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先秦 Pre-Qin · 诗经 Classic of Poetry

相鼠

The Rat

诗经

Shijing

民生People's life 讽喻Satire

相鼠有皮，人而无仪！
人而无仪，不死何为？
相鼠有齿，人而无止！
人而无止，不死何俟？
相鼠有体，人而无礼！
人而无礼，胡不遄死？

Look at the rat—it has a skin;
But a man may lack all grace!
If a man lacks all grace,
What is the use of his death?
Look at the rat—it has teeth;
But a man may have no restraint!
If a man has no restraint,
Why does he wait to die?
Look at the rat—it has a body;
But a man may lack all manners!
If a man lacks all manners,
Why doesn't he die quickly?

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Meaning

Using the rat as a metaphor, the poem condemns people who lack dignity, restraint, and manners, asserting they are worse than rats and deserve death.

看那老鼠尚且有一张皮，做人却没有威仪！做人如果没有威仪，不死还等什么呢？看那老鼠尚且有利齿，做人却没有节制！做人如果没有节制，不死还等什么？看那老鼠尚有身体，做人却没有礼数！做人如果没有礼数，为什么不快快死掉？

Appreciation

This satirical poem from the 'Yong Feng' section is one of the most scathing in the Book of Songs. It uses the rat as a starting point, progressing from skin to teeth to body, and from dignity to restraint to manners, condemning the shameless as worse than beasts. The style is direct and biting; the three stanzas escalate from 'what is the use of his death' to 'why does he not die soon' to 'why does he not die quickly', achieving fierce folk satire.

【白话串讲】 “相鼠有皮，人而无仪”——老鼠还有皮，人却不能没有礼仪。三千年前的人骂人，骂得这么狠：没礼的人，怎么还不去死？《诗经》里最锋利的一首。【意象与手法】三章重章，章法严整。每章以「相鼠有×」起兴，先言鼠之有皮、齿、体，反跌「人而无×」，以禽兽之有反衬人之无，对比强烈，羞辱辛辣。后四句语气由「何为」「何俟」而「遄死」，步步紧逼，怒火愈炽。【情感与主旨】《相鼠》属《诗经·鄘风》。《诗序》云「刺无礼也」，为诗人痛斥统治阶级荒淫无礼、寡廉鲜耻之作。周代重礼，礼为立身之本，诗中以鼠比无礼者，正是对失礼乱伦贵族的尖锐批判，具普遍讽喻意义。【名句点睛】常考：①比兴手法——以「相鼠有皮」反衬「人而无仪」的对比艺术；②重章叠句与语气递进（何为→何俟→遄死）的修辞效果。

Background

This poem belongs to the 'Yong Feng' section of the Book of Songs. The 'Preface' says it criticizes lack of propriety, traditionally targeting Duke Wen of Wei or other rulers. Later scholars see it as a sharp attack on the licentious and shameless ruling class. The Zhou dynasty emphasized ritual as the foundation of personal conduct. Comparing the impolite to rats is a pointed critique against aristocrats who lost all sense of propriety. Although the specific historical event is unclear, its criticism of those lacking dignity, restraint, and manners has universal satirical significance.

《相鼠》是《诗经·鄘风》中的一首，属于十五国风中的「邶鄘卫」三风系统。鄘地在今河南新乡一带，为周初武庚之封地，后并于卫。据《毛诗序》：「《相鼠》，刺无礼也。卫文公能正其群臣，而刺在位承先君之化无礼仪也。」意谓此诗讽刺卫国在位者无礼——卫文公虽能匡正群臣，而讽刺那些承袭先君风化、不知礼仪的在位之人。后世学者多从《诗序》，以为此诗乃诗人痛斥统治阶级荒淫无礼、寡廉鲜耻之作，未必专指一人，而是对卫国乃至周代无礼贵族的普遍批判。周代以礼乐立国，礼为立身之本、为政之纲，所谓「礼，经国家、定社稷、序民人、利后嗣者也」（《左传》）；无礼者，禽兽不如。诗人正是基于这一礼治观念，以「鼠」为比，痛斥那些身居高位而无仪、无止、无礼之徒——连老鼠尚且有一张皮、有利齿、有身体，作为万物之灵的人，若连最基本的礼义廉耻都没有，岂非禽兽不如？诗中「不死何为」「不死何俟」「胡不遄死」的诅咒，正是在礼崩乐坏的时代背景下，对无道统治者的愤怒声讨，具有强烈的现实批判意义。

Art

The poem uses three stanzas with a tight structure. Each stanza begins with 'Look at the rat has X', contrasting the rat's possession of skin, teeth, and body with humans lacking corresponding virtues. The contrast is stark and humiliating. The latter four lines use anaphora, with the tone escalating from 'what is the use' to 'why does he wait' to 'why doesn't he die quickly', building anger. The entire poem is blunt and powerful, representing the pinnacle of satirical poetry in the Book of Songs.

