關關雎鳩，在河之洲。窈窕淑女，君子好逑。
　　參差荇菜，左右流之。窈窕淑女，寤寐求之。
　　求之不得，寤寐思服。悠哉悠哉，輾轉反側。
　　參差荇菜，左右采之。窈窕淑女，琴瑟友之。
　　參差荇菜，左右芼之。窈窕淑女，鐘鼓樂之。

　　Guan-guan go the ospreys,
　　On the islet in the river.
　　The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady: --
　　For our prince a good mate she.
　　
　　Here long, there short, is the duckweed,
　　To the left, to the right, borne about by the current.
　　The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady: --
　　Waking and sleeping, he sought her.
　　He sought her and found her not,
　　And waking and sleeping he thought about her.
　　Long he thought; oh! long and anxiously;
　　On his side, on his back, he turned, and back again.
　　
　　Here long, there short, is the duckweed;
　　On the left, on the right, we gather it.
　　The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady: --
　　With lutes, small and large, let us give her friendly welcome.
　　Here long, there short, is the duckweed;
　　On the left, on the right, we cook and present it.
　　The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady: --
　　With bells and drums let us show our delight in her.

【白話文】 關關鳴叫的水鳥，棲居在河中沙洲。
善良美麗的姑娘，好男兒的好配偶。
長短不齊的荇菜，姑娘左右去摘采。
善良美麗的姑娘，醒來做夢都想她。
思念追求不可得，醒來做夢長相思。
悠悠思念情意切，翻來覆去難入眠。
長短不齊的荇菜，姑娘左右去摘采。
善良美麗的姑娘，彈琴鼓瑟親近她。
長短不齊的荇菜，姑娘左右去摘取。
善良美麗的姑娘，敲鐘擊鼓取悅她。

【注釋】 雎鳩：水鳥名，即魚鷹。傳說它們情意專一
逑：（雔）之藉字，（雔），雙鳥之意
荇菜：水草名
寤：睡醒，寐：睡眠
[1]：音帽，有選擇之意
興也。關關，雌雄相應之和聲也。關雎，水鳥，一名王雎，狀類鳧鷺，今江淮間有之，生有定偶而不相亂，偶常並遊而不相狎，故毛傳以為摯而有別，列女傳以為人未嘗見其乘居而匹處者，蓋其性然也。河，北方流水之通名。洲，水中可居之地也。窈窕，幽閑之意。淑，善也。女者，未嫁之稱，蓋指文王之妃大姒未處子時而言也。君子，則指文王也。好，亦善也。逑，匹也。毛傳云：摯字與至通，言其情意深至也。

