絹與墨Book of Songs · Original, translation, context
The earliest Chinese anthology lets affection, ritual, work, and moral memory speak through images from ordinary life.
《詩經·周南·關雎》
關關雎鳩在河之洲窈窕淑女君子好逑
The ospreys call to one another on the river islet. The graceful young woman is a fitting companion for the noble man.
The opening of the Book of Songs places human longing within a living landscape. Affection is not isolated from conduct: desire seeks a relationship worthy of care, patience, and mutual regard.
《詩經·衛風·木瓜》
投我以木桃報之以瓊瑤
You give me a peach; I return a precious jade.
Reciprocity is measured here by the heart rather than equal price. A small gesture sincerely received can awaken a response larger than itself and deepen the bond between people.
《詩經·小雅·鶴鳴》
他山之石可以攻玉
Stones from another mountain can be used to polish jade.
What is foreign to our habits can refine what is valuable within us. Another person, discipline, or disagreement may become the abrasive through which understanding gains clarity and form.
《詩經·大雅·蕩》
靡不有初鮮克有終
There is no one without a beginning; few are able to carry it through to the end.
Beginnings often borrow energy from novelty, while completion depends on steadier virtues. The line asks whether intention can survive repetition, difficulty, and the absence of applause.
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