先秦 Pre-Qin · 诗经 Classic of Poetry
女曰鸡鸣
The Wife Says the Cock Crows
女曰鸡鸣，士曰昧旦。
子兴视夜，明星有烂。
将翱将翔，弋凫与雁。
弋言加之，与子宜之。
宜言饮酒，与子偕老。
琴瑟在御，莫不静好。
知子之来之，杂佩以赠之。
知子之顺之，杂佩以问之。
知子之好之，杂佩以报之。
'Rise and look at the night—the morning star shines bright.
Soon we'll soar and glide, shoot the ducks and geese.'
'Shot and struck, I'll cook it for you;
Cooked, we'll drink, and grow old together.
Zither and lute at hand—all is calm and good.'
Knowing your love comes, I give you my mixed pendant;
Knowing your gentleness, I offer it in greeting;
Knowing your fondness, I return it in thanks.
Meaning
The wife says the cock crows; the man says not yet dawn. Rise and look at the night—the morning star shines bright. Soon we'll soar and glide, shoot the ducks and geese. Shot and struck, I'll cook it for you; cooked, we'll drink, and grow old together. Zither and lute at hand—all is calm and good. Knowing your love comes, I give you my mixed pendant; knowing your gentleness, I offer it in greeting; knowing your fondness, I return it in thanks.
妻子说公鸡已经啼鸣，丈夫却说天色还未明亮。你且起来看看夜空，启明星正闪闪发光。我将展翅翱翔去射猎，射那野鸭与飞雁。射得雁鸭归来，与你烹调成美味佳肴。佳肴备好共饮美酒，与你相亲相爱白头偕老。琴瑟就在身旁弹奏，夫妻生活无不安宁美好。知道你对我情意深挚，解下杂佩赠给你。知道你对我温顺体贴，解下杂佩问候你。知道你对我真心喜爱，解下杂佩报答你。
Appreciation
The three stanzas are pure dialogue narration; no comment is needed, yet feeling shows itself. The first stanza's 'The wife says... the man says...' opens a small quarrel then accord, vivid as if one heard the voice; the second 'cooked, we'll drink, and grow old together; zither and lute at hand—all is calm and good' moves from act to wish, using objects to write harmony; the last stanza's three-fold 'knowing your love...' with the pendant-giving parallel writes deep, restrained love. Within plain description is deep feeling, level and plain yet worth rereading.
【白话串讲】 妻子说：鸡叫了。丈夫说：天还没亮。她说：起来射雁去吧，我给你做菜，“宜言饮酒，与子偕老。琴瑟在御，莫不静好”——三千年前一对夫妻的清晨，是中国文学里最温馨的画面。 【意象与手法】 全诗三章纯以对话叙事，不假议论而情自见。首章女曰鸡鸣、士曰昧旦写清晨赖床的娇嗔与默契，子兴视夜、将翱将翔写射猎的打算；次章宜言饮酒、与子偕老写白头之愿，琴瑟在御、莫不静好以器物写和睦；末章三叠知子之来、顺、好之，以杂佩相赠的排比收束，层层递进，把款款深情写得真挚蕴藉。 【情感与主旨】 《女曰鸡鸣》出自《诗经·郑风》，以夫妇黎明对话写民间恩爱生活。旧说或以为刺时人好逸，或附会贤夫妇相警戒之义；现代学者多认为它是一首反映先秦平民家庭温情的爱情诗，重在描摹夫妻相敬相爱的日常，具有浓厚的生活气息。 【名句点睛】 中高考赏析常考：一、以对话推动叙事、塑造人物的手法；二、琴瑟在御、莫不静好以物写情、象征和睦的妙处；三、重章叠句与排比句式对情感的层层强化。
Background
'The Wife Says the Cock Crows' comes from the 'Airs of Zheng' in the 'Book of Songs', writing a couple's dawn dialogue of folk loving life. The old reading took it as satirizing those who love ease and urging early rising (as the 'Preface' 'satirizes not delighting in virtue'), or as an allegory of a worthy couple warning each other; modern scholars mostly take it as a love poem reflecting the tender life of pre-Qin commoners, with no deep satire, stressing the husband and wife's mutual respect and love, full of life's breath.