此诗之妙，在以比兴立骨、以重章递进，全诗句句逼人、痛快斩截，是《诗经》讽刺诗的极致。全诗三章，章法严整，每章结构完全相同：前两句「相鼠有×，人而无×」以鼠起兴——先言鼠之有皮、有齿、有体，反跌「人而无仪、无止、无礼」，以禽兽之「有」反衬人之「无」，对比强烈，羞辱辛辣：鼠虽微贱，尚且有皮有齿有体，人若连仪、止、礼都无，则连鼠都不如，骂人入骨而不着一脏字，正是「春秋笔法」式的痛快。后两句「人而无仪，不死何为」「人而无止，不死何俟」「人而无礼，胡不遄死」以反诘收束，语气层层递进：「何为」（做什么）已见愤激，「何俟」（等什么）更显鄙夷，而「胡不遄死」（为什么不快快死掉）则怒火达到顶点，由诘问而诅咒，步步紧逼，锋芒毕露。三章换韵换字（仪/止/礼，皮/齿/体，何为/何俟/遄死），重章叠句而不重复，一层深过一层，正是《诗经》「一唱三叹、递进深化」的典型章法。全诗以鼠喻人、以有衬无、以诘代叙，四言句式斩截短促，如连珠炮发，直刺无礼者的肺腑，两千余年后读之，犹觉其锋芒凛然。

Allusions

The term 'xiang shu' means 'look at the rat'. Rats were seen as greedy and unclean; in the Book of Songs, they often symbolize petty people (e.g., 'Shuo shu'). The words 'yi' (dignity), 'zhi' (restraint), and 'li' (manners) are core concepts of Zhou ritual. The Zuo Zhuan says 'Ritual is the means to govern the state.' The phrase 'hu bu chuan si' (why not die quickly) is extremely decisive; 'chuan' means 'fast', showing the poet's deep indignation.

《相鼠》用典不多，而意象与观念皆渊源有自。「相鼠」即「看那老鼠」，「相」训视、看，为《诗经》常用动词（如《小雅·斯干》「相其阴阳」）。古以鼠为贪鄙不洁之象，《诗经》中「鼠」多喻小人：如《魏风·硕鼠》「硕鼠硕鼠，无食我黍」，以大老鼠比喻贪残的统治者；《相鼠》则以鼠之「有皮」「有齿」「有体」反衬无礼者之「无仪」「无止」「无礼」，鼠之形象由「被喻者」转为「比较者」——连老鼠都有的东西，人却偏偏没有，其讽刺之意更深一层。「仪」「止」「礼」皆周礼的核心范畴：《左传》云「礼，经国家、定社稷、序民人」，又云「威仪」为「民之则」；「止」训容止、节制，指举止合礼有度。三章以「仪」「止」「礼」递换，涵盖外在仪容、内在节制与根本礼义，层层深入，正是周代「礼」观念的完整表达。「胡不遄死」之「遄」训疾速，《说文》：「遄，往来数也」，引申为速；「胡不遄死」即「为何不快快死掉」，语极决绝，见诗人愤激之深。全诗虽少僻典，然以鼠比人、以礼立论，意象取自《诗经》传统，观念植根于周礼文化，古雅而锋利，正是「用典如己出」的典范。

Commentary

The Mao Prefce: 'Xiang Shu, satirizes lack of propriety.' Zhu Xi: 'Although the rat is humble, it still has skin; how can a man be without dignity?' Modern scholar Yu Guanying: 'This piece is a criticism of the ugly behavior of the ruling class in Wei, comparing them to rats, which is extremely sharp satire.'

《相鼠》是《诗经》中言辞最激切的讽刺诗之一，历代评家论其锋芒，无不击节。汉代《毛诗序》首倡「刺无礼」之说，确立其讽刺诗的性质；宋代朱熹《诗集传》发挥其意：「言鼠虽微贱，犹必有皮，可以人而无仪乎？」又谓「民之无礼者，虽鼠之不若也」，指出人而无礼连鼠都不如的批判锋芒；清代方玉润《诗经原始》亦称「此诗直斥无礼，痛快淋漓」，而姚际恒《诗经通论》则谓其「愤激之辞，如闻其声」。近人余冠英《诗经选》评：「这篇是对于卫国统治阶级的丑恶行为的针砭，比之于鼠，是极尖刻的讽刺。」就诗史而言，《相鼠》确立了《诗经》讽刺诗「以比兴刺时政」的传统：以鼠喻人、以物衬人、以诘代斥，为后世讽刺文学提供了典范手法——汉乐府《枯鱼过河泣》、曹植《野田黄雀行》等皆承其以物喻人的路子。就文化而言，此诗体现的「人而无礼，禽兽不如」的观念，正是周代礼乐文明「礼为人禽之辨」的文学表达，对后世「礼义廉耻」的人格观念影响深远。全诗短短四十八字，骂得痛快、讽得深刻、立得高远，是中国讽刺诗史上不可逾越的经典。

