Book of Songs
郑风·山有扶苏
佚名
山有扶苏，隰有荷华。
不见子都，乃见狂且。
山有桥松，隰有游龙。
不见子充，乃见狡童。
Translation
On the hill grows the fusu tree; in the lowland blooms the lotus. I did not see a man like Zidu; instead I met this wild fellow. On the hill stands the tall pine; in the lowland grows the water smartweed. I did not see a man like Zichong; instead I met this sly young man.
Analysis
“Shan You Fu Su” is a playful love song. It opens with paired images of nature: trees on the hills, flowers and water plants in the lowlands. The landscape is bright and balanced, but the poem quickly turns from beauty in nature to comic disappointment in love. Zidu and Zichong function as names for ideal handsome men. The speaker says she did not meet such a man, but instead encountered a “wild fellow” or “sly young man.” The words sound reproachful, yet they carry an intimate, teasing tone rather than true rejection. The charm of the poem lies in this contrast. The natural images are elegant, while the human encounter is humorous and lively. It is not a solemn declaration of love, but a playful exchange in which complaint and affection are closely intertwined.
About the Author
“Shan You Fu Su” is an anonymous poem from the Zheng Airs of the Book of Songs. Zheng poems often portray love and courtship in vivid, direct language. Some are full of longing, while others are playful and teasing. This poem uses elegant natural imagery as a prelude to a humorous comment on a young man, showing the lively emotional range of the Zheng tradition.