《女曰鸡鸣》出自《诗经·郑风》，是一首以夫妇黎明对话写民间恩爱生活的小诗。关于它的主旨，历来有不同说法。《诗序》以为「刺不说德也，陈古义以刺今」，认为诗中夫妇的勤勉和睦是古人用以讽刺当世好逸之风的美德范本；朱熹《诗集传》则以为「此诗人述贤夫妇相警戒之词」，把女曰鸡鸣理解为贤妻勉夫早起劳作；方玉润《诗经原始》更从首章读出夫妇相警戒、相成德之意。现代学者多摆脱经学附会，认为它本是一首反映先秦平民家庭温情的爱情诗，并无深刺，重在描摹夫妻相敬相爱的日常：妻子催丈夫早起射猎，丈夫许诺以猎物相酬，二人饮酒弹琴、互赠杂佩，处处见出伉俪情深。从《诗经》整体看，郑风多写男女之情，如《溱洧》《野有蔓草》皆以奔放著称，而此诗写的是婚后的夫妻生活，朴实温馨，与婚恋诗传统中的热烈追求不同，更接近《邶风·击鼓》「执子之手，与子偕老」的家庭理想，是《国风》中少见的以婚姻和谐为主题的名篇。诗分三章，一章写晨起射猎，二章写饮酒偕老，三章写赠佩相报，层次井然，可见先秦民歌在平实叙写中组织章法的功力。
Art
The three stanzas are pure dialogue narration; no comment needed, yet feeling shows. The first stanza's 'The wife says... the man says...' opens a small quarrel then accord, vivid as voice; the second 'cooked, we'll drink, and grow old together; zither and lute at hand—all is calm and good' moves from act to wish, using objects to write harmony; the last stanza's three-fold 'knowing your love...' with pendant-giving parallel writes deep, restrained love. Plain description holds deep feeling, level and plain yet worth rereading.
此诗艺术上最突出的特色是以对话叙事、以动作传情，全诗三章没有一句直接议论，而夫妻恩爱之情自然流露。首章女曰鸡鸣、士曰昧旦开口即是对话，如闻其声：妻子以鸡鸣催促起床，丈夫以天色未明拖延，一来一往间，晨起时分的娇嗔与默契跃然纸上；子兴视夜、明星有烂写丈夫起身观星，将翱将翔、弋凫与雁写其射猎的打算，行动具体而生活气息浓郁。次章由行动转入心愿：弋言加之、与子宜之写射得猎物后烹调共享，宜言饮酒、与子偕老直抒白头之愿，琴瑟在御、莫不静好以琴瑟和鸣象征夫妻和谐，把抽象的恩爱化为可感的器物与场景。末章三叠知子之来、顺、好之，以杂佩相赠的排比句式层层推进，赠之、问之、报之写妻子以佩玉回应丈夫的深情，一唱三叹，真挚蕴藉。全诗白描之中见浓情，对话、动作、器物皆取自寻常生活，平实而耐读，是《国风》中以小见大、以淡写浓的典范。次章以宜言饮酒为枢纽，把劳作之乐升华为婚姻之愿，是全诗由实入虚的关键，也使三章之间形成由行动而誓言的推进之势。
Allusions
The poem uses no clear historical or mythic allusion, pure life description. 'Morning star shines bright's 'morning star' means the morning star (Venus), 'bright' is radiant—an astronomical fact not an allusion; 'mixed pendant' is a set of jade pendants, of pearls, jade and silk, a Zhou dress fact. Appreciation should stress dialogue manner and feeling, not textual allusion.
本诗无明显历史或神话用典，纯用生活白描，这是它质朴感人的原因之一。明星有烂之明星指启明星，即金星，黎明前见于东方天空，烂字形容星光灿烂，乃天文实写而非典故，却准确点出夫妻对话发生的时刻——天将明而未明，启明星最亮，与士曰昧旦的赖床之言互为印证。杂佩是古代佩玉之组，以珠玉、丝绦等杂合而成，为周代士人服饰的实制，诗中妻子解下杂佩赠夫，既是珍贵信物，也暗含以玉比德之意，玉之温润坚洁正是夫妻情义的象征。弋凫与雁写射猎野鸭与鸿雁，雁有雁序之义，古以雁为婚仪之礼，此处虽写实猎，亦不无和合之兆。琴瑟在御用琴瑟和鸣的传统意象，《诗经》中凡言琴瑟，多喻夫妇和谐，如《关雎》「琴瑟友之」，此诗更以琴瑟在御的日常场景写夫妻之乐，器物与情感水乳交融。全诗无一处用典而处处有深意，正见《国风》白描艺术的精髓。鸡鸣一词还见于《齐风·鸡鸣》「鸡既鸣矣，朝既盈矣」，同写晨起催促而场景各异，可互证《诗经》以鸡鸣写时令、写勤勉的传统，此诗化用其声而不袭其意，正是善用传统的典范。
Commentary
The 'Preface' says 'satirizes not delighting in virtue, displaying old right to satire the present'; Zhu Xi's 'Commentary' takes it as 'the poet tells of a worthy couple warning each other'. The modern Yu Guan-ying, in 'Selected Book of Songs', calls it 'writing a couple's love, the tone true to life'. Fang Yurun's 'Book of Songs: Origins' also praises its 'spoken as if alive'. Moderns mostly read it as a fine folk love poem, granting its life's breath and the wonder of plain description.
