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明 Ming · 诗 Poem

养蚕词

Song of Raising Silkworms

高启

Gao Qi

农事farm work 悯农compassion for farmers 明诗Ming poetry

东家西家罢来往，晴日深窗蚕事忙。
三眠蚕起食叶多，陌上桑稀不堪剪。
沙低竹高叶翠残，机中织妾催作缎。
一春不解剪桑枝，只恐枝高叶转稀。
新妇守箔女执筐，头发不梳一月忙。
三岁蚕娘走若狂，麦秋过后催输粮。

Neighbor after neighbor has stopped all visiting; on a clear day, deep behind the windows, the silkworm work is busy.
The third-molting silkworms have woken and eat many leaves; by the road the mulberry trees are too sparse to be pruned.
Where the low sand meets the tall bamboo, the leaves are a waning green; at the loom the weaving maid urges the satin to be made.
All spring they have had no time to trim the mulberry branches, only fearing the boughs grow tall and the leaves turn sparse.
The young wife guards the silk trays, the daughter carries the basket; for a whole month they are too busy to comb their hair.
The silkworm woman of three years runs about like one mad; after the wheat autumn she is urged to deliver the grain tax.

Listen

Meaning

The poem depicts a Jiangnan silkworm-raising household through a whole busy spring, and ends by revealing that even after their toil the farmers are still pressed for tax grain, voicing silent pity for the peasants.

东家西家都停了往来，晴日里深窗下养蚕正忙。三眠的蚕起了，食叶很多，田陌上桑树稀疏得不堪再剪。沙地低处竹高叶已残翠，机上织妾正催着织成缎。一春都顾不上修剪桑枝，只怕枝太高叶子反而稀。新妇守着蚕箔、女儿提着竹筐，头发都顾不上梳，忙了一月。养了三年蚕的蚕娘奔走如狂，麦秋过后又被催着交纳粮税。

Appreciation

Written in the plain manner of folk-ballad yuefu, the poem traces the entire course of silkworm work through concrete detail—the third molting, the basket, the uncombed hair. The tone is plain and faithful to life, building from bustle to hardship. The closing turn to tax collection comes as a sudden jolt, lodging its gentle satire within the ordinary, which is the native strength of Gao Qi's seven-character old-style verse in the yuefu mode.

【白话串讲】高启写养蚕人的辛苦：“东家西家罢来往，晴日深窗蚕事忙”——“新妇守箔女执筐，头发不梳一月忙”——新媳妇养蚕，一个月没空梳头。“三岁蚕娘走千里”——他写农家的辛劳，写得真切。【意象与手法】以白描铺写蚕事全程，细节真切（三眠、执筐、不梳头）。由忙入苦，结以催粮陡转，于平实中见讽喻，是高启乐府体七言的本色。【情感与主旨】写蚕农终岁辛劳却难逃赋敛的境遇，寄悯农之悲。高启诗兼学唐人，此篇近白居易新乐府之通俗讽时。【名句点睛】三岁蚕娘走若狂，麦秋过后催输粮——以忙后催粮的对比，道尽农人徒劳之痛。

Background

Gao Qi was regarded as the foremost poet of early Ming, versatile in many styles. This 'Song of Raising Silkworms' imitates the folk-song form to write of Jiangnan silkworm farmers, clearly carrying on Bai Juyi's New Yuefu ideal of 'composing for the sake of affairs,' reflecting the heavy taxation of the early Ming.

高启（一三三六至一三七四），字季迪，号青丘子，长洲（今苏州）人，明初诗坛巨擘，与杨基、张羽、徐贲并称「吴中四杰」，又与王行等称「北郭十友」。其诗兼学汉魏盛唐，风格清俊雄健，题材广博，为明诗开国之冠。高启生于元末乱世，亲睹民生凋敝，明初应召修《元史》，授翰林院国史编修，后辞官归里，终因魏观《上梁文》案被腰斩，年仅三十九，结局惨烈。《养蚕词》写江南蚕家一春的忙碌与赋敛之逼，当为其观察民间疾苦之作。明代江南蚕桑为民生要务，然赋税繁重在明初尤甚，太祖朱元璋重敛江南以抑豪强，蚕农终岁辛劳而难逃输粮之逼。高启此诗以白描铺写蚕事全程，由忙入苦，于平实中见讽喻，近白居易新乐府之通俗讽时，亦是其「诗关民生」创作观的体现，在明初台阁体未起、诗风尚多元之际，更显其关切现实的良知。高启以明初诗坛冠冕之身，于太平初定之际即能体察蚕农之困，此种现实关怀与其后来因文字遭祸的悲剧命运互为映照，尤显诗人对时代之诚实。明初诗坛方渐染台阁风气，而高启此作直承汉唐乐府写实精神，以布衣之眼观生民之苦，既见其诗学根柢之正，亦见开国气象中一份难得的清醒与良知。

Art

In seven-character old-style verse, it excels at plain description; it advances by the sequence of time (a whole spring, a month, the wheat autumn), moving from busyness to suffering, and lands its satire in the final line—unadorned yet well-ordered.

