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汉 Han · 乐府 Yuefu ballad

十五从军征

Fifteen Years of Conscription

汉乐府

Han Yuefu

战乱War and Chaos 民生People's Livelihood

十五从军征，八十始得归。
道逢乡里人：“家中有阿谁？
”“遥看是君家，松柏冢累累。
”兔从狗窦入，雉从梁上飞。
中庭生旅谷，井上生旅葵。
舂谷持作饭，采葵持作羹。
羹饭一时熟，不知饴阿谁。
出门东向看，泪落沾我衣。

At fifteen I was conscripted for the army,
At eighty, I finally return.
On the way I meet a fellow villager,
"In my family, who is left?"
"Look far off, that's your home,
Pines and cypresses, mounds of graves."
A rabbit enters from the dog-hole,
A pheasant flies up from the roof-beam.
In the central courtyard grow wild grains,
By the well grow wild mallow.
Pound the grain to make meal,
Pick the mallow to make soup.
The meal and soup are soon ready,
But I don't know who to feed.
I go out the door and look eastward,
Tears fall and wet my clothes.
Listen

Meaning

An old soldier who left home at fifteen and returns at eighty finds his family dead and his home ruined. He prepares food but has no one to share it with, and weeps in despair.

十五岁应征从军，直到八十岁才得回乡。路上碰见同乡人，问他：「我家还剩有谁在？」对方答：「远远望见那就是你家，松树柏树下一座座坟茔累累。」走近只见野兔从狗洞钻进，野鸡在屋梁上乱飞；庭院中长着野生的谷子，井台边生着野生的葵菜。捣谷做成饭，采葵煮成汤；汤饭一会儿熟了，却不知该送给谁吃。出门向东怅望，泪落沾湿了我的衣襟。全诗以白描写尽老兵归乡无家、举目荒凉的惨痛，是汉乐府「感于哀乐、缘事而发」的巅峰之作。

Appreciation

The poem opens with the stark contrast of 'fifteen' and 'eighty', summing up a lifetime of military service. The dialogue with the villager reveals the shocking truth of family loss. The desolate scene—wild animals in the house, weeds in the yard—is painted with plain detail. The climax comes when the old man cooks a meal but 'knows not who to feed', an unbearable emptiness. The final image of him looking east, tears soaking his clothes, is a silent but devastating cry. This is a masterpiece of Han folk poetry, conveying the misery of endless warfare and conscription.

【白话串讲】 十五岁去当兵，八十岁才回家。家里只剩松柏和坟墓，院子里长满野谷野葵。老人做了饭，却“不知饴阿谁”——不知道端给谁吃。汉乐府里最惨的一顿饭。 【意象与手法】 诗以高度凝练的叙事展开：起笔「十五」「八十」对举，以数字的极端反差概括一生漂泊；中间以「道逢乡里人」的问答自然推进，引出「冢累累」的晴天霹雳；结尾以「不知饴阿谁」的细节与「泪落沾我衣」的特写收束，以无声之泣尽得乐府「不言而言」之妙。 【情感与主旨】 《十五从军征》为汉乐府民歌，属《乐府诗集·横吹曲辞·梁鼓角横吹曲》（一说《杂曲歌辞》）。全诗以白描写尽老兵归乡无家、举目荒凉的惨痛，控诉征役之祸与战争之残酷，是汉乐府「感于哀乐、缘事而发」的巅峰之作。 【名句点睛】 常考「十五从军征，八十始得归」的数字对照、「兔从狗窦入」等白描细节的作用，以及「羹饭一时熟，不知饴阿谁」的抒情效果。

Background

This poem is a Han dynasty folk song collected in the 'Yuefu' (Music Bureau) anthology. During the Han, especially under Emperor Wu, frequent wars led to long-term conscription, tearing families apart. The poem reflects the real suffering of common soldiers who left home young and returned old to find nothing. It embodies the Yuefu spirit of 'being moved by sorrow and joy, writing from real events'.

