Book of Songs
王风·大车
佚名
大车槛槛，毳衣如菼。
岂不尔思？畏子不敢。
大车啍啍，毳衣如璊。
岂不尔思？畏子不奔。
谷则异室，死则同穴。
谓予不信，有如皦日。
Translation
The great carriage rumbles by; the fur garment is pale like young reeds. How could I not think of you? I fear you, and dare not act. The great carriage rolls on; the fur garment glows like red jade. How could I not think of you? I fear you, and dare not flee with you. In life, we may dwell in different rooms; in death, let us share one grave. If you say I am not faithful, let the bright sun bear witness.
Analysis
Da Che is a love poem shaped like an oath. The first two stanzas open with the sound and color of a passing carriage, suggesting social power, ceremony, or distance. The speaker insists, “How could I not think of you?” Yet fear prevents action: she does not dare, does not dare to flee. The final stanza changes the poem’s force. If they cannot share a room in life, they will share a grave in death. The bright sun is called as witness. The poem moves from hesitation to solemn commitment, from restrained longing to an absolute vow. Its emotional intensity is rare among the shorter poems of the Book of Songs.
About the Author
Wang Feng is one of the regional sections in the Airs of the States within the Book of Songs. Its poems are anonymous and belong to an early tradition of songs later gathered and preserved as part of the classical canon. Compared with some brighter regional airs, Wang Feng often carries tones of separation, service, social unease, and inward feeling. Its language is simple, but its repeated forms and everyday images give it lasting emotional force.