師昏古所辭,財昏今不恥。
傳祀合二姓,古者貴由禮。
四德五可外,貨賄亦末爾。
民風日就頹,捨此爭校彼。
媒氏未到眼,聘資問有幾。
傾篋指金錢,交券搴租米。
東家女未笄,儀矩無可紀。
已聞歸有日,資送耀鄰裡。
西家女三十,閉戶事麻枲。
四壁漏風霜,行媒無留趾。
坐貧失行期,趣富瞢貪鄙。
流弊例不免,其源實此起。
多約或少酬,暫譽甘長毀。
坐令親舊歡,詭譎變狐鬼。
何況性習間,貧富岐臧否。
土俗未易挽,人情大不媺。
悠悠何足道,吾以諗君子。
師昏古所辭,財昏今不恥。
傳祀合二姓,古者貴由禮。
四德五可外,貨賄亦末爾。
民風日就頹,捨此爭校彼。
媒氏未到眼,聘資問有幾。
傾篋指金錢,交券搴租米。
東家女未笄,儀矩無可紀。
已聞歸有日,資送耀鄰裡。
西家女三十,閉戶事麻枲。
四壁漏風霜,行媒無留趾。
坐貧失行期,趣富瞢貪鄙。
流弊例不免,其源實此起。
多約或少酬,暫譽甘長毀。
坐令親舊歡,詭譎變狐鬼。
何況性習間,貧富岐臧否。
土俗未易挽,人情大不媺。
悠悠何足道,吾以諗君子。
古人所鄙棄的是因師長而聯姻,
如今因錢財聯姻卻不以為恥。
傳承祭祀需合兩姓之好,
古時看重的是遵循禮制。
在婦德等四德與五種可取條件之外,
財物賄賂也不過是末節小事。
民間風氣日益頹敗,
捨棄禮法,卻去計較那些財物。
媒人還未上門提親,
便先問聘禮能有幾何。
傾盡箱匣指點金銀錢財,
立下契約奪走租米。
東家的女兒還未成年,
儀態規矩無可稱道。
卻已聽說她出嫁有期,
陪嫁之資炫耀鄰里。
西家的女兒年已三十,
閉門在家紡織麻縷。
四壁漏風透霜,
說媒的人不留足跡。
因家貧而耽誤婚期,
趨附富家者昏昧貪鄙。
這種流弊大抵難免,
其根源實由此而起。
聘約或厚或薄,酬答或多或少,
短暫的讚譽甘願長久的詆譭。
致使親朋故舊的歡情,
詭詐變幻如同狐鬼。
何況在性情與習氣之間,
貧富差異導致善惡評判分歧。
鄉土習俗不易挽回,
世情人心大為不善。
悠悠世事何足論說,
我以此告誡君子。
Ancient sages scorned the match for teacher's sake,
But now a match for wealth brings no disgrace.
To join two clans in rites was honor's stake,
The ancients prized the ritual's noble grace.
Beyond four virtues and five checks they'd trace,
Bribes and presents were but a trivial case.
The folkways daily sink into decay,
Discarding this, they haggle for that prey.
Before the matchmaker has cast her eye,
They ask what dowry funds the groom can pay.
They empty chests of gold coins with a sigh,
And sign deeds seizing rice as rent away.
The eastern maid, not yet of hairpin age,
Shows no decorum fit for history's page.
Yet when her wedding day is set in stage,
Her lavish gifts make all the neighbors rage.
The western maid at thirty stays inside,
To spin her hemp in solitude she's tied.
Her walls let wind and frost through gaps so wide,
No matchmaker will at her door abide.
Sitting in poverty, she misses date;
Rushing to wealth, they act in greedy state.
Such flowing ills are hard to mitigate,
Their source, in truth, from this does emanate.
More pledge or less return, a transient fame,
Yields lasting slander, sweet at first the game.
Thus kin and old friends' joy turns to a shame,
Deceitful tricks like fox-ghosts they became.
How much more, between natures and habits' aim,
Do poor and rich in good and evil claim?
Local customs are not easy to reclaim,
Human feelings show a deeply flawed frame.
Vast and endless, what is there to proclaim?
I tell the noble man to know this blame.
婚姻市場的財利博弈扭曲社會價值。
對比古今婚嫁觀念,諷刺當時重財輕德的世風。
本詩為五言古詩,押平聲韻。
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