先秦 Pre-Qin · 诗经 Classic of Poetry
淇奥
The Bend of the Qi
瞻彼淇奥，绿竹猗猗。
有匪君子，如切如磋，如琢如磨。
瑟兮僴兮，赫兮咺兮。
有匪君子，终不可谖兮。
瞻彼淇奥，绿竹青青。
有匪君子，充耳琇莹，会弁如星。
瑟兮僴兮，赫兮咺兮。
有匪君子，终不可谖兮。
瞻彼淇奥，绿竹如箦。
有匪君子，如金如锡，如圭如璧。
宽兮绰兮，猗重较兮。
善戏谑兮，不为虐兮。
There is the refined gentleman, as if cut, as if filed, as if carved, as if ground.
Awed, how firm; bright, how plain.
There is the refined gentleman—never to be forgotten.
Look to the bend of the Qi—green bamboo, blue and green.
There is the refined gentleman, his ear-plugs bright jade, his cap like stars.
Awed, how firm; bright, how plain.
There is the refined gentleman—never to be forgotten.
Look to the bend of the Qi—green bamboo, dense as a mat.
There is the refined gentleman, as gold, as tin, as sceptre, as disc.
Wide, how ample; leaning on the cross-bar.
He is good at jesting—yet not to wound.
Meaning
See the bend of the Qi, green bamboo lush and fair. There is a refined gentleman, as bone and horn are cut and filed, as jade and stone are carved and ground. Awed, how firm; bright, how plain. Such a refined gentleman—never to be forgotten. See the bend of the Qi, green bamboo blue and green. There is a refined gentleman, his ear-plugs bright jade, his cap like stars. Awed, how firm; bright, how plain. Such a refined gentleman—never to be forgotten. See the bend of the Qi, green bamboo dense as a mat. There is a refined gentleman, as gold and tin, as sceptre and disc. Wide, how ample; he leans on the cross-bar. He is good at jesting—yet never to wound.
看那淇水弯曲的地方，绿竹葱茏又繁盛。有一位文雅的君子，如骨角经切磋、如玉石经琢磨。庄严啊刚毅啊，显赫啊光明啊。这样一位文雅的君子，终究不能让人遗忘。看那淇水弯曲的地方，绿竹青翠又茂盛。有一位文雅的君子，耳坠琇莹、皮冠如星。庄严啊刚毅啊，显赫啊光明啊。这样一位文雅的君子，终究不能让人遗忘。看那淇水弯曲的地方，绿竹密密如席。有一位文雅的君子，如金锡般纯粹、如圭璧般温润。宽厚啊从容啊，倚着车轼啊。善于说笑啊，却从不刻薄伤人。
Appreciation
This poem's art lies in 'figuring virtue by things, advancing by repeated chapters'. All three chapters lead with 'look to the bend of the Qi, green bamboo ××'; the green bamboo moves from 'lush and fair' to 'blue and green' to 'dense as a mat', figuring the gentleman's virtue deepening chapter by chapter. The middle spreads linked metaphors: 'as if cut, filed, carved, ground' describes learning's advance; 'as gold, tin, sceptre, disc' describes virtue's purity and warmth. The reduplicative adjectives 'awed, how firm; bright, how plain' write his bearing; the last chapter's 'he is good at jesting—yet not to wound' joins hard and soft, showing closeness within the solemn, a full and solid figure.
