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

xíng行lù路nán难·qí其èr二

lǐ李bái白Li Bai · Tang唐

Hard Is the Road, No. 2

dà大dào道rú如qīng青tiān天

wǒ我dú独bù不dé得chū出

xiū羞zhú逐cháng长ān安shè社zhōng中ér儿

chì赤jī鸡bái白zhì雉dǔ赌lí梨lì栗

tán弹jiàn剑zuò作gē歌zòu奏kǔ苦shēng声

yè曳jū裾wáng王mén门bú不chèn称qíng情

huái淮yīn阴shì市jǐng井xiào笑hán韩xìn信

hàn汉cháo朝gōng公qīng卿jì忌jiǎ贾shēng生

jūn君bú不jiàn见xī昔shí时yān燕jiā家zhòng重guō郭wěi隗

yōng拥huì篲zhé折jié节wú无xián嫌cāi猜

jù剧xīn辛yuè乐yì毅gǎn感ēn恩fèn分

shū输gān肝pōu剖dǎn胆xiào效yīng英cái才

zhāo昭wáng王bái白gǔ骨yíng萦màn蔓cǎo草

shuí谁rén人gèng更sǎo扫huáng黄jīn金tái台

xíng行lù路nán难

guī归qù去lái来

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 page uses the common text. The corpus has "white dogs" for "white pheasants" and "rotting grass" for "creeping weeds"; these are differences between old editions. It also writes jiàn (sword) with a variant character.

这里用通行本。语料库本“白雉”作“白狗”，“蔓草”作“烂草”，是不同版本的差别；“劒”是“剑”的异体字。

Line by line逐句翻译

大道如青天The great road is as wide as the blue sky,大路像青天一样宽广，
我独不得出yet I alone cannot find my way out.偏偏只有我找不到出路。
羞逐长安社中儿I am ashamed to follow the rich young men of Chang'an,我羞于去追随长安城里那些贵族子弟，
赤鸡白雉赌梨栗who fight red cocks and white pheasants and bet pears and chestnuts.斗红鸡白雉，拿梨子栗子赌输赢。
弹剑作歌奏苦声Like Feng Xuan I tap my sword and sing a bitter song;像冯谖那样敲着剑唱出苦涩的歌，
曳裾王门不称情trailing my robe at princes' gates goes against my heart.拖着衣襟在王侯门下求人，实在不合我的心意。
淮阴市井笑韩信The people of Huaiyin's market laughed at Han Xin;淮阴街上的人曾经嘲笑韩信，
汉朝公卿忌贾生the great lords of Han were jealous of Jia Yi.汉朝的大官们曾经嫉妒贾谊。
君不见昔时燕家重郭隗Have you not seen how, long ago, the King of Yan honoured Guo Wei,你没看见吗？从前燕昭王多么看重郭隗，
拥篲折节无嫌猜sweeping the road with a broom, humbling himself, with no suspicion at all?拿着扫帚扫路迎客，放下架子，一点也不猜疑。
剧辛乐毅感恩分Ju Xin and Yue Yi were grateful for his kindness,剧辛、乐毅感激他的知遇之恩，
输肝剖胆效英才and gave him their whole hearts and all their gifts.掏出真心，献出全部才能。
昭王白骨萦蔓草But King Zhao's white bones are long tangled in weeds;可是燕昭王的白骨早已被野草缠绕，
谁人更扫黄金台who now will sweep the Golden Terrace again to welcome talent?如今还有谁会再打扫黄金台来招请人才呢？
行路难Hard is the road!走这条路真难啊，
归去来Let me go home.还是回去吧！