此诗以白描铺写蚕事全程，章法由邻里辍往来到蚕娘催粮，如一幅江南蚕家风情长卷，细节真切而结构绵密。首联「东家西家罢来往，晴日深窗蚕事忙」以邻里不相往来反衬蚕事之紧迫，起笔即见全民皆忙的紧张；颔联「三眠蚕起食叶多，陌上桑稀不堪剪」写蚕三眠后食量骤增、桑叶告罄的农事真实，以「不堪剪」三字写资源紧绌；颈联「沙低竹高叶翠残，机中织妾催作缎」由养蚕转到织造，桑残而织催，工序衔接自然；「一春不解剪桑枝，只恐枝高叶转稀」补写蚕农惜叶之智，体贴入微；「新妇守箔女执筐，头发不梳一月忙」以「不梳头」的细节点活一月辛劳；尾联「三岁蚕娘走若狂，麦秋过后催输粮」陡转，忙过仍不免赋税逼迫，于平实叙述中骤起讽喻。全诗歌手法如流水，由忙入苦、由农事入赋敛，结以催粮之逼作跌宕，于乐府体的通俗中见深沉的现实关怀，是高启「缘事而发」的显例。

Allusions

'Third molting' (sanmian): the silkworm molts three times before it ripens; 'tray' (bo): the bamboo mat for raising silkworms; 'wheat autumn' (maiqiu): the season when wheat ripens; 'deliver grain' (shuliang): paying land tax in grain.

「三眠」为蚕事专业术语，蚕自初孵至老熟须历经数眠，「三眠蚕起」谓第三次蜕皮后食量暴增，农谚所谓「蚕起吃老食」，高启以「三眠」入诗，显其观察之细、体物之真，承《诗经·豳风·七月》「蚕月条桑」的农事书写传统。「箔」即蚕箔，养蚕之苇席，古已有之；「新妇」「蚕娘」则承汉乐府《陌上桑》「罗敷」及南朝《采桑度》的采桑养蚕女性书写谱系，而高启笔下之蚕娘已非乐府中容饰动人的罗敷，而是「头发不梳」「走若狂」的劳苦农妇，是对乐府女性书写的现实主义改写。「麦秋」指麦熟收割之时（农历四月），《礼记·月令》「孟夏之月……麦秋至」，以麦秋标时令，可见农事之序。「输粮」则点明赋税主题，与白居易「税重多贫户」同旨。全诗句句有农事依凭、字字本于民生，用事不露痕迹而关切极深，是明诗乐府体「缘事而发」的典范。三眠、蚕箔、麦秋、输粮，皆农事与赋税之实词，经高启以乐府白描出之，不假雕饰而民生疾苦自见，是明诗关切民瘼一脉的坚实开端。诗中女性形象由乐府罗敷的容饰动人，转为蓬首忘梳的劳苦蚕娘，这一改写本身即是现实主义对贵族诗学的矫正，亦使「缘事而发」的乐府精神在明初获得新的生命。

Commentary

Ji Di's (Gao Qi's) vigorous lines resemble those of Qingqiu, his plain ones approach Bai Juyi; this piece belongs to his pity-the-farmer strain, in the same key as his 'Song of the Farming Family.'

高启诗兼学汉魏盛唐，风格清俊雄健而题材广博，清人赵翼《瓯北诗话》称「高青丘诗，才气超迈，音节响亮」，近人论明诗每以高启为开国第一家。此《养蚕词》以新乐府体写农事疾苦，向为论者所称，被视为高启「诗关民生」一面的代表。它与白居易《观刈麦》《杜陵叟》同脉，皆「为事而作」、以平实讽时；与明初刘基《买马词》等反映民瘼之作并峙，共显明初诗坛尚未完全台阁化的现实关怀。今人读之，既能赏其「头发不梳」「走若狂」的生动白描与「忙—苦—催粮」的跌宕章法，亦当体会高启身为明初文人、于太平颂声初起时已能见民间赋敛之痛的良知——这种关切现实的本色，与其后来因文字遭祸的悲剧命运，共同构成一位诗人对时代最诚实的回应。此诗以乐府古体写当代疾苦，语浅意深，足称明诗关切民瘼的上乘之作。赵翼称其「才气超迈，音节响亮」，此诗以新乐府体写农事，上承白居易，下启明中叶讽喻诗，于台阁体未兴之时已立现实关怀之范，足称开国之音中的清醒之调。高启虽以诗名冠明初，而其悯农诸作尤可见士大夫的本色良知，与后来因《上梁文》贾祸的结局相参，更显一位诗人对时代最诚实的回应。