Prosody

Form Book of Songs · Guo Feng · Yong Feng诗经·国风·鄘风（四言诗）

Rhyme Stanza 1: pi, yi, wei (ge rhyme group); Stanza 2: chi, zhi, si (zhi rhyme group); Stanza 3: ti, li, si (zhi rhyme group)第一章押歌部韵（皮、仪、为），第二章押之部韵（齿、止、俟），第三章押脂部韵（体、礼、死），三章各押一韵，换韵换字，重章递进。

Tone pattern Unknown四言句式，节奏短促斩截；三章同构而语气递进，由诘问（何为）而鄙夷（何俟）而诅咒（遄死），声情随愤怒步步升高。

Reading note Four-character lines, repeated stanzas, direct exposition, three stanzas linked and progressive.《相鼠》为《诗经》国风体四言诗，属鄘风，全诗三章、每章四句、共四十八字，采用《诗经》最典型的「重章叠句」体式：三章结构完全相同，仅更换关键词语——「皮」「齿」「体」三字写鼠之所有，「仪」「止」「礼」三字写人之所无，「何为」「何俟」「遄死」三组词语写诅咒之递进。重章叠句是《诗经》最重要的章法特征，其妙处在于「以复沓增气势」：三章反复咏叹同一主题，不是简单的重复，而是层层加深——鼠由皮而齿而体，人由无仪而无止而无礼，诅咒由何为而何俟而遄死，意象、观念、情感三重递进，一唱三叹而不觉其复。用韵上，三章各押一韵（歌部、之部、脂部），换韵换字，韵脚密而音节促。声调上，四言句式节奏短促斩截（二二拍），每句四字如连珠炮发，正与愤怒斥责的声情相凑；每章前两句陈述（相鼠有皮，人而无仪），后两句反诘（人而无仪，不死何为），一叙一诘、一顿一挫，声情起伏而锋芒愈锐。尤为值得注意的是，全诗以「死」字三次入韵（何为、何俟、遄死），死亡意象贯穿三章，把讽刺诗的语气推到最烈，正是《诗经》声律与内容高度统一的典范。

Line by line

相鼠有皮，人而无仪！

Look at the rat: it has its hide; yet a man may go through life without dignity!

看那老鼠尚且有一张皮，做人却没有威仪！

Look even the rat: it has its hide; yet here is a man who bears no dignity at all!

起句以比兴立骨，是全诗讽刺锋芒的第一击。「相鼠」即看那老鼠——以「看」字领起，仿佛指着老鼠对无礼者说：你看，连老鼠尚且有一张皮！「有皮」是鼠之天然所有，虽极微贱之物亦有其「有」；「人而无仪」反跌而出——人却没有威仪。「仪」训威仪、礼容，指人外在的仪容举止合乎礼度，是周代贵族立身的基本要求。此句以鼠之「有」反衬人之「无」：鼠有皮，人无仪——连禽兽皆有的东西，人却没有，那么此人连禽兽都不如。骂人入骨而不着一脏字，正是《诗经》比兴之妙：不直言其无耻，而以鼠相比，其耻自现。一个「而」字转折有力，如当头棒喝；感叹号的激愤语气，更使斥责之声如闻在耳，开篇即奠定全诗「刺无礼」的辛辣基调。

The opening stands on bi and xing, the first lash of the poem's satirical edge. Look at the rat: the word look leads in, as if pointing at the rodent while saying to the shameless one: see, even a rat has its hide. Hide is the rat's natural possession; even the meanest creature has what it has. Yet a man may go through life without dignity falls against it, the man has none. Dignity means the bearing and ritual outward form required of a Zhou aristocrat. The line sets the rat's having against the man's not-having: the rat has a hide, the man no dignity; what even beasts possess, this man lacks, and so is less than a beast. Scathing without a single coarse word: the Shijing beauty of bi and xing, he is not called shameless, but set beside the rat, and shame appears of itself. The word yet turns like a blow; the exclamation's indignation makes the rebuke audible from the first line, setting the spicy, satirical tone of the whole.

