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汉 Han · 乐府 Yuefu ballad

平陵东

East of Pingling

汉乐府

Han Yuefu

民生People's life 讽喻Satire 叙事Theme

平陵东，松柏桐，不知何人劫义公。
劫义公，在高堂下，交钱百万两走马。
两走马，亦诚难，顾见追吏心中恻。
心中恻，血出漉，归告我家卖黄犊。

East of Pingling, where pines, cypress, and paulownia stand—who knows what men seized the just lord?
They seized the just lord below the high hall, demanding a million cash and two swift horses.
Two swift horses—truly hard to raise; he turns and sees the pursuing officers, and his heart aches.
His heart aches, blood streams down; he goes home and tells his family: sell the little yellow calf.

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Meaning

A Han yuefu from the 'Xiang He' songs. It records how a righteous common man was seized by powerful men and extorted for a million cash and two horses, until he had to sell his last calf. A near-verbatim folk indictment of the strong preying on the weak.

平陵的东边，松柏梧桐成行，不知什么人劫走了正直的义公。劫走义公，押在高堂之下，逼他交出百万钱和两匹快马。两匹快马也实在难以凑齐，回头看见追捕的官吏，心中凄恻。心中凄恻，血泪漉漉而出，回来告诉家人：把那头小黄牛卖掉吧。

Appreciation

The poem's most noted art is the 'chain' (anagora) rhetoric: 'seized the just lord—seized the just lord,' 'two swift horses—two swift horses,' 'his heart aches—his heart aches' link head to tail like tears in a string, the wronged air running through, read in a hurried, choking rhythm. The opening 'who knows what men' pretends vagueness yet hints at the unnameable powerful; 'blood streams down' in three words paints the惨 (miserable) state in plain strokes, cut short yet the pain lingers—a typical Han yuefu 'moved by sorrow and joy, arising from events.'

【白话串讲】一个好人被官府劫走，要交百万钱、两匹马才能赎。家人只能卖掉小黄牛去凑钱。汉乐府写底层百姓被敲诈，字字是血。【意象与手法】此诗最著之艺术特色为顶真（联珠）修辞：「劫义公—劫义公」「两走马—两走马」「心中恻—心中恻」句句衔首，如泪珠相续、冤气贯串，读来急促哽咽。起笔「平陵东，松柏桐」以陵墓松柏起兴，气氛阴森；「不知何人」故作含糊，实暗讽权势者不可名状；「血出漉」三字白描惨状，戛然而止而余痛悠长。【情感与主旨】《平陵东》见《乐府诗集》卷十六「相和歌辞·相和曲」，题下引《乐府解题》曰：「平陵，汉昭帝陵也。〈平陵东〉，言义公为奸人所劫，竟以赂免，悲之而作也。」诗反映汉世豪强权贵倚势劫掠良善、勒逼财物的黑暗现实，是一则近乎实录的民间控诉。【名句点睛】中考常考：①顶真修辞的辨识与作用；②概括诗歌主旨（揭露勒逼、同情良善）；③「交钱百万两走马」「卖黄犊」等细节的白描作用。

Background

'East of Pingling' appears in the 'Yue Fu Collection' vol. 16, 'Xiang He songs · Xiang He tune.' The note cites the 'Yue Fu Resolution': 'Pingling is the tomb of Emperor Zhao of Han. East of Pingling tells of the just lord seized by wicked men, who at last bought freedom with a bribe—written in pity.' Pingling was Emperor Zhao's tomb, its grounds full of noble graves. The poem reflects the dark reality of Han strongmen and nobles using power to plunder the good and extort wealth—a near-verbatim folk accusation.

《平陵东》见郭茂倩《乐府诗集》卷十六「相和歌辞·相和曲」，题下引《乐府解题》曰：「平陵，汉昭帝陵也。《平陵东》，言义公为奸人所劫，竟以赂免，悲之而作也。」平陵为汉昭帝陵，在今陕西咸阳西北，其地多显贵陵墓、陵邑豪强。诗反映汉世豪强权贵倚势劫掠良善、勒逼财物的黑暗现实，是一则近乎实录的民间控诉。汉代自武帝以后，土地兼并剧烈，豪强地主与地方官吏勾结，鱼肉乡里，百姓被劫被诈之事屡见不鲜；陵邑一带尤甚，守陵官员与豪强往往借势横行。此诗以「义公」被劫、交钱百万、卖犊凑赂的遭遇，揭露劫民者竟是堂上高坐的官宦，以顶真句式写尽平民申诉无门的悲愤，是汉乐府「感于哀乐，缘事而发」的典范，与《东门行》《妇病行》等并列为汉乐府叙事讽喻的代表作，亦为研究汉代社会史的重要史料。此诗无作者可考，当为民间歌谣经乐府采录而传，其口吻质朴、叙事直白，正见民歌本色；诗中「义公」不著姓名，亦可见其事之普遍，非一人一事之偶然。汉代乐府多由乐府机关采集民间歌谣，其诗「感于哀乐，缘事而发」，此诗正是其中的现实主义代表作，与《孔雀东南飞》《陌上桑》并为乐府民歌叙事传统的重要篇章。

