先秦 Pre-Qin · 诗经 Classic of Poetry
汾沮洳
By the Fen River (Fen Ju Ru)
彼汾沮洳，言采其莫。
彼其之子，美无度。
美无度，殊异乎公路。
彼汾一方，言采其桑。
彼其之子，美如英。
美如英，殊异乎公行。
彼汾一曲，言采其藚。
彼其之子，美如玉。
美如玉，殊异乎公族。
By the Fen's far side, I gather the mulberry. That man of his—his beauty like a flower. Like a flower his beauty, unlike the Gong-hang.
By the Fen's winding bend, I gather the water-plant. That man of his—his beauty like jade. Like jade his beauty, unlike the Gong-zu.
Meaning
By the Fen River a speaker praises a low-born man he meets gathering wild plants—his virtue and beauty far surpass the hereditary nobles (the Gong-lu, Gong-hang, Gong-zu). The poem quietly criticizes a society where rank and worth do not match.
在那汾水低湿之地，采那酸模草。那个人啊，美得无法度量。美得无法度量，与公路全然不同。 在那汾水岸边，采那桑叶。那个人啊，美如花朵。美如花朵，与公行全然不同。 在那汾水弯曲之处，采那泽泻。那个人啊，美如玉。美如玉，与公族全然不同。
Appreciation
Three stanzas open by gathering wild plants by the Fen (sorrel, mulberry, water-plant)—humble toil; the place moves 'low wetlands / far side / winding bend.' The praise of 'that man' rises from 'past measure' to 'like a flower' to 'like jade,' step by step, his virtue likened to the highest. Each stanza closes by setting the common gentleman against the hereditary nobles, joining image, comparison, and contrast; the praise and blame show without a word, implicit yet forceful.
【白话串讲】 在汾河边采野菜，看见一个男子，美得没边。姑娘说：“美无度”——美得没法量。他比那些官员贵族都好看。三千年前的花痴，写得这么真诚。 【意象与手法】 三章重章叠句，皆以汾水边采野菜（莫、桑、藚）起兴，由沮洳而一方而一曲，地点步步推移；所赞之美由「无度」而「如英」而「如玉」层层升华，由德之不可量写到德之光辉、德之坚洁；每章以「殊异乎公路」「殊异乎公行」「殊异乎公族」收束，官职递尊而对比愈烈，兴、比、对照三法交融，褒贬尽于不言之中，含蓄而有力。 【情感与主旨】 此诗赞汾水边躬亲采撷之布衣君子，其美在德不在色，以民间美士之高洁反衬世袭贵族之德位不称，美中带刺、婉而多讽，是《魏风》讽刺艺术与《诗经》比德传统之代表。 【名句点睛】 常考「美如玉」之比德传统，以及「殊异乎公路」「殊异乎公行」「殊异乎公族」之对照手法与重章叠句、一唱三叹之章法。
Background
'By the Fen River' is a poem in the 'Airs of Wei' section of the Book of Songs. Wei was a poor, barren state whose rulers were still often greedy, so the 'Airs of Wei' hold many satires. The poem writes a lowborn man the speaker meets by the Fen gathering wild vegetables (sorrel, mulberry, water-plant); his character and looks far exceed the sons of the 'Gong-lu,' 'Gong-hang,' and 'Gong-zu' noble houses. By contrasting the common gentleman's 'beauty' with the hereditary nobles, it vents discontent at ranked birth and unmatched worth. The exact circumstance is unknown, but Wei's 'frugal and hurried' customs give the background.
《汾沮洳》是《诗经·魏风》第二篇。魏为西周分封之姬姓诸侯国，都城在今山西芮城一带，地处汾水之滨，地狭民贫，风习俭啬；《魏风》仅七篇（葛屦、汾沮洳、园有桃、陟岵、十亩之间、伐檀、硕鼠），多刺时伤乱之作，朱熹《诗集传》谓魏地「地隘险而民贫俗俭」，故其诗尤多怨刺。此诗写诗人于汾水之畔见一采野菜之男子，叹其「美无度」「美如英」「美如玉」，以为其才德远非「公路」「公行」「公族」等世袭贵族可比。关于诗旨，历来有三说：《毛诗序》主「刺俭」说，以为刺公族俭啬失礼；朱熹主「美君子贬大夫」说，以为赞民间君子而讥在位者；今人高亨、程俊英等多从「赞美劳动人民、讽刺世袭贵族」说，或主情诗说，以为女子称美心仪之人。就文本观之，三章以采莫、采桑、采藚起兴，所采皆卑微野菜，而所赞之人「美如玉」，褒贬对照之意甚明，当以赞美下层君子、讥刺尸位素餐之贵族一说为近是。其具体本事虽不可考，而魏国地瘠民贫、贵族骄奢之时代氛围，正为此诗提供了坚实背景。
Art
Three stanzas open by gathering wild plants by the Fen (sorrel, mulberry, water-plant)—humble toil; the place moves 'low wetlands / far side / winding bend.' The praise of 'that man' rises from 'past measure' (beyond measure) to 'like a flower' to 'like jade,' step by step, his virtue likened to the highest. Each stanza closes by setting the common gentleman against the hereditary nobles. Image, comparison, and contrast join; the praise and blame show without a word, implicit yet forceful.