《女曰鸡鸣》在历代评价中经历了一个由经学附会到文学欣赏的转变。《诗序》以「刺不说德也」释之，把一首生活小诗纳入美刺框架；朱熹《诗集传》虽仍持警戒之说，却已注意到诗中夫妇之情，谓其述贤夫妇相警戒之词；方玉润《诗经原始》赞其「脱口如生」，开始从文学角度肯定其语言艺术。今人余冠英《诗经选》称其「写夫妇的情好，口吻逼真」，准确概括了此诗的魅力所在。现代学者多视其为民间情诗佳作，许其生活气息与白描之妙：它以极短的篇幅，写尽夫妻从晨起对话到射猎、烹调、饮酒、弹琴、赠佩的完整生活图景，情感真挚而不流于艳俗。若与《郑风》其他婚恋诗比较，此诗不写相思之苦、不求偶之狂，而写婚后日常的相敬相爱，在《国风》中别具一格，为后世闺情诗、家庭诗提供了夫妇和谐的原型，其「琴瑟静好」一语更成为汉语中形容夫妻美满的经典表述。今人高亨《诗经今注》亦谓此诗写夫妇相爱之情，足见现代阐释已完全回归文学本位，其清新质朴的艺术魅力遂得以充分彰显。
Prosody
Line by line
女曰鸡鸣，士曰昧旦
She says, "the cock has crowed"; he says, "it is hardly dawn."
妻子说公鸡已经啼鸣，丈夫却说天色还未明亮。
The wife says, "the cock has crowed"; the husband says, "it is still not dawn."
开篇即入对话，女曰、士曰两相对举，如闻其声。鸡鸣是清晨报晓的常声，昧旦指天将明而未明之时，妻子以鸡鸣催促，丈夫以天未亮拖延，一来一往之间，晨起时分的日常情趣跃然纸上。值得细味的是，妻子催得急切，丈夫应得慵懒，却并无争执的火气，反倒透出夫妻间特有的娇嗔与默契：丈夫不是不起，而是想多赖片刻，妻子也不是责备，而是温柔的提醒。两句共八字，已把人物关系、时令场景、生活情态一并写出，笔法极其经济。这种以对话开篇的手法在《诗经》中颇为独特，为后世叙事诗所继承，而此诗以生活口语出之，尤为亲切，人物形象呼之欲出。
The dialogue. She says, "the cock has crowed"; he says, "it is hardly dawn." The she-says-cock-crowed and the he-says-hardly-dawn are the opening. To have said the cock had crowed would be a saying; the she-says-the-cock-has-crowed-he-says-it-is-hardly-dawn is the saying.
宜言饮酒，与子偕老
Well then, let us drink, and grow old together.
佳肴备好共饮美酒，与你相亲相爱白头偕老。
Now let us drink our fill, and grow old together with you.
此句由射猎、烹调的日常行动，转入对白头之约的深情表白，是次章的情感枢纽。宜言饮酒写夫妻相对饮酒的温馨场景，一个宜字写出酒菜相得、人亦相得的和谐；与子偕老四字直抒心愿，是全诗最动人的誓言，与《邶风·击鼓》「执子之手，与子偕老」同一机杼，而此处出自妻子之口，更见情意之真切。值得注意的是，诗人不写花前月下的浪漫，而写劳作之后共饮的一杯酒，正是这寻常的一饮，见出夫妻相守的可贵。此句上承弋凫雁、宜之的劳作，下启琴瑟静好的愿景，把现实的烟火气与理想的深情融为一体，是全诗由行动写情转向以誓言写情的关键，读来温厚而动人。
The vow. Well then, let us drink, and grow old together. The let-us-drink and the grow-old-together are the pledge. To have grown old together would be a growing; the well-then-let-us-drink-and-grow-old-together is the growing.
