詩経
匏有苦叶
Anonymous
匏有苦叶
济有深涉
深则厉
浅则揭
有弥济盈
有鷕雉鸣
济盈不濡轨
雉鸣求其牡
雝雝鸣雁
旭日始旦
士如归妻
迨冰未泮
招招舟子
人涉卬否
人涉卬否
卬须我友
翻訳
The gourd has bitter leaves; the Ji River has deep crossings. If it is deep, wade through with clothes on; if it is shallow, lift the hem and cross. The Ji River spreads full and wide; a hen pheasant cries out. Though the Ji is full, it does not wet the axle; the pheasant cries to seek her mate. The wild geese call, yong yong; the rising sun begins the dawn. If a man would take a wife, let him do so before the ice has melted. The boatman beckons and beckons. Others cross, but I do not. Others cross, but I do not; I am waiting for my companion.
解説
"Pao You Ku Ye" is a poem from the "Bei Feng" section of the Book of Songs. It is a poem about marriage timing, ritual propriety, and waiting for the right partner. Its images seem at first scattered — gourds, river crossings, pheasants, geese, dawn, ice, and a boatman — but together they form a coherent meditation on when and with whom one should cross into marriage. The first stanza begins with a gourd and a river crossing. The Ji River has both deep and shallow places. One must cross according to the condition of the water: wade through if it is deep, lift the hem if it is shallow. This practical wisdom becomes symbolic. Marriage, like crossing water, requires judgment, timing, and proper conduct. The second stanza introduces the full river and the crying pheasant. The water is high, yet not so high as to wet the carriage axle. This suggests a moment that is full but still manageable: the time is ripe, but not chaotic. The hen pheasant calls for her mate, making the courtship meaning explicit. Nature itself is signaling the season of pairing. The third stanza brings in wild geese and dawn. Geese were important in ancient marriage rites as symbols of ordered pairing and fidelity. The rising sun suggests a beginning. "If a man would take a wife, let him do so before the ice has melted" points to proper seasonal timing. Marriage should not be endlessly delayed. The final stanza shifts into a vivid scene at the water. The boatman beckons. Others cross. But the speaker does not. She waits for "my companion" or "my friend." This is the crucial emotional and ethical point of the poem: the season may be right, and others may be crossing, but one should not cross with just anyone. The poem's central metaphor is powerful: marriage is a crossing. One must read the water, choose the time, and wait for the right person. The speaker is neither passive nor reckless. She recognizes the pressure of timing, but also insists on proper companionship. Compared with "Biao You Mei," which urgently calls suitors to come before youth passes, "Pao You Ku Ye" is more restrained. It acknowledges readiness, but emphasizes discernment. Its final line gives the poem dignity: I wait for the one who is truly mine to cross with me.
作者紹介
"Pao You Ku Ye" comes from the "Bei Feng" section of the "Airs of the States" in the Book of Songs. Its author is unknown. The Book of Songs is the earliest anthology of Chinese poetry, containing more than three hundred poems from roughly the early Western Zhou to the mid-Spring and Autumn period. "Bei Feng" preserves songs associated with the region of Bei and the state of Wei, many of which concern marriage, family, politics, war, emotional distress, and social ethics. "Pao You Ku Ye" is notable for using river crossing, mating birds, seasonal ice, and the waiting speaker to express a marriage ideal based on timing, ritual propriety, and the choice of a fitting companion.