Decline
Anonymous [Pre-Qin]
Decline, decline, Hu will not return? Because of Wei Jun, why is Hu exposed in the middle?
Decline, decline, will Hu not return? Why is the bow of Weijun in the mud?
Translation
It’s dark, it’s dark, why don’t you go home? (If) it is not to feed you, why are you still working in the dew!
It’s dark, it’s dark, why don’t you go home? (If) it is not to feed you, why are you still working in the mud!
Comments
Decline: It’s dark.
Form, modal particle; Wei, dim.
Hu: He, why.
Micro: (If) No.
Jun: monarch.
Zhonglu: That is, in the dew, in the dew.
Mijun’s Bow: (If) it’s not to feed you. Bow: body.
Regarding the theme of this poem, the "Preface to Mao's Poems" states that the Marquis of Li was expelled by Di and fled to Wei, and his officials wrote this to persuade him to return to the country. Liu Xiang's "Biography of Women: Zhenshun Chapter" says that the daughter of Marquis Wei married Duke Zhuang of Li State, but he was not accepted by him. Some people persuaded her to return, but she "resolutely remained chaste and did not violate women's ethics to wait for the king's orders." And wrote this poem to express his ambition. Both theories are far-fetched, because there is a lack of historical evidence whether they actually refer to the Marquis of Li or the woman of Li Zhuang. Yu Guanying believes that "this is the complaint of people who are suffering from labor" ("Selected Book of Songs"), which is the most accurate purpose of the poem.
The second chapter of the poem all starts with the melody of "In decline, in decline, Hu will not return": It's dark, it's dark, why don't you go home? The poet then explained the reason: "Because of Weijun, Hu is exposed in the middle"; "Because of Weijun's bow, Hu is in the mud". This means that for the sake of the monarch and to feed their noble bodies, they have to work day and night in dew and mud all year round. In just two chapters and a few sentences, the inhuman condition of the enslaved people and their full resentment towards the rulers left a very deep impression on the readers.
Artistically, this poem has two characteristics. One is to use questions to strengthen the language effect. Judging from the whole poem, "the situation is declining, the situation is declining, Hu will not return" is not a question out of doubt, but a deliberate question that has already been made in mind. The poet is oppressed by the ruler, working day and night in the wild, unable to return home, and suffering unspeakably. It is natural for the poet to express his inner dissatisfaction, but if it is stated directly, it is easy to exhaust it. Although there is no doubt about it, it is pretentious. The questioning form makes the poem seem subtle and emotional, and at the same time it attracts attention and inspires people to think. It is said that one should not complain but complain deeply. The second is to use rhymes to heighten the emotional atmosphere. There are ten lines in the second chapter of the poem. Not only the sentences are in rhyme, but also the rhymes are changed in each chapter. Therefore, the whole poem is compact, the rhythm is short, and the mood is urgent. It fully expresses the painful mood of the laborers and their increasing abandonment of tyranny. determination. From this analysis on the rhyme used in the poem, the first chapter uses Wei rhyme and fish rhyme, while the second chapter uses Wei rhyme and invading rhyme. These rhymes are more suitable for expressing sad and sad emotions. The poet's casual use of rhyme fully emphasizes the emotional tone of the poem through the rhyme. Therefore, Fang Yurun commented on this poem: "The language is shallow and the meaning is profound, and the infinite meaning hidden in it is not allowed to be read by the unwary." ("Original Book of Songs")
Because "Mao Shi" interprets this poem as In order to persuade people to return home, those who studied "Poetry" in the past generations mainly focused on Mao's theory, so the word "Shi Wei" gradually evolved into the image of "return to seclusion" in Chinese classical poetry. ("Weichuan Tianjia"); Meng Haoran "Because you have gone to your hometown, I sent you a poem to sing from afar" ("Send Doctor Xin to your Hubei"); Guan Xiu "The east wind comes and the song fades, Taoist Shenyun calls you back" ("Farewell" "General Du") and so on, this also shows the influence of this poem on later generations.