【賞析】 《關雎》是《風》之始也，也是《詩經》第一篇。古人把它冠於三百篇之首，說明對它評價很高。《史記·外戚世傢》曾經記述說：“《易》基乾坤，《詩》始《關雎》，《書》美釐降……夫婦之際，人道之大倫也。”又《漢書·匡衡傳》記載匡衡疏雲：“匹配之際，生民之始，萬福之原。婚姻之禮正，然後品物遂而天命全。孔子論《詩》，一般都是以《關雎》為始。……此綱紀之首，王教之端也。”他們的着眼點是迂腐的，但對詩的本義的概括卻基本正確。問題在於它所表現的是什麽樣的婚姻。這關係到我們對《風》的理解。朱熹《詩集傳》“序”說：“凡詩之所謂風者，多出於裏巷歌謠之作，所謂男女相與詠歌，各言其情者也。”又鄭樵《通志·樂略·正聲序論》說：“《詩》在於聲，不在於義，猶今都邑有新聲，巷陌競歌之，豈為其辭義之美哉?直為其聲新耳。”朱熹是從詩義方面論述的，鄭樵則從聲調方面進行解釋。我們把二者結合起來，可以認為《風》是一種用地方聲調歌唱的表達男女愛情的歌謠。儘管朱熹對《關雎》主題的解釋並不如此，但從《關雎》的具體表現看，它確是男女言情之作，是寫一個男子對女子愛情的追求。其聲、情、文、義俱佳，足以為《風》之始，三百篇之冠。孔子說：“《關雎》樂而不淫，哀而不傷。”（《論語·八佾》）此後，人們評《關雎》，皆“折中於夫子”(《史記·孔子世傢》)。但《關雎》究竟如何呢?
這首詩原是三章：一章四句，二章八句，三章八句。鄭玄從文義上將後二章又各分為兩章，共五章，每章四句。現在用鄭玄的分法。第一章雎鳩和鳴於河之洲上，其興淑女配偶不亂，是君子的好匹配。這一章的佳處，在於舒緩平正之音，並以音調領起全篇，形成全詩的基調。以“窈窕淑女，君子好逑”統攝全詩。第二章的“參差荇菜”承“關關雎鳩”而來，也是以洲上生長之物即景生情。“流”，《毛傳》訓為“求”，不確。因為下文“寤寐求之”已有“求”字，此處不當再有“求”義，應作流動講。這是以荇菜流動從而比喻淑女的難求。“求”字是全篇的中心，通首詩都在表現男子對女子的追求過程，即從深切的思慕到實現結婚的願望。第三章抒發求之而不得的憂思。這是一篇的關鍵，最能體現全詩精神。姚際恆《詩經通論》評雲：“前後四章，章四句，辭義悉協。今夾此四句於‘寤寐求之’之下，‘友之’、‘樂之’二章之上，承上遞下，通篇精神全在此處。蓋必著此四句，方使下‘友’、‘樂’二義快足滿意。若無此，則上之雲‘求’，下之雲‘友’、‘樂’，氣勢弱而不振矣。此古人文章爭扼要法，其調亦迫促，與前後平緩之音別。”姚氏對本章在全詩中的重要性分析最為精當。應當補充者，此章不但以繁弦促管振文氣，而且寫出了生動逼真的形象，即王士禎《漁洋詩話》所謂“《詩》三百篇真如畫工之肖物”。林義光《詩經通解》說：“寐始覺而輾轉反側，則身猶在床。”這種對思念情人的心思的描寫，可謂“哀而不傷”者也。第四、五章寫求而得之的喜悅。“琴瑟友之”、“鐘鼓樂之”，都是既得之後的情景。曰“友”，曰“樂”，用字自有輕重、深淺不同。極寫快興滿意而又不涉於侈靡，所謂“樂而不淫”。通篇詩是寫一個男子對女子的思念和追求過程，寫求之而不得的焦慮和求而得之的喜悅。

這詩的主要表現手法是興寄，《毛傳》雲：“興也。”什麽是“興”?孔穎達的解釋最得要領，他在《毛詩正義》中說：“‘興’者，起也。取譬引類，起發己心，《詩》文諸舉草木鳥獸以見意者，皆‘興’辭也。”所謂“興”，即先從別的景物引起所詠之物，以為寄托。這是一種委婉含蓄的表現手法。如此詩以雎鳩之“摯而有別”，興淑女應配君子；以荇菜流動無方，興淑女之難求；又以荇菜既得而“采之”、“芼之”，興淑女既得而“友之”、“樂之”等。這種手法的優點在於寄托深遠，能産生文已盡而意有餘的效果。

這首詩還采用了一些雙聲疊韻的連綿字，以增強詩歌音調的和諧美和描寫人物的生動性。如“窈窕”是疊韻；“參差”是雙聲；“輾轉”既是雙聲又是疊韻。用這類詞兒修飾動作，如“輾轉反側”；摹擬形象，如“窈窕淑女”；描寫景物，如“參差荇菜”，無不活潑逼真，聲情並茂。劉師培《論文雜記》雲：“上古之時，……謠諺之音，多循天籟之自然，其所以能諧音律者，一由句各葉韻，二由語句之間多用疊韻雙聲之字。”此詩雖非句各葉韻，但對雙聲疊韻連綿字的運用，卻保持了古代詩歌淳樸自然的風格。

用韻方面，這詩采取偶句入韻的方式。這種偶韻式支配着兩千多年來我國古典詩歌諧韻的形式。而且全篇三次換韻，又有虛字腳“之”字不入韻，而以虛字的前一字為韻。這種在用韻方面的參差變化，極大地增強了詩歌的節奏感和音樂美。

