Tang poem · yuefu ballad with lines of mixed length唐诗 · 乐府诗（杂言古诗）

bīng兵chē车xíng行

dù杜fǔ甫Du Fu · Tang唐

Song of the War Carts

chē车lín辚lín辚

mǎ马xiāo萧xiāo萧

xíng行rén人gōng弓jiàn箭gè各zài在yāo腰

yé耶niáng娘qī妻zǐ子zǒu走xiāng相sòng送

chén尘āi埃bú不jiàn见xián咸yáng阳qiáo桥

qiān牵yī衣dùn顿zú足lán拦dào道kū哭

kū哭shēng声zhí直shàng上gān干yún云xiāo霄

dào道páng旁guò过zhě者wèn问xíng行rén人

xíng行rén人dàn但yún云diǎn点xíng行pín频

huò或cóng从shí十wǔ五běi北fáng防hé河

biàn便zhì至sì四shí十xī西yíng营tián田

qù去shí时lǐ里zhèng正yǔ与guǒ裹tóu头

guī归lái来tóu头bái白hái还shù戍biān边

biān边tíng庭liú流xuè血chéng成hǎi海shuǐ水

wǔ武huáng皇kāi开biān边yì意wèi未yǐ已

jūn君bù不wén闻hàn汉jiā家shān山dōng东èr二bǎi百zhōu州

qiān千cūn村wàn万luò落shēng生jīng荆qǐ杞

zòng纵yǒu有jiàn健fù妇bǎ把chú锄lí犁

hé禾shēng生lǒng陇mǔ亩wú无dōng东xī西

kuàng况fù复qín秦bīng兵nài耐kǔ苦zhàn战

bèi被qū驱bú不yì异quǎn犬yǔ与jī鸡

zhǎng长zhě者suī虽yǒu有wèn问

yì役fū夫gǎn敢shēn申hèn恨

qiě且rú如jīn今nián年dōng冬

wèi未xiū休guān关xī西zú卒

xiàn县guān官jí急suǒ索zū租

zū租shuì税cóng从hé何chū出

xìn信zhī知shēng生nán男è恶

fǎn反shì是shēng生nǚ女hǎo好

shēng生nǚ女yóu犹dé得jià嫁bǐ比lín邻

shēng生nán男mái埋mò没suí随bǎi百cǎo草

jūn君bú不jiàn见qīng青hǎi海tóu头

gǔ古lái来bái白gǔ骨wú无rén人shōu收

xīn新guǐ鬼fán烦yuān冤jiù旧guǐ鬼kū哭

tiān天yīn阴yǔ雨shī湿shēng声jiū啾jiū啾

Underlined words have notes: tap one. The Pinyin button below shows or hides all pinyin. 一 and 不 are marked with the tone you actually say.字下有虚线的，点开有注释。下方的“拼音”按钮可以显示或隐藏全部拼音。“一”“不”标的是实际读出来的变调。

This follows the commonly taught text. The old corpus differs in a few places. The words for "block the road", "roadside", "frontier" and "plow" are written with other forms of the characters, with the same meaning. In "a daughter can still marry a neighbor", the taught text says you dé (can still), while the corpus says you shì (is still). The meaning is nearly the same.

这里用通行本。和古籍文本相比有几处不同：“拦道哭”古籍作“阑道哭”，“道旁”作“道傍”，“边庭”作“边亭”，“锄犁”的“犁”写法不同，“生女犹得嫁比邻”作“犹是”。前几处只是写法不同，意思一样；“犹得”是“还能够”，“犹是”是“还是”，意思也差不多。

