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汉 Han · 乐府 Yuefu ballad

梁甫吟

Song of Liangfu

汉乐府

Han Yuefu (anonymous)

咏史History 怀古History 忧愤Theme

步出齐城门，遥望荡阴里。
里中有三墓，累累正相似。
问是谁家墓，田疆古冶子。
力能排南山，文能绝地纪。
一朝被谗言，二桃杀三士。
谁能为此谋？
国相齐晏子。

I step out of the Qi city gate, and gaze afar at the mounds of Dangyin.
In the village are three tombs, piled and alike.
I ask whose tombs these are — Tian Jiang and Gu Yezi (with Gongsun Jie).
Their strength could push back the Southern Mountain; their learning could bind earth's order.
In a single morning slander came; two peaches killed three warriors.
Who devised this plot? The prime minister of Qi, Yan Zi.

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Meaning

I walk out of the Qi city gate and gaze into the distance at the graves of Dangyin. In the village there are three tombs, piled up and much alike. I ask whose tombs these are — they are Tian Kaijiang, Gu Yezi (and Gongsun Jie). Their strength could push back the Southern Mountain; their letters could bind the earth's order. Once caught in slander, two peaches took three lives. Who set this poisonous plan? It was Yan Zi, the prime minister of Qi.

走出齐国的城门，远远望见荡阴里那片坟地。乡里之中有三座坟墓，累累相连、形状彼此相似。问这是谁家的坟墓？是田开疆、古冶子（还有公孙捷）三位勇士的墓。他们力大能推开南山，文才可断绝天地纲纪。一朝遭了谗言陷害，两枚桃子竟杀了三位壮士。谁能设下这样的计谋？是齐国的国相晏子。

Appreciation

'Song of Liangfu' belongs to the 'Xiang He Ge Ci · Chu Diao' category of Han yuefu; as the Yue Fu Shi Ji notes, Liangfu is a small hill below Mount Tai where the coffin song was sung, its tune bleak. This poem chants the Spring-and-Autumn tale of 'two peaches kill three warriors' in Qi: Gongsun Jie, Tian Kaijiang, and Gu Yezi, three brave men who, though meritorious, grew arrogant; the minister Yan Ying proposed presenting two peaches and letting the three dispute merit for the fruit, and ashamed of falling behind, they one by one took their own lives. Likely written in the Eastern Han, the poem uses the old story to voice the grief that the meritorious are slandered and worth is overturned. In the Han, consort and eunuch factions held power and the loyal were often framed; the poet entrusts the ancient to satirize the present, planting deep worry in the questioning before the graves — an early specimen of the yuefu historical lament, and a common item in the 'historical and nostalgic' category of classical appreciation.

【白话串讲】齐国晏婴用两颗桃子，杀了三个勇士（二桃杀三士）。汉乐府把这个故事写进《梁甫吟》，感叹功臣被谗言所害——“一朝被谗言，二桃杀三士”。【意象与手法】全诗以凭吊起笔，由实入虚，把读者引向三士荒坟。中间「力能排南山，文能绝地纪」以夸张对句极写三士的勇武与才德，与下文「二桃杀三士」的轻巧残暴形成强烈反差，先扬后抑，撼人心魄。「一朝被谗言」的「一朝」二字尤重，道尽功臣旦夕陨命的荒诞。末以「谁能为此谋？国相齐晏子」的冷峻设问收束，不置褒贬而讥刺自见，章法简净，叙事如史，悲凉之气与梁甫葬歌的调性浑然一体。【情感与主旨】《梁甫吟》属汉乐府相和歌辞楚调曲，本为齐地葬歌，声调悲凉。诗咏春秋齐景公时二桃杀三士的史事，约作于东汉，借史事抒写对功臣遭谗、贤愚颠倒的悲慨。汉世外戚宦官专权，忠直之士每被构陷，诗人托古讽今，于坟前叩问中寄寓深忧，是乐府咏史体的早期代表。【名句点睛】常考「力能排南山，文能绝地纪」的夸张与先扬后抑，以及「谁能为此谋？国相齐晏子」的冷笔设问；注意「二桃杀三士」的典故出处（《晏子春秋》）、梁甫吟葬歌调性与托古讽今的主旨。

