Guan Guanjujiu,
guān guān jū jiū
In the river continent.
zài hé zhī zhōu
My fair lady,
yǎo tiǎo shū nǚ
A gentleman likes to be a rebel.
jūn zǐ hǎo qiú
The waterlilies are mixed,
cēn cī xìng cài
It flows left and right.
zuǒ yoù líu zhī
My fair lady,
yǎo tiǎo shū nǚ
I have longed for it.
wù mèi qiú zhī
I can’t get what I want,
qiú zhī bù dé
I am convinced.
wù mèi sī fú
Leisurely,
Yōu zāi yōu zāi
Tossing and turning.
zhǎn zhuǎn fǎn cè
Pluck it from left to right.
zuǒ yoù cǎi zhī
My fair lady,
yǎo tiǎo shū nǚ
The piano and the sesame are friends.
qín sè yǒu zhī
Different water-lilies,
cēn cī xìng cài
Leaves and branches on the left and right.
zuǒ yoù mào zhī
My fair lady,
yǎo tiǎo shū nǚ
The music of bells and drums.
zhōng gǔ yào zhī
Vernacular translation
The chirping doves accompany each other on the small island in the river. That beautiful and virtuous woman is a good spouse for a gentleman.
Pluck the jagged watercress from left to right. That beautiful and virtuous woman wanted to pursue her every time she woke up or went to sleep.
I pursue her but I can’t get her. I miss her day and night. The long longing makes it difficult to fall asleep.
Pick the uneven waterlilies from left to right. The beautiful and virtuous woman played the harp and harp to get close to her.
Pluck the uneven waterlilies from left to right. The beautiful and virtuous woman beat the bells and drums to please her.
Literary Appreciation
This short poem "Guofeng·Zhou Nan·Guan Ju" occupies a special position in the history of Chinese literature. It is the first chapter of the Book of Songs, the oldest classic of Chinese literature. Although judging from their nature, some mythological stories should have been produced earlier, but as written records, they are relatively late. So it can be said that when you look at the history of Chinese literature, the first thing you encounter is "Guan Ju".
It is unknown whether the people who originally compiled the Book of Songs had any intention in the arrangement of the poems. But at least the understanding of later generations does not think that "Guan Ju" was randomly ranked first. "The Analects" mentions "Poems" (i.e. "The Book of Songs") many times, but the only work that makes specific evaluation is "Guanyong", which is called "joy but not obscene, sad but not sad". In his opinion, "Guan Ju" is a model of the virtue of "gold mean". The "Preface to Mao's Poems" by Han Confucians also said: "The beginning of "Wind", so the wind of the world is the right couple. Therefore, the people of the country are used, and the country is used." This involves a kind of ancient Chinese Ethical Thoughts: According to the ancients, husband and wife are the beginning of human relations, and the perfection of all morality in the world must be based on the virtue of husband and wife. The author of "Preface to Mao's Poems" believes that "Guanyong" has exemplary significance in this regard, so it is listed as "the beginning of "Feng"". It can be used to influence the world, and it is applicable not only to "villagers", that is, ordinary people, but also to "states," that is, the ruling class.
The content of "Guan Ju" is actually very simple. It is about a "gentleman"'s pursuit of a "lady". He was distressed when he couldn't get the "lady" and couldn't sleep because of tossing and turning; when he got the "lady," The "lady" was very happy and asked people to play music to celebrate, thus making the "lady" happy. The identity of the characters in the work is very clear: "Gentleman" was a general term for aristocrats in the era of "The Book of Songs", and this "gentleman" had to have a certain status if he had music of harps, bells and drums at home. In the past, this poem was often interpreted as a "folk love song", but I'm afraid that's wrong. It should describe the life of the aristocratic class. In addition, it is certainly true to say that it is a love poem, but I am afraid it is not an ordinary love poem. This turned out to be a wedding song, which was sung by the groom’s family to praise the bride and wish them a happy marriage.
Many ballads in "The Book of Songs: Guofeng" have general lyrical meaning, entertainment function, and ceremonial practicality. However, the original purpose of some poems is unclear to later generations, so they are regarded as ordinary songs. of songs. Looking at "Guan Ju" as a wedding song, it is also joyful and appropriate to sing from "A graceful lady, a gentleman likes to be brave" to "Friends with harps and harps" and "Music of bells and drums".
