No. 76 · Tang poem · five-character old-style poem第 76 首 · 唐诗 · 五言古诗

jiā佳rén人

dù杜fǔ甫Du Fu · Tang唐

A Fair Lady

jué绝dài代yǒu有jiā佳rén人

yōu幽jū居zài在kōng空gǔ谷

zì自yún云liáng良jiā家zǐ子

líng零luò落yī依cǎo草mù木

guān关zhōng中xī昔sāng丧luàn乱

xiōng兄dì弟zāo遭shā杀lù戮

guān官gāo高hé何zú足lùn论

bù不dé得shōu收gǔ骨ròu肉

shì世qíng情wù恶shuāi衰xiē歇

wàn万shì事suí随zhuǎn转zhú烛

fū夫xù婿qīng轻bó薄ér儿

xīn新rén人měi美rú如yù玉

hé合hūn昏shàng尚zhī知shí时

yuān鸳yāng鸯bù不dú独sù宿

dàn但jiàn见xīn新rén人xiào笑

nǎ那wén闻jiù旧rén人kū哭

zài在shān山quán泉shuǐ水qīng清

chū出shān山quán泉shuǐ水zhuó浊

shì侍bì婢mài卖zhū珠huí回

qiān牵luó萝bǔ补máo茅wū屋

zhāi摘huā花bù不chā插fà发

cǎi采bǎi柏dòng动yíng盈jū掬

tiān天hán寒cuì翠xiù袖bó薄

rì日mù暮yǐ倚xiū修zhú竹

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。

The commonly taught text differs from the source text in a few places. It has sāng luàn (death and turmoil) for sāng bài (defeat and ruin), měi rú yù (lovely as jade) for yǐ rú yù (already like jade), and modern forms for the characters in fū xù (husband) and yíng jū (a full handful), which mean the same.

通行本和古籍原文有几处不同：通行本作“丧乱”“夫婿”“美如玉”“盈掬”，原文作“丧败”“夫壻”“已如玉”“盈匊”。“壻”是“婿”的异体字，“匊”同“掬”，意思一样。

Line by line逐句翻译

绝代有佳人There is a lady, fairest of her age,有一位世上少有的美人，
幽居在空谷living alone in an empty valley.住在没有人烟的山谷里。
自云良家子She says she comes from a good family,她说自己是好人家的女儿，
零落依草木but now she has fallen low and lives among the grass and trees.如今家道败落，只能靠着山林草木过活。
关中昔丧乱Long ago war tore through the land within the passes,从前关中发生战乱，
兄弟遭杀戮and her brothers were all killed.她的兄弟都被杀害了。
官高何足论What good were their high ranks?官做得再大又有什么用，
不得收骨肉No one could even gather their bones.连他们的尸骨都没能收殓。
世情恶衰歇The world turns its back on a family that has fallen;世上的人情都讨厌已经败落的人家，
万事随转烛all things change like a candle flickering in the wind.万事就像风中的烛火，说变就变。
夫婿轻薄儿Her husband was a fickle man,她的丈夫是个轻薄的人，
新人美如玉and took a new wife as lovely as jade.又娶了一个美如玉的新人。
合昏尚知时Even the silk tree knows when to fold its leaves at night,合欢树尚且知道早开晚合，
鸳鸯不独宿and mandarin ducks never sleep alone.鸳鸯从来不会独自过夜。
但见新人笑He sees only his new wife smile;丈夫只看见新人在笑，
那闻旧人哭how could he hear his old wife cry?哪里听得见旧人在哭？
在山泉水清In the hills the spring runs clear;泉水在山里是清的，
出山泉水浊out of the hills it turns muddy.流出山就变浑了。
侍婢卖珠回Her maid comes back from selling pearls,丫鬟卖了珠宝回来，
牵萝补茅屋and pulls down vines to patch the thatched hut.拉来藤萝修补茅屋。
摘花不插发She picks flowers but does not put them in her hair;她摘了花，却不插在头上，
采柏动盈掬she gathers cypress twigs, often a full handful.采来柏枝，常常是满满一把。
天寒翠袖薄The day is cold and her green sleeves are thin;天气寒冷，她的翠绿衣袖很单薄，
日暮倚修竹at dusk she leans against the tall bamboo.傍晚，她靠着高高的竹子站着。