此诗艺术上以「重章叠句」与「兴中含比、比中寓刺」为最著特色。全诗三章，章各六句，句式全同，仅更易数字，是《诗经》重章叠唱之典型：首章「彼汾沮洳，言采其莫」，次章「彼汾一方，言采其桑」，三章「彼汾一曲，言采其藚」，地点由沮洳（低湿地）而一方（水旁）而一曲（水湾），步步深入，暗示采菜者行踪渐远、望之弥切；所采由莫而桑而藚，皆水滨野菜，劳动之态宛然。每章前两句兴，中两句赞，末两句刺，章法井然：兴句以卑微劳作起，为「彼其之子」立一寒素背景；赞句「美无度」「美如英」「美如玉」以程度之不可量、花之明艳、玉之温润递进，一层深似一层，由德之广被写到德之光辉、德之坚洁，比喻随章升华；刺句「殊异乎公路」「殊异乎公行」「殊异乎公族」以世袭官爵对举，官秩由卑而尊（掌路车、掌兵车、掌宗族），反衬愈甚而刺意愈深。三章回环往复、一唱三叹，兴、比、对照三法交融，褒贬尽于不言之中，正是《魏风》讽刺艺术「婉而多讽」之代表。
Allusions
'Gong-lu,' 'Gong-hang,' 'Gong-zu' were all offices of the ducal house in the Spring and Autumn (in charge of carriages, troops, and the clan)—the poet uses them to point at hereditary nobles, real offices not empty allusion; 'like jade' carries the Songs' tradition of 'the gentleman compares his virtue to jade' (as in 'warm as jade' from Qin's 'The War-Car'). 'Sorrel' and 'water-plant' are wild greens, gathered as an image of toil, also a common 'gather ×' pattern in the Songs. Few allusions, but the comparison-to-virtue has a source; the 'beauty' here is moral beauty, not looks—keep that in mind.
此诗用典无多而皆有所本，最要者在「公路」「公行」「公族」三官职与「如玉」之比德传统。「公路」掌国君路车之官，「公行」掌公车兵行之官，「公族」掌公族子弟教养之官，三者皆春秋晋国实有之公室官职，《左传·宣公二年》载晋国「于是有公族、余子、公行」，杜预注谓公族大夫掌公族及卿大夫子弟之官。诗人以三官职借指当朝世袭贵族，属以实职为典，非咏古事，乃刺今人——言其居高位而德不配位，反不如采菜之布衣君子。至「如玉」之比德，则承《诗经》以玉喻君子之传统：《秦风·小戎》「言念君子，温其如玉」，《卫风·淇奥》「有匪君子，如金如锡，如圭如璧」，皆以玉之温润坚洁喻人之德操，故「美如玉」之「美」实为德美而非色美，读者须据此体认，方可免于以寻常情诗目之。「莫」（酸模）、「藚」（泽泻）皆水滨可食之野菜，采之以起兴劳苦，亦《诗经》采采句法之常套（如《周南·芣苢》之采芣苢），以日常劳作之物入诗，正见国风「饥者歌其食」之朴拙本色。
Commentary
The Mao preface: 'By the Fen River, a satire on frugality. The gentleman is frugal and able to toil, satirizing that he did not get the rites.' Zhu Xi takes it as 'praising the gentleman to blame the minister.' Fang Yurun: 'the three lines “unlike the Gong-lu” are praise with a sting.' Modern readers mostly read it as 'praise the lower, satirize the gentry,' affirming its art of using 'like jade' virtue to set off the nobles' sinecure—a representative of Wei's satiric craft.
