南村老婆头欲雪,晓傍墙阴采桑叶。
我行其野偶见之,试问春蚕何日结。
老婆敛手复低眉,未足四眠那知得。
自从纸上扫青子,朝夕𫗪饲如婴儿。
只今上筐十日许,食叶如风响如雨。
夜深人静不敢眠,自遶床头逐饥鼠。
又闻野祟能相侵,典衣买纸烧蚕神。
一家心在阴雨里,只恐叶湿缲难匀。
明朝满簇收银茧,轧轧车声快如剪。
小姑促汤娘剥纰,嬉嬉始觉双眉展。
缲成白雪不敢闲,锦上织成双凤团。
天寒尺寸不得着,尽与乃翁输县官。
君不见长安女儿嫩如水,十指不动衣罗绮。
我曹辛苦徒尔耳,依旧绩麻冬日里。
南村老婆头欲雪,晓傍墙阴采桑叶。
我行其野偶见之,试问春蚕何日结。
老婆敛手复低眉,未足四眠那知得。
自从纸上扫青子,朝夕𫗪饲如婴儿。
只今上筐十日许,食叶如风响如雨。
夜深人静不敢眠,自遶床头逐饥鼠。
又闻野祟能相侵,典衣买纸烧蚕神。
一家心在阴雨里,只恐叶湿缲难匀。
明朝满簇收银茧,轧轧车声快如剪。
小姑促汤娘剥纰,嬉嬉始觉双眉展。
缲成白雪不敢闲,锦上织成双凤团。
天寒尺寸不得着,尽与乃翁输县官。
君不见长安女儿嫩如水,十指不动衣罗绮。
我曹辛苦徒尔耳,依旧绩麻冬日里。
南村的老妇人头发快要像雪一样白了,
清晨时她靠着墙的阴凉处采摘桑叶。
我行走在田野间偶然看见她,
试着询问春蚕何时结茧。
老妇人收起手又低下眉头,
回答说:'还没到第四次眠,哪里能知道呢?'
自从从纸上扫下黑色的蚕卵,
她日夜喂养它们,如同照料婴儿一般。
如今蚕儿上簇已有十来天,
它们吃叶子快如风,声响密如雨点。
夜深人静时她不敢入睡,
绕着床头驱赶饥饿的老鼠。
又听说野外的鬼怪会来侵害,
她典当衣服买来纸钱,祭祀蚕神。
一家人的心都悬在阴雨天气里,
只担心桑叶潮湿,缫丝时难以均匀。
第二天满簇都是收获的银白色蚕茧,
缫车轧轧作响,快得像剪刀一样利落。
小姑催促准备热水,母亲剥开茧衣,
嬉笑中才见她舒展了紧锁的双眉。
缫出的雪白丝线不敢闲置,
在锦缎上织成了一对凤凰的图案。
天寒地冻,自己却一尺一寸也穿不上,
全都交给她的丈夫去缴纳给县官。
你没看见长安城的少女们娇嫩如水吗?
她们十指不沾劳作,却穿着绫罗绸缎。
我们这般辛苦终究是徒劳啊,
到了冬日里,依旧只能纺绩麻线。
An old woman in the south village, her hair about to turn snow-white,
At dawn, by the shady wall, she picks mulberry leaves with all her might.
As I pass through the fields, I happen to see her there,
And ask her when the spring silkworms will spin their cocoons fair.
The old woman folds her hands and lowers her brow with a sigh,
'Not yet four molts—how can I know?' is her soft reply.
Ever since sweeping the black eggs from the paper sheet,
She has fed them day and night, like babies, tender and sweet.
Now in their trays for ten days or so they've been confined,
Devouring leaves like wind, their munching sounds like rain combined.
Deep in the night, when all is still, she dares not sleep,
But circles by her bed, chasing hungry mice that creep.
She's also heard wild spirits may bring harm and blight,
So pawns her clothes to buy paper, burns offerings to the silkworm sprite.
The whole family's hearts are wrapped in gloom of rain,
Fearing damp leaves will make reeling threads uneven and in vain.
Tomorrow, the whole rack will be filled with silver cocoons bright,
The whirring wheel's sound swift as scissors, cutting with delight.
Young daughter urges hot water, mother peels the floss with care,
With playful joy, her knitted brows finally smooth and fair.
The reeled white silk she dares not leave idle for a day,
On brocade she weaves a pair of phoenixes in fine array.
In cold weather, not an inch of it can she wear,
All is taken by her old man to pay the county's share.
Have you not seen the maidens of Chang'an, tender as water clear?
Their ten fingers never move, yet they dress in silk sheer.
All our toil is but in vain, it would appear,
As in winter we still spin hemp, year after year.
养蚕劳作揭示了底层生存与经济周期之间的深刻博弈。
描绘老妇寒天采桑养蚕的辛劳,反映民间疾苦。
本诗为七言古诗,押平声韵。
东山书院编辑整理