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先秦 Pre-Qin · 诗经 Classic of Poetry

伐檀

Cutting Sandalwood

诗经

Book of Songs

讽喻Satire 民生People's life

坎坎伐檀兮，置之河之干兮，河水清且涟猗。
不稼不穑，胡取禾三百廛兮？
不狩不猎，胡瞻尔庭有县貆兮？
彼君子兮，不素餐兮！
坎坎伐辐兮，置之河之侧兮，河水清且直猗。
不稼不穑，胡取禾三百亿兮？
不狩不猎，胡瞻尔庭有县特兮？
彼君子兮，不素食兮！
坎坎伐轮兮，置之河之漘兮，河水清且沦猗。
不稼不穑，胡取禾三百困兮？
不狩不猎，胡瞻尔庭有县鹑兮？
彼君子兮，不素飧兮！

Thunk, thunk—we hew the sandalwood, and set it on the river bank;
The clear river ripples and curls.
You neither sow nor reap—why take three hundred sheaves?
You neither hunt nor chase—why hang the badger in your court?
Those gentlemen, they do not eat for nothing!
Thunk, thunk—we hew the spokes, and set them by the river side;
The clear river runs straight and still.
You neither sow nor reap—why take three hundred measures?
You neither hunt nor chase—why hang the boar in your court?
Those gentlemen, they do not eat idle!
Thunk, thunk—we hew the wheels, and set them on the river's margin;
The clear river eddies and swirls.
You neither sow nor reap—why take three hundred stacks?
You neither hunt nor chase—why hang the quail in your court?
Those gentlemen, they do not eat in vain!

Listen

Meaning

Thunk, thunk—we hew the sandalwood and set it on the river bank; the clear river ripples and curls. You neither sow nor reap—why take three hundred sheaves? You neither hunt nor chase—why hang the badger in your court? Those gentlemen, they do not eat for nothing! Thunk, thunk—we hew the spokes and set them by the river side; the clear river runs straight and still. You neither sow nor reap—why take three hundred measures? You neither hunt nor chase—why hang the boar in your court? Those gentlemen, they do not eat idle! Thunk, thunk—we hew the wheels and set them on the river's margin; the clear river eddies and swirls. You neither sow nor reap—why take three hundred stacks? You neither hunt nor chase—why hang the quail in your court? Those gentlemen, they do not eat in vain!

坎坎砍伐檀树啊，把它放在河岸上啊，河水清清泛起涟漪。你们不播种不收割，为何取走粮食三百束？你们不冬猎不捕兽，为何见你庭院挂满貆？那些所谓的君子啊，可不是白吃饭的！坎坎砍伐檀木做车辐啊，放在河岸边啊，河水清清波平直。你们不耕不收，为何取粮三百亿？你们不猎不狩，为何庭院挂野猪？那些君子啊，可不是白吃素食的！坎坎砍伐檀木做车轮啊，放在河滩边啊，河水清清起微波。你们不稼不穑，为何取粮三百困？你们不狩不猎，为何庭院挂鹌鹑？那些君子啊，可不是白吃闲饭的！

Appreciation

Three stanzas of nine lines, repeated with variation, changing only a few words—'bank / side / margin' 'ripple / straight / eddy' 'sheaves / measures / stacks' 'badger / boar / quail'—yet the accusation deepens. It opens 'thunk, thunk—we hew the sandalwood' with onomatopoeia as rising, labour rhythm entwined with question; 'you neither sow nor reap' 'you neither hunt nor chase' two parallel questions, sharp contrast; the last line 'those gentlemen, they do not eat for nothing' closes with irony, on the surface praising 'not eating for nothing', in truth mocking their sitting and enjoying—cold and incisive.

