Chinese poem illustration: 魏风 葛屦/ Wei Wind – Kudzu Shoe by Anonymous
Full video also available at Bilibili: 魏风 葛屦
Poem starts at 7:30 after a briefing to Wei state(魏国, state of high and big) and Wei Wind(魏风). For Zhou people, reviewing the poem/song in state wind(国风) is to review the local custom and terroir. The state of Wei is taken as humble and thrifty which is highly valued by ancient chinese as the key character of king and emperor, it is still the character of the people lives here today.
A new interpretation is develpoed against the Han scholars(汉儒) and later comers who all take Wei Wind as humble and stingy, in one word, a blaming poem. Thrifty or stingy? sounds a bit similar somehow, but they are fundamentally different. One worthy of prasing, the other blaming. In Zuozhuan(春秋左传), the value of thrifty was made clearly as 清廟茅屋，大路越席，大羹不致，粢食不鑿，昭其儉也, in one word, the utmost respect is by simple and raw sacrifice.
Characters 左, 辟, 褊, 刺 are further analysed. The two paragraph structure also imply it blue mood or alternative.
2022.5.11, a new decipher of this poem: a funeral of Wei state lord. 葛屦 is the rope of Kudzo which was used to lower the coffin down to the grave.the Last sentence refers the sadness really hurts.
魏风 葛屦
佚名
纠纠葛屦，可以履霜？
掺掺女手，可以缝裳？
要之襋之，好人服之。
好人提提，宛然左辟，佩其象揥。
维是褊心，是以为刺。
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