《十五从军征》为汉乐府民歌，属《乐府诗集·横吹曲辞·梁鼓角横吹曲》（一说《杂曲歌辞》）。汉代自武帝以来频年用兵，北击匈奴、西通西域、南定百越，征役之制使无数农家子弟少年从军、皓首难归，民间遂多此类控诉之作。此诗当采自东汉末或魏晋乐府机关所录民间歌诗，以第一人称写老兵一生戍边、归乡无家的真实惨况。诗中老兵十五从军、八十始归，其间六十五年，正是汉代兵役现实的艺术浓缩——武帝时「五尺童子皆以力战为务」，征发之酷、戍期之长，史不绝书。全诗以白描叙事，无一字议论，而战争对个体生命的吞噬、对家庭伦理的摧毁，尽在不言之中，是「感于哀乐、缘事而发」的乐府精神的典型体现。此诗与《古诗十九首》同出汉末，而一写征役之惨、一写人生之叹，共同记录了那个动荡时代小人物最真实的悲欢。此诗自汉代流传至今，其写实之深、情感之真，历千年而弥新。

Art

The poem uses extreme contrasts (fifteen vs. eighty) and a simple narrative structure. The dialogue advances the story naturally. The description of the ruined home—rabbits, pheasants, wild grain, and weeds—is pure white sketching without embellishment. The act of cooking and the line 'don't know who to feed' turns routine action into profound loneliness. The final line of silent weeping is more powerful than any wailing. The poem is straightforward yet deeply moving.

此诗艺术之妙，在高度凝练的叙事与白描的功力。起笔「十五从军征，八十始得归」，以两个数字的极端反差概括一生：十五与八十，其间六十五年，一征一归，尽在不言，叙事之简练直追《诗经》「昔我往矣」。中间以「道逢乡里人」的问答自然推进：「家中有阿谁？」「遥看是君家，松柏冢累累」，一问一答，将归乡之喜骤然打成幻灭，乡人之答以「冢累累」三字粉碎一切希望，不言悲而悲已极。最工在白描家园破败：「兔从狗窦入，雉从梁上飞」写野兔从狗洞钻进、野鸡在屋梁上乱飞，「中庭生旅谷，井上生旅葵」写庭院长满野谷、井台生满野葵，以动物侵占、野草丛生的细节写人去屋空，静中见惨。结尾「舂谷持作饭，采葵持作羹」写老兵仍按旧日习惯备饭，而「羹饭一时熟，不知饴阿谁」陡然点破：饭熟而无人可食，亲人尽殁，孤独无告；末以「出门东向看，泪落沾我衣」的无言之泣收束，含蓄沉痛，尽得乐府「不言而言」之妙。

Allusions

This poem continues the tradition of soldier poems like 'Caiwei' in the Book of Songs, but takes a darker turn: instead of lamenting delayed return, it shows the horror of returning to nothing. 'Dog-hole' (gou dou) and 'wild grain' (lü gu) are everyday terms from Han times, reflecting the folk origins. The 'pines and cypresses' over graves evoke ancient cemetery imagery. The poem influenced later works such as Du Fu's 'No Home to Return'.

「十五从军」「八十得归」的极端兵役叙事，承《诗经·小雅·采薇》「昔我往矣，杨柳依依；今我来思，雨雪霏霏」的征人主题，而更写归而无家之惨，与《诗经·王风·君子于役》的思妇望归相表里——一写征人思归而不得归，一写老兵得归而无家可归，正见先秦至汉征役主题的延续与深化。「狗窦」即狗洞，「旅谷」「旅葵」指野生自长的谷与葵，皆汉人日常口语，乐府采自民间，质朴无华；「松柏冢累累」写坟茔，承周人墓植松柏之制，冢者，高坟也，累累言其多，写尽亲人尽殁之惨。全诗无僻典而尽得风人之旨，其以家常琐事写家破人亡的手法，为后世「归乡无家」题材之先声——杜甫《无家别》「人生无家别，何以为蒸黎」，正是此诗主题在盛唐的遥响；白居易新乐府、张籍《征妇怨》等，亦皆承乐府「缘事而发」一脉。全诗以家常语写家破事，不取典实而自具风骨，正是民间文学质朴而深刻、以俗写真的本质所在。

Commentary

In the 'Collection of Yuefu Poems', it is classified under 'Drum and Flute Songs'. Ming critic Xie Zhen said, 'Every word is natural, without chisel marks.' Qing critic Shen Deqian noted, 'The lines about looking at the home are extremely tragic.' Modern scholars praise its use of plain language to create a deeply mournful atmosphere, ranking it with 'Mulberry on the Road' and 'The Peacock Flies Southeast' as representative Han folk narrative poems.