Background

'Song of Liangfu' is a Han yuefu lyric of the 'Xiang He Ge Ci · Chu Diao' category. According to the Yue Fu Shi Ji, Liangfu is a small hill below Mount Tai where the coffin procession song was sung, its tune mournful. The poem chants the Spring-and-Autumn story of 'two peaches kill three warriors' in the state of Qi: Gongsun Jie, Tian Kaijiang, and Gu Yezi, three brave men, meritorious yet arrogant; the minister Yan Ying offered a plan to give two peaches, letting them dispute merit and eat, and the three, ashamed, successively cut their throats. The poem was likely written in the Eastern Han, using the old tale to voice grief that the meritorious are slandered and worth is overturned. In the Han, consorts and eunuchs held power, and the loyal and upright were often framed; the poet entrusts the ancient to satirize the present, and in the questioning before the grave plants deep worry — an early representative of the yuefu historical-lament form.

《梁甫吟》属汉乐府相和歌辞楚调曲，据《乐府诗集》题解，梁甫为泰山下的小山，古人以为人死葬于梁甫，故此调为送葬的挽歌，声调悲凉凄怆。此诗咏春秋齐景公时二桃杀三士的著名故事：公孙捷、田开疆、古冶子三勇士有功而骄，齐相晏婴患其难制，献计请景公赐二桃，令三子论功而食，三士耻功不敌，相继自刎。诗约作于东汉，其时外戚宦官相继专权，朝政昏乱，忠直之士每遭谗构陷，才士沉沦、贤愚颠倒成为普遍的社会现实。诗人借凭吊齐地三士荒坟，抒写对功臣遭谗、英才枉死的悲慨，托古讽今，于冷峻的叙述中寄寓深沉的现实忧愤。此诗以葬歌之体咏史事，声情相生，是汉乐府咏史体的早期代表。后世诸葛亮躬耕隆中时好为梁父吟，李白亦作长篇《梁甫吟》，皆承此调悲凉咏史之传统，可见此诗在咏史抒愤谱系中的源头地位，也是理解汉代文人政治关怀与忧患意识的重要文本。

Art

The whole opens with the elegiac gesture of 'I step out of the Qi gate and gaze afar at the mounds of Dangyin', moving from the actual to the imagined and leading the reader to the three warriors' desolate graves. In the middle, 'their strength could push back the Southern Mountain; their learning could bind earth's order' uses exaggerated parallel lines to write the three warriors' might and virtue to the utmost, forming a strong contrast with the light, cruel 'two peaches kill three warriors' below — first praise then blame, shaking the heart. The words 'in a single morning' are especially heavy, speaking the absurdity of a meritorious man's sudden death in a day. It closes with the cold question 'who devised this plot? the prime minister of Qi, Yan Zi', giving no judgment yet the satire shows itself. The structure is spare, the narration history-like, and the mournful air merges with the bleak tune of the Liangfu coffin song.

全诗以「步出齐城门，遥望荡阴里」的凭吊起笔，由实入虚，先写诗人走出齐都城门、遥望城外坟地的行动与视野，将读者引向三士荒坟，营造苍茫悲凉的氛围。接着以问答方式揭出墓主，「问是谁家墓，田疆古冶子」一问一答，简净利落，如史传之笔。中间「力能排南山，文能绝地纪」以夸张对句极写三士的勇武与才德，先扬后抑，为下文惨死蓄足气势；「一朝被谗言，二桃杀三士」以「一朝」与「二桃」的数字反差，写尽功臣旦夕陨命的荒诞与权谋之酷烈，是全诗情感与思想的焦点。末二句「谁能为此谋？国相齐晏子」以冷峻设问收束，不置一字褒贬，而讥刺之意自见，余味无穷。章法上由出城而望墓、由问主而写才、由述死而究谋，层层推进，环环相扣，如史笔叙事而情寓其中；语言质直古朴，五言节奏舒缓，悲凉之气贯穿全篇，与梁甫葬歌的调性浑然一体，堪称乐府咏史的典范之作。

