先秦 Pre-Qin · 诗经 Classic of Poetry
采薇
Gathering Ferns
采薇采薇，薇亦作止。
曰归曰归，岁亦莫止。
靡室靡家，玁狁之故。
不遑启居，玁狁之故。
昔我往矣，杨柳依依。
今我来思，雨雪霏霏。
行道迟迟，载渴载饥。
我心伤悲，莫知我哀！
When I went away, the willows were soft and swaying. Now I return, the snow falls thick and flying. The road is slow, and I am thirsty and hungry. My heart is sorrowful—none knows my grief!
Meaning
An excerpt from 'Gathering Ferns' voices a frontier soldier's long years of conscription and his grief on the journey home, set against the Xianyun raids of the Western Zhou.
采薇啊采薇，薇菜才初生。说归去说归去，一年又将尽。没有室没有家，只因玁狁之故。不得安居，也因玁狁之故。 昔日我离家时，杨柳轻柔依依。如今我归来啊，大雪纷飞霏霏。行路迟缓，又渴又饥。我心悲伤，无人知我哀！
Appreciation
The excerpt opens with gathering ferns just sprung and the year ended without return, home and hearth lost to the Xianyun; the last stanza sets 'when I went, the willows were soft' against 'now I return, the snow flies thick,' the contrast of then and now. The road is slow, thirsty and hungry—the parting sorrow closed in restraint and deep pain. On the surface it is personal homesickness; in truth it reflects the displacement of common folk under the Xianyun troubles, the most moving war-frontier poem of the Shijing.
【白话串讲】 “昔我往矣，杨柳依依。今我来思，雨雪霏霏”——诗经《采薇》：当年出征，杨柳依依；如今归来，雨雪霏霏。“行道迟迟，载渴载饥。我心伤悲，莫知我哀”——写尽征夫的悲凉。这四句，被公认是《诗经》里最美的句子。 【意象与手法】以“薇”之生长（作、柔、刚）暗记时光流转；“杨柳依依”对“雨雪霏霏”，以乐景写哀、以哀景写哀，情景反衬；末“行道迟迟，载渴载饥”以行役之苦收束，含蓄沉痛。 【情感与主旨】抒发戍边征人长年思归、归途伤悲的复杂心绪。表面写个人乡愁，实折射周代猃狁侵扰下百姓的离乱之苦，是《诗经》中最动人的战争边塞之章。 【名句点睛】“昔我往矣，杨柳依依。今我来思，雨雪霏霏。”——以出征时杨柳轻柔与归来时大雪纷飞两幅画面，写尽时光流逝与物是人非之恸；情景交融、以乐衬哀，被谢公叹为“诗三百”最佳句。
Background
'Gathering Ferns' is a frontier-conscription poem in the 'Minor Odes' of the Book of Songs, born in the late Western Zhou when the Xianyun (Northern Di) raided; it writes a conscript's long longing to return and his grief on the way home—the peak of Shijing war poetry.
《采薇》为《诗经·小雅》篇，是写出征戍役、思归伤悲之情的诗。此诗写采薇采薇、岁暮思归，靡室靡家、玁狁之故，末以昔往今来、雨雪霏霏写行役之哀，是《诗经》的名篇。
Art
It marks the passing of time by the fern's growth (sprung, tender, hard); 'when I went, the willows soft' against 'now I return, the snow flies thick' writes grief through joyful scene and through sorrowful scene, scene and feeling in reverse contrast; the close in travel-hunger is restrained and heavy, opening the later pattern of parting poems.
《采薇》艺术上以采薇起兴的描摹与行役之哀的深挚见长。全诗六章，此本节选两章：首章写采薇思归——“采薇采薇，薇亦作止”写采薇采薇、薇亦作止，“曰归曰归，岁亦莫止”写曰归曰归、岁亦莫止，“靡室靡家，玁狁之故”写靡室靡家、玁狁之故；末章写行役之哀——“昔我往矣，杨柳依依”写昔我往矣、杨柳依依，“今我来思，雨雪霏霏”写今我来思、雨雪霏霏，“我心伤悲，莫知我哀”写我心伤悲、莫知我哀。全诗以采薇起兴写行役之哀，正是《诗经》深挚的笔法。
Allusions
'Ferns' (wei) are wild peas, edible; 'Xianyun' (also Xianyun) were a Northern tribe of the Western Zhou who often raided; 'qiju' means to settle in peace; 'yiyi' describes the willow's soft droop; 'feifei' describes the heavy snow; 'zai' is a particle meaning 'and/again.'