《乐府诗集》引《古今乐录》将此诗列入横吹曲，明谢榛《四溟诗话》评此诗「一字一句，皆出天真，无斧凿痕」，可谓知言。清沈德潜《古诗源》谓其「篇中『遥看是君家』数语，惨绝」，正点出问答之句的感染力。全诗以第一人称白描叙事，从军之久的数字反差、归乡之喜的骤成幻灭、家园破败的动物细节、饭熟无人可食的孤独，层层递进，把乱世小人物的悲苦写到极处而无一字直说，含蓄沉痛，力重千钧。此诗与《陌上桑》《孔雀东南飞》并列为汉乐府叙事民歌代表：三者一写民生之惨、一写妇德之美、一写婚姻之悲，共同构成汉乐府叙事的三大高峰。就文学史而言，此诗开创的「征人归乡无家」母题，影响及于杜甫《无家别》、韦应物《采玉行》乃至新乐府运动，是中国诗歌关怀底层民生传统的源头之一，其白描写实的艺术亦为后世现实主义诗歌提供了范式。其白描传神之处，尤足为后世写实文学之楷式。

Prosody

Form Han Yuefu · Blowing Drum and Flute Song (mixed-length narrative)汉乐府·横吹曲辞（杂言叙事诗）
Rhyme 归(gui), 谁(shui); 累(lei), 飞(fei), 葵(kui); 羹(geng), 谁(shui); 衣(yi) - each stanza rhymes (Wei/Wei/Geng/Wei)全诗以五言为主，间杂问答与七言句；各段协韵：「归、谁」（微部）、「累、飞、葵」（微部）、「羹、谁」（耕微通押）、「衣」（微部），大抵以微部韵贯穿，韵脚疏朗自然。
Tone pattern Mainly five-character lines mixed with seven-character dialogue; no strict parallelism, simple and folk-like, narrative-driven以五言为主，杂以问答与七言（「遥看是君家」等），不尚对仗，通俗朴直，叙事性强，音节随情感起伏。
Reading note A Han folk song using plain narrative to depict the horrors of conscription and the suffering of common people; shares the theme of soldier life with the Book of Songs' 'Caiwei', but is harsher in its portrayal of civilian misery.此诗为汉乐府民歌，属《乐府诗集》横吹曲辞，体制上以五言为主、杂以问答与七言句式，是汉乐府典型的杂言叙事诗。全诗不用典、不对仗、不雕琢，语言通俗朴直如口语，正见乐府「感于哀乐、缘事而发」的本色——诗是唱出来的，音节须随情感流转，故问答处顿挫、劳作处舒缓、结尾处低回。用韵上以微部韵（归、谁、累、飞、葵、衣）为基调贯穿全篇，韵脚疏朗，一韵到底而不觉板滞，正合叙事诗一气呵成的流动感；「羹」字为耕部，与微部通押，正见民歌用韵之宽，不以严整为工而以自然为贵。句式上五言为骨，间以「遥看是君家，松柏冢累累」的问答句与「舂谷持作饭，采葵持作羹」的排比句，长短相间，节奏随叙事推进而变化：从军之久的数字句急促，问答之句顿挫，劳作之句舒缓，泪落之句低回，声情与辞情高度统一。此诗之格律价值不在合律，而在以民歌自由之体写出了汉乐府叙事诗的最高境界，与《诗经·采薇》同属征役题材，而更见汉代民间疾苦之痛，为后世五言叙事诗（如杜甫《石壕吏》）之先声。

Line by line

十五从军征，八十始得归。

At fifteen I went off to war; at eighty I am only now allowed home.

十五岁从军出征，八十岁才得归来。

At fifteen I went off on the campaign; at eighty I have just come home.

起笔两句以数字对举写尽一生，是汉乐府叙事最凝练的开篇。「十五」与「八十」之间隔着六十五年的漫长兵役，诗人不写这六十五年里如何征战、如何思乡、如何苦熬，只以「从军征」与「得归」两个动作首尾相衔，时间的荒诞与生命的耗损尽在其中。最见功力的是「始」字：八十方「始」得归，一个「始」字写尽归期之迟、等待之久、生还之侥幸——同征者多已埋骨异乡，唯此老兵以八十高龄侥幸生还。两句十字，无一字议论，而兵役之残酷、人生之苍凉，已如利刃般直刺人心，正是乐府「缘事而发」而以事见情的典范，也为全诗定下苍凉悲怆的基调。

The sixty-five years. At fifteen I went off to war; at eighty I am only now allowed home. The two ages are the whole story: sixty-five years of soldiering compressed between departure and return. The only is the wonder that he came back at all. To have said the old soldier served for decades would be a summary; the fifteen and the eighty, with the only-now-returned, are the summary.