【白话串讲】 “坎坎伐檀兮，置之河之干兮”——伐木工在河边砍檀树。“不稼不穑，胡取禾三百廛兮”——你不种不收，凭什么拿走那么多粮食？“彼君子兮，不素餐兮”——那些“君子”，真是白吃饭啊。这是中国最早的质问。【意象与手法】三章章九句，重章叠句，仅换『干/侧/漘』『涟/直/沦』『廛/亿/困』『貆/特/鹑』等寥寥数字而谴责递进。首以『坎坎伐檀』拟声起兴，劳动节奏与质问交织；『不稼不穑』『不狩不猎』两组排比诘问，对比鲜明；末句『彼君子兮，不素餐兮』以反语收束，表面赞其『不白吃饭』，实则讥其坐享，冷峻犀利。【情感与主旨】《伐檀》出自《诗经·魏风》。魏为西周初分封之国，地近山险、地瘠民贫而赋役苛重。诗中伐木劳动者在河边辛劳，目睹统治者不事生产却仓廪盈实、庭悬猎物，遂以反诘直斥其贪，是《国风》中反映阶级对立、揭露不劳而获的最具反抗精神的名篇。【名句点睛】中高考赏析常考：①重章叠句与换字递进的抒情张力；②『不稼不穑』两组诘问的对比揭露；③『不素餐兮』反语讽刺的手法。

Background

'Cutting Sandalwood' comes from the 'Airs of Wei' in the 'Book of Songs'. Wei was a state enfeoffed early Western Zhou, with rugged hills, poor soil and heavy levies. The poem's wood-cutting labourer toils by the river, and seeing the rulers not produce yet full granaries and hung game, denounces their greed with rhetorical questions. The old reading took it as satirizing the greedy (the 'Preface' 'satirizes the greedy'); moderns read it as the 'Airs' most defiant piece exposing class opposition and unearned living.

《伐檀》出自《诗经·魏风》，为先秦魏地（今山西芮城一带）民歌。魏为西周初年分封的诸侯国，地处黄河之滨，近山多险，土地瘠薄而赋役苛重，《诗经·魏风》诸篇如《硕鼠》《园有桃》等多写贫苦与怨刺，可见魏地民生之艰。诗中伐木劳动者在河边砍伐檀树，辛劳终日，而目睹统治者不事稼穑却仓廪盈实、不事狩猎却庭院悬满猎物，遂以连串反诘直斥其贪。《诗序》解此诗为『刺贪也。在位贪鄙，无功而受禄，君子不得进仕尔』，以为刺在位者贪鄙；今人扬弃旧说，视之为《国风》中反映阶级对立、揭露不劳而获的最具反抗精神的名篇。此诗以劳动者的口吻，对『君子』们的寄生生活发出振聋发聩的质问，是中国文学史上最早的阶级批判之声，其思想锋芒与写实精神，对后世讽喻诗影响深远。此诗与《硕鼠》并称《魏风》刺贪双璧，是中国最早的劳动者之歌，其反抗精神与写实传统，对后世讽喻诗影响深远。

Art

Three stanzas of nine lines, repeated with variation, changing only a few words—'bank / side / margin' etc.—yet the accusation deepens. It opens 'thunk, thunk—we hew the sandalwood' with onomatopoeia as rising, labour rhythm entwined with question; the two parallel questions 'you neither sow nor reap' 'you neither hunt nor chase' contrast sharply; the last line 'those gentlemen, they do not eat for nothing' closes with irony, on the surface praising, in truth mocking their sitting and enjoying—cold and incisive.

此诗艺术上以重章叠句与反语讽刺见长。三章章九句，重章叠句，仅换『干/侧/漘』『涟/直/沦』『廛/亿/困』『貆/特/鹑』等寥寥数字，而谴责层层递进：伐木由檀而辐而轮，写劳作之进程；河岸由干而侧而漘，写搬运之推进；所取之禾由廛而亿而困，数量递增；所悬之兽由貆而特而鹑，品类渐细，于重复中见出剥削之全面。首以『坎坎伐檀』拟声起兴，伐木之声与质问之语交织，劳动节奏与愤懑情绪相谐；『不稼不穑』『不狩不猎』两组排比诘问，以劳动者的辛劳对照统治者的坐享，对比鲜明，锋芒毕露；末句『彼君子兮，不素餐兮』以反语收束，表面赞其不白吃饭，实则讥其坐享其成，冷峻犀利，如匕首投枪。全诗三章，一气呵成，层层逼进，正是《国风》怨刺诗中最具战斗性的篇章。全诗以劳动者口吻直斥剥削，重章递进、反语收束，章法谨严而锋芒毕露，正是《国风》怨刺诗中最具战斗性的篇章，也是古代讽刺诗艺术的典范。

Allusions

The poem uses no deep historical allusion, plain folk speech in denouncement. 'Eat for nothing' is from the 'Book of Songs' line 'those gentlemen, they do not eat for nothing', later becoming the allusion for 'living without labour' (as 'sinecure and free meal'); 'hang badger / boar / quail's 'hang' is 'suspend', writing game hung in court, a fact. 'Thunk, thunk' is the wood-cutting sound, onomatopoeia not a story allusion. Appreciation should stress ironic satire and contrast.

