简兮简兮，方将万舞。日之方中，在前上处。
硕人俣俣，公庭万舞。有力如虎，执辔如组。
左手执龠，右手秉翟。赫如渥赭，公言锡爵。
山有榛，隰有苓。云谁之思？西方美人。彼美人兮，西方之人兮。
《简兮》一诗的HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/zhuti/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>主题，旧说是HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/fongci/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>讽刺卫君不能任贤授能、使贤者居于伶官的诗，如《毛诗序》、朱熹《诗集传》、方玉润《HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/shijing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>诗经原始》、吴闿生《诗义会通》等均持此说。而今人多以为《毛诗序》不足征，纷出新解。邓荃《HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/shijing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>诗经国HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/feng/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>风译注》认为是描写舞女辛酸的诗歌，翟相君《HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/shijing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>诗经新解》却考定诗中舞者为庄姜，此篇是HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/fongyu2/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>讽谕卫庄公沉湎声色的作品。案据诗中所用“HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/shan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>山有榛，隰有苓”这一隐语，可知有关男女HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/qingsi/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>情思，所以余冠英《HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/shijing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>诗经选》、高亨《HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/shijing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>诗经今注》、袁梅《HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/shijing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>诗经译注》等认为是卫国HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/gongting/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>宫廷HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/nuzi/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>女子（贵族HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/funu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>妇女或一般侍女）HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/zanmoi/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>赞美、HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/aimu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>爱慕舞师的诗歌，此说可从。最后一章的低回缠绵之气与前三章所描写的HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/haomai/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>豪迈壮阔气象反差极大，疑为错简。然古代一直这么错下来，以误区当真境，亦无不可。
全诗的HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/yishu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>艺术魅力主要来自第四章，吴闿生《诗义会通》曾引旧评说“末章词微意远，缥缈无端”，这一章用朦胧的意象和晦涩的隐语将这位HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/nuxing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>女性绵邈低徊的HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/xiangsi/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>相思展示无遗。诗歌用“HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/shan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>山有榛，隰有苓”托兴，根据《HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/shijing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>诗经》中其他七处“HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/shan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>山有……”“隰有……”对举句式的理解，此处是以树HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/yinyu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>隐喻HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/nanzi/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>男子，以草HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/yinyu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>隐喻HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/nuzi/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>女子，托兴男女HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/qingsi/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>情思，引出下文“云谁之思？西方HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/moiren/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>美人。彼HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/moiren/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>美人兮，西方之人兮。”“西方HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/moiren/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>美人”，旧说多附和曲解，诗意因此玄之又玄。在诗中，“西方HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/moiren/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>美人”乃是指舞师，其例一同于HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/quyuan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>屈原用HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/moiren/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>美人代指楚王。后四句若断若连，回环复沓，意味深远。“彼HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/moiren/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>美人兮，西方之人兮”两句是“云谁之思？西方HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/moiren/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>美人”两句的扩展延伸，钟惺《评点HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/shijing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>诗经》云：“看他西方HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/moiren/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>美人，HRef=https://www.xuegushici.com/list/moiren/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>美人西方，只倒转两字，而意已远，词已悲矣。”而“后一章两‘兮’字忽作变调，亦与首章首句神韵相应”（陈继揆《读诗臆补》），以“细媚淡远之笔作结，神韵绝佳”（牛运震《诗志》）。