Art

The poem's noted art is the 'chain' rhetoric, linking head to tail like tears in a string, the wronged air running through, read in a hurried, choking rhythm. The opening 'who knows what men' pretends vagueness yet hints at the unnameable powerful; 'blood streams down' in three words paints the miserable state in plain strokes, cut short yet the pain lingers—typical Han yuefu 'arising from events.'

此诗最著之艺术特色为顶真（联珠）修辞：「劫义公—劫义公」「两走马—两走马」「心中恻—心中恻」句句衔首，如泪珠相续、冤气贯串，读来急促哽咽，一唱三叹。起笔「平陵东，松柏桐」以陵墓松柏起兴，气氛阴森，暗喻劫掠之事如鬼魅横行；「不知何人」故作含糊，实暗讽权势者不可名状、不敢名状。中间「交钱百万两走马」以具体数字写勒索之巨，「两走马，亦诚难」写凑赎之难，层层逼出贫家之困；「顾见追吏心中恻」以「追吏」点出官役逼迫之实，坐实劫掠者之身份。结句「心中恻，血出漉，归告我家卖黄犊」以「漉」字白描惨状，以卖犊凑赂写尽底层被榨之惨，戛然而止而余痛悠长，正是汉乐府「感于哀乐，缘事而发」的典型。顶真格之外，此诗还善用「层递」：由被劫、逼赎、凑难到卖犊，一步紧一步，一层深一层，如连环相扣，把平民被榨干的整个过程写得纤毫毕现，悲剧性随之层层加码，正是乐府叙事「层层逼进」的笔法。

Allusions

The poem uses no clear allusion, pure plain description of current fact, exactly the yuefu nature of 'the hungry sing of their food, the toilers sing of their work.' 'Just lord' is a general name for the seized upright man; 'yellow calf' is the little yellow ox, a humble farm possession then; writing the selling of the calf to raise the bribe shows to the end the bottom layer's squeezed misery—without old tales yet with its own historical value.

本诗无明显用典，纯以当下实事白描成篇，正合「饥者歌其食，劳者歌其事」的乐府本色。「义公」为被劫之正直人泛称，「公」为尊称，写其为人端正而反遭劫掠，愈见世事颠倒；「黄犊」即小黄牛，为农家最珍贵的微产，以卖犊凑赂写尽底层被榨之惨，不借古事而自具史实价值。「平陵」指汉昭帝陵，陵旁有陵邑，豪强聚处，诗以「平陵东」点出地点，暗示劫掠者即陵邑一带的权贵。「走马」即骏马，「两走马」与「百万钱」并举，写勒索之巨；「高堂」本指高大厅堂，此处写义公被押至官署堂下受逼，官衙即虎穴，讽刺之意全在白描之中。全诗以口语叙事，质朴如话，而「不知何人」的含糊、「血出漉」的白描，皆有深意存焉。「松柏桐」并举三种陵墓常见树木，古人墓地多植松柏，桐亦墓树，三字写尽陵园阴森之象，暗喻劫掠之事如鬼魅横行于陵邑，起兴之中已含讽刺，是乐府以景写意的妙笔。「高堂下」三字最堪玩味：堂堂官府之下竟行劫夺之事，「堂」之正与「劫」之邪对照，官衙即盗窟，讽刺入骨。

Commentary

Guo Maoqian (Song) cites the old saying it was 'written in pity.' Hu Yinglin (Ming) called Han yuefu 'plain yet not coarse, shallow yet able to be deep.' 'East of Pingling' stands with 'East Gate Walk' and 'The Wife Falls Ill' as Han yuefu narrative-satire masterworks, later seen as a realist specimen 'moved by sorrow and joy.'