此诗无深奥史事典故，而以民间口语与物象直陈，正见劳动者之歌的本色。『坎坎』为伐木声的拟声词，写斧斤伐木之响，一开篇即以声音把读者带入劳动现场，此拟声而非用事，却比任何典故都更有现场感。『素餐』语出本诗『彼君子兮，不素餐兮』，后凝固为『尸位素餐』之典，指不劳而食、空占职位，成为中国语言中批判寄生虫式统治者的经典成语，影响及于后世诗文，此诗正是其源头。『县貆』之『县』通『悬』，『貆』为幼貉，『特』为大兽，『鹑』为鹌鹑，皆狩猎所得，写猎物悬挂庭院，为实写而非用典，却形象地揭露了统治者的奢靡。『三百廛』『三百亿』『三百困』之『廛』『亿』『困』皆量词，写粮食之多，数字夸张而具体。全诗无一处文饰，纯以劳动人民的口语直陈其事，正是《国风》『饥者歌其食，劳者歌其事』的写实精神的本色体现。全诗无一处文饰，纯以劳动人民的口语直陈其事，正是《国风》饥者歌其食、劳者歌其事写实精神的本色，也为后世保存了先秦劳动生活的生动图景。

Commentary

The 'Preface' says 'Cutting Sandalwood, satirizing the greedy; the in-power greedy, receiving salary without merit'. Zhu Xi's 'Commentary' says 'the poet sings of the gentleman not eating for nothing', in truth read as irony. Modern scholars like Yu Guan-ying call it 'an ancient labourer's poem satirizing the exploiter'. With 'The Giant Rats' it is the twin jewel of Wei's political satire, long a representative of realist poetry.

《伐檀》在《诗经》学史上历来备受关注。《诗序》云：『《伐檀》，刺贪也。在位贪鄙，无功而受禄，君子不得进仕尔。』已揭其刺贪之旨。朱熹《诗集传》则谓『诗人言君子之人，不得素餐，当自食其力，今乃不稼不穑而取禾三百廛，不狩不猎而悬貆于庭，则君子亦不素餐矣』，以反语解之，正见其讥刺之深。清人方玉润《诗经原始》谓此诗『非刺贪也，乃美君子之不素餐也』，虽持异说，亦承认其锋芒所在。现代学者如余冠英《诗经选》称其『是古代劳动人民讽刺剥削者的诗』，以为与《硕鼠》并列为《魏风》刺政双璧，是中国现实主义诗歌传统的源头。历代论者皆重其以劳动者口吻直斥剥削的反抗精神，此诗遂成为《诗经》中最具人民性、战斗性的名篇，其『不素餐』的批判锋芒，历三千年而不减。此诗至今仍是中学语文的经典篇目，其阶级批判的锋芒与语言的质朴力量，历三千年而不减，是中国诗歌现实主义传统的源头活水。

Prosody

Form Book of Songs · Airs of Wei (mixed lines, mostly four-character with 'xi' lines)诗经·魏风（杂言体，四言为主，间以『兮』字句与长句）

Rhyme Stanza one 'bank, ripple, sheaves, badger, meal' rhymes; stanzas two and three change 'side / straight / measures / boar / idle' 'margin / eddy / stacks / quail / vain', stanzas change rhyme首章韵脚为檀、干、涟、廛、貆、餐（元、寒部）；二章辐、侧、直、亿、特、食（职、锡部）；三章轮、漘、沦、困、鹑、飧（真、文部），重章转韵。

Tone pattern Mixed lines; level-oblique not traceable句式错落，四言、五言、六言、七言杂出，句尾多缀『兮』『猗』等语气词，音节舒徐而语气沉郁，平仄不拘。