Allusions

The poem's core uses the allusion of 'two peaches kill three warriors', from the 'Yan Zi Chun Qiu · Jian Xia': Duke Jing of Qi kept the three brave men Gongsun Jie, Tian Kaijiang, and Gu Yezi; Yan Ying, fearing their arrogance, asked the duke to present two peaches and let the three 'eat by merit', and the three, contending in shame, successively killed themselves. In the poem 'Tian Jiang and Gu Yezi' means Tian Kaijiang and Gu Yezi (with Gongsun Jie); 'push back the Southern Mountain' uses 'strength to push the mountain', 'bind earth's order' uses 'order heaven and earth'. The poet uses this famous tale of court intrigue to hint at the common fate of the Han meritorious slandered. Allusion and feeling are tightly joined, a model of yuefu historical verse satirizing the present through the past.

本诗核心即二桃杀三士典故，出自《晏子春秋·谏下》：齐景公蓄公孙捷、田开疆、古冶子三勇士，皆勇而无礼，晏婴患之，请景公赐二桃，使三子计功而食桃，三士以功相争，耻居人后，相继自杀。诗中「田疆古冶子」即田开疆、古冶子，兼指公孙捷；「排南山」用其力能推山之典意，极言勇力，语出《淮南子》「力拔山兮」一类夸张传统；「绝地纪」用经纬天地之典，言其文才足以维系天地纲纪，古人以地纪指地之纲维，此处极言其才略非凡，出自《淮南子》「纪纲」之说。梁甫吟本为葬歌，出于齐地，诗人取此调咏齐地三士之死，声情相合，典调一体。全诗典实与抒情结合紧密，以古讽今，是乐府咏史以典托讽的范例。其故事本身亦成为后世诗词反复咏叹的经典母题，诸葛亮好为梁父吟、李白作《梁甫吟》长篇「力排南山三壮士，齐相杀之费二桃」，皆承此调而来，可见此典此调在咏史抒愤传统中影响之深远。

Commentary

The Yue Fu Shi Ji, citing the 'Gu Jin Yue Lu', says Liangfu Yin 'is a coffin song, from the land of Qi'. The Ming critic Hu Yinglin in 'Poetry Criticism' says Han yuefu historical verse is 'plain and straight with the ancient air'. The modern Yu Guan Ying in 'Selected Yuefu Poems' says of this poem: 'Told flatly, yet the three warriors' wrong and Yan Zi's plot show themselves without a word of blame.' Contemporary scholars mostly take it as an Eastern-Han literatus's work of entrusting the ancient to sting the present, praising 'using the coffin song's grief to write the cruelty of court intrigue, sound and feeling born together'. Its form continues with Zhuge Liang's 'Liangfu Yin', both taking the bleak tune of Tai's Liangfu, enough to show this tune's special place in the tradition of historical verse venting indignation.

《乐府诗集》引《古今乐录》谓梁甫吟「葬歌也，出于齐地」，点明其本为齐地丧葬歌谣，后被采入乐府，成为相和歌辞楚调曲中的固定诗题。明人胡应麟《诗薮》称汉乐府咏史「质直有古风」，正以此类作品为代表，谓其不事雕琢而古意盎然。近人余冠英《乐府诗选》评此诗：「平平叙来，而三士之冤、晏子之谋，不言贬而贬自见。」一语道破其冷笔讽世的特色，可见此诗之妙全在含蓄。当代学者多以此诗为汉世文人托古讽今之作，赞其以葬歌之悲写权谋之酷，声情相生，是乐府咏史的典范。此诗与左思《咏史》一脉相承，皆借古人之酒杯浇今人之块垒，其贤愚颠倒的悲慨与功成身死的历史宿命感，对后世咏史诗影响深远。要之，此诗以质直之笔写深沉之悲，冷峻中见激情，平叙之中自含褒贬，是考察汉代乐府诗由叙事转向咏史抒怀的关键作品，至今读来犹觉其声情撼人。

