中英对照赏析|关关雎鸠 《诗经》

GUAN! GUAN! CRY THE FISH HAWKS¹

Guan! Guan! Cry the fish hawks
on sandbars in the river:
a mild-mannered good girl,
fine match for the gentleman.
A ragged^{2 fringe is the floating-heart,
left and right we trail it:
that mild-mannered good girl,
awake, asleep, I search for her.}

I search but cannot find her,
awake, asleep, thinking of her,
endlessly, endlessly,
turning, tossing from side to side.
A ragged fringe is the floating-heart,
left and right we pick it:
the mild-mannered good girl,
harp and lute^{3 make friends with her.
A ragged fringe is the floating-heart,
left and right we sort it:
the mild-mannered good girl,
bell and drum delight her.}

NOTES:
This is a love poem, describing a man of the royal family in love with a girl collecting edible^{4 water plants , and his efforts to court her.}