本集課程重點包括：

一、認識子夏

      子夏是魏國人，孔門文學科的代表，小孔子四十四歲，孔子過世的時候他才二十九歲。子夏曾經作過莒父宰，傳承了詩經與易經，他的禮學也跟子游一樣有內涵。孔子過世後，子夏曾到魏國當魏文侯的國師，晚年他因為喪子而痛哭失明，曾子為此對他有一番勸諫。

二、「巧笑倩兮，美目盼兮，素以為絢兮。」所描述的是莊姜

      詩句出自《詩經．衛風》的碩人篇，莊姜是衛莊公的夫人，是氣質很好的淑女，可惜衛莊公仍迷惑於姬妾。「巧笑倩兮」表示莊姜巧好的一笑，面頰便展露美好的笑容；「美目盼兮」指她美目轉動，黑白分明，十分靈活。「素以為絢兮」意思是絢麗的笑容及美目轉動，來自於臉頰及眼睛本身美好的質地。

三、「繪事後素」的意思

      此處「素」是指作為畫紙的白絹或白布，繪畫必先準備好白布，才能接納五彩，就像莊姜絢麗的笑容是因為有美好的質地。這句話是孔子針對子夏的疑惑所給予的解釋。

四、子夏從孔子回答中所得到的啟發

      從上述說明，子夏感悟到禮也是如此，先要有忠信的質地，之後才能學禮，待人處世才不會變成虛情假意。學詩要有悟性，子夏能夠舉一反三，所以孔子很高興地說，他可以跟子夏談論詩了！

八佾篇第八章白話翻譯

【經文】

子夏問曰：「巧笑倩兮，美目盼兮，素以為絢兮。」何謂也。子曰：繪事後素。曰：禮後乎。子曰：起予者商也，始可與言詩已矣。

【字詞解釋】

倩：面頰。

兮：語助詞。

盼：黑白分明。

素以為絢兮：素，是指面頰與美目。絢，是指笑倩盼動的情況。

繪事後素：素，是繒或絹之類的絲織品。繪畫在鋪好素地的絲織品之後。

【白話解釋】

      子夏讀詩經的三句詩「巧笑倩兮，美目盼兮，素以為絢兮」，這三句詩是形容女子微笑時，靈巧的笑容，雙頰留窩，多麼優美啊！醉人的眼波一轉動，黑白分明，十分靈活，多麼明媚啊！有這樣好的面頰與美目，始有笑倩盼動之美。子夏讀這三句詩，讀到「素以為絢兮」便問孔子是什麼意思，孔子以繪畫的比喻來答覆子夏，繪畫前必須先鋪一塊白缯或白絹，如後世畫家所用的畫紙，稱為素地。鋪好才能在此素地上施采繪畫，所以繪畫之事在素地之後。素比喻美女的兩頰與美目，這是美的素質。繪事比喻笑倩盼動，這是美的姿態。先有美質，而後有美姿，就好像繪畫之事在素地之後。孔子以繪畫之事喻詩，子夏由詩而領悟禮，故說：禮居於忠信之後，即禮以忠信為主，學禮以忠信為前提，不忠不信的人學禮無用。孔子於是稱許子夏能發明孔子之意，能悟言外之意，可以跟他談論詩了。

【章旨】

      子夏請問詩義，而能從孔子的比喻中，領悟到「禮」發生的順序。

《論語講要》原文

      「子夏問曰，巧笑倩兮，美目盼兮，素以為絢兮，何謂也。」

      巧笑倩兮三句是詩，前二句在詩經衛風碩人篇第二章，後一句不見於此篇，馬融以為此句為逸詩，朱子集注以這三句皆是逸詩。

      碩人這篇詩，是為衛莊公夫人莊姜而作。據詩序說，莊姜賢美，但莊公惑於嬖妾，而疏莊姜，衛人閔之，故有此詩。

      子夏讀這三句詩，讀到素以為絢兮，便問孔子：「何謂也。」

      馬融注：「倩，笑貌。盼，動貌。絢，文也。」詩經毛亨傳：「倩，好口輔。盼，黑白分。」口輔，是指面頰。黑白分，是眼球黑白分明。毛詩鄭箋：「此說莊姜容貌之美。」

      巧笑倩兮，巧好的一笑，面頰便展露美的笑容。兮，是語助詞。美目盼兮，美目一轉動，黑白分明，十分靈活。素以為絢兮，素，是指面頰與美目。絢，是指笑倩盼動的情況。有這樣美好的面目，始有笑倩盼動之美。

      「子曰，繪事後素。」

      孔子以比喻答復子夏。繪事，是繪畫之事。素，是繒或絹之類的絲織品，普通是白色，可以用來繪畫，如後世畫家所用的畫紙。全祖望經史問答，據楊龜山所引禮記禮器篇「白受采」之文，將素解釋為素地。素地即是白地。白色可以接受采色。繪畫必須先鋪一塊白繒或白絹，是為素地，然後始能在此素地上施采繪畫。所以繪事後素，就是繪畫之事後於素。這句話既是比喻，則知素是比喻美女的口輔美目，這是美的素質。繪事比喻笑倩盼動，這是美的姿態。先有美質，而後有美姿，故說繪畫之事在素地之後。