Prosody

Form Han yuefu · Xiang He Ge Ci Chu Diao (Liangfu Yin)汉乐府·相和歌辞·楚调曲（梁甫吟），五言古体

Rhyme Not strict in rhyme, prizing ancient plainness偶句入韵：里、似、子、纪、士、子相押，古韵宽泛，不拘平仄

Tone pattern Not traceable五言二二一节奏，声调悲凉古朴，今不可歌

Reading note Yuefu old lyric, originally with no near-style rules, excelling in five-character narrative.梁甫吟本为齐地葬歌，属楚调曲，声调悲凉凄怆，被采入乐府后成为咏史抒愤的固定诗题。此诗为五言古体，共十二句，句句五言，偶句入韵，一韵到底，用韵宽泛自由，不拘平仄，保持了汉乐府古辞质朴自然的本色。全诗以叙事为骨，由出城、望墓、问主、写才、述死、究谋层层推进，章法谨严而气脉贯通，末以设问收束，音节上形成问句上扬、答句下沉的顿挫效果，余韵悠长。与后世近体诗的严整格律不同，此诗节奏舒缓、语言质直，正合葬歌低回哀婉的调性，读来如闻挽歌，悲凉之气油然而生，是汉乐府五言古诗的典型之作。

Line by line

步出齐城门，遥望荡阴里。

I step out of the Qi capital gate and gaze far toward Dangyin Lane.

走出齐国的城门，远远望见荡阴里那片坟地

I walk out of the Qi city gate and gaze into the distance at Dangyin Lane.

开篇以叙事起笔，写诗人步出齐都城门、遥望城外荡阴里的坟地，由实入虚，将视线从城郭引向荒郊，先营造出凭吊的苍茫氛围。「步出」「遥望」两个动作一近一远，镜头由城及野、由人及墓，笔法简净而画面开阔。荡阴里为齐地葬所，地名本身即含阴森之意。此二句不直接抒情，而哀婉之气已笼罩全篇，为后文揭出墓主、叙写冤情作了情感与空间的铺垫，是乐府诗以叙事起兴、由景入情的典型开篇。

The pilgrimage. I step out of the Qi capital gate and gaze far toward Dangyin Lane, the burial place of the three heroes. The two movements (step out, gaze far) frame the elegy before naming its dead. The lane's name already carries the gloom. To have said I walked out to the cemetery would be an outing; the walk out of the Qi gate and the far gaze at Dangyin Lane are the outing.

力能排南山，文能绝地纪。

Their strength could push over the Southern Hills; their learning could pluck out the very web of earth.

他们力大能推开南山，文才可断绝天地纲纪

Their strength could push over the Southern Hills; their scholarship could sever the order of the earth.

此联以夸张的对句极写三士之才勇：力可排开南山，文可绝断地纪，一武一文，两两对举，将田开疆、古冶子等塑造为顶天立地的英杰形象。「排」「绝」二字力重千钧，句式整饬有力，音节铿锵。然写其才勇之盛，正是为后文惨死蓄势：如此英杰，竟死于两枚桃子与一句谗言之下，先扬后抑、以盛写哀，反差愈烈，悲剧力量愈强。此联亦暗伏祸根——才高招忌、功高震主，为晏子设计除之埋下伏笔，咏史之笔，一石二鸟。

The heroes. Their strength could push over the Southern Hills; their learning could sever the very web of earth. The two exaggerations (mountain-moving strength, earth-cutting learning) build the men up as far as they can go—the higher, the more terrible the fall. To have said the men were strong and learned would be praise; the strength that pushes the Southern Hills over and the learning that cuts the earth's order are the praise.

一朝被谗言，二桃杀三士。

One day, brought low by slander, two peaches killed three brave men.

一朝遭了谗言陷害，两枚桃子竟杀了三位壮士

One day they were ensnared by slander; two peaches killed three brave warriors.