【白话串讲】 “瞻彼淇奥，绿竹猗猗。有匪君子，如切如磋，如琢如磨”——看那淇水岸边，绿竹青青。那个君子，像切磋过的美玉。“如切如磋”这个词，就是从这首诗来的。 【意象与手法】 本诗艺术特色在以物喻德、重章递进。三章皆以「瞻彼淇奥，绿竹××」领起，绿竹由「猗猗」而「青青」而「如箦」，喻君子修养层层深造；中幅连用博喻：「如切如磋，如琢如磨」状学问精进，「如金如锡，如圭如璧」状德性纯粹温润；「瑟兮僴兮，赫兮咺兮」叠用形容词写威仪，末章「善戏谑兮，不为虐兮」刚柔相济，于庄重中见亲和。 【情感与主旨】 《淇奥》为《诗经·卫风》中的颂赞诗，汉代《毛诗序》谓「美武公之德也」，以为卫人歌颂卫武公好学自修、有君子之德。卫地滨临淇水，自古多竹，诗以淇园之竹起兴，当用于贵族燕饮、朝会等颂赞场合。全诗三章，以绿竹之葱郁喻君子德行日进，是《诗经》中赞美理想人格「君子」最具代表性的篇章之一。 【名句点睛】 中高考考点：一、主旨——把握对「君子」道德修养与温润人格的赞美；二、名句——「如切如磋，如琢如磨」的含意及后世引申（治学修身之道）；三、手法——重章叠句与博喻的运用。
Background
Qi Yu is a praise-poem in the 'Airs of the States · Wei' of the Book of Songs. The Han Mao Commentary Preface says 'it praises Lord Wu's virtue'; the three schools mostly follow, taking it as Wei people praising Lord Wu of Wei's love of learning and self-cultivation, his gentleman's virtue. Wei borders the Qi river, rich in bamboo since old times; the poem evokes with the Qi-garden bamboo, fit for noble feast and court praise. Three chapters, the green bamboo's lushness figures the gentleman's virtue daily advancing—one of the Book of Songs' most representative pieces praising the ideal person 'the gentleman', greatly influencing the later 'bamboo' and 'green bamboo' imagery.
《淇奥》为《诗经·卫风》中的颂赞诗，是《诗经》中赞美「君子」品格最具代表性的篇章之一。汉代《毛诗序》谓「《淇奥》，美武公之德也。有文章，又能听其规谏，以礼自防，故能入相于周」，三家诗多从其说，以为卫人歌颂卫武公。卫武公为卫国第十一位国君，名和，西周厉王时入朝为卿士，犬戎之乱中辅佐周平王东迁，功业卓著，年九十五犹「箴儆于国」，好学自修、从善如流，是历史上著名的贤君。诗以淇水之滨的绿竹起兴，卫地古属殷商旧都，淇水自太行东流，两岸多竹，史称「淇园」产竹，汉武帝时河决瓠子，曾「下淇园之竹以为楗」，可见其盛；故「瞻彼淇奥，绿竹猗猗」既是实写卫地风光，更是以竹起兴——竹之中空外直、四季常青、丛生有节，正与君子虚心、正直、坚贞、有节的品格相合。此诗当用于贵族燕饮、朝会等颂赞场合，以绿竹之葱郁喻君子德行日进，以切磋琢磨喻其修身之功，是「以物喻德」的典范，其「绿竹」意象更开启了中国文学「竹比君子」的悠久传统。
Art
This poem's art lies in 'figuring virtue by things, advancing by repeated chapters'. All three chapters lead with 'look to the bend of the Qi, green bamboo ××'; the green bamboo moves from 'lush and fair' to 'blue and green' to 'dense as a mat', figuring the gentleman's virtue deepening chapter by chapter, and forming a repeated-chapter progression whose sound and feeling return. The middle spreads linked metaphors: 'as if cut, filed, carved, ground' figures learning's advance; 'as gold, tin, sceptre, disc' figures virtue's purity and warmth. 'Awed, how firm; bright, how plain' stacks adjectives to write his bearing; the last chapter's 'he is good at jesting—yet not to wound' joins hard and soft, showing closeness within the solemn, a full and solid figure.
此诗艺术上最突出的特色，是以物喻德、重章递进的结构与连用博喻的修辞，把抽象的「君子之德」写得具体可感、层层深入。全诗三章，章法上重章叠句：每章皆以「瞻彼淇奥，绿竹××」领起，而绿竹的形容逐章变化——首章「猗猗」（美盛），次章「青青」（青翠），三章「如箦」（密如竹席），三变之间，竹由稀疏而繁盛而茂密，喻君子之德由初成而渐进而大成，层层深造，正如《大学》所谓「苟日新，日日新，又日新」。中幅连用博喻写君子之德：首章「如切如磋，如琢如磨」——以骨角象牙的切磋、玉石美璞的琢磨，喻君子学问道德的切磋琢磨、精益求精，此语本《礼记·大学》「如切如磋者，道学也；如琢如磨者，自修也」，成为后世治学修身的经典喻象；三章「如金如锡，如圭如璧」——金锡言其精纯，圭璧言其温润，喻君子德性之纯粹与温厚。每章又以「瑟兮僴兮，赫兮咺兮」叠用形容词写其威仪庄重、光明磊落，末章更以「宽兮绰兮」「善戏谑兮，不为虐兮」写其宽厚从容、幽默而有分寸，刚柔相济，庄谐得体，使君子的形象既有威严又有亲和，立体丰满。全诗以比兴为骨、以叠咏为神，是《诗经》「赋比兴」手法的完美运用。
Allusions
The poem's 'as if cut, filed, carved, ground' transforms the Great Learning's 'as if cut and filed means pursuing learning; as if carved and ground means self-cultivation'—originally the working of bone, horn, jade, stone, later an allusion for studying and self-cultivation. 'His ear-plugs bright jade, his cap like stars' writes the ancient scholar-official's cap ornaments (ear-plugs, cap); 'bright jade' is fine stone, 'cap like stars' a cap studded with jade, using the rite-costume allusion to show his status and bearing. The 'green bamboo' image opens the later 'bamboo figures the gentleman' tradition, fitting the Wei land and the Qi-garden bamboo fact.