      「曰，禮後乎。子曰，起予者商也。始可與言詩已矣。」

      孔子以繪事喻詩，子夏由詩而悟禮，故曰：禮後乎。楊氏引禮器之文：「甘受和，白受采，忠信之人可以學禮。」禮以忠信為主，學禮以忠信為前提，不忠不信之人學不到禮。禮後，就是禮在忠信之後。

      「子曰」以下，是孔子稱許子夏之辭。包咸注：「予，我也。孔子言，子夏能發明我意，可與共言詩已矣。」學詩，要有悟性，以悟言外之意。商，是子夏之名。子夏能悟孔子言所未言，所以孔子說：「起予者商也，始可與言詩已矣。」

【雪公講義】

      「集解」馬曰：倩，笑貌。盼，動目貌。絢，文貌。

      「集注」：倩，好口輔也。盼，目黑白分（明）也。素，粉地，畫之質也。絢，采色，畫之飾也。

 繪事後素句

      「集解」鄭曰：繪，畫文也。凡畫，先布眾色，然後以素分布其間，以成其文。

      「集注」：繪事，繪畫之事。後素，後於素也。引考工記曰：繪畫之事後素功，謂先以粉地為質，而後施五采。

      全祖望氏「經史問答」問：禮器：甘受和，白受采。是一說。考工繪畫之事後素功，又一說。全氏又云：古注論語，繪事後素引考工；至楊龜山解論語，始引禮器。朱子合而引之，近人多非之，蓋論語之素，乃素地，非素功也。

 禮後乎句

      楊氏曰：甘受和，白受采。忠信之人，可以學禮；苟無其質，禮不虛行。此繪事後

素之說也。

      【按】此章事分三段，其一段三句，僅子夏問詩之義。集解言簡而要，頗得其體。集注口輔目盼亦佳，大可從也。惟素絢以畫質畫飾解，先言孔子尚未言，未免過早，而無所據。蓋素只言是人之口與目，為其本質；絢乃言笑倩盼動之美姿。至有云可加粉黛衣裳等飾為絢，亦嫌語有枝葉矣。若能思及西東二施之顰蹙，自能了悟質姿殊異。二段乃孔子指事喻詩，舉繪事以明，素於考工記，為言素功，乃繪後鉤粉以成。在禮器，素言白地，而後施繪。孔子所言，是禮器意。楊氏、全氏所據，可從也。素喻口輔美目，繪喻笑倩盼動。三段為子夏所悟，忠信為主，禮在質後。忠信是素，禮喻繪事。

English

Teacher Tang Yuling will accompany you to read The Analects   

49.Book 3 Ba Yi (The Eight-row Dance), Chapter 8

Zi Xia asked, saying, “What is the meaning of the passage – ‘The pretty dimples of her artful smile! The well-defined black and white of her eye! The plain ground for the colors?’” The Master said, “The business of laying on the colors follows (the preparation of) the plain ground.” “Ceremonies then are a subsequent thing?” The Master said, “It is Shang who can bring out my meaning. Now I can begin to talk about the odes with him.”

Highlights of this lecture include:

1. Get to know Zi Xia

  Bu Shang卜商 was a native of Wei, was known by his courtesy name Zi Xia子夏. He was 44 years younger than Confucius, so when Confucius passed away, he was about twenty-nine. He had once served as the magistrate of the Jufu 莒父township. After all, he shouldered the responsibility for the transmission of Confucius’ teachings in the studies of the Book of Poetry and the Book of Changes (I Ching). And his knowledge and skills about the study on propriety was as good as Zi You. After the Master passed away, Zi Xia was recorded teaching in the state of Wei and had once been the teacher of Marquis Wen of Wei. In his later years, for his predeceased son, Zi Xia cried inconsolably and lost his eyesight. Zeng Zi had admonished him for this as a fault.

2. “What dimples, as she artfully smiled! How lovely her eyes, with the black and white so well defined! The plain ground for the colors?”-- were verses describing Madame Zhuang Jiang of Wei.

  The verses were quoted from the poem titled “Shuo Ren” collected in the ancient Book of Poetry under the chapter “Odes of Wei.” Madame Zhuang Jiang was the wife of Duke Zhuang of Wei, a gentle lady of good nature and temperament. Sadly, Duke Zhuang of Wei was obsessed with other concubines.      “What dimples, as she artfully smiled,” described her charming sweet smile and dimples light. “How lovely her eyes, with the black and white so well defined,” referred to her lovely eyes gaze, so clear, bright and vivid. “The plain ground for the colors,” meant decoration of colors is from white foundation. The gorgeous smiles and clear bright eyes of Zhuang Jiang, like colors which could only glowed on an all unadorned background of substantially beautiful face.

3. The meaning of “the plain ground for the colors.”

  "Plainness" is referred to white painting surface which could be made of silk or cloth. The work of laying colors on a painting surface follows the preparation of a white ground; just like Zhuang Jiang's charming smiles were backed up by her own beauty in character as the substance. In order to reason with Zi Xia about the connotation related to the verses, Confucius further stimulated his student with the metaphor of “plainness” at the background.

4. Zi Xia was enlightened by the Confucius’s reply

  As the reasoning went on, Zi Xia came to realize the fact that the study and practice of propriety required one who truly valued loyalty and trustworthiness. Without the upright substance of integrity, what a person could display was false affections and phoney relations. Confucius was happy to see that Zi Xia was able to learn by comparison; so Confucius said that from then he could discuss and teach Zi Xia about poetry.