Prosody

Form Seven-character ancient-style poem诗·七言古诗（乐府体）

Rhyme Rhyme scheme not specified in the source; the old-style verse shifts rhymes naturally.七言古诗，换韵自由（忙、粮、筐押阳韵，剪、缎、稀等换韵）

Tone pattern Level and oblique tones follow the ancient style, with natural rhyme shifts.古体诗不究平仄，转韵自由

Reading note Six lines trace the whole course of silkworm work—from raising to weaving to taxation; plain as everyday speech yet closing on the satire of tax delivery, it is Ji Di's yuefu piece that observes the hidden sufferings of the people.此诗为七言古诗，近白居易新乐府之体，语言通俗、转韵自由，不尚雕琢而务求尽意，正合「为事而作」的乐府精神。全诗以养蚕全过程为线索，句式以七言为主，间以白描铺叙，节奏随蚕事之忙而趋急促。用韵随内容转换：起二句「忙」属阳韵定调；「剪」「缎」、「稀」等随事换韵，于不经意间见民间歌谣之天然；末句「粮」复归阳韵，与起句「忙」遥应，而「忙」后紧接「催输粮」的赋敛逼迫，形成内容与韵律的强烈反差——春忙之韵未散，催粮之逼已至。高启此诗承汉乐府「感于哀乐、缘事而发」与唐人新乐府「为事而作」的双重传统，以古诗之体写当代农事，体制虽古而关切极新，是明诗乐府体中关切民瘼的佳作，亦可见高启诗风「兼学汉唐、不拘一格」的广博。

Line by line

东家西家罢来往，晴日深窗蚕事忙。

Neighbor after neighbor has stopped all visiting; on a clear day, deep behind the windows, the silkworm work is busy.

东家西家都停了往来，晴日里深窗下养蚕正忙。

Neighbors east and west have stopped visiting; in the clear sun, deep-windowed, the silkworm work is busy.

首联以一幅江南蚕乡的风俗小景起笔，写蚕事紧张时节邻里断绝交游的非常状态。「东家西家罢来往」以「罢」字写一种主动的、集体的暂停，反衬蚕事之重压——蚕性娇贵，饲育须臾不可离人，故家家闭户专事其事。「晴日深窗蚕事忙」则点明时令与处所，晴日宜蚕，深窗之内一片忙碌。二句一外一内、一疏一密，于不经意间见出农事节律对日常社交的支配，起笔即满纸紧张。高启以乐府体写此，不事藻饰而风神自具，承《诗经·七月》「同我妇子，馌彼南亩」的农事叙事传统，为全诗「忙」字基调定音，亦显其对民间节律的体贴入微与观察之真。

The silence. Neighbors east and west have stopped visiting; in the clear sun, deep-windowed, the silkworm work is busy. The stopped visiting and the deep-windowed busy silkworm work are the festival opening. To have stopped visiting for the silkworms would be a suspension; the neighbors-east-and-west-have-stopped-visiting-in-the-clear-sun-deep-windowed-the-silkworm-work-is-busy is the suspension.

新妇守箔女执筐，头发不梳一月忙。

The young wife guards the silk trays, the daughter carries the basket; for a whole month they are too busy to comb their hair.

新妇守着蚕箔、女儿提着竹筐，头发都顾不上梳，忙了一月。

The young wife tends the trays, the daughter holds the basket; for a whole month's rush, no one has time to comb her hair.

此句以极具动感的细节写蚕妇一月的辛劳，「守箔」「执筐」两个动作勾勒出新妇与女儿各司其事、片刻不停的劳作图景。「头发不梳」四字尤见传神——连梳头的工夫都没有，以最日常的生活细节写尽忙碌之极，比任何慨叹都更有力。这一细节直承汉乐府「行者见罗敷」式的女性书写，却将罗敷的容饰动人改写为蚕妇的蓬首忘梳，是对乐府传统的现实主义翻转。高启于此以白描取胜，不著一「苦」字而苦况自见，使读者如见其人、如临其境。此句上承「一春不解剪桑枝」的惜叶之智，下启「走若狂」的催粮之逼，是蚕忙叙事中最富生活气息的一笔，亦见诗人对底层妇女的深厚同情。

The uncombed hair. The young wife tends the trays, the daughter holds the basket; for a whole month's rush, no one has time to comb her hair. The trays and baskets and the uncombed hair for a month are the detail. To have not combed the hair for a month would be a detail; the young-wife-tends-the-trays-the-daughter-holds-the-basket-for-a-whole-month's-rush-no-one-has-time-to-comb-her-hair is the detail.