琴瑟在御，莫不静好
The qin and se are played; all is quiet and good.
琴瑟就在身旁弹奏，夫妻生活无不安宁美好。
The qin and se are played at hand; nothing is not quiet and good.
此句以器物写情感，是千古传诵的名句。琴瑟是古代弦乐器，古以琴瑟和鸣喻夫妇和谐，在御即陈设在旁，写琴瑟正被弹奏的实景；莫不静好四字则从实景宕开，写琴声和鸣所象征的夫妻生活的安宁美好。静字言其安定，好字言其和美，二字组合，把抽象的婚姻幸福写得具体可感：仿佛那和谐的琴声就是夫妻生活的写照，琴瑟相和，人亦相和。这句的妙处在虚实相生：琴瑟在御是眼前实景，莫不静好是心中愿景，由实入虚，余韵悠长。后世以琴瑟代指夫妻，以静好形容婚姻，皆源于此，其以物写情、含蓄蕴藉的手法，正是《诗经》比兴传统的典范，为历代闺情诗所取法。
The harmony. The qin and se are played; all is quiet and good. The qin-se-played and the all-quiet-good are the famous line. To have been played would be a being; the the-qin-and-se-are-played-all-is-quiet-and-good is the being.
知子之好之，杂佩以报之
Knowing your love for me, I answer you with all my pendants.
知道你对我真心喜爱，解下杂佩报答你。
Knowing how you love me, I repay you with my pendants.
此句是末章三叠之收束，写妻子以佩玉回报丈夫的深情。知子之好之与前面知子之来之、知子之顺之排比成章，三句句式全同，仅换来、顺、好三字，层层递进：来写丈夫到来，顺写性情温顺，好写情意深厚，由行为而性情而情感，步步深入。杂佩以报之写妻子解下身上佩玉相赠，以最珍贵的信物回应丈夫的爱意，赠之、问之、报之三个动词写出回报的郑重与深情。重章叠句的运用使情感层层加厚，一唱三叹，真挚而不艳俗。与《静女》赠彤管的含蓄相比，此诗直写报答，情感更为浓烈，把先秦平民夫妻之间朴素而深沉的爱情写得动人心弦，是全诗情感的高潮。
The pendants. Knowing your love for me, I answer you with all my pendants. The knowing-your-love and the answer-with-pendants are the close. To have known your love would be a knowing; the knowing-your-love-for-me-i-answer-you-with-all-my-pendants is the knowing.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Both write love through gifts; 'The Retiring Girl' meets at the corner, 'The Wife Says the Cock Crows' gives pendants in return—read for the 'Airs' frankness.
《静女》与《女曰鸡鸣》同属《诗经》情诗，皆以赠物传情，而一写未婚男女之幽会，一写婚后夫妻之相报。《静女》写男子赴约、静女赠彤管，爱情在羞涩与欣喜中展开，彤管之红正如少女之娇美；《女曰鸡鸣》写夫妻晨起对话，妻子以杂佩相赠，深情在日常劳作中沉淀，佩玉之坚正如婚姻之固。二诗一则以物写爱之初萌，一则以物写情之久长，恰好构成《国风》情诗的两种类型。从艺术上看，《静女》以细节与心理见长，《女曰鸡鸣》以对话与排比取胜，均可作为先秦情诗白描艺术的代表。合读二诗，可见《诗经》写情的质朴与丰富。
淇奥 The Banks of the Qi 诗经 · 同出《国风》，一写夫妇情好，一赞君子品德 Different (one conjugal love, one praise of virtue)Both in the 'Airs' but of different themes; 'The Banks of the Qi' praises a gentleman's virtue with bamboo, 'The Wife Says the Cock Crows' the warmth of a married couple—contrast private and public.
《淇奥》与《女曰鸡鸣》皆以具体意象写人，而题材一为赞君子之德，一为写夫妇之情。《淇奥》以绿竹猗猗起兴，反复咏叹卫武公的品德学问，「瞻彼淇奥，绿竹猗猗」的意象清雅庄重，属美颂之体；《女曰鸡鸣》以鸡鸣昧旦的对话起笔，写射猎烹调、琴瑟杂佩的日常，意象朴素亲切，属抒情之作。二诗同用重章叠句的章法，而一以咏叹增其庄重，一以复沓增其深情。对照读之，可见《国风》题材之广阔与手法之多样：既能以竹喻德，写出君子的风范，也能以鸡鸣入诗，写出平民的恩爱，这正是《诗经》现实主义精神的体现。