- 侠气xiá qì
- xiá qì: the spirit of a knight-errant, brave and loyal, ready to help others.侠气：讲义气、肯为别人出头的豪迈气概。
- 交结jiāo jié
- jiāo jié: to make friends with.交结：结交，交朋友。
- 五都雄wǔ dū xióng
- wǔ dū xióng: heroes of the great cities. Wǔ dū, the five capitals, means all the big cities.五都雄：各大城市里的英雄豪杰。五都，泛指当时的大城市。
- 肝胆洞gān dǎn dòng
- gān dǎn dòng: an open heart. Liver and gall stand for one's true heart; dòng means open, see-through.肝胆洞：对朋友敞开心胸，真诚相待。肝胆，比喻真心；洞，透亮，敞开。
- 毛发耸máo fà sǒng
- máo fà sǒng: hair standing on end with anger at injustice.毛发耸：遇到不平的事，气得头发都竖起来。
- 立谈中lì tán zhōng
- lì tán zhōng: in the time of a short talk standing up, that is, very quickly.立谈中：站着说几句话的工夫，形容时间很短。
- 死生同sǐ shēng tóng
- sǐ shēng tóng: promising to live and die together.死生同：约定同生共死。
- 一诺千金重yí nuò qiān jīn zhòng
- yī nuò qiān jīn zhòng: one promise weighs more than a thousand pieces of gold, so it must be kept.一诺千金重：答应别人的一句话，比千斤黄金还重，一定做到。
- 推翘勇tuī qiáo yǒng
- tuī qiáo yǒng: honored by all as the bravest.推翘勇：被大家推为最勇敢出众的人。
- 矜豪纵jīn háo zòng
- jīn háo zòng: proud of being bold and free. Jīn means to take pride in.矜豪纵：以豪放、不受拘束为骄傲。矜，自夸。
- 轻盖拥qīng gài yōng
- qīng gài yōng: riding light carriages, surrounded by friends. Gài, the canopy of a carriage, stands for the carriage.轻盖拥：坐着轻快的车子，朋友们前呼后拥。盖，车上的伞盖，代指车。
- 联飞鞚lián fēi kòng
- lián fēi kòng: galloping side by side. Kòng is a bridle, standing for the horse.联飞鞚：骑着马并排飞奔。鞚，马笼头，代指马。
- 斗城dǒu chéng
- dǒu chéng: the capital. Han dynasty Chang'an was shaped like the Big Dipper. Here it means the Northern Song capital, Bianjing.斗城：指京城。汉代长安城的形状像北斗星，所以叫斗城。这里借指北宋都城汴京。
- 轰饮hōng yǐn
- hōng yǐn: drinking noisily together in a big crowd.轰饮：一大群人热热闹闹地痛快喝酒。
- 酒垆jiǔ lú
- jiǔ lú: a wine shop. Lú is the earthen counter where wine jars stood.酒垆：酒店。垆，酒店里放酒坛子的土台子。
- 春色浮寒瓮chūn sè fú hán wèng
- chūn sè fú hán wèng: good wine floats in the cool jar. Spring was an old name for wine.春色浮寒瓮：清凉的酒坛里浮着美酒。春色，指酒，古人常把酒叫“春”。
- 吸海垂虹xī hǎi chuí hóng
- xī hǎi chuí hóng: drinking like a rainbow bending down to drink up the sea. People once thought rainbows drank water.吸海垂虹：喝酒像长虹垂下来吸干大海一样，形容酒量极大。古人以为彩虹会垂下来喝水。
- 嗾犬sǒu quǎn
- sǒu quǎn: to urge the hunting dogs on.嗾犬：发出声音指使猎狗去追。
- 白羽bái yǔ
- bái yǔ: arrows with white feathers.白羽：装着白色羽毛的箭。
- 摘雕弓zhāi diāo gōng
- zhāi diāo gōng: taking down a carved bow.摘雕弓：取下刻着花纹的弓。
- 狡穴俄空jiǎo xué é kōng
- jiǎo xué é kōng: soon the dens of the clever hares were empty, meaning a big catch. É means soon.狡穴俄空：狡猾的兔子的洞穴一会儿就空了，意思是打猎收获很多。俄，一会儿。
- 乐匆匆lè cōng cōng
- lè cōng cōng: the happy days passed too quickly.乐匆匆：快乐的日子过得太匆忙。
- 黄粱梦huáng liáng mèng
- huáng liáng mèng: the yellow millet dream. In a Tang story, a young man dreams a whole lifetime of glory, and wakes before the millet in the pot is cooked. Good times are short as a dream.黄粱梦：唐代传奇故事：卢生在枕上睡了一觉，梦里过了一辈子荣华富贵，醒来时锅里的黄米饭还没煮熟。比喻好日子像梦一样短。
- 辞丹凤cí dān fèng