此诗用典与意象皆植根于周代礼乐文化，内涵深厚。「如切如磋，如琢如磨」一语，本为治骨角、治玉石的手工艺语：切、磋为治骨角之法，琢、磨为治玉石之法，《诗经》原以之喻君子修身如治器物，精益求精；《礼记·大学》引此句并释云「如切如磋者，道学也；如琢如磨者，自修也」，此后遂成儒家治学修身的经典成语，孔子与子贡论诗亦引此句（见《论语·学而》），可见其深远影响。「充耳琇莹，会弁如星」写君子之服饰：「充耳」为古代冠冕两侧垂下的饰物，以瑱（玉石）为之，悬于耳旁，是大夫以上贵族的礼制装饰；「琇莹」为美石，《说文》释「琇」为美玉次玉者；「会弁」指缀玉的皮弁冠，缝中缀玉如星，是周代贵族朝服之制。诗人以服饰之美写德容之盛，正见周人以「服以旌德」的礼乐观念——君子的华美服饰是其美好德行的外化。此外，「绿竹」意象开启「竹比君子」传统，与《卫风》地望及淇园产竹的史实相合，后世「竹林七贤」、王徽之「何可一日无此君」皆承此脉。诗中意象皆礼制之实、文化之根，读之可见周代礼乐文明的风貌。
Commentary
The Mao Preface says: 'Qi Yu praises Lord Wu's virtue.' Zhu Xi's Poetry Commentary says: 'fei is the look of pattern and brightness… it means his virtue's achievement, patterned and visible.' Fang Yurun, in Origin of the Book of Songs, calls it 'describing to the utmost, no beauty not complete'. Qing Chen Huan also said 'green bamboo figures Lord Wu's virtue, advancing without bound'. The phrase 'as if cut, filed' became a classic metaphor in Chinese culture for self-cultivation and study, far-reaching.
此诗作为《诗经》颂赞诗的代表，历来评价极高，影响深远。《毛诗序》谓「美武公之德」，确立了此诗的赞美主旨；朱熹《诗集传》解「有匪君子」之「匪」为「文章著见之貌」，评其「言其德之成就，有文采而可观」，以为诗中「如切如磋」「如金如锡」等语，写尽了君子德行的完备；清人方玉润《诗经原始》称此诗「极意形容，无美不备」，谓其「以竹起兴，以切磋琢磨、金锡圭璧为喻，把一位君子的学问、威仪、品性写得面面俱到」；陈奂《诗毛氏传疏》亦谓「绿竹喻武公之德，日进无疆」。「如切如磋，如琢如磨」一语，经《大学》《论语》引用后，更成为中华文化中治学修身的经典喻象，至今仍活在日常语言中；「淇奥」「绿竹」亦成为君子品格的代称，后世诗文屡屡化用。就文学史意义言，此诗是「比德」传统（以自然物象比喻道德品格）的源头之一——从《淇奥》的绿竹比德，到屈原《橘颂》的橘树言志，再到后世咏竹、咏梅、咏松的浩荡传统，皆可溯源于此。此诗以一「君子」的完美形象，树立了中国士人「文质彬彬、温润如玉」的人格理想，其影响早已超越诗歌本身。
Prosody
Line by line
如切如磋，如琢如磨
As if cut, as if filed, as if carved, as if ground.
如骨角经切磋、如玉石经琢磨
Like horn cut and filed, like jade carved and polished.