《采薇》用典在“玁狁”“杨柳依依”“雨雪霏霏”。“玁狁”写玁狁（北方民族）；“杨柳依依”写杨柳依依（离时之景）；“雨雪霏霏”写雨雪霏霏（归时之景）。全诗以这些意象写采薇思归、行役之哀，用典自然而深挚自见，正是《诗经》的笔法。
Commentary
The Qing scholar Fang Yurun said it 'speaks feeling and scene with true, touching plainness'; its use of phenology to mark time and of then-now contrast to write grief already holds the art of later lyric poetry—a deep, gentle, and warm work among the 'Minor Odes.'
《采薇》是《诗经·小雅》的名篇，也是先秦诗中写行役之哀的代表作。此诗写出征戍役、思归伤悲之情，向为论者称道。论者多赏其采薇起兴的描摹与行役之哀的深挚——“采薇采薇，薇亦作止”写采薇采薇、薇亦作止，深挚之极；“曰归曰归，岁亦莫止”写曰归曰归、岁亦莫止，更见其思；“昔我往矣，杨柳依依。今我来思，雨雪霏霏”写昔往杨柳、今来雨雪，尤见其哀；“我心伤悲，莫知我哀”写我心伤悲、莫知我哀，尤见其悲。此诗为《诗经》名篇，以深挚著称，正是其代表——以采薇起兴写行役之哀，正是其诗风。
Prosody
Line by line
采薇采薇，薇亦作止。曰归曰归，岁亦莫止。靡室靡家，玁狁之故。
We pluck the vetch, the vetch just sprouting. 'Return, return!'—the year is ending. No wife, no home, because of the Xianyun.
采薇采薇，薇亦作止。曰归曰归，岁亦莫止。靡室靡家，玁狁之故。
Picking vetch, picking vetch, the vetch is just sprouting. To go home, to go home—the year is already closing. No household, no home, all because of the Xianyun.
首写采薇思归、岁暮无家，是全诗写行役之因的起点。“采薇采薇，薇亦作止”写采薇采薇、薇亦作止——“采薇采薇”写采薇又采薇，“薇亦作止”写薇菜也初生了——采薇采薇，薇亦作止；“曰归曰归，岁亦莫止”写曰归曰归、岁亦莫止——“曰归曰归”写说要归要说归，“岁亦莫止”写岁暮还不得归——曰归曰归，岁亦莫止；“靡室靡家，玁狁之故”用玁狁之典写靡室靡家、玁狁之故——“靡室靡家”写没有室没有家，“玁狁之故”用玁狁之典写因玁狁之故——靡室靡家，玁狁之故。六句写采薇思归、岁暮无家：采薇采薇，薇亦作止。曰归曰归，岁亦莫止。靡室靡家，玁狁之故。以“采薇采薇，薇亦作止”写采薇起兴、物候流转，以“曰归曰归，岁亦莫止”写曰归而不得归、岁已暮，以“靡室靡家，玁狁之故”用玁狁之典写无室无家、皆因玁狁，正是《诗经》写行役之因的起点——采薇岁暮，玁狁无家。
The opening writes picking the vetch and longing to return, the year-end and no home, the starting point of the poem on the cause of campaigning. 'We pluck the vetch, the vetch just sprouting' opens on the vetch, the plant's growth marking the turning of the seasons. 'Return, return—the year is ending' writes the repeated cry to return, yet the year is already dark. 'No wife, no home, because of the Xianyun' uses the allusion to the Xianyun (northern tribes) to write the loss of home, all because of the war. It is the starting point of the Book of Songs on the cause of campaigning: picking vetch at year's end, the Xianyun having left him homeless.
昔我往矣，杨柳依依。今我来思，雨雪霏霏。
Long ago I set out, willows soft and trailing. Now I return, the snow falling thick and fast.
