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先秦 Pre-Qin · 诗经 Classic of Poetry

鸨羽

Bustard's Feathers

诗经

Shijing (Book of Songs)

战争/徭役War/Corvée 民生/讽喻People's Livelihood/Allegory

肃肃鸨羽，集于苞栩。
王事靡盬，不能蓺稷黍。
父母何怙？
悠悠苍天，曷其有所？
肃肃鸨翼，集于苞棘。
王事靡盬，不能蓺黍稷。
父母何食？
悠悠苍天，曷其有极？
肃肃鸨行，集于苞桑。
王事靡盬，不能蓺稻粱。
父母何尝？
悠悠苍天，曷其有常？

Rustling are the bustards' feathers,
On the bushy oaks they rest.
The king's affairs know no end,
I cannot plant my millet and corn.
On what can my parents rely?
O azure heavens vast and high,
When will we have a settled place?

Rustling are the bustards' wings,
On the bushy jujubes they rest.
The king's affairs know no end,
I cannot plant my millet and rice.
What can my parents eat?
O azure heavens vast and high,
When will this ever end?

Rustling are the bustards in a row,
On the bushy mulberries they rest.
The king's affairs know no end,
I cannot plant my rice and sorghum.
What can my parents taste?
O azure heavens vast and high,
When will life return to normal?

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Meaning

The poem expresses the bitterness of a soldier conscripted for endless royal services, leaving his fields untilled and his parents unfed, crying out to heaven.

鸨鸟肃肃振羽，栖在丛生的柞树。王室差事没完没了，叫我怎能种好稷黍。父母靠什么依傍？悠悠苍天啊，何时才能有安身之处？鸨鸟肃肃展翼，落在丛生的枣树。王室差事没完没了，叫我怎能种好黍稷。父母拿什么充饥？悠悠苍天啊，这样的苦日子何时才是尽头？鸨鸟肃肃成行，集在丛生的桑树。王室差事没完没了，叫我怎能种好稻粱。父母几时得尝？悠悠苍天啊，何时才能有正常的光景？

Appreciation

Using the anomalous image of bustards perching on trees as a symbol of displacement, the poet conveys his own homelessness. Each stanza repeats the pattern, with the final cry to heaven becoming more desperate.

【白话串讲】 “肃肃鸨羽，集于苞栩。王事靡盬，不能蓺稷黍”——大雁翅膀响，停在树上。王事没完没了，我种不了庄稼。“父母何怙？悠悠苍天，曷其有所”——父母靠谁养？苍天啊，我什么时候能回家？一个苦役者的呼号。【意象与手法】本诗三章重沓，章法极整饬而情感愈转愈深。每章皆以“肃肃鸨羽/翼/行”起兴【情感与主旨】《鸨羽》属《诗经·唐风》十二篇之一【名句点睛】本诗中高考要点：一、起兴手法，分析“肃肃鸨羽，集于苞栩”如何以鸨鸟失所兴役夫漂泊

Background

This poem belongs to the 'Tang Airs' section of the Book of Songs. The Mao preface says it satirizes the times after Duke Zhao of Jin, when five generations of chaos led to endless conscription. Zhu Xi agrees. It reflects the suffering of the common people in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period.

《鸨羽》为《诗经·唐风》篇，是写王事劳役、父母无养之怨的诗。此诗：肃肃鸨羽，集于苞栩。王事靡盬，不能蓺稷黍。父母何怙？悠悠苍天，曷其有所？肃肃鸨翼，集于苞棘。王事靡盬，不能蓺黍稷。父母何食？悠悠苍天，曷其有极？肃肃鸨行，集于苞桑。王事靡盬，不能蓺稻粱。父母何尝？悠悠苍天，曷其有常？全诗写王事劳役、父母无养，是《诗经》的名篇。

Art

The poem consists of three stanzas with similar structure. Each begins with the image of bustards, then states 'The king's affairs are never done', followed by the neglect of farming, the parents' plight, and a cry to heaven. The key words change in each stanza: the trees (oaks, jujubes, mulberries), the crops (millet and corn, etc.), and the final longing (a settled place, an end, normalcy). This repetition with variation intensifies the emotion.