Line by line逐句翻译

车辚辚War carts rumble,战车隆隆地响，
马萧萧war horses neigh,战马萧萧地叫，
行人弓箭各在腰and every man marching off has bow and arrows at his waist.出征的人腰里都挂着弓和箭。
耶娘妻子走相送Fathers, mothers, wives and children run alongside to see them off,爹娘、妻子和儿女跑着来送行，
尘埃不见咸阳桥and the dust is so thick that the Xianyang Bridge disappears.尘土飞扬，连咸阳桥都看不见了。
牵衣顿足拦道哭They tug at clothes, stamp their feet, block the road and wail,他们拉着衣服，跺着脚，拦在路上痛哭，
哭声直上干云霄and their crying rises straight into the clouds.哭声一直冲上云霄。
道旁过者问行人A passer-by on the roadside asks one of the marching men,路边经过的人问出征的人怎么回事，
行人但云点行频and the man only says: they call us up again and again.出征的人只说：按名册征兵太频繁了。
或从十五北防河Some went north at fifteen to guard the Yellow River,有的人十五岁就到北方去守黄河，
便至四十西营田and at forty were sent west to farm the frontier.到了四十岁又被派到西边去种地守边。
去时里正与裹头When they left, the village head tied their head cloths for them,走的时候年纪太小，村长替他包上头巾，
归来头白还戍边and they came back white-haired, only to be sent to the border again.回来时头发都白了，还要再去守边疆。
边庭流血成海水At the frontier, blood has flowed like the sea,边疆上流的血已经多得像海水一样，
武皇开边意未已yet the emperor still wants to push the borders further.皇上扩张领土的心思还是没有停止。
君不闻汉家山东二百州Have you not heard? In the two hundred districts east of the mountains,你没听说吗？华山以东的二百个州，
千村万落生荆杞thousands of villages are overgrown with thorns.成千上万的村庄都长满了荆棘野草。
纵有健妇把锄犁Even where strong women take up hoe and plow,即使有强壮的妇女拿锄头扶犁耕地，
禾生陇亩无东西the crops in the fields grow in a mess, with no rows.田里的庄稼也长得乱七八糟，不成行列。
况复秦兵耐苦战Worse still, the men of Qin can bear hard fighting,更何况关中的士兵能吃苦、能打硬仗，
被驱不异犬与鸡so they are driven here and there like dogs and chickens.所以被赶来赶去，跟狗和鸡没有两样。
长者虽有问Though you, sir, kindly ask,您老人家虽然问起，
役夫敢申恨how would a soldier like me dare speak his grievance?我们当兵的哪里敢说出心里的怨恨？
且如今年冬Take this winter, for example:就拿今年冬天来说，
未休关西卒the soldiers from west of the pass have not been sent home.关西的士兵还没被放回家休息。
县官急索租Yet the officials press hard for taxes,官府却急着催要租税，
租税从何出and where are the taxes to come from?租税从哪里来呢？
信知生男恶Now we truly know that having a son is bad luck,现在真的明白了，生男孩是坏事，
反是生女好and having a daughter is better.反倒是生女孩好。
生女犹得嫁比邻A daughter can still marry a neighbor nearby,生了女孩，还能嫁给邻居，
生男埋没随百草but a son ends up buried among the wild grass.生了男孩，只能战死在野外，和野草一起烂掉。
君不见青海头Have you not seen, by the shores of Qinghai Lake,你没看见吗？在那青海湖边，
古来白骨无人收the white bones lying since long ago, with no one to bury them?自古以来的白骨都没有人收埋。
新鬼烦冤旧鬼哭New ghosts grieve their wrongs and old ghosts weep,新死的鬼满腹冤屈，旧死的鬼在痛哭，
天阴雨湿声啾啾and when the sky is dark and wet with rain, their wailing fills the air.天阴下雨的时候，到处是凄惨的哭声。