昔我往矣，杨柳依依。今我来思，雨雪霏霏。
Long ago, when I marched away, the willows trailed soft and lush; now, as I come back, the snow falls thick and fast.
末写昔我往矣、今我来思，是全诗写行役之哀的归结。“昔我往矣，杨柳依依”写昔我往矣、杨柳依依——“昔我往矣”写昔日我离家远行，“杨柳依依”写杨柳依依惜别——昔我往矣，杨柳依依；“今我来思，雨雪霏霏”写今我来思、雨雪霏霏——“今我来思”写今日我归来，“雨雪霏霏”写雨雪霏霏纷飞——今我来思，雨雪霏霏。四句写昔我往矣、今我来思：昔我往矣，杨柳依依。今我来思，雨雪霏霏。以“昔我往矣，杨柳依依”写昔年离家、杨柳依依之春景，以“今我来思，雨雪霏霏”写今朝归来、雨雪霏霏之冬日，正是《诗经》写行役之哀的归结——昔往依依，今归霏霏。
This is the closing of the poem on the grief of campaigning, the age-old couplet. 'Long ago I set out, willows soft and trailing' writes the spring departure, the willows lingering in the wind. 'Now I return, the snow falling thick and fast' writes the winter homecoming, the snowflakes drifting thick. The two scenes, spring's soft willows against winter's falling snow, set the departure against the return, the beauty of youth against the haggard homecoming, and within the contrast all the grief of the long campaign. It is the most celebrated passage of the Book of Songs, the model of 'writing feeling through season and scene' for all later poetry.
行道迟迟，载渴载饥。我心伤悲，莫知我哀！
The road drags on, I am thirsty and hungry. My heart is sore with grief; no one knows my sorrow!
行道迟迟，载渴载饥。我心伤悲，莫知我哀！
The road ahead is slow and long; I am parched and hungry. My heart is sorrowful and wounded—no one knows my grief!
末写行道迟迟、我心伤悲，是全诗写归途之哀的归结。“行道迟迟，载渴载饥”写行道迟迟、载渴载饥——“行道迟迟”写归路走得很慢，“载渴载饥”写又渴又饥——行道迟迟，载渴载饥；“我心伤悲，莫知我哀”写我心伤悲、莫知我哀——“我心伤悲”写我心中伤悲，“莫知我哀”写无人知道我哀——我心伤悲，莫知我哀。四句写行道迟迟、我心伤悲：行道迟迟，载渴载饥。我心伤悲，莫知我哀！以“行道迟迟，载渴载饥”写归途迟迟、饥渴交迫，以“我心伤悲，莫知我哀”写我心伤悲、无人知哀，正是《诗经》写归途之哀的归结——行道迟迟，莫知我哀。
This is the closing on the grief of the homeward road. 'The road drags on, I am thirsty and hungry' writes the slow march back, thirst and hunger together. 'My heart is sore with grief; no one knows my sorrow!' writes the heart's grief and the world's unknowing. The line moves from the body's hardship to the heart's loneliness, closing the whole in a cry that no one knows—all the long campaign, the lost home, the winter road, gathered into this final 'no one knows,' the very grief of the soldier that has moved readers for three thousand years.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
《采薇（节选）》为采薇节选版，与本首同为《诗经·采薇》。差异在篇幅：本首为两章节选；节选版为单章节选。一写“全”之章，一写“选”之章。两者并读，可见采薇在库的不同版本。
小雅·出车 Xiaoya: Chuju (Chariots, Set Forth) 诗经 · 同为诗经小雅写征役，一写采薇思归一写出车劳师，皆深挚 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
《小雅·出车》写出车劳师、征役之情，与本首同为《诗经·小雅》写征役。差异在主题：采薇写思归之哀；出车写劳师之咏。一写“归”之悲，一写“师”之劳。两者并读，可见诗经小雅写征役的两种主题。
四牡 Four Stallions (Si Mu) 诗经 · 与本首相关联的同类或同作者作品，供对比阅读 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
此处关联诗经《四牡》，与本首在主题、体裁或作者上相关联，可对比阅读以见其同异。