Book of Songs
王风·君子阳阳
佚名
君子阳阳，左执簧，右招我由房，其乐只且。
君子陶陶，左执翿，右招我由敖，其乐只且。
Translation
The gentleman is bright and at ease. In his left hand he holds the reed pipe; with his right he beckons me from the chamber. How joyful he is. The gentleman is delighted and free. In his left hand he holds the dance-plume; with his right he invites me out to wander. How joyful he is.
Analysis
Junzi Yangyang is brief but vivid. The poem presents happiness through gesture rather than explanation: a reed pipe in one hand, a beckoning hand in the other; then a dance-plume and another invitation. The words yangyang and taotao suggest ease, brightness, and emotional openness. Unlike the more sorrowful Wang Feng poems, this piece preserves a moment of shared delight. Its charm lies in its immediacy. We are not told why the gentleman is joyful; we see joy in his movement, music, and invitation.
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.