《鸨羽》艺术上以鸨羽的取兴与怨天之辞的深婉见长。全诗三章，层层写来：一章写鸨集苞栩、不能蓺稷黍——“肃肃鸨羽，集于苞栩。王事靡盬，不能蓺稷黍。父母何怙？悠悠苍天，曷其有所”写鸨集苞栩、王事靡盬、不能蓺稷黍、父母何怙、曷其有所；二章写鸨集苞棘、不能蓺黍稷——“肃肃鸨翼，集于苞棘……父母何食？曷其有极”写鸨集苞棘、父母何食、曷其有极；三章写鸨集苞桑、不能蓺稻粱——“肃肃鸨行，集于苞桑……父母何尝？曷其有常”写鸨集苞桑、父母何尝、曷其有常。全诗以鸨羽为兴写王事之怨，正是《诗经》重章叠句的笔法。

Allusions

The bustard is a bird with webbed feet and no hind toes, normally staying on the ground. Its perching on trees is unnatural, making it a fitting symbol for the displaced soldier. 'Gu' in 'mi gu' means to stop, 'yi' means to plant, 'hu' means to rely on. The trees are bushy oaks (bao xu), bushy jujubes (bao ji), and bushy mulberries (bao sang).

《鸨羽》用典少而取兴自然。“鸨羽”以鸨鸟（鸨不栖木而集于苞栩）为兴，写失常之劳役；“王事靡盬”写王事没完没了（靡盬为无休止）；“蓺稷黍”写种植庄稼。全诗以鸨羽为兴写王事之怨，不用深典而深婉自见，正是《诗经》比兴的笔法。

Commentary

Zhu Xi in his Collected Commentaries: 'The people, forced into corvée and unable to care for their parents, made this poem.' Fang Yurun in the Original Meaning: 'The three calls of "O azure heavens" can be heard as if one hears the sound.' Chen Zizhan in Direct Exegesis: 'The resentment of the corvée soldier is a cry shared by all soldiers throughout history.'

《鸨羽》是《诗经·唐风》的名篇，也是中国诗歌中写劳役怨刺的代表作。此诗写王事劳役、父母无养，向为论者称道。论者多赏其鸨羽的取兴与怨天之辞的深婉——“肃肃鸨羽，集于苞栩。王事靡盬，不能蓺稷黍”写王事靡盬、不能种田，其怨之深；“父母何怙？悠悠苍天，曷其有所”写父母何怙、呼天而问，更见其悲。此诗写劳役之怨，正以鸨羽为兴、呼天为辞，正是《诗经》怨刺诗的笔法。

Prosody

Form Book of Songs, Tang Airs (four-character lines)四言诗（诗经体）

Rhyme Each stanza rhymes on words in the same group, with the same pattern; the rhyme words change across stanzas (e.g., -u in first, -i in second, -ang in third)《鸨羽》为四言诗，三章，每章七句。此诗用韵：栩、黍、怙、所（鱼部），棘、稷、食、极（职部），桑、梁、尝、常（阳部），随章换韵，音节深婉。

Tone pattern Four-character uninflected lines; no later tonal patterns; triple repetition四言诗经体以音节深婉、重章叠句见长。此诗写王事劳役、父母无养，音节深婉而怨刺。全诗三章重章叠句，声调与劳役之怨的内容相合，是《诗经》中怨刺深婉的一路。

Reading note A corvée poem from the Tang Airs, combining analogy (xing) with direct complaint, and culminating in three desperate appeals to heaven.《鸨羽》为《诗经·唐风》篇，是写王事劳役、父母无养之怨的诗。此诗以“肃肃鸨羽，集于苞栩。王事靡盬，不能蓺稷黍”写王事无休、不能种田，以“父母何怙？悠悠苍天，曷其有所”写父母无依、呼天而问。写劳役之怨，正是《诗经》的名篇。

Line by line

肃肃鸨羽，集于苞栩。王事靡盬，不能蓺稷黍。父母何怙？悠悠苍天，曷其有所？

Whirring, the bustard's wings settle on the clustered oaks. The king's affairs never rest; I cannot plant the millet. On what do my parents rely? O boundless blue heaven, when shall we have our home?

肃肃鸨羽，集于丛生的柞树。王事没完没了，不能种稷黍。父母何所依靠？悠悠苍天，何时得其所？

Whirring the bustard's wings, they settle on the clustered oaks. The king's service never ends; I cannot plant the millet. On what do my parents lean? O vast blue heaven, when shall we have our home?

