南村老婆頭欲雪,曉傍牆陰採桑葉。
我行其野偶見之,試問春蠶何日結。
老婆斂手復低眉,未足四眠那知得。
自從紙上掃青子,朝夕餧飼如嬰兒。
只今上筐十日許,食葉如風響如雨。
夜深人靜不敢眠,自遶床頭逐饑鼠。
又聞野祟能相侵,典衣買紙燒蠶神。
一家心在陰雨裡,只恐葉溼繰難勻。
明朝滿簇收銀繭,軋軋車聲快如剪。
小姑促湯娘剝紕,嬉嬉始覺雙眉展。
繰成白雪不敢閑,錦上織成雙鳳團。
天寒尺寸不得著,盡與乃翁輸縣官。
君不見長安女兒嫩如水,十指不動衣羅綺。
我曹辛苦徒爾耳,依舊績麻冬日裡。
南村老婆頭欲雪,曉傍牆陰採桑葉。
我行其野偶見之,試問春蠶何日結。
老婆斂手復低眉,未足四眠那知得。
自從紙上掃青子,朝夕餧飼如嬰兒。
只今上筐十日許,食葉如風響如雨。
夜深人靜不敢眠,自遶床頭逐饑鼠。
又聞野祟能相侵,典衣買紙燒蠶神。
一家心在陰雨裡,只恐葉溼繰難勻。
明朝滿簇收銀繭,軋軋車聲快如剪。
小姑促湯娘剝紕,嬉嬉始覺雙眉展。
繰成白雪不敢閑,錦上織成雙鳳團。
天寒尺寸不得著,盡與乃翁輸縣官。
君不見長安女兒嫩如水,十指不動衣羅綺。
我曹辛苦徒爾耳,依舊績麻冬日裡。
南村的老婦人頭髮快要像雪一樣白了,
清晨時她靠著牆的陰涼處採摘桑葉。
我行走在田野間偶然看見她,
試著詢問春蠶何時結繭。
老婦人收起手又低下眉頭,
回答說:'還沒到第四次眠,哪裡能知道呢?'
自從從紙上掃下黑色的蠶卵,
她日夜餵養它們,如同照料嬰兒一般。
如今蠶兒上簇已有十來天,
它們吃葉子快如風,聲響密如雨點。
夜深人靜時她不敢入睡,
繞著床頭驅趕飢餓的老鼠。
又聽說野外的鬼怪會來侵害,
她典當衣服買來紙錢,祭祀蠶神。
一家人的心都懸在陰雨天氣裡,
只擔心桑葉潮溼,繅絲時難以均勻。
第二天滿簇都是收穫的銀白色蠶繭,
繅車軋軋作響,快得像剪刀一樣利落。
小姑催促準備熱水,母親剝開繭衣,
嬉笑中才見她舒展了緊鎖的雙眉。
繅出的雪白絲線不敢閒置,
在錦緞上織成了一對鳳凰的圖案。
天寒地凍,自己卻一尺一寸也穿不上,
全都交給她的丈夫去繳納給縣官。
你沒看見長安城的少女們嬌嫩如水嗎?
她們十指不沾勞作,卻穿著綾羅綢緞。
我們這般辛苦終究是徒勞啊,
到了冬日裡,依舊只能紡績麻線。
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.
養蠶勞作揭示了底層生存與經濟週期之間的深刻博弈。
描繪老婦寒天採桑養蠶的辛勞,反映民間疾苦。
本詩為七言古詩,押平聲韻。
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