Reading note Repeated stanzas change words to progress; irony at the core.此诗为《诗经·魏风》中的长章，三章二十七句，句式杂言错落，是《国风》中体制较为自由的一篇。全诗采用重章叠句结构：三章仅换少数关键字而整体复沓，章法简净而情感递进——伐檀、伐辐、伐轮写劳作进程，干、侧、漘写搬运推进，廛、亿、困写聚敛递增，貆、特、鹑写猎物之繁，字字递进，复沓之中见出剥削之全面与愤懑之加深。用韵上，三章各押一部：首章元、寒部（檀、干、涟、廛、貆、餐），二章职、锡部（辐、侧、直、亿、特、食），三章真、文部（轮、漘、沦、困、鹑、飧），重章转韵，正合《诗经》换韵复沓的体制。句法上，四言、五言、六言、七言杂出，句尾多缀『兮』『猗』等语气词：起句『坎坎伐檀兮』以拟声与叹词开篇，音节舒徐如劳动号子；质问句『胡取禾三百廛兮』句幅加长，语气逼人；末句『彼君子兮，不素餐兮』以短句反语收束，冷峻有力。全诗声情与辞情相谐：伐木之声、质问之声、反语之声层层递进，正合劳动者由劳作而愤懑而冷讽的情感进程，是《国风》杂言体与重章叠句艺术结合的典范。

Line by line

坎坎伐檀兮，置之河之干兮

Tan-tan we hew the sandalwood, pile it on the river bank.

坎坎砍伐檀树啊，把它放在河岸上啊。

Tan-tan we hew the sandalwood; pile it on the river bank.

起句以拟声词写伐木，是全诗劳动者的出场。『坎坎』摹伐木之声，斧斤起落、丁丁作响，一声声敲在读者心上，把劳动现场直接搬到眼前；『伐檀』写砍伐檀树，檀木坚硬，为造车良材，伐之不易，正见劳作之艰辛；『置之河之干兮』写伐倒的檀木搬到河边，准备水运，一个『置』字见出搬运的行程。两句一写砍伐、一写搬运，劳动的全过程如电影长镜头般展开，而句尾两个『兮』字感叹语气，拖长音节，如劳动者劳作时的喘息与叹息。此起兴之妙，在以具体的劳动场面为全诗立下对照的基础：劳动者伐木运木，汗流浃背，正是下文质问『不稼不穑』的立足点——我们辛苦劳动，你们坐享其成，凭什么？起笔朴质而锋芒已伏，是《国风》以劳动起兴刺世的典范。

The axe. Tan-tan we hew the sandalwood, pile it on the river bank. The tan-tan-hew-sandalwood and the pile-river-bank are the labor. To have hewn the sandalwood would be a hewing; the tan-tan-we-hew-the-sandalwood-pile-it-on-the-river-bank is the hewing.

不稼不穑，胡取禾三百廛兮

You sow not, reap not—why take the grain of three hundred farms?

你们不播种不收割，为何取走粮食三百束？

You neither sow nor reap—why do you take the grain of three hundred households?

此句是全诗质问的第一组锋芒，直指统治者的不劳而获。『不稼不穑』写你们不播种、不收割，稼为播种，穑为收获，稼穑并举，写尽农事之两端；『胡取禾三百廛兮』以反诘质问：凭什么取走三百廛的粮食？『胡』即为何，质问之辞凌厉逼人；『三百廛』以具体数字写粮食之多，廛为百亩之数的量词，三百廛足见聚敛之巨。两句之间，『不稼不穑』与『取禾三百廛』形成最鲜明的对比：不劳动却占有最丰厚的劳动成果，劳动者的质问理直气壮。此句之妙，在以事实立论：不说大道理，只摆事实，让不劳而获的荒谬在对比中不证自明。同时，反问句式如当面质问，把劳动者的愤怒直接抛向统治者，锋芒毕露，正是《国风》怨刺诗中最有力的声讨。

The grain. You sow not, reap not—why take the grain of three hundred farms? The sow-not-reap-not and the why-grain-three-hundred-farms are the charge. To have sown not would be a not-sowing; the you-sow-not-reap-not-why-take-the-grain-of-three-hundred-farms is the not-sowing.

不狩不猎，胡瞻尔庭有县貆兮

You hunt not, course not—why is your court hung with badgers?

你们不冬猎不捕兽，为何见你庭院挂满貆？

You neither hunt nor chase—why do we see your courtyard hung with badgers?

