《诗经》四言体兴衰探论

枟诗经枠“四言体”的结构呈现为一种“二二 ?四”式语音-节奏框架。其压模范围覆盖了周代诗乐舞诸范畴 ,形成了汉语四言结构的“绝对压模”时代。“诗体”的典范---枟大雅枠诗组规整的句式 ,其实是周代“双音钟”制约下的雅乐节奏的折射。而雅乐节奏的源头 ,则是文王时期所创的井田耦耕节奏影响下形成的岐周民谣的节奏框架。“诗体”的存续归根结底要依靠井田制的有效运行。而庞大的井田制 ,其根基其实建立在小小的木质农具周耜之上。因而 ,当战国初期“中国铁器时代”到来之时 ,井田崩溃 ,雅乐亡佚 ,“诗体”也走上了消亡之路 ,汉语四言结构的“绝对压模”时代终告结束。

The Rise and Decline of the Four-character Verse of Book of Songs

The so-called "four-character verse" of Book o f Songs is essentially a "two two-four" sound-rhythm structure. Its molding influence covered poetry, music and dance during the Zhou Dynasty, a period of "absolute molding" of the four-character structure of Chinese. The regular sentence pattern of Da Ya, that is, a paragon of the style of Book o f Songs, actually reflected the rhythm of court music under the restriction of Zhou double-tone bells. The rhythm, in turn, originated from the rhythmic framework of Qizhou (a period preceding the founding of Zhou Dynasty) folk songs shaped by the rhythm of two men tilling side by side (known as ougeng, a farming practice invented in the reign of King Wen). The continuation of the style of Book of Songs ultimately hinged on the effectiveness of the Square-Fields System, which was based on the Zhou si, a spade like farm tool made of wood. Hence, the advent of the Chinese Iron Age in the early Warring States Period led to the collapse of the Square-Fields System, the loss of court music, and the disappearance of the style of Book o f Songs, thereby bringing an end to the period of the "absolute molding" of the four-character structure of Chinese.