對《關雎》，我們應當從詩義和音樂兩方面去理解。就詩義而言，它是“民俗歌謠”，所寫的男女愛情是作為民俗反映出來的。相傳古人在仲春之月有會合男女的習俗。《周禮·地官·媒氏》雲：“媒氏(即媒官)掌萬民之判(配合)。……中春(二月)之月，令會男女，於是時也，奔者不禁(不禁止奔)；若無故而不用令者，罰之，司男女之無夫傢者而會之。”《關雎》所詠未必就是這段史事的記實，但這段史實卻有助於我們瞭解古代男女相會、互相愛慕並希望成婚的心理狀態和風俗習尚。文學作品描寫的對象是社會生活，對社會風俗習尚的描寫能更真實地再現社會生活，使社會生活融匯於社會風習的畫面中，從而就更有真實感。《關雎》就是把古代男女戀情作為社會風俗習尚描寫出來的。就樂調而言，全詩重章疊句都是為了合樂而形成的。鄭樵《通志·樂略·正聲序論》雲：“凡律其辭，則謂之詩，聲其詩，則謂之歌，作詩未有不歌者也。”鄭樵特別強調聲律的重要性。凡古代活的有生氣的詩歌，往往都可以歌唱，並且重視聲調的和諧。《關雎》重章疊句的運用，說明它是可歌的，是活在人們口中的詩歌。當然，《關雎》是把表達詩義和疾徐聲調結合起來，以聲調傳達詩義。鄭玄《詩譜序》雲：“《虞書》曰：‘詩言志，歌永言，聲依永，律和聲。’然則詩之道，放於此乎?” (選自《中華文學鑒賞寶庫》，陝西人民教育出版社1995年版)

　　葛之覃兮，施於中𠔌，維葉萋萋。黃鳥於飛，集於灌木，其鳴喈喈。
　　葛之覃兮，施於中𠔌，維葉莫莫。是刈是濩，為絺為綌，服之無斁。
　　言告師氏，言告言歸。薄污我私，薄浣我衣。害浣害否，歸寧父母。

　　How the dolichos spread itself out,
　　Extending to the middle of the valley!
　　Its leaves were luxuriant;
　　The yellow birds flew about,
　　And collected on the thickly growing trees,
　　Their pleasant notes resounding far.
　　
　　How the dolichos spread itself out,
　　Extending to the middle of the valley!
　　Its leaves were luxuriant and dense.
　　I cut it and I boiled it,
　　And made both fine cloth and coarse,
　　Which I will wear without getting tired of it.
　　
　　I have told the matron,
　　Who will announce that I am going to see my parents.
　　I will wash my private clothes clean,
　　And I will rinse my robes.
　　Which need to be rinsed, which do not?
　　I am going back to visit my parents.

　　采采捲耳，不盈頃筐。嗟我懷人，置彼周行。
　　陟彼崔嵬，我馬虺隤。我姑酌彼金罍，維以不永懷。
　　陟彼高岡，我馬玄黃。我姑酌彼兕觥，維以不永傷。
　　陟彼砠矣，我馬瘏矣，我僕痡矣，雲何籲矣。

　　I was gathering and gathering the mouse-ear,
　　But could not fill my shallow basket.
　　With a sigh for the man of my heart,
　　I placed it there on the highway.
　　
　　I was ascending that rock-covered height,
　　But my horses were too tired to breast it.
　　I will now pour a cup from that gilded vase,
　　Hoping I may not have to think of him long.
　　
　　I was ascending that lofty ridge,
　　But my horses turned of a dark yellow.
　　I will now take a cup from that rhinoceros' horn,
　　Hoping I may not have long to sorrow.
　　
　　I was ascending that flat-topped height,
　　But my horses became quite disabled,
　　And my servants were [also] disabled.
　　Oh! how great is my sorrow!

　　南有樛木，葛藟纍之。樂衹君子，福履綏之。
　　南有樛木，葛藟荒之。樂衹君子，福履將之。
　　南有樛木，葛藟縈之。樂衹君子，福履成之。

　　In the south are trees with curved drooping branches,
　　With the doliches creepers clinging to them.
　　To be rejoiced in is our princely lady : --
　　May she repose in her happiness and dignity!
　　
　　In the south are the trees with curved drooping branches,
　　Covered by the dolichos creepers.
　　To be rejoiced in is our princely lady : --
　　May she be great in her happiness and dignity!
　　
　　In the south are the trees with curved drooping branches,
　　Round which the dolichos creepers twine.
　　To be rejoiced in is our princely lady : --
　　May she be complete in her happiness and dignity!

　　螽斯羽，詵詵兮。宜爾子孫，振振兮。
　　螽斯羽，薨薨兮。宜爾子孫。繩繩兮。
　　螽斯羽，揖揖兮。宜爾子孫，蟄蟄兮。

　　Ye locusts, winged tribes,
　　How harmoniously you collect together!
　　Right is it that your descendants
　　Should be multitudinous!
　　
　　Ye locusts, winged tribes,
　　How sound your wings in flight!
　　Right is it that your descendents
　　Should be as in unbroken strings!
　　
　　Ye locusts, winged tribes,
　　How you cluster together!
　　Right is it that your descendents
　　Should be in swarms!