宋·郭茂倩《乐府诗集》题解引旧说，明言「悲之而作」；明·胡应麟《诗薮》称汉乐府「质而不俚，浅而能深」。《平陵东》与《东门行》《妇病行》并列为汉乐府叙事讽喻之佳作，后世视为「感于哀乐」的现实主义标本。全诗三言与五言相间，句式短促，正合冤情之急切；顶真格的运用，使全诗如环相扣、一气呵成，声情与辞情相得益彰。此诗所写义公之遭遇，是汉代社会贫富悬殊、豪强横行的缩影，其史料价值与艺术价值并重：史家可据以考见汉代陵邑制度与豪强之弊，文学家可据以认识乐府民歌的写实精神，向为研究汉代社会史与乐府文学者所重。近人余冠英《乐府诗选》录此诗，评其「叙事简劲，情辞凄楚」；此诗与《东门行》等并为汉乐府「饥者歌其食，劳者歌其事」的现实主义标本，至今读之犹觉其悲，是理解汉代下层人民生活的重要窗口。此诗以三言为主的杂言体，急促如诉，与《铙歌》之悲壮、《相和》之宛转各擅胜场，是汉乐府叙事小品的佳构。

Prosody

Form Han yuefu · Xiang He songs (Xiang He tune)汉乐府·相和歌辞（相和曲）

Rhyme Tong, gong, xia, ma, nan, ce, lu, du; mixes dong, yu, wu groups; folk rhyme as feeling dictates韵脚「桐、公、下、马、难、恻、漉、犊」，杂用东、鱼、屋等部，乐府民歌随情押韵不拘

Tone pattern Mixed-line yuefu, three/five/seven characters mixed, no strict level-oblique杂言乐府，三、五、七言相间，不依严整平仄

Reading note Chain rhetoric runs the whole piece; a Han yuefu narrative masterwork此诗为汉乐府《相和曲》，属相和歌辞，句式三言与七言相间，是汉乐府典型的杂言体。全诗四章，每章三句，章末一句叠用上章末三字（如「劫义公」之叠），正是顶真格在句式上的体现：三字一顿，音节短促急促，如泣如诉，正合冤情之急切与申诉之哽咽。用韵随情而转，桐、公、下、马、难、恻、漉、犊杂用东、鱼、屋诸部，不拘一韵，正是乐府民歌「以情运声」的本色，与近体诗的严整用韵判然有别。三字句与七字句交替，短长相间，读来如呼吸断续，声情与辞情相得益彰；末句以七言长句收束，如长叹一声，余痛绵长。此诗的声律之美，正在于以不整齐的节奏传达最强烈的哀愤。诵读此诗，宜以急促哽咽之声出之，顶真处句句相衔、一气不断，末句「卖黄犊」三字放慢放轻，方见其惨痛无声之致。

Line by line

不知何人劫义公

Who knows what men seized the just lord?

不知什么人劫走了正直的义公。

I know not who has seized the upright lord.

「不知何人」故作含糊，暗刺权贵不可指名、不敢指名，怨而能讳。「义公」以「公」尊称，写其为人端正，而端正之人反遭劫掠，世事颠倒已见端倪；「劫」字直揭暴行，是全诗叙事之纲。明知其人而说「不知」，正是平民申诉无门的隐忍与无奈，含蓄之中自含血泪，为全诗定下悲愤而压抑的基调。「义公」之「义」与「劫」之「不义」对照，正人反遭劫，讽刺之意已寓其中。「不知何人」四字，写尽平民申诉无门、敢怒不敢言的隐痛。

The opening. I know not who has seized the upright lord. The know-not-who is the fear: the powerful cannot be named. The upright lord's being seized is the world's inversion. To have said bandits seized a good man would be a story; the unnamed seizers and the upright man seized are the story.

交钱百万两走马

They seized the just lord below the high hall, demanding a million cash and two swift horses.

逼他交出百万钱和两匹快马。

They demand a ransom of a million cash and two swift horses.

以具体数字写勒索之巨，坐实横暴。「百万钱」写钱数之巨，「两走马」写马匹之贵，对贫家而言皆是天文数字，可见劫掠者之贪婪无厌；「交」字写逼迫之严，不容分说。数字入诗而不觉板滞，反使暴行具体可感，是乐府写实的本色，也暗示义公之被劫非为仇怨，纯系权贵勒索财物，其遭遇具有普遍性。数字入诗而愈显横暴，「百万」「两」之巨与贫家之穷形成天渊之别。以具体之物写勒索之巨，正是乐府写实不避琐细的本色。

The ransom. They demand a ransom of a million cash and two swift horses. The exact figures make the extortion concrete. The million and two horses are a poor man's impossible sum. To have said they demanded money would be a demand; the million cash and two running horses are the demand.