Of course, the poem itself is still in the form of a love song about a man pursuing a woman. The reason for this is probably related to the fact that in general marriage relationships, the man is the active party. Even in modern times, when a girl falls in love with a guy, she always waits for him to speak first, and this was even more true for the ancients. When you come back with a bride, praise her as a beautiful and virtuous girl, a good spouse for a gentleman, and say that you missed her to the point of being lovesick, you will definitely please the bride. Then amidst the music of harps, bells and drums, their feelings came closer to each other, and a happy marriage began from here. Even from the perspective of the emotional structure of the poem, from seeing Guan Ju and thinking about the lady to forming a good relationship with Qin and Se, some twists and turns are necessary in the middle: only hard-earned things are particularly valuable and particularly joyful.
This poem can be regarded as a model of the virtues of a couple, mainly because of these characteristics: First, the love it writes about has a clear purpose of marriage from the beginning, and ultimately it comes down to marriage. The happiness of love is not a brief encounter or a momentary passion between young men and women. This kind of love that clearly points to marriage and expresses responsibility is more recognized by society. Secondly, the men and women it writes about are "gentleman" and "lady", indicating that this is a union associated with virtue. "Gentleman" has dual meanings of status and virtue, while "fair lady" also means both physical beauty and good moral conduct. The combination of "gentleman" and "lady" here represents an ideal of marriage. Thirdly, it is the moderation of love behavior written in poems. If you read it carefully, you will notice that although this poem is about a man's pursuit of a woman, it does not involve any direct contact between the two parties. Although the "lady" did not show any movements, the "gentleman" only "tossed and turned" alone there. Things like climbing walls and breaking willows seemed to have never occurred to her at all, and she was very disciplined in her love. This kind of love not only contains real and profound feelings (which is very important for love poems), but is also expressed in a gentle and measured way, so that it does not move the reader too intensely. The above characteristics are probably related to the fact that this poem was originally a song at a noble wedding. That kind of occasion requires a controlled and joyful atmosphere commensurate with the owner's status. Confucius saw in it the beauty of harmony with broad significance, thereby advocating the life attitude of self-restraint and emphasizing moral cultivation that he respected. The "Preface to Mao's Poems" commended it as one that can "wind the world and rectify the couple" Moral textbook. The two perspectives are somewhat different, but they are still fundamentally the same.
The ancient Confucians valued the virtues of husband and wife, and there was a profound reason for this. In the first sense, the family is the basic unit of social organization. In ancient times, the harmony and stability of this basic unit was of great significance to the harmony and stability of the entire social order. In the second sense, the so-called "virtue of husband and wife" actually refers to all aspects related to issues between men and women. "Eat and drink, men and women, preserve the great desires of human beings" ("Book of Rites: Liyun"). Confucius also knew that this is a basic requirement for human survival. The desire to eat is relatively simple (of course, you must have food first), but the emotional activities caused by the desire of men and women are much more complex, active, and intense, and its potential dangers to living standards and social order are also much greater. Confucius also lamented : "I have never seen anyone who loves virtue as much as he loves sex." ("The Analects") Therefore, all restraint and all cultivation must first start with the desire of men and women. This is of course necessary, but how much restraint is appropriate is a complex issue, which involves a combination of social material production levels, political structure, cultural traditions and other factors, as well as changes in the conditions of the times. When a society attempts to adopt a radical negative attitude towards individual rights, severe prohibitions will first appear in this regard. On the contrary, when a society is in a period of change and old moral norms are destroyed, unbridled behavior will first appear in this regard. Going back to "Guanyong", what it praises is a kind of love that is emotionally restrained, cautious in behavior, and aims at marital harmony. Therefore, Confucian scholars feel that this is a good model and a "righteous couple" and thus guides a wide range of people. Textbook of virtue.
Since "Guan Ju" not only recognizes the love between men and women as a natural and normal emotion, but also requires that this emotion be restrained so that it conforms to social virtues, people in later generations often take what they need. On the one hand, it is extended and developed, and people who resist the inhuman oppression of feudal ethics often use the authoritative banner of "Guan Ju" to assert their right to satisfy their personal emotions. The so-called "poetry has no meaning" can be seen in "Guanyong".
"The Book of Songs·Guan Ju" phonetic version