The original text and translation of "Shi Wei" are as follows:
Original text: Shi Wei, Shi Wei, Hu Bugui? Because of Weijun, Hu is exposed in the middle. Decline, decline, Hu Bugui? The slightest bow from the king is like a man lying in the mud.
Translation: It’s dark, it’s dark, why don’t you go home? If it were not for the monarch, why would it still be in the dew? It's dark, it's dark, why don't you go home? If not for the monarch, why are we still in the mud?
Creative background: As for the theme of "The Decline of Bei Feng", most modern scholars believe that it is a complaint of the people who are suffering from hard labor against the monarch. Some people also believe that it is a love song of lovers teasing each other during their tryst. "Preface to Mao's Poems" says that Marquis Li was expelled by Di and fled to Wei, and his ministers 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 remained chaste and did not violate the rules of women. This poem expresses ambition.
Appreciation of "Shi Wei"
"Beifeng·Shi Wei" is a poem in the "Book of Songs", the first collection of poems in the history of Chinese literature. Modern scholars mostly believe that this poem It is a complaint uttered by people who are suffering from labor, expressing the resentment of the service people who are oppressed, working in the field day and night, and unable to return home. The whole poem uses rhetorical techniques such as asking questions, and the emotional expression is subtle and affectionate. The words are repeated in chapters, the rhythm is harmonious, and the words are exquisite.
It has both long and short sentence patterns, short rhythm, and urgent emotion, which fully expresses the pain of the serving people and their determination to abandon tyranny. There are ten sentences in the last two chapters of the poem. Not only do the sentences use rhyme, but each chapter also changes rhyme. Therefore, the whole poem is compact, the rhythm is short, and the mood is urgent, fully expressing the painful mood. The poet's casual use of rhyme fully emphasizes the emotional tone of the poem through the rhyme.
Reference for the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia - "Decline"