一章写鸨集苞栩、不能蓺稷黍、父母何怙，是全诗王事之怨的起点。“肃肃鸨羽，集于苞栩”写鸨集苞栩——“肃肃鸨羽”写肃肃鸨羽（鸨鸟振羽），“集于苞栩”写集于丛生的柞树——鸨羽集于苞栩；“王事靡盬，不能蓺稷黍”写王事靡盬——“王事靡盬”写王事没完没了，“不能蓺稷黍”写不能种稷黍——王事靡盬，不能蓺稷黍；“父母何怙？悠悠苍天，曷其有所”写父母何怙——“父母何怙”写父母何所依靠，“悠悠苍天，曷其有所”写悠悠苍天、何时得其所——父母何怙，曷其有所。五句写一章之怨：肃肃鸨羽集于苞栩、王事靡盬不能蓺稷黍，父母何怙、悠悠苍天曷其有所。以“肃肃鸨羽，集于苞栩”以鸨集苞栩为兴写失常之劳，以“王事靡盬，不能蓺稷黍”写王事无休、不能种田，以“父母何怙？悠悠苍天，曷其有所”写父母无依、呼天而问，正是《诗经》写王事之怨的起点——役劳无休，父母无养。

The bustard. Whirring, the bustard's wings settle on the clustered oaks. The king's affairs never rest; I cannot plant the millet. On what do my parents rely? O boundless blue heaven, when shall we have our home? The bustard-wings-oaks and the king's-affairs-never-rest and the parents-rely-when-home are the grievance. To have settled on the oaks would be a settling; the whirring-the-bustard's-wings-settle-on-the-clustered-oaks-the-king's-affairs-never-rest-i-cannot-plant-the-millet-on-what-do-my-parents-rely-o-boundless-blue-heaven-when-shall-we-have-our-home is the settling.

肃肃鸨翼，集于苞棘。王事靡盬，不能蓺黍稷。父母何食？悠悠苍天，曷其有极？

Whirring, the bustard's wings settle on the clustered thorns. The king's affairs never rest; I cannot plant the millet. What will my parents eat? O boundless blue heaven, when will it end?

肃肃鸨翼，集于丛生的荆棘。王事没完没了，不能种黍稷。父母何所食？悠悠苍天，何时有尽头？

Whirring the bustard's wings, they settle on the clustered thorns. The king's service never ends; I cannot plant the millet. What have my parents to eat? O vast blue heaven, when will it have an end?

二章写鸨集苞棘、父母何食，是全诗王事之怨的深化。“肃肃鸨翼，集于苞棘”写鸨集苞棘——“肃肃鸨翼”写肃肃鸨翼，“集于苞棘”写集于丛生的荆棘——鸨翼集于苞棘；“王事靡盬，不能蓺黍稷”写王事靡盬——“王事靡盬”写王事没完没了，“不能蓺黍稷”写不能种黍稷——王事靡盬，不能蓺黍稷；“父母何食？悠悠苍天，曷其有极”写父母何食——“父母何食”写父母何所食，“悠悠苍天，曷其有极”写悠悠苍天、何时有尽头——父母何食，曷其有极。五句写二章之怨：肃肃鸨翼集于苞棘、王事靡盬不能蓺黍稷，父母何食、悠悠苍天曷其有极。以“肃肃鸨翼，集于苞棘”以鸨集苞棘为兴，以“王事靡盬，不能蓺黍稷”写王事无休、不能种田，以“父母何食？悠悠苍天，曷其有极”写父母无食、呼天问其有极，正是《诗经》写王事之怨的深化——役劳无休，父母无食。

The thorns. Whirring, the bustard's wings settle on the clustered thorns. The king's affairs never rest; I cannot plant the millet. What will my parents eat? O boundless blue heaven, when will it end? The bustard-wings-thorns and the king's-affairs-never-rest and the parents-eat-when-end are the deepened grievance. To have settled on the thorns would be a settling; the whirring-the-bustard's-wings-settle-on-the-clustered-thorns-the-king's-affairs-never-rest-i-cannot-plant-the-millet-what-will-my-parents-eat-o-boundless-blue-heaven-when-will-it-end is the settling.

