Book of Songs
Biao You Mei
Anonymous
摽有梅
其实七兮
求我庶士
迨其吉兮
摽有梅
其实三兮
求我庶士
迨其今兮
摽有梅
顷筐塈之
求我庶士
迨其谓之
Translation
The plums are falling, yet seven parts of the fruit remain. Young men who would seek me, come while the day is still auspicious. The plums are falling, and only three parts remain. Young men who would seek me, come while it is now. The plums are falling, enough to fill a shallow basket. Young men who would seek me, come when the words are spoken.
Analysis
"Biao You Mei" is one of the most direct and lively courtship poems in the Book of Songs. It uses falling plums as an image for the passing of youth and marriageable time. The female speaker urges the men who wish to court her not to delay. The verb "biao" means to fall. As plums ripen and fall from the tree, the season advances. In the poem, this natural process becomes a metaphor for human timing. Youth, like fruit, has its proper moment. In the first stanza, seven parts of the fruit remain. There is still time. The woman tells the young men to come on an auspicious day. The tone is still relatively measured: choose the right time, but do not miss it. In the second stanza, only three parts remain. The sense of urgency increases sharply. She no longer says to wait for a lucky day; she says to come now. The movement from "auspicious day" to "now" is the emotional turning point of the poem. In the third stanza, the fallen plums can already be gathered into a shallow basket. The moment is even later. The line "come when the words are spoken" likely refers to formal speech, proposal, or matchmaking. The speaker wants courtship to become actual marriage procedure. The poem is powerful because the woman's voice is active and clear. She knows that time matters. She does not hide her desire to be sought, nor does she passively wait without speaking. She directly tells potential suitors: if you want me, come in time. The structure is beautifully progressive. The fruit decreases from seven parts, to three parts, to fallen fruit in a basket. At the same time, the requested action moves from "come on a good day," to "come now," to "come when the proposal is spoken." Natural time and social time move together. "Biao You Mei" is therefore not merely about anxiety over age. It is about timing, choice, and female agency within an ancient marriage culture. Its plainness and urgency give it a striking freshness even today.
About the Author
"Biao You Mei" comes from the "Shao Nan" 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. "Shao Nan," together with "Zhou Nan," forms the opening part of the "Airs of the States" and contains many poems related to marriage, household life, labor, ritual, and social order. "Biao You Mei" is a representative courtship poem, using the falling of ripe plums to express the urgency of youth, marriage timing, and a woman's active voice in seeking timely courtship.