人而无仪，不死何为？

If a man goes through life without dignity, why does he not die?

做人如果没有威仪，不死还等什么呢？

If a man has no dignity to speak of, what is he waiting for but death?

此句以反诘收束第一章，是全诗愤激之情的第一次喷发。「人而无仪」重复上句，以顶针手法蝉联而下，语气一气贯通，如连珠炮发；「不死何为」以反诘出之——这样的人，活着还有什么意义？不死还等什么？「何为」即做什么、干什么，言下之意：无仪之人，生不如死，不如速死。此句之妙，在于以诘代斥：不直说「你该死」，而以「不死何为」的反问，把判断权留给读者——答案不言自明，而讽刺之力反而更重。全句七字，前四字陈述其罪（无仪），后三字宣判其死（不死何为），语气斩截、锋芒毕露，如匕首直刺。就章法而言，此句与二、三章的「不死何俟」「胡不遄死」形成递进：何为已见愤激，何俟更显鄙夷，遄死则怒火至顶，三问三进，把讽刺推向高潮，正是《诗经》重章叠句「递进深化」的典范。

The line closes the first stanza in a challenge, the first eruption of the poem's indignation. If a man goes through life without dignity repeats the foregoing line in a chain-link, the tone unbroken, like a rapid volley. Why does he not die? asks the challenge: what meaning has such a man's life? Why does he not die? What for means what is he doing; the implication: the man without dignity were better dead, were better gone soon. The beauty lies in using a question for the condemnation: instead of saying you deserve to die, the question why do you not die? leaves judgment to the reader, the answer is self-evident, and the satire only gains weight. Seven characters: the first four state the crime, no dignity; the last three pronounce the sentence, why not die; the tone is cutting, the edge bare, like a dagger's point. Structurally, the line joins why wait to die? and why not die quickly? in the later stanzas into a progression: indignation, then contempt, then fury at the peak, three questions, three advances, satire driven to its height, the Shijing model of deepening refrain.

相鼠有齿，人而无止！

Look at the rat: it has its teeth; yet a man may live without restraint!

看那老鼠尚且有利齿，做人却没有节制！

Look even the rat: it has its teeth; yet here is a man who knows no measure at all!

第二章以「齿」换「皮」、以「止」换「仪」，重章递进，把讽刺推进一层。「相鼠有齿」仍以鼠起兴：鼠有利齿，啮物为生，是其本能之「有」；「人而无止」反跌而出——人却没有「止」。「止」训容止、节制，指人举止有度、行为有节，是周礼对个人修养的进一步要求——如果说「仪」偏于外在的仪容，则「止」已深入内在的节制。此章之妙，在于以鼠之「齿」喻人当有之「止」：齿者，人之所有；止者，人之所以为人。鼠有利齿而人无节制，则人之为人的根本已经丧失。换字而不换章法，正是重章叠句的精髓——三章同构而意象递进，皮（外表）而齿（本能）而体（全体），仪（仪容）而止（节制）而礼（礼义），由外而内、由浅入深，骂人之词层层加码，而愤怒之情亦层层加深，讽刺的火力愈烧愈旺。

The second stanza changes hide to teeth and dignity to restraint, advancing the satire one layer in the refrain. Look at the rat: it has its teeth rises again on the rat: its sharp teeth gnaw for a living, the having of its instinct. Yet a man may live without restraint falls against it, the man lacks restraint. Restraint means measured bearing, controlled conduct, the further Zhou requirement on personal cultivation: if dignity lay in outward form, restraint has entered inward measure. The stanza's beauty lies in matching the rat's teeth to the restraint a man should have: teeth are what the creature possesses; restraint is what makes a man human. The rat has sharp teeth, the man no measure, the root of his humanity is already gone. Changing words without changing the pattern is the essence of refrain: the three stanzas share a structure while the images advance, hide outlook, teeth instinct, body the whole; dignity bearing, restraint measure, ritual propriety; outer to inner, shallow to deep; the insults are stepped up, the anger deepened, the fire of satire burning hotter.

胡不遄死？

Why does he not hurry to his death?

为什么不快快死掉？

Why, oh why, does he not die at once?