此二句是全诗最著名的句子，以器物加工喻学问修养，是中国文化中修身治学的经典喻象。「如切如磋」以治骨角为喻——切是切割，磋是锉磨，骨角之器须经切磋方成；「如琢如磨」以治玉石为喻——琢是雕琢，磨是磨光，玉石之美须经琢磨方显。诗人以四字（切、磋、琢、磨）写尽制作精器的四道工序，喻君子修身的四个阶段：学问要切磋，道德要琢磨，精益求精、永无止境。此二句的深意在于「功夫」二字：君子之德非天生完备，而是如器物之加工，须经长期的磨砺砥砺，这正是儒家「学以致道」「修身以敬」精神的诗化表达。后世《礼记·大学》释此句为「道学」「自修」，《论语》中孔子与子贡论诗亦引之，此二句遂由《诗经》进入儒家经典系统，成为治学、修身、自省的通用之语，其影响之深远，在《诗经》中罕有其匹。
The crafts. Like horn cut and filed, like jade carved and polished. The horn-cut-filed and the jade-carved-polished are the cultivation. To have been cut and filed would be a cutting; the like-horn-cut-and-filed-like-jade-carved-and-polished is the cutting.
瑟兮僴兮，赫兮咺兮
Awed, how firm; bright, how plain.
庄严啊刚毅啊，显赫啊光明啊
Grave he is and stern, illustrious and bright.
此二句叠用形容词，状君子之威仪，是全诗写「容」的传神之笔，音情并茂。「瑟」本指瑟然庄重之貌，「僴」为刚毅果敢之貌，「赫」为显赫盛大之貌，「咺」为光明磊落之貌，四个形容词连用，把君子的威仪写得既有内在的庄重刚毅，又有外在的显赫光明——「瑟」「僴」写其内在之气骨，肃然有威、刚毅不屈；「赫」「咺」写其外在之气象，光明显赫、令人景仰。四字皆以「兮」字领收，感叹语气层层递进，读来如见其人：一位庄严刚毅、光彩照人的君子立于眼前。此二句与「如切如磋」的学问、「如琢如磨」的道德相配合：有切磋琢磨之功于内，自有瑟僴赫咺之容于外，内圣而外王，正是儒家「诚于中，形于外」的观念。二句在每章中重复出现（重章叠句），以回环咏叹强化君子的威仪形象，是《诗经》「一唱三叹」手法的典型运用。
The presence. Grave he is and stern, illustrious and bright. The grave-stern and the illustrious-bright are the bearing. To have been grave would be a being; the grave-he-is-and-stern-illustrious-and-bright is the being.
如金如锡，如圭如璧
Like refined gold, like pure tin; like a gui tablet, like a bi disc.
如金锡般纯粹、如圭璧般温润
Like gold, like tin; like the gui tablet, like the bi disc.
此二句出于第三章，以金锡圭璧喻君子德性之纯粹温润，是首章「切磋琢磨」的深化与完成。「如金如锡」以金属为喻——金为黄金，锡为精锡，皆冶炼精纯之金属，喻君子德性之纯粹无杂；「如圭如璧」以玉器为喻——圭为长方形玉器、璧为圆形玉器，皆为礼器，喻君子品性之温润端方。二句连用四物，两两相对：金锡言其精，圭璧言其温；金锡是冶出来的，圭璧是琢出来的，正与首章「切磋琢磨」呼应——经过切磋琢磨的加工，君子如金锡般纯粹、如圭璧般温润，其德性已达到精纯无瑕、温润如玉的境界。此二句的深意在于「德」与「器」的合一：金锡圭璧皆贵重之器，君子以之自比，既见其德之贵重，又见其器之可用——德才兼备，堪当大任。以金玉喻君子，遂成中国文学的传统，后世「金玉其质」「温润如玉」皆源于此，是《淇奥》对中国文人理想人格的深远馈赠。
The metal. Like refined gold, like pure tin; like a gui tablet, like a bi disc. The refined-gold-pure-tin and the gui-tablet-bi-disc are the purity. To have been like gold would be a being; the like-refined-gold-like-pure-tin-like-a-gui-tablet-like-a-bi-disc is the being.
善戏谑兮，不为虐兮
He is good at jesting—yet not to wound.
善于说笑啊，却从不刻薄伤人
He is good at jesting, but never goes too far.