此为全诗诗眼所在。「一朝」极言时间之短促，昨日还是力排南山、文绝地纪的英雄，顷刻之间便因谗言而亡，命运之无常令人心惊；「二桃杀三士」以数词对举，二桃之轻贱与三士之贵重形成刺目的反差，写尽权谋之冷酷与英才枉死之荒诞。诗人以极平淡的笔调叙述这桩惨剧，不著一字评论，而愤慨、惋惜、讥刺之情皆蕴于字里行间。「杀」字直截了当，语虽冷而情愈烈，是全诗情感与思想凝聚的焦点。

The event. One day they were ensnared by slander; two peaches killed three brave warriors. The suddenness (one day) after the buildup is the shock. The two light peaches against three priceless lives is the poem's terrible arithmetic. To have said they were tricked to death by a stratagem would be history; the two peaches that killed the three warriors are the history's irony.

谁能为此谋？国相齐晏子。

Who could have framed this plot? The Prime Minister of Qi, Master Yan.

谁能设下这样的计谋？是齐国的国相晏子

Who was it that devised this plot? The prime minister of Qi, Master Yan.

结二句以设问收束全诗，先问「谁能为此谋」，蓄势设疑，再以「国相齐晏子」冷峻作答，笔锋直指设谋者。妙在不置一字褒贬：不言晏子之毒，不责三士之愚，而「谁能」之问本含讥诮，「国相」之称更以显赫官爵反衬权谋之阴，冷语之中褒贬自见。全诗至此戛然而止，如史笔断案，余味无穷。此问亦暗含对「功高招忌」这一历史规律的深沉感慨，由齐地三士推及古往今来一切因才遭祸者，咏史之旨，尽在不言之中。

The accusation. Who could have framed this plot? The prime minister of Qi, Master Yan. The question asks and answers itself, naming the sage minister as the cold strategist. No further judgment is offered. To have said Yan Ying plotted it would be a charge; the question naming the prime minister is the charge.

Study

Word focus

累累 Piled, mound on mound — writing the three tombs facing each other, desolate and solemn, setting off the tragic air. 「里中有三墓，累累正相似」之「累累」，叠词，状坟冢相连重叠之貌，语出《礼记·乐记》「累累乎端如贯珠」之连绵意象，此处写三座坟墓相连相望、形状相似，既点出三士并葬之实，又以坟冢之重叠渲染墓地之阴森肃穆，为全诗笼罩悲凉氛围。「相似」二字尤有深意：三士生前同为英杰，死后坟冢亦复相似，然其冤屈与功业俱埋于黄土之下，相似之墓正喻相同之悲剧命运。叠词缓其音节，正合葬歌低回之调，炼字虽朴而意蕴深长。

一朝 In a single morning, at once — speaking how swiftly the meritorious are slandered and how fragile their fate, a glaring contrast. 「一朝被谗言」之「一朝」，一旦、顷刻之意，为全诗时间关键词。它与「力能排南山」的昔盛形成对照：英雄之建立何等艰难，而毁之只在朝夕之间，一瞬之谗言竟使三士毕生之勇武才略化为坟冢，时间之短促反衬命运之残酷，令人不寒而栗。此词还暗含对谗言毁贤这一普遍现象的慨叹：非独三士遭此，古往今来多少英才皆陨于谗口，诗人借一朝之叹，将个别史事升华为普遍的历史悲慨，炼词虽平而寄意甚远，是咏史诗以时间词作眼的高妙笔法。

杀 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「二桃杀三士」之「杀」字，是全诗最触目惊心的一字。以「杀」为诗眼，点出二桃与三士之间的因果关系，两枚无知的桃子竟成了夺命之器，堂堂勇士竟死于计谋而非战阵，荒诞之中见悲凉。此字不用「害」「诛」等委婉之词，而直用「杀」，冷峻干脆，恰如史笔直书，不稍回护，将权谋之酷烈与生命之轻贱并置，产生强烈的艺术冲击。与「谁能为此谋」的设问相呼应，杀者何人、谋者何人，一问一答，皆系于此字所引发的愤慨与沉思之中。

梁甫吟