The things described in The Book of Songs have a long time span of more than 500 years, so we should also see the different characteristics of their love poems in different times and regions. Generally speaking, the marriage and love custom in Zhou Dynasty is a process from openness to conservatism.
At the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, the ethical code was established, and the ancient customs still existed. Young men and women are still relatively free in love.
Zheng Cong is one of them. This poem is about the gathering of men and women on the tenth day of the third lunar month in Zheng. In the spring of March, the earth warms up, the sun is shining and flowers are blooming. Many men and women gather in Surabaya, Qinshui, praying for a happy marriage. A couple holding vanilla walked through the bustling crowd, feeling the breath of spring and enjoying the sweetness of love. As they walked, they teased each other and gave each other peonies to make up for their feelings. This poem is like a happy flowing music, naive and free. According to the feudal guardian's point of view, Qin Yan's whole story is a word that confuses men, but it is actually a "lewd voice". But from today's perspective, this so-called "obscenity" bound by Confucianism and Taoism is just a natural human nature, a vivid expression of life and a real meaning. It symbolizes harmony, freedom and equality, and exudes a pleasant and naive atmosphere.
The author of the poem "Looking at Luo in Nan Zhou" enthusiastically expressed his love and pursuit for a gentle and graceful beautiful, virtuous and simple pheasant-picking woman. "Guan Luo, in Hezhou, is a gentle and graceful lady, and a gentleman is good." She expressed her admiration and yearning for companionship, with simple and sincere feelings, long joy and light sadness, which showed the frankness and agility of love between men and women.
"Feng Wei papaya", "Give me a papaya and give it to Joan. It is always good to report bandits, which expresses the beauty of free meeting, collective meeting and free love between young men and women in ancient times. Women throw sweet fruits to the right people at the meeting, and men take off their jade as a token of love and give it back to the girl in their hearts. This poem is marked by the encounter between men and women. One is to give each other tokens of love to show affection, and the other is to invite songs to sing in pairs to show their hearts.
"Zhao Nan You Mei" is an emotional song of a young girl when picking plums, which shows her eagerness to cherish her youth and yearn for love.
The poem Feng Wei Olympic Games praised a man's appearance, talent, mind and humor in a feminine tone, and then expressed his endless love for this man.
"The Quiet Girl in the Wind" describes a tryst between men and women: "Quiet girl, I am in the corner of the city. Deliberately hiding for me to find, scratching my head. The quiet girl looks good. Give me a tong tube. Red has a bright red color. Love it is really a bright color. This country exploits me, Meili Yi and is rare. Prostitutes are beautiful and embarrassing. " A man was waiting for his lover in a corner of the city, and he was so impatient that he scratched his head. The lover came and gave it to each other with the help of Tong Guan and Russian. He cherished playing with Mo and couldn't put it down, not because the gift was special, but because the beauty gave it to him. The hero's feelings were delicate and sincere. Although the ups and downs of love are expressed by men, it can be seen from the side that women at that time also had good expectations for love.
Free love is gradually bound by family and other aspects. Parents' orders and matchmakers' words force many people not to be lovers with their sweetheart. Among them, who can tell the whole story of loss and sadness?
It is these moral principles that Zheng Feng, the heroine in Lieutenant General, fears. "ZhongZiXi! No more than my heart, no more than my tree. How dare you love and fear my parents? Zhong kehuai, parents' words are also awesome! "The love for neutrons and the words of parents, brothers and compatriots have become tangled contradictions in the hearts of girls. On the one hand, they love their loved ones, on the other hand, they are their parents and brothers. What do we do? How much sadness and contradiction? How can a girl's heart be clear?
"Zhou," Zhi Bi two temminick, real dimension I instrument. Death cannot defeat it. Mother is also a genius, and she doesn't forgive people. " This woman is so doggedly pursuing the freedom of marriage and love that she would rather die of double suicide than call her mother and heaven, which shows her extreme pain when her love is blocked and her strong desire for independent marriage. From this, we can also see the urgent desire of women to pursue freedom of love and marriage at that time.