Words字词注释

绝代jué dài: jué dài: one of a kind in her time, rare in the world.绝代：当代独一无二的，世上少有的。
佳人jiā rén: jiā rén: a beautiful woman.佳人：美丽的女子。
幽居yōu jū: yōu jū: to live in a quiet, out-of-the-way place.幽居：住在偏僻安静的地方。
空谷kōng gǔ: kōng gǔ: an empty valley where no one lives.空谷：没有人的山谷。
自云zì yún: zì yún: she says herself.自云：自己说。
良家子liáng jiā zǐ: liáng jiā zǐ: a daughter of a good family, here an official's family.良家子：好人家的女儿，出身清白的官宦人家。
零落líng luò: líng luò: fallen like dead leaves, meaning her family has fallen and she has no one to rely on.零落：像花叶凋落一样，指家道败落、流落无依。
依草木yī cǎo mù: yī cǎo mù: living among the grass and trees, in the wild hills.依草木：靠着草木生活，住在山林里。
关中guān zhōng: guān zhōng: the land within the passes, central Shaanxi today, where the Tang capital Chang'an stood.关中：今天陕西中部一带，唐朝都城长安就在这里。
昔丧乱xī sāng luàn: xī sāng luàn: the turmoil of the past, that is, when rebels took Chang'an during the An Lushan Rebellion.昔丧乱：从前的战乱，指安史之乱时叛军攻进长安。
杀戮shā lù: shā lù: to be killed.杀戮：杀害。
何足论hé zú lùn: hé zú lùn: what is it worth? It counts for nothing.何足论：哪里值得一提，有什么用。
收骨肉shōu gǔ ròu: shōu gǔ ròu: to gather and bury the bodies of one's family. Gǔ ròu, bone and flesh, means close family.收骨肉：收殓亲人的尸骨。骨肉，亲人。
世情shì qíng: shì qíng: the way people of the world behave.世情：世上人的人情冷暖。
恶衰歇wù shuāi xiē: wù shuāi xiē: to look down on a family that has fallen. Shuāi xiē means to decline.恶衰歇：讨厌已经衰败的人家。衰歇，衰落、败落。
随转烛suí zhuǎn zhú: suí zhuǎn zhú: like a candle flame flickering in the wind, changing in a moment.随转烛：像风中摇晃的烛火一样，说变就变。
夫婿fū xù: fū xù: husband.夫婿：丈夫。
轻薄儿qīng bó ér: qīng bó ér: a fickle man with no loyalty.轻薄儿：轻浮、不讲情义的男人。
新人xīn rén: xīn rén: the new wife her husband has taken.新人：丈夫新娶的女子。
合昏hé hūn: hé hūn: the silk tree. Its leaves open by day and fold up at night, as if it knows the time.合昏：合欢树，又叫夜合花，叶子白天张开、晚上合拢，好像懂得时间。
鸳鸯yuān yāng: yuān yāng: mandarin ducks, which always live in pairs, a symbol of husband and wife.鸳鸯：一种水鸟，总是雌雄成对生活，常用来比喻夫妻。
不独宿bù dú sù: bù dú sù: never sleep alone.不独宿：不会独自过夜。
但见dàn jiàn: dàn jiàn: only sees. Dàn means only.但见：只看见。但，只。
那闻nǎ wén: nǎ wén: how could he hear?那闻：哪里听得见。
旧人jiù rén: jiù rén: the old wife who has been cast off, that is, this lady.旧人：被抛弃的原来的妻子，就是这位佳人。
在山泉水清zài shān quán shuǐ qīng: zài shān quán shuǐ qīng: spring water in the hills is clear. This line and the next are a comparison, usually read as: a woman who keeps her true self stays pure like a mountain spring.在山泉水清：泉水在山里是清的。这一句和下一句是比喻，一般理解为：女子守住本心，就像山里的泉水一样清白。
浊zhuó: zhuó: muddy, unclean.浊：浑浊，不干净。
侍婢shì bì: shì bì: her maid.侍婢：服侍她的丫鬟。
卖珠mài zhū: mài zhū: selling pearls and jewels to live on, showing how poor she has become.卖珠：卖掉珠宝首饰换钱过日子，说她已经很穷了。
牵萝qiān luó: qiān luó: pulling down vines. Luó is a climbing plant.牵萝：拉来藤萝。萝，一种爬藤的植物。
补茅屋bǔ máo wū: bǔ máo wū: to mend the leaking thatched hut.补茅屋：修补漏了的茅草屋。
不插发bù chā fà: bù chā fà: not putting them in her hair, for she has no heart to dress up.不插发：不往头上插，说她无心打扮。
柏bǎi: bǎi: the cypress, which stays green in winter, a symbol of a firm, faithful heart.柏：柏树，冬天也不落叶，常比喻坚贞的品格。
动盈掬dòng yíng jū: dòng yíng jū: often picks a full handful. Dòng means often; yíng jū means a full double handful.动盈掬：常常采满一把。动，往往；盈掬，满满一捧。
翠袖cuì xiù: cuì xiù: green sleeves.翠袖：青绿色的衣袖。
倚yǐ: yǐ: to lean against.倚：靠着。
修竹xiū zhú: xiū zhú: tall, slender bamboo. Xiū means long.修竹：又高又长的竹子。修，长。

