之帐，在上卫护风霜。

I long to be the soft rush mat below, covering your bed; I wish to be the silk quilt above, guarding you from wind and frost.

此四句写愿为席帐、卫护君子，是全诗新妇侍君之愿的归结。“思为苑蒻席，在下蔽匡床”写思为蒻席蔽床——“思为苑蒻席”写思为苑蒻之席，“在下蔽匡床”写在下面遮蔽匡床——思为蒻席蔽床；“愿为罗衾帱，在上卫风霜”写愿为罗衾卫霜——“愿为罗衾帱”写愿为罗衾之帐，“在上卫风霜”写在上卫护风霜——愿为罗帐卫霜。四句写愿为席帐、卫护君子：思为苑蒻席在下蔽匡床，愿为罗衾帱在上卫风霜。以“思为苑蒻席，在下蔽匡床”写愿为蒻席以蔽床，以“愿为罗衾帱，在上卫风霜”写愿为罗帐以卫霜，正是张衡诗写新妇侍君之愿的归结——愿为席帐，卫护终身。

The wish. I long to be the soft rush mat below, covering your bed; I wish to be the silk quilt above, guarding you from wind and frost. The fantasy of becoming the bed and quilt is the wife's devotion made literal. The below-and-above symmetry is the poem's structure. To have said she wished to shelter him would be a wish; the rush mat below covering the bed and the silk quilt above against wind and frost are the wish.

Study

Word focus

邂逅承际会 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “邂逅承际会”之“邂逅承际会”，写邂逅承此际会，是全诗写姻缘之遇的关键词。“邂逅”写不期而遇，“承际会”写承此际会——邂逅承此际会。这一词写姻缘之遇：不是预定之缘，而邂逅承际会；不是可谋之事，而天作之合。以“邂逅承际会，得充君后房”写因缘际会、得为君妻，正是张衡诗写新妇自述的起点。

恐栗若探汤 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “恐栗若探汤”之“恐栗若探汤”，写恐惧如探沸汤，是全诗写新妇战兢的关键词。“恐栗”写恐惧战栗，“若探汤”写如探沸汤——恐栗若探汤。这一词写恐之甚：不是寻常之惧，而恐栗若探汤；不是可安之情，而战栗如探汤。以“情好新交接，恐栗若探汤”写新婚交接、恐栗如探汤，正是张衡诗写新妇谦谨之情的笔法。

中馈 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “绸缪主中馈”之“中馈”，写主妇之职（家中饮食之事），是全诗写新妇职责的关键词。“中馈”写主中馈（主妇理炊之职）——绸缪主中馈。这一词写主妇之职：不是无职之身，而主中馈；不是可辞之任，而家中之职。以“绸缪主中馈，奉礼助烝尝”写主中馈、助祭祀，正是张衡诗写新妇尽责的笔法。

愿为罗衾帱 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “愿为罗衾帱”之“愿为罗衾帱”，写愿为罗衾之帐，是全诗写新妇侍君之愿的归结词。“愿为”写但愿变为，“罗衾帱”写罗衾之帐——愿为罗衾之帐。这一词写侍君之愿：不是可止之愿，而愿为罗衾帱；不是寻常之物，而卫护风霜之帐。以“思为苑蒻席，在下蔽匡床。愿为罗衾帱，在上卫风霜”写愿为席帐、卫护君子，正是张衡诗写新妇侍君之愿的归结。

同声歌