《诗经·鄘风·桑中》与上古三月养蚕礼俗

The Book of Songs·Sangzhong and the Ritual System of Silkworm Rearing in Spring in Ancient Times

《诗·鄘风·桑中》一诗,并非所谓的“淫奔者”之诗,也非青年男女的相悦之词。《桑中》歌咏上古卫地妇女季春(延续到初夏)采桑养蚕之情事,间接展现了卫地的蚕妇及贵族妇女在“公桑蚕室”劳作的画面;“桑中”意为桑林之中;“上宫”则指“蚕室”,皆关乎蚕事。《桑中》作者当为一采桑之女,本诗歌咏她在养蚕季节思念孟姜、孟弋、孟庸这些贵族妇女,反映了她们共同养蚕的情事。本诗不作于卫宣公、卫惠公之时。根据吴国公子季札的评论,此诗或作于卫武公之世。

The purport of Sangzhong in The Book of Songs was not a poem about so-called“adulterers”,nor was it about young men and women loving each other.Sangzhong sings about the silkworms raised by women in the ancient“Wei”,showing silkworms and noble women working in the“son of heaven’s silkworm room”.“Sangzhong”means mulberry forest,“Shanggong”means sericulture room.The author of“Sangzhong”should be a sericulture girl,this poem sings her missing“Mengjiang”,“Mengyi”,“Mengyong”these noble women in the sericulture season,reflecting their common sericulture things.This poem was written when Wei Wugong was reigning instead of Xuan gong or Hui gong according to Ji Zha’s comment.