Words字词注释

大道如青天dà dào rú qīng tiān: dà dào rú qīng tiān: the great road is as wide as the blue sky; the world seems full of chances.大道如青天：大路像青天一样宽广。比喻天下到处都是机会。
不得出bù dé chū: bù dé chū: cannot find a way out.不得出：找不到出路，走不出去。
羞逐xiū zhú: xiū zhú: ashamed to follow along with.羞逐：羞于去追随。
社中儿shè zhōng ér: shè zhōng ér: the rich young men of the Chang'an neighbourhoods; some say the boys who won royal favour through cockfighting. Shè was a local community.社中儿：长安街坊里的贵族子弟，一说指靠斗鸡得宠的少年。社，古代居民的基层单位。
赤鸡白雉赌梨栗chì jī bái zhì dǔ lí lì: chì jī bái zhì dǔ lí lì: fighting red cocks and white pheasants, betting pears and chestnuts. Emperor Xuanzong loved cockfights, and good cockfighters won his favour. Zhì is a pheasant.赤鸡白雉赌梨栗：斗红公鸡、白野鸡，拿梨子栗子来赌输赢。唐玄宗喜欢斗鸡，会斗鸡的人能得到宠信。雉，野鸡。
弹剑作歌tán jiàn zuò gē: tán jiàn zuò gē: tapping a sword and singing. In the Warring States period Feng Xuan, a retainer of Lord Mengchang, tapped his sword and sang "let us go home" because he was badly treated.弹剑作歌：敲着剑唱歌。战国时冯谖在孟尝君家做门客，嫌待遇差，就敲着剑唱“回去吧”。
曳裾王门yè jū wáng mén: yè jū wáng mén: trailing one's long robe at the gates of princes, that is, waiting on the powerful for favours. Jū is the hem of a robe.曳裾王门：拖着长衣襟在王侯门下走来走去，指去权贵家里求人。裾，衣服的前后襟。
不称情bú chèn qíng: bù chèn qíng: does not suit one's heart.不称情：不合自己的心意。
淮阴市井笑韩信huái yīn shì jǐng xiào hán xìn: huái yīn shì jǐng xiào hán xìn: Han Xin came from Huaiyin. When young, a street bully made him crawl between his legs, and the whole town laughed. Later he became a great Han general. Shì jǐng means the marketplace.淮阴市井笑韩信：韩信是淮阴人，年轻时被街上的无赖羞辱，从人家胯下钻过去，被全城人笑话。后来他成了汉朝大将。市井，街市。
汉朝公卿忌贾生hàn cháo gōng qīng jì jiǎ shēng: hàn cháo gōng qīng jì jiǎ shēng: Jia Sheng is Jia Yi, a gifted young man under Emperor Wen of Han. Jealous high officials pushed him out and he was sent far away. Gōng qīng are the top ministers.汉朝公卿忌贾生：贾生就是贾谊，汉文帝时很有才华，却被朝中大臣嫉妒排挤，被派到很远的地方。公卿，朝廷里的大官。
君不见jūn bú jiàn: jūn bù jiàn: have you not seen? A common opening phrase in old ballads.君不见：你没看见吗？古诗里常用来引起下文。
燕家重郭隗yān jiā zhòng guō wěi: yān jiā zhòng guō wěi: King Zhao of Yan wanted the best people in the land. He began by honouring Guo Wei, building him a house and treating him as his teacher, and then able men came from every state.燕家重郭隗：燕昭王想招天下人才，先重用郭隗，给他盖房子，拜他为老师，于是各国贤人都来了。
拥篲yōng huì: yōng huì: holding a broom. When honoured guests came, King Zhao swept the road ahead of them himself to show respect. Huì is a broom.拥篲：拿着扫帚。贵客来时，燕昭王亲自拿着扫帚在前面扫路，表示尊敬。篲，扫帚。
折节zhé jié: zhé jié: setting aside one's rank to treat others humbly.折节：放下架子，降低身份待人。
无嫌猜wú xián cāi: wú xián cāi: without any suspicion.无嫌猜：没有一点猜疑。
剧辛乐毅jù xīn yuè yì: jù xīn yuè yì: Ju Xin and Yue Yi, two able men who came from other states to serve King Zhao. Yue Yi later led the army that beat the state of Qi.剧辛乐毅：剧辛和乐毅，都是从别国投奔燕昭王的贤才。乐毅后来带兵打败了齐国。
感恩分gǎn ēn fèn: gǎn ēn fèn: grateful for the king's trust and kindness.感恩分：感激君王的知遇之恩。
输肝剖胆shū gān pōu dǎn: shū gān pōu dǎn: offering up liver and gall, that is, giving one's whole heart.输肝剖胆：把肝胆都拿出来，就是掏出真心，全心全意。
效英才xiào yīng cái: xiào yīng cái: putting their great talents to use for him.效英才：献出自己出众的才能。
萦蔓草yíng màn cǎo: yíng màn cǎo: tangled in creeping weeds. Yíng means to wind around.萦蔓草：被蔓生的野草缠绕。萦，缠绕。
黄金台huáng jīn tái: huáng jīn tái: the Golden Terrace. Legend says King Zhao built a high terrace, put gold on it, and used it to invite talented people.黄金台：传说燕昭王修了一座高台，上面放着黄金，用来招请天下贤人。
归去来guī qù lái: guī qù lái: let me go home. The words come from Tao Yuanming's famous piece about leaving office to live in the country.归去来：回去吧。借用陶渊明《归去来兮辞》的话，意思是回家隐居。

