Chinese poem illustration: 周南 汉广/Zhou Wind – Han River is Wide by Anonymous
Full video also available at Bilibili: 周南 汉广
Curiosity depicted in this poem is always the major attraction of it, curiosity is also the catalyst of deciphering this mysterious poem through the history. A new arguement is raised per the recent archeology and history study, that this poem is a soft warning or order by the Zhou military head to Zhou soldiers who were battling along the Han river.
The writing is also quite different than other poems in Zhou Wind, which is simple, narrative and straightforward.
June 2022: this poem could be a condolence poem to King Zhao(昭王), who died in the Han river when he was conquering those states in this area. As the corpse was lost in the river, this poem expressed the deep feeling of lost.
周南 汉广
佚名
南有乔木，不可休思；
汉有游女，不可求思。
汉之广矣，不可泳思；
江之永矣，不可方思。
翘翘错薪，言刈其楚；
之子于归，言秣其马。
汉之广矣，不可泳思；
江之永矣，不可方思。
翘翘错薪，言刈其蒌；
之子于归，言秣其驹。
汉之广矣，不可泳思；
江之永矣，不可方思。
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