Longing for the Glory Days
In the stillness of the night, cold spring water flows incessantly, soaking clumps of wild grasses. As I awaken from my dreams, I find myself sighing deeply, yearning for the bustling capital of the Zhou dynasty. The cold spring water flows continuously, immersing clusters of mugwort. Awakening from my dreams, I cannot stop my sighs, deeply longing for the prosperous old capital. The cold spring water flows steadily, submerging patches of divination grass. Each time I wake, I am filled with sorrow, longing to revisit the old capital in my dreams. In those days, millet seedlings grew abundantly, nurtured by favorable weather. Feudal lords from all directions came to pay homage to the emperor, and the virtuous Xun Bo warmly welcomed them.
This poem uses the metaphor of cold spring water flooding wild grasses to signify the internal turmoil and decline of the Zhou dynasty. It subtly conveys the sorrow and melancholy of Prince Gai as he is reminded of the troubled times in the Zhou court. Following this, the poet employs a direct narrative approach, lamenting the memories of the capital city, filling the poem with a deep sense of sadness. The repetition in the three stanzas intensifies this melancholic feeling to its peak. However, in the final stanza, there is a sudden shift, like a clearing after a storm, recalling the Zhou dynasty’s peak when all nations paid tribute, akin to the splendor described in the novel “Dream of the Red Chamber” where the fallen Prince Baoyu, dressed in a bright red fur coat, trudges through the snow, reminiscing about his family’s glorious past.
The first three stanzas of this poem feature the typical repetitive structure found in the “Book of Songs,” with only slight variations in the final words of the second lines (“s,” “mugwort,” “divination grass”) and the final words of the fourth lines (“capital of Zhou,” “Zhou capital,” “old capital”), which occur at rhyme-changing positions. These slight changes prevent the repetitive chant from becoming monotonous, even though the meaning of the three stanzas is entirely repeated, with no progressive or contrasting relationships. The sudden shift in the fourth stanza is both unexpected in meaning and structure, drawing attention and analysis from critics throughout history. Some, like Qing scholars Chen Jikui and Niu Yunzhen, highly praise it, while others, like Song scholar Wang Bai and modern scholar Xiang Xi, express doubt. Despite the skepticism, unless future archaeological discoveries reveal original texts, this doubt will remain. Moreover, examining the 160 poems in the “Airs of the States” section reveals that while many follow the three-stanza repetitive structure (such as “Mugwort Tree” in the “Zhou South” section, “Magpie’s Nest” in the “Shao South” section, “Wooden Melon” in the “Wei” section, and “Black Robe” in the “Zheng” section), structures where three repetitive stanzas are followed by a different one are not unseen (such as “Swallow Swallow” in the “Bei” section). Partial repetition of lines also appears in “Airs of the States” and “Hymns and Eulogies” (e.g., “A girl going away, far from her parents and brothers” appears in “Red Bow” in the “Yong” section, “Spring Water” in the “Bei” section, and “Bamboo Pole” in the “Wei” section), so one cannot easily claim a line is misplaced. Additionally, the first two lines of the fourth stanza, compared to the first two lines of the previous three stanzas (“In the past, millet seedlings, now s; in the past, rainy, now cold spring,” as Qing scholar Chen Jikui stated), “each word reflects,” creating a strong sense of resonance. Thus, the poem employs both metaphor and direct narrative, enhancing its tragic feel. The repetitive structure of the three stanzas amplifies this tragedy to its extreme, making the sudden hopeful turn at the end incredibly uplifting and emotionally satisfying, showcasing the poem’s unique artistic charm. From this perspective, it is entirely justified to consider “Under the Spring” one of the excellent chapters in the “Airs of the States.”
寒凉的泉水在下汩汩流动，一丛丛狗尾草浸在寒泉中。梦中醒来我连连长吁短叹，深深怀念繁华的周国京城。寒凉的泉水在下涔涔涌流，一丛丛艾蒿草浸在寒泉里。睡梦中醒来我不住地叹息，深深怀念富庶的都城旧地。寒凉的泉水在下汩汩涌动，丛丛筮草被淹没在寒水流。一觉醒来我总是哀声叹气，深深怀念昔日里故都神游。那时节黍苗青青多么繁茂！滋润它们的自有雨顺风调。四方的诸侯都来朝见天子，贤德高贵的郇伯亲切慰劳。
此诗兴中有比，开头以寒泉水冷，浸淹野草起兴，喻周室的内乱与衰微。而这，亦写出了王子匄触景生出的悲情。接着以直陈其事的赋法，慨叹缅怀周京，充溢浓郁的悲凉之感。而三章的复沓叠咏，更是把这种悲凉之感推到了一个极点上。到了末章，却来了一个雨过天晴般的突然转折，说到周王朝鼎盛之时，万国朝拜的盛况。或者又如红楼中，经历过至盛的繁华之后，终落了一片白茫茫大地真干净，彼时穿了大红猩猩毡，行走于雪野中的落魄公子宝玉，大概也会想起往年家族极盛，鲜花着锦、烈火烹油之时，梨香院女孩唱的那支“原来这姹紫嫣红开遍”的曲子。
此诗的前三章，是《诗经》中典型的重章叠句结构，各章仅第二句末字“稂”“萧”“蓍”不同，第四句末二字“周京”“京周”“京师”不同，而这又恰好在换韵的位置，易字目的只是通过韵脚的变化使反覆的咏唱不致过于单调，而三章的意思则是完全重复的，不存在递进、对比之类句法关系。第四章在最后忽然一转，这种转折不仅在语句意义上，而且在语句结构上都显得很突兀。因此古往今来，不乏对此特加注意的评论分析。有人大加赞赏，如清人陈继揆牛运震；也有人极表疑惑，如宋人王柏和今人向熹。持怀疑论者有一定道理，但除非今后在出土文物中发现错简之前的原有文句，否则这种怀疑本身仍将受人怀疑。何况检《国风》一百六十篇，就会发现虽然三章复沓叠咏的有不少，如《周南·樛木》《召南·鹊巢》《卫风·木瓜》《郑风·缁衣》等等，但三章复沓叠咏之后再加上句式不同的一章那样的结构并非一无所见（如《邶风·燕燕》即是）。语句部分重复在《国风》、《雅颂》中也可以找出一些（如“女子有行，远父母兄弟”就见于《鄘风·蝃蝀》《邶风·泉水》《卫风·竹竿》三篇中），更不能据此径自说某句是某诗的错简。并且，此诗第四章的前两句与前三章的前两句相比较，“昔时苗黍，今则苞稂；昔时阴雨，今则冽泉”（清陈继揆《读诗臆补》），可谓“字字对照，直以神行”（清陈震《读诗识小录》），在内容上也是互有关联的。正是因为以寒泉浸野草喻周室内乱势衰的比兴加上慨叹缅怀周京直陈其事的赋法本身已具有很强烈的悲剧感，而三章复沓叠咏使这种悲剧感加强到了极点，所以末章雨过天晴般的突然转折，就令人产生非常兴奋的欣慰之情，这样的艺术效果当然是独具魅力的。从这一点上说，完全有理由将《下泉》一诗置于《国风》的优秀篇章之列。