Words字词注释

辚辚lín lín: lín lín: the rumbling of cart wheels.辚辚：车轮滚动的声音。
萧萧xiāo xiāo: xiāo xiāo: the neighing of horses.萧萧：马叫的声音。
行人xíng rén: xíng rén: the men going off to war, the conscripted soldiers.行人：出征的人，就是被征去打仗的士兵。
耶娘yé niáng: yé niáng: father and mother.耶娘：爹和娘。
妻子qī zǐ: qī zǐ: wives and children.妻子：妻子和儿女。
走zǒu: zǒu: to run. In old Chinese zǒu meant run, not walk.走：跑。古时候“走”是跑的意思。
尘埃chén āi: chén āi: dust. So many people and horses kick up dust that it hides everything.尘埃：尘土。人马太多，扬起的尘土遮住了一切。
咸阳桥xián yáng qiáo: xián yáng qiáo: the great bridge over the Wei River northwest of Chang'an, on the road to the northwest.咸阳桥：长安城西北渭水上的大桥，是往西北去的必经之路。
顿足dùn zú: dùn zú: to stamp one's feet.顿足：跺脚。
拦道lán dào: lán dào: blocking the road.拦道：拦在路上。
干云霄gān yún xiāo: gān yún xiāo: rising up into the sky. Gān means to rush into; yún xiāo means the high sky.干云霄：直冲到天上。干，冲；云霄，高空。
过者guò zhě: guò zhě: a passer-by. It is usually taken to be the poet himself.过者：路过的人。这里一般认为指诗人自己。
但云dàn yún: dàn yún: only says.但云：只说。
点行频diǎn xíng pín: diǎn xíng pín: men are called up from the lists again and again. Pín means often.点行频：按名册征人去当兵，次数非常多。频，频繁。
防河fáng hé: fáng hé: to guard the Yellow River region against raids from the north.防河：守卫黄河一带。唐朝时常派兵到黄河以北防备外族入侵。
营田yíng tián: yíng tián: to farm at the frontier while serving as a soldier.营田：军队在边疆一边驻守，一边种地。
里正lǐ zhèng: lǐ zhèng: the village head.里正：村里管事的小官，相当于村长。
与裹头yǔ guǒ tóu: yǔ guǒ tóu: tied his head cloth for him. Grown men wore a head cloth, so this shows he was still very young.与裹头：替他包头巾。古代男子成年要裹头巾，说明他去的时候年纪还小。
戍边shù biān: shù biān: to guard the frontier.戍边：守卫边疆。
边庭biān tíng: biān tíng: the frontier.边庭：边疆。
武皇wǔ huáng: wǔ huáng: Emperor Wu of Han. Tang poets often spoke of Han to mean their own time; here it really means Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.武皇：汉武帝。唐朝诗人常用汉朝的事说唐朝，这里实际是说唐玄宗。
开边kāi biān: kāi biān: to push the borders outward by war.开边：向外扩张领土。
意未已yì wèi yǐ: yì wèi yǐ: his wish has not stopped.意未已：心思还没停止。
君不闻jūn bù wén: jūn bù wén: "Have you not heard?" A phrase old poems use to catch the reader's attention.君不闻：你没有听说吗？古诗里常用来引起读者注意。
汉家hàn jiā: hàn jiā: the Han dynasty, standing for the Tang.汉家：汉朝，这里借指唐朝。
山东shān dōng: shān dōng: the lands east of Mount Hua, the wide plains of the east.山东：华山以东的地方，就是中原和东部广大地区。
千村万落qiān cūn wàn luò: qiān cūn wàn luò: thousands of villages.千村万落：成千上万的村庄。
荆杞jīng qǐ: jīng qǐ: thorny wild shrubs. With no one to farm, the fields are overgrown.荆杞：荆棘和枸杞，都是野生的带刺灌木。田地没人种，就长满了野草荆棘。
纵有zòng yǒu: zòng yǒu: even if there are.纵有：即使有。
健妇jiàn fù: jiàn fù: strong women.健妇：身体强壮的妇女。
把锄犁bǎ chú lí: bǎ chú lí: holding the hoe and the plow.把锄犁：拿着锄头扶着犁耕地。
陇亩lǒng mǔ: lǒng mǔ: the fields. Lǒng means the ridges of earth in a field.陇亩：田地。陇，同“垄”，田里的土埂。
无东西wú dōng xī: wú dōng xī: no east or west: the crops grow in a mess, with no proper rows.无东西：分不清东西，形容庄稼长得乱七八糟，不成行列。
况复kuàng fù: kuàng fù: what is more.况复：更何况。
秦兵qín bīng: qín bīng: soldiers from the Guanzhong area, the old land of Qin.秦兵：关中一带的士兵。关中古代是秦国的地方。
耐苦战nài kǔ zhàn: nài kǔ zhàn: able to bear hard fighting.耐苦战：能吃苦，能打硬仗。
被驱bèi qū: bèi qū: driven along.被驱：被赶着走。
不异bú yì: bù yì: no different from.不异：和……没有两样。
长者zhǎng zhě: zhǎng zhě: an older, respected person. Here the soldier means the poet.长者：年纪大、受尊敬的人。这里是士兵对诗人的尊称。
役夫yì fū: yì fū: a man serving his duty; the soldier means himself.役夫：服役的人，士兵自称。
敢申恨gǎn shēn hèn: gǎn shēn hèn: how would I dare to speak my grievance? Shēn means to state.敢申恨：哪里敢说出心中的怨恨呢？申，说出。
且如qiě rú: qiě rú: take for example.且如：就拿……来说。
未休wèi xiū: wèi xiū: were not allowed to rest and go home.未休：没有让他们休息、回家。
关西卒guān xī zú: guān xī zú: soldiers from west of the Hangu Pass, the same men from Qin.关西卒：函谷关以西的士兵，也就是上面说的秦兵。
县官xiàn guān: xiàn guān: here it means the government.县官：这里指官府，朝廷。
索租suǒ zū: suǒ zū: to demand taxes.索租：催要租税。
信知xìn zhī: xìn zhī: truly know.信知：确实知道，真的明白了。
比邻bǐ lín: bǐ lín: a neighbor.比邻：邻居，近处的人家。
随百草suí bǎi cǎo: suí bǎi cǎo: rotting with the wild grass: dying out in the open.随百草：跟野草一起烂掉，指战死在野外。
青海头qīng hǎi tóu: qīng hǎi tóu: the shores of Qinghai Lake, where Tang armies often fought the Tibetan kingdom.青海头：青海湖边。唐朝军队和吐蕃常在这里打仗。
烦冤fán yuān: fán yuān: full of grief and wrong.烦冤：心里又烦又冤，满是委屈。
啾啾jiū jiū: jiū jiū: a thin, sad wailing; here, the crying of ghosts.啾啾：凄惨的叫声，这里指鬼哭的声音。