三岁蚕娘走若狂，麦秋过后催输粮。

The silkworm woman of three years runs about like one mad; after the wheat autumn she is urged to deliver the grain tax.

养了三年蚕的蚕娘奔走如狂，麦秋过后又被催着交纳粮税。

The three-year silkworm wife runs as if frantic; after the wheat harvest, the grain tax comes pressing.

尾联是全诗章法的陡转与讽喻的迸发。「三岁蚕娘」点出其养蚕经验之老到，「走若狂」则写其在麦秋催粮之际奔走失措的慌乱与绝望，将终岁辛劳后仍被赋敛追逼的境况写得淋漓尽致。「麦秋过后催输粮」以平静的叙述收束，却于平实处见惊心——蚕娘忙过一春，等来的不是喘息，而是催粮。这一「催」字与首联的「忙」字遥相呼应，构成「忙—更忙（催）」的循环，揭示蚕农劳碌无获的悲剧。高启于此由农事白描骤入赋敛讽喻，举重若轻，使全诗在「走若狂」的动荡中收场，于乐府体的通俗中迸发现实主义的锋芒，最见其「以忙写苦、以乐写悲」的讽喻匠心，亦为「催输粮」主题写下最沉痛的注脚。

The tax. The three-year silkworm wife runs as if frantic; after the wheat harvest, the grain tax comes pressing. The frantic silkworm wife and the pressing grain tax are the turn. To have run frantic before the tax would be a panic; the three-year-silkworm-wife-runs-as-if-frantic-after-the-wheat-harvest-the-grain-tax-comes-pressing is the panic.

Study

Word focus

罢来往 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「东家西家罢来往」之「罢来往」三字，写尽蚕事紧张时节邻里断绝交游的非常状态。蚕性娇贵、饲育须臾不可离人，故家家闭户专事其事，「罢」字写出一种主动的、集体的暂停，反衬蚕事之重压。此三字以极简白描勾勒出一幅「全民养蚕」的江南风俗画，于不经意间见出农事节律对日常社交的支配。高启以乐府体写此，不事藻饰而风神自具，承《诗经·七月》「同我妇子，馌彼南亩」的农事叙事传统。「罢来往」与后文「头发不梳」「走若狂」呼应，共同构成蚕忙时节「人随蚕役」的紧张氛围，是全诗「忙」字基调的第一声定音，亦见诗人对民间节律的体贴入微。

不堪剪 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「陌上桑稀不堪剪」之「不堪剪」三字，写桑叶资源紧绌至无法再采的临界状态，是农事真实而沉痛的一笔。蚕至三眠食量暴增，而陌上桑已「稀」，「不堪剪」既写桑之尽，亦暗写蚕农面对蚕饥桑竭的焦虑与无奈。此三字以口语入诗，天然质朴而张力十足，将「蚕起食叶多」与「桑稀」的矛盾推至顶点，为后文「只恐枝高叶转稀」的惜叶之智与「催输粮」的赋敛之逼预作伏线。高启炼字不求奇险而求恰切，「不堪」二字最见民生实况之重，是乐府体「尚质」精神的体现，亦使全诗由风物铺写悄然转向生计忧虞，章法血脉因之贯通。

走若狂 'Zou ruo kuang' (running as if mad) writes of the urgency and pressure upon them. 「三岁蚕娘走若狂」之「走若狂」三字，是全诗最具动感的一笔。「走」即奔走，「若狂」状其急促失措之态，写养了三年蚕的老蚕娘在麦秋催粮之际奔走如狂，将终岁辛劳后仍被赋敛追逼的慌乱与绝望写得淋漓尽致。此三字与前文「头发不梳」「一月忙」的辛劳叠加，构成蚕农全年命运的速写：忙时不及梳头，忙后奔走输粮，劳碌循环而所得无几。「走若狂」以夸张而真实的笔触收束全诗，使平实的叙述骤起波澜，于乐府体的通俗中迸发现实主义的锋芒，最见高启「以笑写泪、以忙写苦」的讽喻匠心，亦为「催输粮」的赋敛主题写下最沉痛的注脚。

养蚕词