Tang poem · seven-character regulated verse唐诗 · 七言律诗

pín贫nǚ女

qín秦tāo韬yù玉Qin Taoyu · Tang唐

The Poor Girl

péng蓬mén门wèi未shí识qǐ绮luó罗xiāng香

nǐ拟tuō托liáng良méi媒yì益zì自shāng伤

shuí谁ài爱fēng风liú流gāo高gé格diào调

gòng共lián怜shí时shì世jiǎn俭shū梳zhuāng妆

gǎn敢jiāng将shí十zhǐ指kuā夸zhēn针qiǎo巧

bù不bǎ把shuāng双méi眉dòu斗huà画cháng长

kǔ苦hèn恨nián年nián年yā压jīn金xiàn线

wèi为tā他rén人zuò作jià嫁yī衣shang裳

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。

In line five the database text has piān qiǎo, while the common text has zhēn qiǎo, skill with the needle. The database also uses an old form of the character for dòu. This page follows the common text.

资料库本第五句作“夸偏巧”，通行本作“夸针巧”；资料库本的“鬬”是“斗”的繁体异体字。这里用通行本。

Line by line逐句翻译

蓬门未识绮罗香Born in a poor home, I have never known the scent of fine silk clothes.我出生在穷人家，从来不知道华丽衣裳的香气。
拟托良媒益自伤I think of asking a good matchmaker to find me a husband, and that only makes me sadder.想托个好媒人去说亲，反而更加伤心。
谁爱风流高格调Who cares for a refined heart and good taste?谁会喜欢高雅的品格和情趣呢？
共怜时世俭梳妆Everyone loves the strange makeup that is in fashion.大家都爱当时流行的古怪打扮。
敢将十指夸针巧I dare to boast that my ten fingers are the best with a needle.我敢说自己十个手指的针线活最巧。
不把双眉斗画长But I will not paint long eyebrows to compete in looks.却不愿意画长长的眉毛去和别人比美。
苦恨年年压金线What hurts most is that year after year I stitch with gold thread.最苦恼的是，我年年都用金线刺绣。
为他人作嫁衣裳Only to make wedding clothes for other girls.却都是在给别人缝制出嫁的衣裳。

Words字词注释

蓬门péng mén: péng mén: a door woven from straw, meaning a poor family's home.蓬门：用蓬草编的门，指穷人家。
绮罗qǐ luó: qǐ luó: fine silk fabrics, the pretty clothes worn by the rich.绮罗：华丽的丝织品，指有钱人穿的漂亮衣服。
拟托良媒nǐ tuō liáng méi: nǐ tuō liáng méi: wanting to ask a good matchmaker to find her a husband.拟托良媒：想托个好媒人去说亲。
益自伤yì zì shāng: yì zì shāng: she grows even sadder. Yì means even more.益自伤：更加自己伤心。益，更加。
风流高格调fēng liú gāo gé diào: fēng liú gāo gé diào: a refined character and good taste.风流高格调：高雅的品格和情趣。
共怜gòng lián: gòng lián: everyone loves. Lián here means to love.共怜：大家都喜欢。怜，爱。
时世俭梳妆shí shì jiǎn shū zhuāng: shí shì jiǎn shū zhuāng: an odd style of makeup that was in fashion then. The word jiǎn here is usually explained as strange or extreme. Another reading says it means plain.时世俭梳妆：当时流行的一种奇怪的打扮。俭，这里是“险”的意思，指新奇古怪。一说指简朴的打扮。
敢将gǎn jiāng: gǎn jiāng: dares to take, that is, can proudly show.敢将：敢拿。
针巧zhēn qiǎo: zhēn qiǎo: skill with the needle.针巧：针线活做得好，手巧。
斗画长dòu huà cháng: dòu huà cháng: competing to paint the longest eyebrows. Long painted eyebrows were the fashion then.斗画长：比谁的眉毛画得长。古时流行画长眉。
苦恨kǔ hèn: kǔ hèn: to regret bitterly.苦恨：非常遗憾、苦恼。
压金线yā jīn xiàn: yā jīn xiàn: to embroider with gold thread. Yā is a kind of embroidery stitch.压金线：用金线刺绣。压，一种刺绣的针法。
嫁衣裳jià yī shang: jià yī shang: the clothes a bride wears at her wedding.嫁衣裳：出嫁时穿的衣服。

How to read it读音

调diào: In this word the character is read diào.格调的“调”读 diào。
斗dòu: Here it means to compete, so it is read dòu.斗是比赛、争高低的意思，读 dòu。
为wèi: Here it means for or on behalf of, so it is read wèi.为是“替、给”的意思，读 wèi。
裳shang: Today this word is usually read yī shang. When reading the poem aloud, some people say cháng, to rhyme with the other line endings.“衣裳”现在一般读 yī shang。读诗时也有人把“裳”读成 cháng，和“香、伤、妆、长”押韵。

Background创作背景

This poem is about a girl from a poor family. She is clever with her hands and has a fine character, but because she is poor, no one comes to ask for her hand. Year after year she can only embroider wedding clothes for others. It is generally thought that the poet is using the girl to speak about himself: a scholar from a humble family who has talent but no one to recommend him, and who can only work for the success of others. We do not know when the poem was written.

这首诗写的是一个穷人家的女孩：她心灵手巧、品格高雅，却因为家里穷，没人来说亲，只能年年替别人绣嫁衣。一般认为诗人是借贫女说自己：出身低微的读书人很有才华，却没有人推荐，只能替别人出力。诗的具体写作年代不清楚。

The poet作者

Qin Taoyu was a late Tang poet. We do not know when he was born or died. Records say he failed the top civil exam many times. Later he followed Emperor Xizong to Sichuan, and only then was he granted the degree by special order of the emperor. Few of his poems survive, and "The Poor Girl" is the most famous.

秦韬玉，晚唐诗人，生卒年不详。据记载他多次考进士都没考上，后来跟随唐僖宗到四川，才被皇帝特别赐了进士。他留下的诗不多，这首《贫女》最有名。

The mood意境

The whole poem is the poor girl speaking, as if quietly telling her troubles. She is poor and has never worn fine clothes. She wants to marry, but has no good matchmaker. She has a refined character, yet people only love fashionable looks. Her hands are skillful, but she will not compete over who paints the longest eyebrows. The last two lines are the saddest. Every year she embroiders with gold thread, but always for other girls' weddings. "Making wedding clothes for others" later became a saying. It means working hard only for someone else's benefit. Reading this poem, we think of all the people who have real ability but never get a chance.

整首诗都是贫女自己在说话，像在轻轻诉苦。她穷，没穿过好衣服；想嫁人，又没有好媒人。她有高雅的品格，可世人只爱时髦的打扮；她手很巧，却不肯去和人比谁的眉毛长。最后两句最让人心酸：年年用金线绣花，绣的却都是别人的嫁衣。“为他人作嫁衣裳”后来成了一句成语，比喻白白为别人辛苦忙碌。读这首诗，可以想到那些有本事却没有机会的人。