Translated as:
In July the fires fall to the west, and in September women sew cold clothes. The north wind blows strongly in November, and the cold air blows in December. How can I spend the end of the year without good clothes or rough clothes? In the first month, we started to repair the hoe and plow, and in the second month, we went to the fields to cultivate. He took his wife and children with him and delivered the rice to the land in the sun. The field officer was very happy.
In July the fire falls to the west, and in September women sew cold clothes. The spring sunshine is warm and the oriole sings gracefully. The girl carried a deep bamboo basket and walked along the path. Reach out to pick the tender mulberry leaves, the days are getting longer with the coming of spring. People came and went to pick the white mugwort, and the girl felt very sad, fearing that she would marry a nobleman in another country.
The fire will fall to the west in July, and the reeds will be cut in August. In March, I pruned the mulberry branches and got a sharp axe. Cut off the tall and long branches and pick the young mulberries on the thin branches. In July, shrike cries, and in August, weaving of flax begins. The dyed silk is either black or yellow, but my red color is brighter, and I am dedicated to making clothes for noble people.
Polygala bears seeds in April, and cicadas scream in May. The fields are busy harvesting in August, and the leaves on the trees fall in October. In November, go up to the mountains to hunt raccoon dogs. You can hunt good fox furs and give them to the nobles to make fur coats. In December, the hunters gather and continue to practice their hunting skills. If you hunt a small pig, you can keep it for yourself; if you hunt a big pig, you can offer it to the prince.
In May, grasshoppers bounce their legs and cry, in June, weavers flutter their wings. Crickets are in the fields in July and under the eaves in August. Crickets come through the door in September and crawl under my bed in October. Block the rat holes to smoke out the rats, seal the north window and paste the cracks in the door. I sigh that my wife and children are so pitiful. At the end of the year and the New Year approaching, I moved into this house to make myself safe.
Plums and grapes are eaten in June, and sunflower and beans are cooked in July. Date harvesting begins in August, and rice harvesting begins in October. The brewed spring wine is delicious and fragrant, and brings longevity to the owner. You can eat melons in July, and pick gourds in August. In September, we pick up autumn pockmarks, pick bitter herbs and cut firewood to feed the farmers and put their minds at ease.
The threshing floor is built in September, and the crops are harvested in October. Millet, early rice and late rice, millet, hemp, beans and wheat are all put into the warehouse. I sigh that I am a farmer who works so hard. I have just finished harvesting my crops and am building a palace for the official family. During the day, I had to cut thatch, and at night, I was busy rubbing ropes. Hurry up and repair the house, and you have to plant hundreds of grains in the spring.
The ice is cut in December and moved into the ice cellar in the first month. At the beginning of February, ancestors are worshiped and leeks and lambs are offered. Frost comes in September, and the threshing floor is cleaned in October. Two troughs of fine wine were served to the guests, and a lamb was slaughtered for everyone to taste. Climb up to the master's temple, raise a glass of wine to honor the master, and shout in unison that longevity is boundless.
Extended information
"Guo Feng·Bin Feng·July" is the longest poem in "The Book of Songs·Guo Feng". "Hanshu Geography" says: "In the past, Hou Ji was granted the title of Zhu, Gong Liu Chubin, King Tai moved to Qi, King Wen made ferment, and King Wu governed Hao. Their people had the legacy of the previous kings, good at farming, and engaged in their own business, so Bin's poem said Farmers and mulberries are well prepared for food and clothing." According to this, this article is dated to the early Western Zhou Dynasty, that is, the period of Gong Liu Chubin.
Bindi is located in the area of ??Xunyi and Bin County in present-day Shaanxi Province. During the Gongliu period, the ancestors of Zhou Dynasty were still an agricultural tribe.
"July" reflects the working life of this tribe throughout the year, involving all aspects of clothing, food, housing and transportation. Its author must be a member of the tribe, so his tone is cool and his angles are extremely accurate, showing it from all sides. It captures the customs of the society at that time, including spring plowing, autumn harvest, winter storage, mulberry picking, dyeing, sewing, hunting, house building, wine making, labor, and banquets.
The poem was written starting from July. According to the order of farming activities, the various scenes are unfolded month by month in a straightforward narrative method.
The poem uses a weekly calendar. The weekly calendar uses November of the Xia calendar (today's lunar calendar, also known as the lunar calendar) as the first month, and July, August, September, October, April, May, and June are all the same as the Xia calendar. "Day of the First", "Day of the Second", "Day of the Third" and "Day of the Fourth" are November, December, January and February of the lunar calendar. "Silkworm Moon" is the third month of the lunar calendar.
The first chapter summarizes the life of workers throughout the year with a bird's-eye view, showing readers that miserable and difficult time. At the same time, it also sets the tone for subsequent chapters and reminds the general outline. Zhu Xi's "Collected Poems" says: "The first part of this chapter talks about the beginning of clothing, and the second part talks about the beginning of eating. Chapters 2 to 5 end with the meaning of the first part. Chapters 6 to 8 end with the meaning of the second part."
The structural arrangement is indeed quite rigorous. The so-called "beginning of clothing" and "beginning of food" actually refer to the two main events of farming and weaving in agricultural society. These two items are the main thread running through the entire article.
The first chapter says that in September, women "have finished making mulberry and hemp, and then they can wear clothes." After November, the harsh winter begins. Farmers don’t even have a single piece of coarse clothing, so how can they spend the new year? Therefore, they lament, “Why do we die at the end of the year?” But when spring arrived, they packed up their farm tools and went to the fields to work. The wife and children went to the fields to deliver meals. When the field officials saw how hard they worked, they couldn't help but smile.
Folk poets outlined a framework with thick lines, and the overall style of social life at that time was presented to readers. Later chapters will describe each aspect and each part in more detail.
Through the eloquent narration of the characters in the poem, it truly shows the labor scenes, life scenes and the faces of various characters at that time, as well as the relationship between farmers and the public family, which constituted the society of the early Western Zhou Dynasty. A genre painting of men farming and women weaving.
The "Book of Songs" has three expression techniques: Fu, Bi and Xing. This poem uses Fu style to "state the story" and "give shape to the things", reflecting the reality of life. .
Readers will have this feeling if they read any chapter carefully.
This poem uses the technique of "fu" throughout, surrounding the word "bitter". According to the order of the seasons, it is written from the beginning of the year to the end of the year, from farming silkworms to hunting and cutting ice, reflecting a situation of hardship. The story is about multi-level work and high-intensity labor throughout the year. The language is simple and unpretentious, and it is written entirely in a narrative way. The tone is sad and bitter, as if it is crying out a heavy history.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Guofeng·Binfeng·July