中国古代文学中桑意象的象征意蕴

The Mulberry Symbolism in Ancient Chinese Literature

在中国古代"桑"与人们的生活息息相关,因而在文学作品中桑意象频频出现。在这些作品中桑不再是自然意义上的桑,而被赋予了更多的社会文化内容:桑既象征古代先民原始的生命与生殖力,也象征着男女之间甜涩忧伤的爱情;既是吉祥的化身,同时也象征死亡与悲伤,既流露出古人浓重的家园意识,同时也象征着岁月的永恒。仔细打量中国古代文学艺术中"桑"所呈现的丰富意蕴,便可窥见中国古代先民富有神话而诗意的栖居。

In ancient China the mulberry was closely linked to the people in their daily lives. As the result, the mulberry symbolism appeared frequently in literature. Instead of the tree proper, the mulberry was gifted with much more social and cultural meanings, the symbol of life and reproductive ability, the symbol of love stories, the symbol of good luck, the symbol of sorrow or destruction, the symbol of hometown and countryside and the symbol of permanence.