How to read it读音

耶yé: Read yé. It is the same as the word for father.读 yé，同“爷”，指父亲。
子zǐ: Here qī zǐ means wife and children, two words, so zǐ keeps its full tone.“妻子”在这里是两个词：妻子和儿女，“子”读 zǐ。
干gān: Read gān, meaning to rush up into.读 gān，冲上、直冲的意思。
行xíng: In diǎn xíng, this is usually read xíng: to send men off to serve. Another reading is háng, meaning ranks: men are called by name from a list and put into the ranks.“点行”的“行”，一般读 xíng，指征发人去服役；一说读 háng，指按名册点名、编入行伍。
还hái: Read hái, meaning "still, once again". Some read huán, meaning "go back".读 hái，“还要、又要”的意思；也有人读 huán（回去）。
血xuè: In speech people often say xiě, but in reading aloud it is usually xuè.“流血”在口语里常读 liú xiě，读书时一般读 xuè。
长zhǎng: Read zhǎng. Zhǎng zhě means an older, respected person.读 zhǎng，“长者”指年纪大、受尊敬的人。
恶è: Read è, meaning bad.读 è，不好的意思。
没mò: Read mò. Mái mò means buried and lost.读 mò，“埋没”是被埋掉、消失的意思。

Background创作背景

This poem was written during the Tianbao years of Emperor Xuanzong, usually dated to around 751. The Tang empire was fighting wars at its borders all the time, and many soldiers died. A history book records that in 751 the Tang army was badly beaten while attacking Nanzhao, in today's Yunnan. The chief minister Yang Guozhong then sent men everywhere to seize people for the army. Their families followed them crying, and the sound filled the fields. One view is that the poem is about this. Others think it is about the wars with the Tibetan kingdom in the northwest. Du Fu saw such scenes and wrote this poem in a soldier's own words.

这首诗大约写于唐玄宗天宝年间，一般认为在天宝十载（751年）前后。那时唐朝在边疆不断打仗，很多士兵死在战场上。据《资治通鉴》记载，天宝十载唐军攻打南诏（在今云南一带）大败，宰相杨国忠派人到处抓人当兵，家人哭着送行，哭声震动田野。一说这首诗写的是这件事；也有人认为写的是唐朝和吐蕃在西北的战争。杜甫看到这些，用一位士兵的话写下了这首诗。

The poet作者

Du Fu (712–770) was a great Tang poet, often called the Sage of Poetry. His poems often tell of the suffering of ordinary people and the big events of the country. That is why they are called "history in poems". This is one of his early famous poems about people's suffering. Later he wrote more like it, such as the "Three Officials" and "Three Partings".

杜甫（712—770），唐代大诗人，被称为“诗圣”。他的诗常常写普通百姓的苦难和国家的大事，所以被称为“诗史”，意思是用诗写成的历史。《兵车行》是他较早写百姓苦难的名篇，后来他又写了“三吏”“三别”等诗。

The mood意境

The poem opens like a big scene in a film. Wheels rumble, horses neigh, dust hides the bridge, families cling to clothes and cry, and the crying rises into the sky. Then the camera moves in close. A passer-by asks, and a soldier answers. The soldier speaks calmly, but every word hurts. At fifteen he guarded the river; at forty he is still at the border. He left as a boy and came home white-haired, only to be sent out again. Villages lie empty, fields are a mess, and still the officials want taxes. Saddest of all, he says having a son is bad and a daughter is better. This is the opposite of what people usually believed then, which shows how hopeless the war has made them. At the end come the white bones by Qinghai Lake and the crying of ghosts in the dark rain. The poem starts with loud human weeping and ends with cold ghostly wailing. It stays with you for a long time.

诗一开头就像电影的大场面：车轮隆隆，战马嘶叫，尘土把大桥都遮住了，家人拉着衣服哭，哭声冲上天空。接着镜头拉近，一个过路人问，一个士兵回答。士兵说的话很平静，却句句扎心：十五岁去守河，四十岁还在守边；走时是孩子，回来头发白了还要再走。村子荒了，田地乱了，官府还来要税。最让人难过的是“生男恶，生女好”，这和平常人们重男轻女的想法正好相反，说明战争已经让人绝望了。最后写青海边的白骨和鬼哭，天阴下雨，声音凄凉。全诗从热闹的哭声开始，到冷冷的鬼哭结束，让人久久不能平静。