两走马，亦诚难

The two swift horses—truly, they are hard to come by.

两匹快马也实在难以凑齐。

The two swift horses—truly, they are hard to provide.

写凑赎之难，贫家之困层层逼出。「亦诚难」三字直白如话，道尽贫家连两匹马也拿不出的窘迫，与「百万钱」的勒索形成悬殊对比；「诚」字写实，愈见义公处境之绝望。此句以退为进：明知难以凑齐，却仍须勉强为之，正是平民被逼无奈、走投无路之态的传神写照，为结句「卖黄犊」的惨剧蓄势。「亦诚难」三字以退为进，愈写难凑愈见被逼之甚，为卖犊作势。一句写尽贫家之窘，是乐府「以少总多」的范例。

The impossible sum. The two swift horses—truly, they are hard to provide. The plainly-spoken truly is the poor family's plight. To have said the ransom was impossible would be a difficulty; the two horses that are truly hard to provide are the difficulty.

血出漉，归告我家卖黄犊

His heart aches, blood streams down; he goes home and tells his family: sell the little yellow calf.

心中凄恻，血泪漉漉而出，回来告诉家人：把那头小黄牛卖掉吧。

Blood streams from his heart; he goes home and tells his family: sell the yellow calf.

以卖犊凑赂作结，惨状无声而最摧心。「血出漉」三字白描血泪淋漓而下之状，极言心中之痛；「归告我家卖黄犊」以最平淡的口吻说出最惨痛的决定——卖掉家里唯一的耕牛去凑赎金，家的生计自此断绝。全诗至此戛然而止，不写义公之后事，而悲剧已无可挽回，正是乐府「以不言言之」的高明收法，读之恻然。「血出漉」三字白描血泪，「卖黄犊」三字平静如话，惨极而不号哭，最摧人心。戛然而止而余痛不尽，正是乐府「以不言言之」的高明收法。

The conclusion. Blood streams from his heart; he goes home and tells his family: sell the yellow calf. The blood (or the heart's weeping blood) and the calm order to sell the only plow-calf are the poem's quiet catastrophe. To have said he sold the calf to pay would be an outcome; the streaming blood and the home-order to sell the yellow calf are the outcome.

Study

Word focus

劫 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「不知何人劫义公」之「劫」，强夺、劫持，是全诗叙事的核心动词。一字写尽暴行之性质：不是偷、不是骗，而是明火执仗的劫夺，且劫夺者竟是堂上高坐的官宦，官与盗合一，黑暗至极。「劫」字贯穿全诗，劫人、劫财、劫去农家生计，一劫而全家陷于绝境，是汉乐府写实精神最凝练的体现。「劫」字直揭暴行性质，官与盗合一，讽刺尽在一字。

恻 In 'his heart aches,' 'ce' writes grief, echoing 'blood streams down'—the pain from inside out. 「顾见追吏心中恻」之「恻」，悲凄、伤痛，写义公心内之痛。「追吏」在前，心中之恻顿生——不是恻于被劫之冤，而是恻于赎金无着的绝望；「恻」字以最克制的笔写最深沉的痛，与下文「血出漉」的血泪呼应，痛感由内而外、由隐而显，正是乐府「质而不俚，浅而能深」的例证。「恻」字写痛之深而语之约，与「血出漉」呼应，最见克制之力。

漉 In 'blood streams down,' 'lu' pictures blood and tears dripping, sound and form together, plain yet stark. 「血出漉」之「漉」，渗出、流下，状血泪淋漓而下之貌。「漉」本写液体下渗，用以写血泪，则其沉重、其淋漓、其不可遏止，尽在眼前；一字而兼拟声拟态，白描惨烈而不加渲染，比夸张的哭号更为动人。以一字写尽悲极之状，正是汉乐府语言锤炼的绝诣。「漉」字写血泪之淋漓，拟声拟态，白描惨烈而不加渲染，愈显沉痛。一字而惨状在目，较「涕泣」「泣血」更见淋漓，正是乐府炼字以简驭繁的本色。

平陵东