How to read it读音

弹tán: In tán jiàn this character is read tán, meaning to flick or tap with the fingers.“弹剑”的“弹”读 tán，意思是用手指敲弹。
称chèn: In chèn qíng this character is read chèn, meaning to match or suit one's wishes.“称情”的“称”读 chèn，意思是相合、合心意。
燕yān: Yān jiā means the state of Yan in the Warring States period. Here the character is read yān, not yàn as in swallow.“燕家”指战国时的燕国，“燕”读 yān，不读 yàn（燕子）。
隗wěi: In the name Guō Wěi this character is read wěi.人名“郭隗”的“隗”读 wěi。
乐yuè: In the name Yuè Yì this character is read yuè.人名“乐毅”的“乐”读 yuè。
分fèn: In ēn fèn this character is read fèn, meaning the bond of kindness between people.“恩分”的“分”读 fèn，指情分、情义。
谁shuí: Following school custom this character is read shuí; in speech it is also read shéi.“谁”按课本习惯读 shuí，口语也读 shéi。

Background创作背景

"Hard Is the Road" is an old yuefu ballad title about how hard life's road can be. Li Bai wrote three poems under it; this is the second. They are usually dated to about 744. Li Bai was then serving at court in Chang'an. He had hoped to do great things, but was treated only as a poet to entertain the emperor, and powerful men pushed him aside. In the end he was given gold and sent away. Some think the poems were written after he left Chang'an.

《行路难》是乐府旧题，专门写人世道路的艰难。李白写了三首，这是第二首。一般认为这组诗作于唐玄宗天宝三载（744年）前后。那时李白在长安做翰林供奉，原本希望大展抱负，却只被当作陪皇帝写诗作乐的文人，又受到权贵排挤，最后被“赐金放还”，离开了长安。一说作于他离开长安之后。

The poet作者

Li Bai (701–762) was a great Tang poet, called the Immortal of Poetry. He was bold and free, sure of his own talent, and longed to help a ruler and do great deeds like the wise ministers of old. Yet he lasted less than two years in Chang'an before leaving in disappointment. In this poem he uses the stories of Han Xin, Jia Yi and the King of Yan to pour out his anger at having talent that no one would use.

李白（701—762），唐代大诗人，被称为“诗仙”。他性格豪放，自信很有才能，一直想像古代的贤臣那样辅佐君王、建功立业。可他在长安只待了不到两年，就失望地离开了。这首诗里他借韩信、贾谊、燕昭王的故事，说出了怀才不遇的愤怒。

The mood意境

The first two lines hit hard: the road is as wide as the sky, yet I cannot get out. That is the anger at the heart of the poem. Next he says he scorns the cockfighting rich boys and will not bow at the gates of the powerful. The stories of Han Xin and Jia Yi show that gifted people are often mocked and envied. Then the poem turns to the King of Yan, who honoured wise men, and to Ju Xin and Yue Yi, who repaid him. The brighter this old story shines, the colder the present feels: the king is long dead, and no one sweeps the Golden Terrace any more. At the end come six short words: "Hard is the road! Let me go home." They sound like a long sigh, and also like a decision.

开头两句就很有力：大路像青天一样宽，偏偏我走不出去。这是全诗的怒气所在。接着他说不屑去学那些斗鸡的贵族子弟，也不愿在权贵门下低头。再用韩信、贾谊的遭遇说明：有才的人常常被人笑、被人嫉妒。然后笔锋一转，讲燕昭王怎样礼贤下士，剧辛、乐毅怎样报答他。这段写得越热闹，越显出眼前的冷清：昭王早已死去，再没有人扫黄金台了。最后只剩六个字：“行路难，归去来！”短短两声，像一声长叹，又像一句决定。