Chinese poem illustration: 卫风 河广/ Wei Wind – River Wide by Anonymous
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When I cross this poem, a piece of English lyric cross my mind ” my oceans deep the river’s wide”, it parallel the love as deep and abundant as the ocean and river, as hard and unreachable as crossing the ocean or wide river.
The poet intentionally mistake the wide and dangerous Yellow river(黄河) as narrow shallow water which contrasts his immense wish: someone or somthing from Song state(宋国). The word 崇朝(ascend the court) revealed the Song state was a vassal state to Wei state once, and the poet is now ergerly to restore the relationship.
This poem consists of 4 pairs of question and answer, which is quite sophisticated writing per the time being, the only type in the Book of Songs.
卫风 河广
佚名
谁谓河广？一苇杭之。
谁谓宋远？跂予望之。
谁谓河广？曾不容刀。
谁谓宋远？曾不崇朝。
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