"Shi Wei" is a poem from the First Qin Dynasty, using rhetorical methods such as rhetorical questions, argot, and intertext. The emotional expression is subtle and affectionate. The words are repeated and the rhymes are harmonious. The rhythm is strong, the rhythm is harmonious and beautiful, and the wording is extremely delicate. It has also become a commonly used image in later generations of poetry, and has a profound influence on later classical poetry. Far-reaching influence.
There are only two short chapters in the whole poem, both of which start with the tune of "decline, decline, Hu will not return": It's dark, it's dark, why don't you go home? Then he explained the reason: "Because of Wei Jun, Hu is exposed in the middle"; "Wei Jun bows, Hu is in the mud", which means that it is for the sake of the monarch and to support their noble body. He has been working day and night in the dew and mud all year round. However, only two words are changed in the first and second chapters of the poem "The Decline", but in this ingenious change, the author's unique word choice is reflected.
First, the first chapter is "Weijun's reason" and the second chapter is "Weijun's bow". Only the words "Gu" and "Gow" are changed in the upper and lower chapters, but the meaning of the poem is full and the rhyme is harmonious. "Because of Weijun", Zhu Xi's "Collected Poems" explains: "If I am not because of you"; "Because of Weijun", "Gong" is a variant of "躳", "Erya·Explanation": " "Bow, body." The two words "bow" and "body" refer to each other, so "bow" refers to oneself, which is also "jun". "Weijun's bow" means "if I don't have a king". The previous chapter says "if I don't have a king" "Because of this", the next chapter says "If I don't have a king". The upper and lower chapters express the same meaning but use different words to express the author's euphemistic and implicit feelings vividly. Secondly, one chapter "Hu Weihu is exposed" and two Chapter "Hu is in the mud". "Lu" is a borrowed word for "Lu".
"Erya Shiming": "Road means dew. It means that people walk on it and reveal it." Fang Yurun's "Original Book of Songs": "'Ni Zhong' still means mud coating." Note: "Zhong Lu" also means "Zhong Lu". That is to say, as the saying goes, to feel heavy in the heart is like being blocked by something; "in the mud" means to be stuck in the mud and unable to extricate oneself. Therefore, "Zhonglu" and "Mudzhong" are fictitious words rather than real words, and the upper and lower chapters can complement each other for understanding.
At the same time, the author never forgets the harmony of rhyme when changing the number of words. In Chapter One, "Gu" and "Lu" rhyme with the Yin tone "鱼" and Ru tone "Duo"; in Chapter Two, "Gong" and "Zhong" rhyme with the Yin tone "Invasion". These two sentences not only express the author's thoughts and feelings, but also rhyme harmoniously and have a neat number of words. They have the effect of killing two birds with one stone. In just two chapters and a few sentences, the inhuman condition of the enslaved people and their full resentment towards the rulers left a very deep impression on the readers.
Because of this, the words are changed in chapters and chapters, and the rhymes are harmonious. It embodies the characteristics of three sighs and endless aftertaste. It embodies the exquisite and concise language of The Book of Songs, with both long and short sentence patterns and a strong sense of rhythm. The poem "The Decline" is just thirty-two words long, and it contains various variations such as three, four and five words. It is neat and flexible, and can express the ups and downs of the heroine's thoughts and feelings. The choice of sentence patterns changes flexibly with the content and thoughts and feelings of the poem, enhancing the rhythm of the poem. In short, the art of using language in "The Decline" is not only harmonious and beautiful in rhythm, but also exquisite in word choice.
Artistically, this poem uses questions to strengthen the language effect. Judging from the whole poem, "the situation is declining, the situation is declining, Hu will not return" is not a question out of doubt, but a deliberate question that has already been made in mind. The poet is oppressed by the ruler, working day and night in the wild, unable to return home, and suffering unspeakably. It is natural for the poet to express his inner dissatisfaction, but if it is stated directly, it is easy to exhaust it. Although there is no doubt about it, it is pretentious. The questioning form makes the poem seem subtle and emotional, and at the same time it attracts attention and inspires people to think. It is said that one should not complain but complain deeply. It is precisely because of the clever use of these rhetorical techniques that the poem "Shi Wei" has a realm beyond the words. The more you read it over and over, the more infinite its meaning becomes.
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