肃肃鸨行，集于苞桑。王事靡盬，不能蓺稻粱。父母何尝？悠悠苍天，曷其有常？

Whirring, the bustard's ranks settle on the clustered mulberries. The king's affairs never rest; I cannot plant the rice and sorghum. What will my parents taste? O boundless blue heaven, when will normality return?

肃肃鸨行，集于丛生的桑树。王事没完没了，不能种稻粱。父母何所尝？悠悠苍天，何时有常？

Whirring the bustard's lines, they settle on the clustered mulberries. The king's service never ends; I cannot plant the rice and sorghum. What have my parents to taste? O vast blue heaven, when will the norm return?

三章写鸨集苞桑、父母何尝，是全诗王事之怨的归结。“肃肃鸨行，集于苞桑”写鸨集苞桑——“肃肃鸨行”写肃肃鸨行，“集于苞桑”写集于丛生的桑树——鸨行集于苞桑；“王事靡盬，不能蓺稻粱”写王事靡盬——“王事靡盬”写王事没完没了，“不能蓺稻粱”写不能种稻粱——王事靡盬，不能蓺稻粱；“父母何尝？悠悠苍天，曷其有常”写父母何尝——“父母何尝”写父母何所尝（何所食），“悠悠苍天，曷其有常”写悠悠苍天、何时有常——父母何尝，曷其有常。五句写三章之怨：肃肃鸨行集于苞桑、王事靡盬不能蓺稻粱，父母何尝、悠悠苍天曷其有常。以“肃肃鸨行，集于苞桑”以鸨集苞桑为兴，以“王事靡盬，不能蓺稻粱”写王事无休、不能种稻粱，以“父母何尝？悠悠苍天，曷其有常”写父母无食、呼天问其有常，正是《诗经》写王事之怨的归结——役劳无休，父母无养。

The mulberries. Whirring, the bustard's ranks settle on the clustered mulberries. The king's affairs never rest; I cannot plant the rice and sorghum. What will my parents taste? O boundless blue heaven, when will normality return? The bustard-ranks-mulberries and the king's-affairs-never-rest and the parents-taste-when-normality are the close. To have settled on the mulberries would be a settling; the whirring-the-bustard's-ranks-settle-on-the-clustered-mulberries-the-king's-affairs-never-rest-i-cannot-plant-the-rice-and-sorghum-what-will-my-parents-taste-o-boundless-blue-heaven-when-will-normality-return is the settling.

Study

Word focus

肃肃鸨羽 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “肃肃鸨羽，集于苞栩”之“肃肃鸨羽”，写鸨鸟振羽，是全诗取兴的关键词。“肃肃”写振羽之声（肃肃），“鸨羽”写鸨鸟之羽——肃肃鸨羽。这一词以鸨振羽起兴：不是他物之兴，而肃肃鸨羽；不是可安之栖，而鸨集苞栩之失常。以“肃肃鸨羽，集于苞栩”以鸨集苞栩为兴写王事之失常，正是《诗经》比兴的笔法。

王事靡盬 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “王事靡盬，不能蓺稷黍”之“王事靡盬”，写王事没完没了，是全诗写劳役无休的关键词。“王事”写公家之事，“靡盬”写没完没了——王事没完没了。这一词写劳役之久：不是有竟之事，而王事靡盬；不是可息之役，而无休无止。以“王事靡盬，不能蓺稷黍”写王事无休、不能种田，正是《诗经》写劳役之怨的笔法。

不能蓺稷黍 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “不能蓺稷黍”之“不能蓺稷黍”，写不能种植庄稼，是全诗写役苦妨农的关键词。“不能蓺”写不能种植，“稷黍”写庄稼——不能种稷黍。这一词写农事之废：不是可种之时，而不能蓺稷黍；不是有闲之身，而役劳妨农。以“王事靡盬，不能蓺稷黍”写王事无休、农事尽废，正是《诗经》写劳役之苦的笔法。

父母何怙 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “父母何怙”之“父母何怙”，写父母何所依靠，是全诗写役苦伤亲的归结词。“父母”写父母，“何怙”写何所依靠——父母何所依靠。这一词写亲之无养：不是可养之亲，而父母何怙；不是可安之老，而无依无靠。以“父母何怙？悠悠苍天，曷其有所”写父母无依、呼天而问，正是《诗经》写劳役之苦伤亲的归结。

鸨羽