How to read it读音

丧sāng: Sāng luàn means death and turmoil; here the character is read sāng.“丧乱”是死亡和动乱，“丧”读 sāng。
恶wù: Here it means to dislike, so it is read wù, not è.“恶”是“厌恶、讨厌”的意思，读 wù，不读 è。
那nǎ: Here it is the same as the word for "how", and is usually read nǎ.“那”在这里同“哪”，是“哪里、怎么”的意思，一般读 nǎ。
发fà: Here it means hair, read fà.这里是“头发”，读 fà。
薄bó: On its own, meaning thin, it is read báo in speech; in poetry it is often read bó, as here.单用时口语读 báo，诗文朗读多读 bó。这里取 bó。

Background创作背景

This poem was written in the autumn of 759. The An Lushan Rebellion was still going on, and the land around Chang'an was hit by a great famine. Du Fu gave up a small post in Huazhou and took his family to Qinzhou, today's Tianshui in Gansu, to escape hunger. The poem tells of a woman whose family was destroyed in the war and whose husband then left her. Readers have long disagreed on whether she was someone Du Fu really met, or a figure he used to speak about his own fate.

这首诗写于唐肃宗乾元二年（759年）秋天。那时安史之乱还没有结束，关中又遇上大饥荒，杜甫辞去华州的小官，带着家人到秦州（今甘肃天水）逃荒。诗里写了一位在战乱中家破人亡、又被丈夫抛弃的女子。她是杜甫真的遇见过的人，还是杜甫借她来写自己的遭遇，历来说法不一。

The poet作者

Du Fu (712–770) was a great Tang poet, often called the Sage of Poetry. He lived through the An Lushan Rebellion and fled from place to place with his family. His poems often tell of ordinary people's suffering in war, so they are called a history in verse. He wanted with all his heart to serve his country but was never given real work, much like the lady in this poem who is cast aside yet keeps her true self.

杜甫（712—770），唐代大诗人，被人称为“诗圣”。他亲身经历了安史之乱，一家人四处逃难。他的诗常常写战乱中普通人的苦难，被称为“诗史”。他一心想为国家出力，却总是不被重用，这和诗中被抛弃却不改本心的佳人很相像。

The mood意境

The poem opens by leading us into an empty valley, where a very beautiful woman lives. Then she tells her own story. Her brothers were killed in the war, her family fell, and her husband took a new wife; he sees only the new wife smile and never hears her cry. One woman's bad luck also shows how cold people became in those hard times. In the middle, the lines about spring water clear in the hills and muddy outside are like a saying: water that stays in the hills stays pure. She is so poor that she sells her jewels and patches her hut with vines, yet she does not dress up; she picks only cypress, which stays green all winter. The last picture is the most beautiful. It is cold, her green sleeves are thin, and at dusk she leans quietly against the tall bamboo. Bamboo is straight and has firm joints, just like her character that will not bow. There is no loud complaint in the whole poem, yet it stays in the heart for a long time.

诗一开头，就把我们带进一座空空的山谷，那里住着一位绝美的女子。接着她自己讲身世：兄弟在战乱中被杀，家道败落，丈夫又娶了新人，只看见新人笑，听不见她哭。一个人的不幸，也照出了乱世里人情的冷暖。中间“在山泉水清，出山泉水浊”两句，像一句格言：守在山里的泉水才清澈。她虽然穷得要卖首饰、用藤萝补屋，却不打扮自己，只采常青的柏枝。最后一幅画最美：天冷了，她穿着单薄的翠袖，在黄昏里静静靠着修竹。竹子又直又有节，正像她不肯低头的品格。整首诗没有一句大声的抱怨，却让人心里久久放不下。