Tang poem · old-style poem, mostly seven-character lines唐诗 · 七言古诗（杂言）

tīng听dǒng董dà大tán弹hú胡jiā笳shēng声jiān兼jì寄yǔ语fáng房jǐ给shì事

lǐ李qí颀Li Qi · Tang唐

Hearing Dong Da Play the Hujia Tune, Also for Secretary Fang

cài蔡nǚ女xī昔zào造hú胡jiā笳shēng声

yì一tán弹yī一shí十yòu有bā八pāi拍

hú胡rén人luò落lèi泪zhān沾biān边cǎo草

hàn汉shǐ使duàn断cháng肠duì对guī归kè客

gǔ古shù戍cāng苍cāng苍fēng烽huǒ火hán寒

dà大huāng荒chén沉chén沉fēi飞xuě雪bái白

xiān先fú拂shāng商xián弦hòu后jué角yǔ羽

sì四jiāo郊qiū秋yè叶jīng惊sè摵sè摵

dǒng董fū夫zǐ子

tōng通shén神míng明

shēn深shān山qiè窃tīng听lái来yāo妖jīng精

yán言chí迟gèng更sù速jiē皆yìng应shǒu手

jiāng将wǎng往fù复xuán旋rú如yǒu有qíng情

kōng空shān山bǎi百niǎo鸟sàn散huán还hé合

wàn万lǐ里fú浮yún云yīn阴qiě且qíng晴

sī嘶suān酸chú雏yàn雁shī失qún群yè夜

duàn断jué绝hú胡ér儿liàn恋mǔ母shēng声

chuān川wèi为jìng净qí其bō波

niǎo鸟yì亦bà罢qí其míng鸣

wū乌sūn孙bù部luò落jiā家xiāng乡yuǎn远

luó逻suō娑shā沙chén尘āi哀yuàn怨shēng生

yōu幽yīn音biàn变diào调hū忽piāo飘sǎ洒

cháng长fēng风chuī吹lín林yǔ雨duò堕wǎ瓦

bèng迸quán泉sà飒sà飒fēi飞mù木mò末

yě野lù鹿yōu呦yōu呦zǒu走táng堂xià下

cháng长ān安chéng城lián连dōng东yè掖yuán垣

fèng凤huáng凰chí池duì对qīng青suǒ琐mén门

gāo高cái才tuō脱lüè略míng名yǔ与lì利

rì日xī夕wàng望jūn君bào抱qín琴zhì至

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 corpus title has an extra character, nòng (a tune), before "Secretary Fang"; the commonly taught title (as in Three Hundred Tang Poems) does not. In the text, the corpus writes chén chén and yàn (wild goose) in old forms; the taught text uses the modern characters. We follow the taught text.

本库题目是《听董大弹胡笳声兼寄语弄房给事》，多一个“弄”字，通行本（如《唐诗三百首》）题作《听董大弹胡笳声兼寄语房给事》。正文里本库“沈沈”通行本作“沉沉”，“雏鴈”作“雏雁”，都是同一个字的不同写法。这里用通行本。