《汾沮洳》之诗旨与艺术，历代评论纷纭而价值愈显。《毛诗序》云：「《汾沮洳》，刺俭也。其君子俭以能勤，刺不得礼也。」以为刺贵族俭啬不中礼；郑玄《笺》申之，谓采莫为君夫人亲蚕采菜之类，说虽迂曲，而刺字已见。至朱熹《诗集传》则转主赞美：「言此采莫之人，其美不可度量，而殊异乎公路之贵者」，以为美民间君子而讥在位大夫，遂开后世褒善贬恶解读之先。清代方玉润《诗经原始》折中二说，谓「『殊异乎公路』三句，是美中带刺」，最得要领——美采莫者之美，正在刺居位者之丑，褒贬一体、不可分割。近人高亨《诗经今注》、程俊英《诗经译注》皆主赞美劳动人民、讽刺贵族之说，余冠英更以情诗视之，谓女子赞所爱者之美。就文学史价值言，此诗至少有三重意义：其一，以采野菜之劳者与世袭贵族对举，开后世布衣傲王侯主题之先声；其二，「美如玉」之比德与《淇奥》等篇共同确立《诗经》以物喻德之传统，沾溉屈原佩玉意象与后世君子比德之说；其三，重章叠句、兴比刺一体的章法，为《诗经》讽刺艺术之典范，影响及于汉乐府《陌上桑》之罗敷夸夫等篇。
Prosody
Line by line
彼汾沮洳，言采其莫
By the Fen's low wetlands, I gather the sorrel.
在那汾水低湿之地，采那酸模草。
By the Fen's low, marshy banks, she gathers the sorrel.
起兴之句，写采菜于汾水沮洳之滨。沮洳为低湿之地，莫（酸模）为水边野菜，二者皆卑微寒素之象，而诗人偏于此地此物发端，正为「彼其之子」立一布衣背景——其人非居华堂者，乃躬亲采撷之劳者。此种以卑贱之物起兴以衬高洁之人的手法，是《诗经》兴法之精妙处：兴句与正句之间若断若连，采菜之劳碌与后文「美无度」之高赞形成强烈反差，唯其身在草野、躬行劳作，其德愈显可贵。而「彼汾」二字典出实景，汾水为魏国襟带之川，一「彼」字遥遥指点，如目见其人；三章由沮洳而一方而一曲，空间步步推移，采者行迹渐远，望者情思愈长，兴中已含情韵。
The Fen. By the Fen's low, marshy banks, she gathers the sorrel. The Fen-low-marshy-banks and the gathers-sorrel are the opening. To have gathered the sorrel would be a gathering; the by-the-fen's-low-marshy-banks-she-gathers-the-sorrel is the gathering.
彼其之子，美无度
That man of his—his beauty past measure.
那个人啊，美得无法衡量。
That man of hers—his beauty is beyond measure.
此句是赞美的总起，「美无度」三字分量极重。度者，限度、尺度也；「无度」即美到不可度量、无法估量，以否定之词写赞美之极，语气斩截而余味无穷。值得注意的是，《诗经》中「美」字多兼德色而言，此处与「如玉」对举，其美实以德行为骨：采莫之劳者，其德之盛至于不可量，正与下文尸位素餐之「公路」形成对照。「彼其之子」的「之」为语助，「子」为敬称，犹言那个人儿，语含亲昵而庄重，是国风称美他人之常语。句式上，四言两顿，声调短促有力，与「美无度」之慨叹相合；且「美无度」三字独立成意，于章末「殊异乎公路」之前稍作停顿，一扬一抑，褒贬顿挫分明。
The beauty. That man of hers—his beauty is beyond measure. The that-man-hers and the beauty-beyond-measure are the praise. To have been beyond measure would be a being; the that-man-of-hers-his-beauty-is-beyond-measure is the being.
美如英
Fair as a flower in bloom.
美得像盛开的花朵一样明艳。
Fair as a flower in bloom.
「英」训花，古书多以英为草木之花（《尔雅》云木谓之华、草谓之荣，荣而不实者谓之英），「美如英」即以花之明艳喻人之光彩焕发。此句与首章「美无度」、三章「美如玉」递相为喻，构成全诗最见匠心的比喻链条：无度状其德之广，如英状其美之焕，如玉状其品之洁，由虚而实、由外而内，层层升华。就喻体言，花主外耀而玉主内坚，正与《淇奥》「如切如磋，如琢如磨」之层层进德相类，皆以物喻人之品格；而花之易谢与玉之恒坚，又暗含诗人对美之双重期许：愿其如花之明，更愿其如玉之久。重章复唱中，此句位置居中，承上启下，使三章赞美之声一浪高于一浪。
The flower. Fair as a flower in bloom. The fair-flower-in-bloom is the simile. To have been fair would be a being; the fair-as-a-flower-in-bloom is the being.