- cí dān fèng: leaving the capital. Dān fèng, the Red Phoenix, was a gate of Chang'an, so it stands for the capital.辞丹凤：离开京城。丹凤，指京城，唐代长安有丹凤门。
- 明月共míng yuè gòng
- míng yuè gòng: only the bright moon for company.明月共：只有明月陪伴着。
- 漾孤篷yàng gū péng
- yàng gū péng: a lone boat drifting. Péng is the boat's cover, standing for the boat.漾孤篷：一只小船在水上漂荡。篷，船篷，代指船。
- 官冗从guān rǒng cóng
- guān rǒng cóng: serving as a minor attendant officer, a low and idle post.官冗从：做一个闲散的小武官。冗从，古代侍从官的名称，这里指地位低的小官。
- 怀倥偬huái kǒng zǒng
- huái kǒng zǒng: always busy and troubled at heart.怀倥偬：心里总是匆忙、烦乱。
- 落尘笼luò chén lóng
- luò chén lóng: fallen into the cage of the dusty world, no longer free.落尘笼：落进了世俗的笼子里，不自由。
- 簿书丛bù shū cóng
- bù shū cóng: buried in piles of paperwork. Bù shū are government papers.簿书丛：整天埋在一堆堆公文里。簿书，官府的文书。
- 鹖弁hé biàn
- hé biàn: an officer's cap with the feathers of the hé, a fierce bird. It stands for military officers.鹖弁：武官戴的帽子，上面插着鹖鸟的羽毛。这里指武官。
- 如云众rú yún zhòng
- rú yún zhòng: as many as the clouds.如云众：像云一样多。
- 供粗用gōng cū yòng
- gōng cū yòng: only used for small, rough jobs.供粗用：只被派去干些杂事。
- 忽奇功hū qí gōng
- hū qí gōng: great deeds are ignored, with no chance to do them. Hū means to neglect.忽奇功：建立大功的事被忽视了，没有机会。忽，轻视、忽略。
- 笳鼓动jiā gǔ dòng
- jiā gǔ dòng: the army's reed pipes and war drums sound, meaning war on the border. Jiā is a reed pipe.笳鼓动：军中的胡笳和战鼓响起来了，指边境起了战事。笳，一种吹奏乐器。
- 渔阳弄yú yáng nòng
- yú yáng nòng: the drum tune Yuyang, loud and tragic. It also recalls the An Lushan Rebellion, which started at Yuyang, and hints at war on the border.渔阳弄：古代鼓曲《渔阳掺挝》，声音悲壮。这里也让人想到唐代安史之乱从渔阳起兵，暗指边境的战乱。
- 思悲翁sī bēi wēng
- sī bēi wēng: 'Thinking of the Sad Old Man', a Han army song. Here he means himself, a sad man with a wish to serve and no chance.思悲翁：汉代军乐的曲名。这里借来说自己像一个悲伤的老人，空有报国的心。
- 不请长缨bù qǐng cháng yīng
- bù qǐng cháng yīng: cannot ask for a long rope. In the Han dynasty, Zhong Jun asked the emperor for a long rope to tie up the king of Nanyue. Here the poet has no such chance.不请长缨：不能去请求一根长绳子。汉代终军向皇帝请求一根长绳，说要把南越王捆来。这里说自己没有这样的机会。缨，绳子。
- 天骄种tiān jiāo zhǒng
- tiān jiāo zhǒng: the proud chiefs of the northern nomads. Here it hints at the Western Xia, which raided the border at that time.天骄种：指北方和西北强悍的游牧民族首领，这里暗指当时侵扰边境的西夏。
- 剑吼西风jiàn hǒu xī fēng
- jiàn hǒu xī fēng: the sword roars in the west wind, as if angry too.剑吼西风：宝剑在秋风里发出吼声，好像也在愤怒。
- 恨hèn
- hèn: regret, bitterness.恨：遗憾，怨恨。
- 登山临水dēng shān lín shuǐ
- dēng shān lín shuǐ: climbing hills and standing by rivers, wandering with nothing to do.登山临水：登上高山，来到水边，指到处游荡。
- 七弦桐qī xián tóng
- qī xián tóng: a seven-string zither, made of paulownia wood.七弦桐：七根弦的琴，用梧桐木做成。
- 手寄shǒu jì
- shǒu jì: to put his feelings into the music his hands play.手寄：用手弹琴，把心事寄托在琴声里。
- 目送归鸿mù sòng guī hóng
- mù sòng guī hóng: watching the wild geese fly home. It echoes a line by Ji Kang: 'My eyes follow the homing geese, my hands play the five strings.'目送归鸿：眼睛送着飞回去的大雁。出自嵇康的诗“目送归鸿，手挥五弦”。