Line by line逐句翻译

蔡女昔造胡笳声Long ago Cai Wenji made the hujia tune,从前蔡文姬作了胡笳曲，
一弹一十有八拍eighteen sections from start to end.一弹就是十八段。
胡人落泪沾边草The northern people wept onto the frontier grass;胡人听了，眼泪落在边塞的草上；
汉使断肠对归客the Han envoy, facing her as she left for home, was heartbroken.汉朝使者面对要回家的她，伤心欲绝。
古戍苍苍烽火寒The old fort stood grey and lonely, its beacon fires cold;古老的营垒一片苍茫，烽火也显得冷清；
大荒沉沉飞雪白over the dark, vast wilderness white snow was flying.广阔的荒原阴沉沉的，白雪纷飞。
先拂商弦后角羽Dong Da first brushes the shang string, then the jue and yu,董大先拨商弦，再弹角弦和羽弦，
四郊秋叶惊摵摵and all around, the autumn leaves fall rustling as if startled.四周野外的秋叶好像受了惊，沙沙落下。
董夫子Master Dong,董先生啊，
通神明your music reaches the spirits;你的琴声能感动神灵，
深山窃听来妖精even the spirits of the deep hills creep out to listen.连深山里的精怪都偷偷跑来听。
言迟更速皆应手Slow, then fast, it all flows from your fingers;弹得慢了又快，全都得心应手；
将往复旋如有情the tune seems to leave, then turns back, as if it had feelings.曲调好像要走了，又转回来，像是有感情。
空山百鸟散还合Like a hundred birds in empty hills, it scatters and gathers;像空山里的百鸟，散开了又聚拢；
万里浮云阴且晴like clouds over ten thousand li, it turns dark, then bright.像万里浮云，一会儿阴一会儿晴。
嘶酸雏雁失群夜It sounds like a lost young goose crying hoarsely at night,又像失群的小雁在夜里嘶哑悲鸣，
断绝胡儿恋母声like the heartbroken cries of the northern children who would not let their mother go.像胡地的孩子舍不得母亲时撕心裂肺的哭声。
川为净其波The river stills its waves for it,河流因此平静了波浪，
鸟亦罢其鸣and the birds stop singing.鸟儿也停止了鸣叫。
乌孙部落家乡远It is like the princess married to faraway Wusun, missing home,像远嫁乌孙的公主思念遥远的家乡，
逻娑沙尘哀怨生like the sorrow of the princess in the sandy winds of Luosuo.像远嫁逻娑的公主在风沙里生出的哀怨。
幽音变调忽飘洒Then the low, deep sound suddenly changes and turns light and free,低沉的琴声忽然变调，变得轻快洒脱，
长风吹林雨堕瓦like a long wind through the woods, like rain on the roof tiles,像大风吹过树林，雨点落在屋瓦上，
迸泉飒飒飞木末like a bursting spring splashing up to the treetops,像喷涌的泉水飒飒地飞上树梢，
野鹿呦呦走堂下like wild deer calling yōu yōu as they run up to the hall.像野鹿呦呦叫着跑到堂前。
长安城连东掖垣In Chang'an the city joins the East Wing,长安城连着东边的门下省，
凤凰池对青琐门and Phoenix Pool faces the Blue-Ring Gate.中书省正对着青琐宫门。
高才脱略名与利There a man of great talent cares little for fame or gain;那里有位大才子，把名利看得很轻，
日夕望君抱琴至day and night he hopes you will come with your qin.天天都盼着你抱着琴去。