殊异乎公族
Unlike the Gong-zu.
全然不同于那些公族贵胄。
Far apart from the nobles of the clan.
结句「殊异乎公族」是每章之刺，亦是全诗之眼。公族为掌公室宗族之官，地位尊崇，然诗人谓采莫之人「殊异」于公族，表面比较其美，实则以民间君子之高洁反衬世袭贵族之庸劣，一「殊异」而褒贬俱见。就章法言，三章末句由「公路」而「公行」而「公族」，官职一级高于一级，对比愈烈、刺意愈深：连最高贵之公族尚不如采菜者，则贵族之德位不称可知，其刺不在暴戾而在平庸，婉而多讽，正是《毛诗序》所谓主文而谲谏。就语气言，四言一句戛然而止，不着一字议论，而愤世之意自见，与《伐檀》「彼君子兮，不素餐兮」之冷嘲异曲同工。此句实为全诗精神所系：赞美是表，讽刺是里，表里如一，遂成《魏风》讽世之绝唱。
The clan. Far apart from the nobles of the clan. The far-apart-nobles-clan is the irony. To have been far apart would be a being; the far-apart-from-the-nobles-of-the-clan is the being.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
《蟋蟀》与《汾沮洳》同属《魏风》，皆魏地民间之作。《蟋蟀》以「蟋蟀在堂，岁聿其莫」起兴，警戒及时行乐、好乐无荒，是自我警戒之诗；《汾沮洳》以采莫起兴，赞美民间君子而刺世袭贵族，是刺世颂善之诗。一自警、一讽人，而同见魏人质朴俭啬、急迫多思之风习：地狭民贫，故其诗或忧岁时之速（蟋蟀），或愤贵贱之失（汾沮洳），皆无郑卫之靡曼，而多俭朴质直之气。合观二篇，可窥《魏风》七篇俭啬而急迫之总体风貌，亦可见《诗经》十五国风中地域诗风之差异。
淇奥 The Bamboo by the Qi (Qi Yu) 诗经 · 同以物喻德，比德传统之双璧 Both figure virtue through objects; Qi Yu uses green bamboo for the gentleman's virtue, Fen Ju Ru uses 'like jade'—compare the Songs' virtue-by-object method.Both praise virtue through plants/objects; compare the imagery.
《卫风·淇奥》「瞻彼淇奥，绿竹猗猗。有匪君子，如切如磋，如琢如磨」，以绿竹之猗猗、金锡圭璧之精纯喻君子之德之进修；《汾沮洳》以莫、桑、藚之采撷与「美如玉」之譬喻颂民间君子。二诗同属比德传统：淇奥喻君子之学问日进（切磋琢磨），汾沮洳喻君子之德操坚洁（如英如玉）；一写贵族君子之盛德，一写布衣劳者之令德，恰成对照。就艺术言，淇奥之喻多端而层进，汾沮洳之喻简劲而递升；就旨趣言，淇奥主颂，汾沮洳主颂中寓刺。合观之，可见《诗经》以物比德之法已成系统，而君子之德不系于位、不系于身，正是两诗共同之价值取向。
桃夭 Peach Buds (Tao Yao) 诗经 · 同以草木起兴赞美，兴象同而旨趣异 Both open with a plant image to praise; compare the imagistic difference and theme.Both open with plants to praise; compare image and theme.
《周南·桃夭》「桃之夭夭，灼灼其华。之子于归，宜其室家」，以桃花之盛喻新嫁娘之美，是婚嫁祝福之诗；《汾沮洳》以采莫、采桑、采藚之劳作起兴，颂民间君子之美，是赞美称颂之诗。二诗同以植物起兴、同赞人物之美，而兴象之选择判然有别：桃夭取桃花之明艳，兴其容色之盛、家室之宜，欢快热烈；汾沮洳取水菜之卑微，兴其品格之高、德行之洁，朴质深沉。一为颂婚之乐歌，一为刺世之讽咏，一明丽一清刚，可见《诗经》兴法兴象取义之灵活：同一以物起兴之体，随所咏之对象与情感，可生万千变化。合读二诗，正可体悟国风兴体之妙用。