「胡不遄死」是全诗怒火的高潮，也是三章诅咒的顶点。「胡不」即为何不、为什么不，反诘语气更急；「遄」训疾速，《说文》：「遄，往来数也」，引申为快、速；「死」字是全诗最重的字——前两章还只说「不死何为」「不死何俟」（活着干什么、等什么），至此已直斥「胡不遄死」——为什么不快快死掉！语气由愤激而鄙夷而诅咒，层层递进，把对无礼者的痛恨写到极致。此句之妙，在于以最决绝的字眼收束全诗：前面以鼠比人、以有衬无，骂其「不如鼠」；此处直呼其「速死」，已不屑再与多言——对无礼之徒，惟愿其早死，天下方得清静。全句四字，斩钉截铁，如雷霆之怒，把《诗经》讽刺诗的锋芒推到极点。此句亦是全诗「刺无礼」主题的总收束：仪、止、礼皆无之人，不配活在世上——礼治观念下的愤怒，在此达到白热。

Why does he not hurry to his death? is the peak of the poem's anger, the apex of the three stanzas' curses. Why not means wherefore not, the challenge sharper. Hurry means swiftly; the Shuowen says hurry means to go and come often, extended to quick, fast. Death is the heaviest word in the poem: the first two stanzas still say why does he not die? and why wait for death? what for, waiting for what; here it breaks out: why not die at once! The tone moves from indignation to contempt to curse, layer upon layer, hatred of the shameless driven to the utmost. The beauty lies in closing the poem with the most decisive word: earlier the rat beside the man, the having set against the not-having, cursing him as less than a rat; here he is bidden to die quickly, no further words deigned: for the shameless, only an early death can quiet the world. Four characters, decisive as a thunderbolt, driving the edge of Shijing satire to its extreme. The line also closes the poem's theme of satirizing sham: he who lacks dignity, measure, and ritual has no right to live, the anger of ritual governance at white heat.

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相 to observe; 'xiang shu' means 'look at the rat', introducing the opening comparison 「相鼠有皮」之「相」字，是全诗讽刺语气的第一声，一字而全篇的指斥姿态毕现。「相」训视、看，为《诗经》常用动词（《小雅·斯干》「相其阴阳」、《大雅·绵》「相宅」皆是），此处「相鼠」即「看那老鼠」——以「看」字领起，仿佛诗人正指着眼前的老鼠，对无礼者当头棒喝：你看，连老鼠尚且有一张皮！这一「相」字，把静态的比喻化为动态的指斥：不是冷静的陈述「鼠有皮」，而是激烈的指点「你看那鼠！」，斥责之声如闻在耳，无礼者仿佛就站在面前，被诗人指着鼻子痛骂。又「相」字引出下文的三次比照（皮、齿、体），成为全诗比兴结构的领起之字。一字之妙，在于把比兴手法与指斥姿态融为一体——「相」字一出，全诗便不是客观的议论，而是面对面的声讨，讽刺的锋芒由此更见锐利。

止 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「人而无止」之「止」字，是第二章立论的关键，一字而周礼的修养观念尽出。「止」训容止、节制，指人的举止行为有节制、有法度，是周礼对君子修养的更高要求。与首章「仪」相比，「仪」偏于外在的仪容威仪，「止」已深入内在的节制自律——由外而内，层层深入，正是周礼「由仪及礼」修养次序的体现。《诗经》中「止」多指容止有度，如《大雅·抑》「淑慎尔止」，《相鼠》以「止」为人之为人的标准：鼠有利齿而不知节制，是禽兽之本能；人若无「止」，则与禽兽何异？此字之妙，在于以「止」字界定「人禽之辨」：人之异于禽兽者，不在有齿有体（此皆禽兽所有），而在有止有礼（此唯人所独有）。二字之内，见出周代礼治文化的深刻观念，也使本章的讽刺比首章更深一层——连内在的节制都无，其人品之卑劣，更甚于首章所斥者。

遄 quickly; 'hu bu chuan si' expresses extreme indignation, the most intense tone 「胡不遄死」之「遄」字，是全诗怒火最烈的字眼，一字而愤激之情达于顶点。「遄」训疾速、赶快，《说文》：「遄，往来数也」，引申为快；「胡不遄死」即「为什么不快快死掉」——「遄」字写出「死」的急切：不仅该死，而且要快快地死，一刻也不能多留！若只说「胡不死」，语气尚属平缓的诅咒；着一「遄」字，则诗人对无礼者恨之入骨、惟恐其多活一刻的愤怒，喷薄而出，如雷霆之怒。此字之妙，在于以「速」字写「恨」字：诅咒人速死，正见恨之深、怒之烈。与首章「何为」、二章「何俟」相比，「遄死」的「遄」字把三章递进的语气推到极致——何为（活着干什么）而何俟（还等什么）而遄死（快死吧），由诘问而诅咒而催逼，层层加码，怒火一路攀升，至「遄」字而白热。全诗四十八字的愤怒，尽凝于这一个「遄」字。

相鼠