《詩經．秦風．黃鳥》「三良」死因衡論

On the Cause of Death for “sanliang, ” in “Huangniao, ” qinfeng of Shijing

秦穆公之喪，以「三良」為殉，《詩經．秦風．黃鳥》載其事，僅曰三良「從穆公」，未及死因。《左傳》、《史記》、今古文《詩》說、《漢書》及其注等書所述，頗參差不一，致後人於三良死因，遂多揣測：或偏執記載之一端以解詩，或逕求詩意以定事實，入此出彼，終無定論。三良之殉穆公，既為歷史事實，其真相僅一，而諸書所載多參互，甚且間以記述者之評價者。本文欲探求此歷史真相，經之以歷史方法，知人論世、溯源尋流；緯之以綜合、比較之術，同中求異、異中求同，辨記述語言之「泛說」、「明指」之異，與夫責以「名」與責以「實」之別，而無使後人之主觀評價參乎其間；淄澠既辨，事實自出。經本文考證，三良之殉穆公，乃自願從殉，蓋或嘗受恩於秦穆而以「義」殉君者。所得結論，雖或不異前賢，然所持觀念與方法，自謂別創，要亦於糾繚眾說中另覓一解決之途徑耳。 At the death of Duke Mu of Qin, “sanliang” (the three good men) were buried with him. “Huangniao” (Yellow Bird) in qinfeng (Qin Songs) of Shijing (The Classic of Poetry) records this event, stating only that “the three good men” “cong mugong” (following Duke Mu of Qin) with no account of the cause of death. Zuozhuan (Zuo Commentary), Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian), both modern and traditional texts classics of Shi and Hanshu (History of the Former Han), together with their respective commentary texts record this event differently. As a result, later readers have various conjectures about the cause of death for “the three good men.” Some interpret the poem by stubbornly biased account and some seek directly the meaning of poem to finalize the fact. Each insists on one explanation refusing other factors, so that to this day there is no settled statement of this event. “The three good men's” burial together with Duke Mu is a historical event; there should be only one truth to its nature. Yet various texts record differently, among them are also the recorders’ own estimations. This article vertically examines the historical fact with historical research method, reviewing personnel and commenting on events, searching the origin and seeking the transformations. Horizontally, it applies the method of combining and comparison, searching differences among the same and vice versa. It distinguishes among statements “general discussion” from “clear signification, ” as well as “name” from “facts, ” so as not to allow subjective evaluations from later commentators to mix in. Clarifying different materials and the truth manifests itself. According to my research, “the three good men's” burial together with Duke Mu was out of their own willingness. They may have had earlier received benefits from Duke Mu and thus willed their deaths for the sake of “righteousness.” Although this conclusion differs not from my predecessors, I consider the concepts and methods displayed here original. It seeks a new resolution among the many confusing explanations.