Many poems describe in detail the melancholy and depression of missing lovers. Such as "rolled ears" and "picking rolled ears does not make a basket. Well, I'm pregnant. I'll go around. " In the poem, the woman misses her lover far away, and all she thinks about when picking her ears is him, so that the laundry list has not been filled for a long time. Another example is "Zheng Feng Zi Diao", "Qingqing Zi Diao, leisurely in my heart; Even if I don't go, I'd rather not send a message? " This contains complaints and dissatisfaction with lovers. There is also a "sly boy". "He is very cunning and childish, and he doesn't talk to me. I can't eat because of Victoria! That sly guy, why don't you eat with me? I can't rest because of Weizi! " The lover ignored her and made her insomnia. "Zheng Fengyun", "The wind and rain are bleak, and chickens crow. Since you see a gentleman, don't worry about it? " I wrote about my joy when I saw my lover, which shows how much I miss you!
"Qin Feudal Foundation" is "the foundation is gray, and the Millennium frost. The so-called Iraqis are on the water side. Tracing back and forth, the road is blocked and long. Swim back from it in the middle of the water. " This poem is about unrequited love. For the person you love, you can only dream. How much sadness and missing!
Poems that miss your wife or husband are also affectionate, revealing that kind of deep lingering feelings in simple language.
"Taifeng Drumming" is rich in life and death, and Zicheng said. Hold your hand and grow old with your son. " A man who went to war misses his sweetheart day and night: I think of their oath of "holding your hand and growing old with your son" two months ago, and I think of where you will go. Now Tianya is lonely and unbearable, how can you not burst into tears and be heartbroken? "Since the east like flying peng. No ointment? Who is suitable for it! It's raining, it's raining and the sun is shining. I am willing to talk, I am willing to take the first disease. How can I get grass? The back of the tree. I am willing to think about it, which makes my heart faint. "
"Feng Wei Bo Xi" is about a woman. Since her husband left, she has no intention to wash and dress, and her thoughts are wandering day by day and she is in pain. "Since the east like flying peng. No ointment? Who is suitable for it! It's raining, it's raining and the sun is shining. I am willing to think about it, I am willing to be the first disease! " It may be heroic to fight for your country, but the loneliness of life and where you will go are always heartbreaking.
There are also many congratulations to newly-married women in The Book of Songs, such as Yao Tao's "Taoyao Yao, burning its splendor". My son should be at home when he returns to China. " This poem is lively. The poet warmly praised the bride and wished her a happy married life.
The Book of Songs praises and yearns for beautiful love, but criticizes the beginning of chaos and the abandoned ending, and gives deep sympathy to the victims. Feng Wei? The poem "Self-protection" is a self-report about an abandoned wife. First, they described their beautiful life of love, marriage and first marriage in a sweet tone, and then described the passage of time, her husband's change of heart and her rough treatment in a sad tone. The sigh of bitterness and misfortune and the endless nostalgia for the young life is sweet pervade between the lines of the poem-the unequal status of men and women in ancient times and the misfortune of women's life. Swear, forget it. On the contrary, I don't think about it. I'm already embarrassed!
There are Gu Feng, Happy Wind, Feng Wei and Rain. I will be afraid and give it to women; Will be happy and the woman will be abandoned! "In times of crisis, we depended on each other, but in times of happiness, we abandoned her.
The Book of Songs is a wonderful work in the history of ancient Chinese literature, and its love poems reflect people's emotional life at that time. In fact, from a modern point of view, its ideological connotation still has great artistic value. Good things always stand the test of the times. After thousands of years, The Book of Songs still infects people with its extraordinary charm.
References: The Book of Songs Wu Great Wall Publishing House, 2002
Lecture Notes on the Book of Songs, Fu Sinian, Renmin University of China Press, 2004.
Modern translation of The Book of Songs by Sichuan People's Publishing House 1982
The Peak of Reading Notes of The Book of Songs Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House 1979