　　桃之夭夭，灼灼其華。之子於歸，宜其室傢。
　　桃之夭夭，有蕡其實。之子於歸，宜其傢室。
　　桃之夭夭，其葉蓁蓁。之子於歸，宜其傢人。

　　The peach tree is young and elegant;
　　Brilliant are its flowers.
　　This young lady is going to her future home,
　　And will order well her chamber and house.
　　
　　The peach tree is young and elegant;
　　Abundant will be its fruits.
　　This young lady is going to her future home,
　　And will order well her chamber and house.
　　
　　The peach tree is young and elegant;
　　Luxuriant are its leaves.
　　This young lady is going to her future home,
　　And will order well her family.

　　肅肅兔罝，椓之丁丁。赳赳武夫，公侯幹城。
　　肅肅兔罝，施於中逵。赳赳武夫，公侯好仇。
　　肅肅免罝，施於中林。赳赳武夫，公侯腹心。

　　Carefully adjusted are the rabbit nets;
　　Clang clang go the blows on the pegs.
　　That stalwart, martial man
　　Might be shield and wall to his prince.
　　
　　Carefully adjusted are the rabbit nets,
　　And placed where many ways meet.
　　That stalwart, martial man
　　Would be a good companion for his prince.
　　
　　Carefully adjusted are the rabbit nets,
　　And placed in the midst of the forest.
　　That stalwart, martial man
　　Might be head and heart to his prince.

　　采采芣苡，薄言采之。采采芣苡，薄言有之。
　　采采芣苡，薄言掇之。采采芣苡，薄言捋之。
　　采采芣苡，薄言袺之。采采芣苡，薄言礻頡之。

　　We gather and gather the plantains;
　　Now we may gather them.
　　We gather and gather the plantains;
　　Now we have got them.
　　
　　We gather and gather the plantains;
　　Now we pluck the ears.
　　We gather and gather the plantains;
　　Now we rub out the seeds.
　　
　　We gather and gather the plantains;
　　Now we place the seeds in our skirts.
　　We gather and gather the plantains;
　　Now we tuck out skirts under our girdles.

　　南有喬木，不可休息。漢有遊女，不可求思。漢之廣矣，不可泳思。江之永矣，不可方思。
　　翹翹錯薪，言刈其楚。之子於歸，言秣其馬。漢之廣矣，不可泳思。江之永矣，不可方思。
　　翹翹錯薪，言刈其蔞。之子於歸。言秣其駒。漢之廣矣，不可泳思。江之永矣，不可方思。

　　In the south rise the trees without branches,
　　Affording no shelter.
　　By the Han are girls rambling about,
　　But it is vain to solicit them.
　　The breath of the Han
　　Cannot be dived across;
　　The length of the Jiang
　　Cannot be navigated with a raft.
　　
　　Many are the bundles of firewood;
　　I would cut down the thorns [to form more].
　　Those girls that are going to their future home, --
　　I would feed their horses.
　　The breadth of the Han
　　Cannot be dived across;
　　The length of the Jiang,
　　Cannot be navigated with a raft.
　　
　　Many are the bundles of firewood;
　　I would cut down the southern wood [to form more].
　　Those girls that are going to their future home, --
　　I would feed their colts.
　　The breadth of the Han
　　Cannot be dived across;
　　The length of the Jiang
　　Cannot be navigated with a raft.

　　遵彼汝墳，伐其條枚。未見君子，惄如調饑。
　　遵彼汝墳，伐其條肄。既見君子，不我遐棄。
　　魴魚赬尾，王室如毀。雖則如毀，父母孔邇。

　　Along those raised banks of the Ru,
　　I cut down the branches and slender stems.
　　While I could not see my lord,
　　I felt as it were pangs of great hunger.
　　
　　Along those raised banks of the Ru,
　　I cut down the branches and fresh twigs.
　　I have seen my lord;
　　He has not cast me away.
　　
　　The bream is showing its tail all red;
　　The royal House is like a blazing fire.
　　Though it be like a blazing fire,
　　Your parents are very near.

　　麟之趾，振振公子，於嗟麟兮。
　　麟之定，振振公姓，於嗟麟兮。
　　麟之角，振振公族，於嗟麟兮。

　　The feet of the Lin: --
　　The noble sons of our prince,
　　Ah! they are the Lin!
　　
　　The forehead of the Lin: --
　　The noble grandsons of our prince,
　　Ah! they are the Lin!
　　
　　The horn of the Lin: --
　　The noble kindred of our prince,
　　Ah! they are the Lin!