Words字词注释

蔡女cài nǚ: Cai Nü: Cai Yan, also called Cai Wenji, a gifted woman of the late Eastern Han. In a time of war she was carried off by the Xiongnu and lived in the north for twelve years, until Cao Cao paid a large ransom to bring her home.蔡女：蔡琰，字文姬，东汉末年的才女。战乱中她被匈奴人掳走，在北方住了十二年，后来被曹操用重金赎回。
胡笳声hú jiā shēng: hú jiā shēng: the hujia is a reed pipe of the northern peoples, with a very sad sound. Here it means the qin tune "Eighteen Songs of the Hujia", said to have been made by Cai Wenji.胡笳声：胡笳是北方民族吹的一种乐器，声音很悲凉。这里指传说是蔡文姬作的琴曲《胡笳十八拍》。
一十有八拍yī shí yòu bā pāi: yī shí yòu bā pāi: eighteen sections in all. Pāi here is a section of a tune.一十有八拍：一共十八段。拍：乐曲的一段。
边草biān cǎo: biān cǎo: grass on the frontier.边草：边塞上的草。
汉使hàn shǐ: hàn shǐ: the Han envoy sent to bring Cai Wenji home.汉使：汉朝派去接蔡文姬的使者。
断肠duàn cháng: duàn cháng: "breaking the gut", deeply heartbroken.断肠：形容非常伤心。
归客guī kè: guī kè: the one going home, Cai Wenji.归客：回家的人，指蔡文姬。
古戍gǔ shù: gǔ shù: an old frontier fort.古戍：古老的边防营垒。
烽火fēng huǒ: fēng huǒ: beacon fires lit to warn of attack at the frontier.烽火：边防报警时点起的火。
大荒dà huāng: dà huāng: the vast, empty wilderness.大荒：广阔荒凉的原野。
沉沉chén chén: chén chén: dark and gloomy.沉沉：阴沉昏暗的样子。
拂fú: fú: to brush the strings lightly.拂：轻轻拨动琴弦。
商弦后角羽shāng xián hòu jué yǔ: shāng, jué, yǔ: three of the five old musical notes; here, strings of the qin.商、角、羽：古代五音里的三个音，这里指琴上的弦。
四郊sì jiāo: sì jiāo: the countryside all around.四郊：四周的野外。
惊摵摵jīng sè sè: jīng sè sè: the autumn leaves seem startled by the music and fall rustling.惊摵摵：秋叶好像被琴声惊动，沙沙地落下。
董夫子dǒng fū zǐ: Dong Fuzi: a respectful name for Dong Da. Dong Da was Dong Tinglan, a famous Tang qin player. Da means "eldest"; he was the eldest of his brothers.董夫子：对董大的尊称。董大就是董庭兰，唐代有名的琴师，在兄弟中排行第一，所以叫董大。
通神明tōng shén míng: tōng shén míng: his music can reach the spirits.通神明：琴声能感动神灵。
窃听来妖精qiè tīng lái yāo jīng: qiè tīng lái yāo jīng: even spirits of the deep mountains creep out to listen.窃听来妖精：深山里的精怪也偷偷跑来听。
言迟更速yán chí gèng sù: yán chí gèng sù: playing slow, then fast again.言迟更速：弹得慢了，又变快了。
皆应手jiē yìng shǒu: jiē yìng shǒu: everything flows easily from his fingers.皆应手：全都随着手指自然弹出，得心应手。
将往复旋jiāng wǎng fù xuán: jiāng wǎng fù xuán: the tune seems about to go away, then turns back.将往复旋：曲调好像要走远了，又转了回来。
嘶酸sī suān: sī suān: hoarse and sad.嘶酸：声音嘶哑、悲酸。
雏雁失群chú yàn shī qún: chú yàn shī qún: a young goose lost from its flock.雏雁失群：小雁和雁群走散了。
断绝胡儿恋母声duàn jué hú ér liàn mǔ shēng: duàn jué hú ér liàn mǔ shēng: when Cai Wenji returned to Han, she had to leave behind the two children she had in the north. They clung to their mother and cried as if their hearts would break.断绝胡儿恋母声：蔡文姬回汉朝时，不得不留下在北方生的两个孩子。孩子们舍不得母亲，哭得撕心裂肺。
川为净其波chuān wèi jìng qí bō: chuān wèi jìng qí bō: the river calms its waves to listen.川为净其波：河流也因此平静下波浪。
罢其鸣bà qí míng: bà qí míng: stop their singing.罢其鸣：停止了鸣叫。
乌孙wū sūn: Wusun: a kingdom in the far west in Han times. The Han court married Princess Liu Xijun to its king; far from home, she wrote a song of homesickness.乌孙：汉代西域的一个国家。汉朝曾把公主刘细君嫁到乌孙，她远离家乡，写歌表达思乡之苦。
逻娑luó suō: Luosuo: the capital of Tubo, today's Lhasa. The Tang princess Wencheng married into Tubo and lived there.逻娑：吐蕃的都城，就是今天的拉萨。唐朝文成公主远嫁吐蕃，住在这里。
幽音变调yōu yīn biàn diào: yōu yīn biàn diào: the low, deep sound suddenly changes key.幽音变调：低沉的声音一下子转了调子。
飘洒piāo sǎ: piāo sǎ: light and free.飘洒：轻快洒脱。
雨堕瓦yǔ duò wǎ: yǔ duò wǎ: rain falling on the roof tiles.雨堕瓦：雨点落在屋瓦上。
迸泉bèng quán: bèng quán: a spring that bursts out.迸泉：喷涌出来的泉水。
飒飒sà sà: sà sà: the sound of wind or water.飒飒：风声、水声。
木末mù mò: mù mò: the treetops.木末：树梢。
呦呦yōu yōu: yōu yōu: the call of a deer.呦呦：鹿的叫声。
东掖垣dōng yè yuán: dōng yè yuán: the East Wing of the palace, the Chancellery, where the secretaries (jishizhong) worked.东掖垣：皇宫东边的门下省，给事中就在这里办公。
凤凰池fèng huáng chí: fèng huáng chí: Phoenix Pool, the Secretariat inside the palace, another key office.凤凰池：皇宫里的中书省，也是朝廷重要的部门。
青琐门qīng suǒ mén: qīng suǒ mén: a palace gate carved with linked-ring patterns and painted blue-green.青琐门：宫门，门上刻着连环花纹，涂成青色。
高才gāo cái: gāo cái: a person of great talent; here Secretary Fang, Fang Guan. A jishizhong was an official close to the emperor.高才：才能很高的人，指房给事，就是房琯。给事是给事中，皇帝身边的一种官。
脱略tuō lüè: tuō lüè: to care little about.脱略：不放在心上，看得很轻。
日夕rì xī: rì xī: from morning to night, every day.日夕：从早到晚，天天。
君jūn: jūn: you; here Dong Da.君：你，指董大。