此句是质问的第二组锋芒，由粮食转入猎物，揭露的全面性进一步展开。『不狩不猎』写你们不冬猎、不捕兽，狩为冬猎，猎为田猎，并举写尽田猎之事；『胡瞻尔庭有县貆兮』质问：为什么看见你庭院里悬挂着貆？『瞻』字写抬眼所见，见统治者庭院中猎物成串的奢靡；『县貆』之『县』通『悬』，貆为幼貉，皮可制裘，是贵重的猎物。两句与上句对偶成排比：不稼不穑对应不狩不猎，取禾对应瞻貆，粮食与猎物并举，写尽统治者不事生产却尽享衣食之利。此句之妙，在以庭院的实景坐实质问：不是抽象的指责，而是指着你庭院里悬挂的貆发问，物证确凿，无可抵赖。两句排比质问，如连珠炮发，劳动者的愤怒层层升级，正为末句反语的收束蓄足气势。

The badgers. You hunt not, course not—why is your court hung with badgers? The hunt-not-course-not and the why-court-hung-badgers are the charge. To have hunted not would be a not-hunting; the you-hunt-not-course-not-why-is-your-court-hung-with-badgers is the not-hunting.

彼君子兮，不素餐兮

That gentleman, indeed—he eats no bread for nothing!

那些所谓的君子啊，可不是白吃饭的！

That gentleman, indeed—he does not eat his bread for nothing!

末句以反语收束，是全诗讽刺锋芒的凝聚点。『彼君子兮』以『彼』字远指，把统治者称为君子，表面恭敬，实则拉开了距离与嘲讽；『不素餐兮』表面说他们不是白吃饭的，实则以反语正话反说：你们不稼不穑、不狩不猎，却粮满仓、兽满庭，岂非正是白吃饭的？所谓『不素餐』，恰是『素餐』的最好注脚。此句之妙，在以褒写贬：若直言『彼君子兮，素餐者也』，则讽刺外露，失之直白；以『不素餐』的反语出之，表面赞美，实则讥刺入骨，冷峻犀利，如匕首藏于棉絮，锋芒内敛而杀伤力更强。两句至此，全章的质问由实转虚、由怒转讽，以貌似平静的反语收束怒涛般的诘问，余味冷峻。『素餐』一词亦由此凝固为成语，成为批判不劳而获者的千古之典。

The irony. That gentleman, indeed—he eats no bread for nothing! The that-gentleman and the eats-no-bread-for-nothing are the irony. To have eaten no bread would be a not-eating; the that-gentleman-indeed-he-eats-no-bread-for-nothing is the not-eating.

Study

Word focus

胡 The question word 'why'; twice asked, pointing straight at exploitation, fierce in tone. 『胡取禾三百廛兮』之『胡』，是全诗质问的锋芒所在。『胡』为疑问代词，训为何、为何，是《诗经》中常见的质问之词，此处连用四次，与『不稼不穑』『不狩不猎』相配，形成排比式诘问：凭什么取禾三百廛？凭什么庭悬貆特？一问问出劳动者的愤怒，再问问出统治者的理屈。此字之妙，在以疑问的语气写确定的事实：质问者并非不知答案——统治者之所以能取禾悬兽，正因为他们是掌握权柄的『君子』——而是明知故问，以反诘戳破其不劳而获的荒谬，让被问者在质问面前无可遁形。『胡』字短促有力，一声声如连珠炮发，把劳动者的反抗情绪推向高潮，正是《国风》怨刺诗中最具攻击性的字眼，与末句『不素餐』的反语相为表里，一质问、一冷讽，共同完成对剥削者的声讨。

素餐 Eating for nothing; used in irony, on the surface praise, in truth mock—cold and incisive. 『彼君子兮，不素餐兮』之『素餐』，是全诗最著名的字眼，也是中国语言中影响最深远的成语之一。『素』为空、白白地，『餐』为吃饭，『素餐』即白吃饭、不劳而食。此词之妙，在极俗之语寓极深之刺：以最朴素的『白吃饭』三个字，直指统治者不事生产而坐享其成的寄生本质，通俗而尖刻。诗中反其意而用之，说君子『不素餐』，表面是赞美之辞，实则正话反说，以反语揭示他们正是最大的素餐者，讽刺入骨。『素餐』一词由此凝固为成语，后世『尸位素餐』即由此衍化，成为批判空占职位、白食俸禄者的经典语汇，历代诗文沿用不衰，可见此词的生命力。此词既是全诗反语讽刺的枢纽，也是中国讽刺文学中一个影响深远的语源，其批判锋芒与语言智慧，历经三千年而不失锋芒。

伐檀