此二句是全诗最见人情味的句子，写君子幽默而有分寸的谈吐，于庄重之外见亲和，使「君子」的形象由完美走向亲切。「善戏谑兮」写其善于说笑——君子并非道貌岸然的木偶，而是风趣幽默、善于言笑的人；「不为虐兮」写其分寸——说笑而不过分，诙谐而不刻薄，从不伤人自尊。「善」与「不为」对举，写出君子幽默的限度：幽默是修养，分寸是德性，既能活跃气氛、亲近他人，又能恪守礼义、不失体统。此二句的深意在于「中和」二字：前文写君子的庄严刚毅（瑟兮僴兮）、显赫光明（赫兮咺兮），皆是「刚」的一面；此二句写其宽厚幽默，是「柔」的一面，刚柔相济、宽严得体，正是儒家「中庸」之德的完美体现——「宽兮绰兮」的宽厚从容，加上「善戏谑兮」的幽默风趣，一个既有威仪又不失亲和、既有原则又通人情的君子形象，至此丰满立体，跃然纸上。此二句亦为后世「君子之交淡如水」的温润人格提供了源头。
The jest. He is good at jesting, but never goes too far. The good-at-jesting and the never-goes-too-far are the human touch. To have jested well would be a jesting; the he-is-good-at-jesting-but-never-goes-too-far is the jesting.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Both describe a person by spreading appearance; 'The Tall Lady' writes Lady Zhuang's beauty, 'Qi Yu' writes the gentleman's virtue—compare person-writing brushes.
《硕人》「手如柔荑，肤如凝脂，领如蝤蛴，齿如瓠犀，螓首蛾眉」与《淇奥》同出《卫风》，同以铺陈手法写人，而所写对象与侧重迥异：《硕人》写卫庄公夫人庄姜之美，连用柔荑、凝脂、蝤蛴、瓠犀等喻写其容貌体态，是「美」的极致，铺陈的是感官之美；《淇奥》写卫武公之德，以切磋琢磨、金锡圭璧喻其学问品性，是「德」的极致，铺陈的是道德之美。一写美人、一写君子，一以形胜、一以德胜，正可见《诗经》写人艺术的两极：前者是后世「咏美人」传统的源头，后者是「咏君子」传统的源头。二诗并读，可见周人对「美」与「德」的两种礼赞，亦可比较《诗经》铺陈手法在写形与写德中的不同运用。
君子于役 A Gentleman's Service 诗经 · 同标「君子」而一颂德一写怨，可见《诗经》中「君子」义涵之广 Different (gentleman image vs a wife's complaint)Both mark 'gentleman' yet one praises virtue one writes grievance—see the broad sense of 'gentleman' in the Book of Songs.
《君子于役》「君子于役，不知其期。曷至哉？鸡栖于埘，日之夕矣，羊牛下来。君子于役，如之何勿思」与此诗同以「君子」为题，而「君子」的所指与情感截然不同：《淇奥》之「君子」为被颂赞的贤者（卫武公），是道德理想的人格化身，诗人以绿竹、金玉为喻，铺陈其德之完备，情感是仰慕与礼赞；《君子于役》之「君子」为服役远行的丈夫，诗人以「鸡栖于埘，日之夕矣」的黄昏之景写思妇的牵挂，情感是思念与怨望。一颂一怨、一赞一思，可见《诗经》中「君子」一词既可指有德者（称德），亦可指丈夫（称夫），其义涵随语境而变。二诗并读，正可见《诗经》语言的弹性与周人情感世界的丰富，亦可比较颂赞体与抒情体两种诗歌类型的差异。
君子阳阳 The Gentleman Radiant 诗经 · 同为「君子」题咏，一写德容一写闲适，视角各异 Same (gentleman topic)Both 'gentleman' lyrics; one writes leisure, one writes bearing—different angles.
《君子阳阳》「君子阳阳，左执簧，右招我由房。其乐只且」与此诗同以「君子」为题咏对象，而面目迥异：《淇奥》写君子的德容威仪——切磋琢磨的学问、瑟僴赫咺的威仪、金锡圭璧的品性，是「庙堂」中的君子，庄重崇高；《君子阳阳》写君子的闲适之乐——左手执笙簧，右手招我入房，其乐融融，是「燕居」中的君子，和乐逍遥。一写「德」、一写「乐」，一庄一谐，正可见《诗经》中「君子」形象的两面：既有修身齐家、以礼自防的严肃一面，也有鼓瑟吹笙、与友同乐的亲和一面。二诗并读，可见周人对理想人格的完整想象——德与乐兼备、庄与谐并具，方为完整的「君子」，亦可比较颂赞体与燕飨体（宴饮诗）两种诗歌功能的差异。