How to read it读音

有yòu: In yī shí yòu bā, "ten and eight", this character stands for "and" and is read yòu.“一十有八”就是“十又八”，“有”通“又”，读 yòu。
角jué: Here it is one of the five old musical notes (gōng, shāng, jué, zhǐ, yǔ), read jué, not jiǎo.“角”是古代五音（宫、商、角、徵、羽）之一，读 jué，不读 jiǎo。
摵sè: Sè sè is the sound of falling leaves. It is usually read sè; some books give shè.“摵摵”是落叶的声音，一般读 sè sè，也有书读 shè shè。
为wèi: In chuān wèi jìng qí bō, "the river calms its waves for it", it is read wèi.“川为净其波”是“河流因此平静了波浪”，“为”读 wèi。
将jiāng: In jiāng wǎng, "about to go", it is read jiāng.“将往”是“将要离去”，读 jiāng。
应yìng: In yìng shǒu, "following the hand", it is read yìng.“应手”是随手弹出，读 yìng。
还huán: In sàn huán hé, "scatter and gather again", it is read huán.“散还合”是“散开了又聚拢”，读 huán。
长cháng: In cháng fēng, "a long wind", it is read cháng.“长风”是远处吹来的大风，读 cháng。
长cháng: In the place name Chang'an it is read cháng.地名“长安”，读 cháng。
掖yè: In yè yuán it is read yè.“掖垣”的“掖”读 yè。

Background创作背景

Dong Da was Dong Tinglan, a famous qin player of the high Tang, best known for the qin piece "Hujia". He was a guest in the household of Fang Guan, who thought very highly of him. Fang Guan served as a secretary (jishizhong) during the Tianbao years, and the poem was probably written then (some say around 746). Li Qi heard Dong Da play and wrote this poem to praise his skill. The last lines are addressed to Fang Guan, praising him for caring little about fame and gain and for valuing talent.

董大就是董庭兰，盛唐时有名的琴师，最擅长弹琴曲《胡笳》。他是房琯的门客，房琯很器重他。房琯在天宝年间做过给事中，这首诗大约就写在那时（一说746年前后）。李颀听董大弹琴，写下这首诗，赞美他的琴艺，最后几句又是写给房琯的，称赞房琯不重名利、爱惜人才。

The poet作者

Li Qi (about 690 to about 751) was a poet of the high Tang. He is famous for frontier poems such as "An Old Army Song". He was also especially good at writing about music. In "Hearing An Wanshan Play the Bili Pipe" and in this poem, he uses chain after chain of comparisons to make sounds you cannot see feel like pictures you can.

李颀（约690—约751），盛唐诗人。他的边塞诗很有名，比如《古从军行》。他也特别会写音乐，《听安万善吹觱篥歌》和这首诗都是用一连串的比喻，把看不见的声音写得像能看见一样。

The mood意境

Music cannot be seen, yet Li Qi paints it as picture after picture. He begins with where the tune came from: Cai Wenji making it in the north, the northern people weeping, the Han envoy heartbroken, cold beacon fires and flying snow on the wilderness. At once we feel the sadness. Then Dong Da starts to play. Autumn leaves fall as if startled, and mountain spirits creep up to listen. The music goes fast and slow: like a hundred birds scattering and gathering, like clouds turning dark and bright, like a lost young goose, like children crying for their mother, until even the river and the birds fall silent. Then the tune changes and turns light: wind in the woods, rain on the tiles, a spring splashing up, deer running. Reading it is like riding a roller coaster of sound. In the last lines the poem turns to praise Fang Guan for valuing talent, which also says Dong Da has found someone who truly understands him.

音乐是看不见的，李颀却把它画成了一幅幅画。开头先讲曲子的来历：蔡文姬在北方作曲，胡人流泪，汉使伤心，荒原上烽火寒冷，大雪纷飞，一下子把人带进悲凉的气氛。然后董大开始弹琴：秋叶被惊落，山里的精怪跑来偷听。琴声忽快忽慢，像百鸟散了又聚，像浮云阴了又晴，像失群的小雁，像哭着找妈妈的孩子，连河水和鸟儿都安静下来。后来调子一转，又变得轻快：大风吹林，雨打屋瓦，泉水飞溅，野鹿奔跑。读这首诗，就像跟着琴声坐了一趟过山车。最后几句笔锋一转，夸房琯爱惜人才，也是说董大遇到了知音。