“将仲子”是《诗经》中最有趣的诗歌之一。翟理斯（Herbert Allen Giles）将这首诗翻译成漂亮的英文，西里尔•斯科特（Cyril Scott）和J. A.卡朋特（J. A. Carpenter）将这首诗配成音乐并用英文演唱：
Don't come in, Sir, please,
Don't break my willow-trees!
Not that that would very much grieve me;
But alack-a-day! What would my parents say?
And love you as I may,
I cannot bear to think what that would be.
Don't cross my wall, Sir, please,
Don't spoil my mulberry-trees!
Not that that would very much grieve me;
But alack-a-day! what would my brothers say?
And love you as I may,
I cannot bear to think what that would be.
Keep outside, Sir, please,
Don't spoil my sandal-trees!
Not that that would very much grieve me!
But alack-a-day! what would the world say!
And love you as I may,
I cannot bear to think what that would be.
回译成中文如下：
先生，请勿逗留
莫毁我柳
那样并非会令我心伤
唉呀，吾之双亲会说甚么
尽我所能来爱你
将来如何不敢想
先生，请勿翻墙
莫毁我桑
那样并非会令我心伤
唉呀，吾之兄弟会说甚么
尽我所能来爱你
将来如何不敢想
先生，请站墙边
莫毁我檀
那样并非会令我心伤
唉呀，世人又会说甚么
尽我所能来爱你
将来如何不敢想
“将仲子”的原文：
将仲子兮，无逾我里，无折我树杞。岂敢爱之？畏我父母。仲可怀也，父母之言，亦可畏也。
将仲子兮，无逾我墙，无折我树桑。岂敢爱之？畏我诸兄。仲可怀也，诸兄之言，亦可畏也。
将仲子兮，无逾我园，无折我树檀。岂敢爱之？畏人之多言。仲可怀也，人之多言，亦可畏也。
中国女性都是伟大的外交家。她们通常比我们男性显得更加老练。从这首歌中我们可以推断出，唱歌的姑娘可能对这个可怜的小伙子并不热衷，并把流言蜚语的阴影作为拒绝他求爱的借口，虚张声势假装要赶走这个不断骚扰她的讨厌鬼。我的一个朋友曾经对外交官和女士做如下区分：外交官从不说“不”，而女士从不说“是”。这句话对西方女性而言不管包含有多少真理，但它不适用于中国女性。因为她们经常会说：“是，当然，我爱你；说句实在话，我从未见过像你这样的小伙子，人不仅长得帅气，而且又聪明。但遗憾的是，我父母不会同意的。”这种情况下，在这姑娘的眼中，这个小伙子很可能要么是个天煞的大傻瓜，要么丑陋的程度如同她所夸这小伙子如何帅气的程度那样。另外还有一个意思是说，这小伙子二者兼得，不仅傻，而且丑。