遥看是君家，松柏冢累累。

Look yonder—that is your home: pines and cypresses, and heaped graves on graves.

远远望见那便是你家，松柏下坟冢累累。

From far off, that is your home: pines and cypresses, and mound after mound of graves.

此二句是乡人之答，也是全诗由归乡之喜转入幻灭的转折点，历来评为惨绝。老兵满怀希望地问家中还有谁在，乡人却不正面作答，只遥遥一指：「那就是你家，松柏树下坟冢累累」——「冢累累」三字，写亲人坟茔相连成片，一个「累累」把全家尽殁的惨状尽收眼底，也把老兵一生的期待与牵挂彻底粉碎。乡人不忍直言「你家人都死了」，而以坟冢指认，正是民间答话的含蓄，亦是乐府叙事的克制；愈是克制，愈见其惨。「遥看」写归途的急切与乡人指点的方位，「松柏」写坟地之象，两句之间，归乡的喜悦骤成废墟，此后再写家园破败，便如水到渠成，不言悲而悲已极。

The neighbor's answer. From far off, that is your home: pines and cypresses, and mound after mound of graves. The neighbor does not say your family is dead; he points at the cemetery. The graves on graves are the household's end. To have said his family was dead would be a statement; the pointed home and the piled graves under the pines are the statement.

兔从狗窦入，雉从梁上飞。 中庭生旅谷，井上生旅葵。

Rabbits enter by the dog-hole; pheasants fly from the roof-tree. In the courtyard grow wild millet; by the well, wild mallow.

野兔从狗洞钻进，野鸡在梁上乱飞；庭院长满野谷，井台生满野葵。

Wild rabbits enter through the dog-hole, pheasants fly from the beams; in the courtyard grows wild millet, by the well wild mallow.

此四句白描家园破败之状，是汉乐府写景叙事的绝唱。「兔从狗窦入」写野兔从狗洞出入，「雉从梁上飞」写野鸡在屋梁上乱飞——动物已反客为主，占据了人的居所，可见人去之久；「中庭生旅谷，井上生旅葵」写庭院与井台长满野生谷葵，旅者，野生也，不种自生，写家园久无人居、彻底荒废。四句两两相对，一写动物、一写植物，以动写荒、以静写废，把「人去屋空」四字写得具体可触。老兵六十五年未归，故乡的屋宇已成了兔雉的巢穴、野草的园地，思乡的终点竟是这般景象，其幻灭之痛尽在景物之中。不着一哀字而哀深百倍，正是乐府白描「不言而言」的至高境界。

The ruin. Rabbits enter by the dog-hole; pheasants fly from the roof-tree; in the courtyard grows wild millet, by the well wild mallow. The animals have moved into the house; the wild plants into the yard. The four domestic spaces (dog-hole, beam, courtyard, well) taken over by wildness are the abandonment. To have described the ruined house would be a description; the rabbits in the dog-hole, the pheasants on the beams, the wild millet in the court, and the wild mallow by the well are the description.

舂谷持作饭，采葵持作羹。 羹饭一时熟，不知饴阿谁。

I pound the grain for rice, pick the mallow for soup. Rice and soup are soon cooked—but I know not whom to feed.

舂谷做饭，采葵做羹；饭菜一会儿熟了，却不知该送给谁。

I pound the grain for a meal, pick the mallow for a soup. The soup and rice are soon cooked—but for whom shall I serve them?

此四句写老兵备饭的日常动作，是全诗最见悲恸的细节。亲人虽殁，日子仍要过，老兵依着旧日的习惯，舂谷作饭、采葵作羹——这些具体的劳作，写出一个孤苦老人挣扎求生的本能，也写出他对家庭记忆的固执坚守。最惊心的是「羹饭一时熟，不知饴阿谁」：饭菜熟了，却不知该送给谁吃，家中已无一人可共食！此句以家常至极的语言写孤独至极的处境，饭熟无人食，比饿死更令人心碎——劳作愈具体，孤独愈刺心；期待愈日常，幻灭愈彻底。诗人不写老兵如何嚎啕，只写这一句茫然的自问，把由劳作归向空茫的悲怆推到顶点，悲从中来，不可断绝。

The meal. I pound the grain for rice, pick the mallow for soup; rice and soup are soon cooked—but I know not whom to feed. The cooking by habit, then the realization of no one to eat it, is the poem's quiet catastrophe. To have said he cooked a meal for no one would be a detail; the pounded grain, the picked mallow, the cooked soup, and the not-knowing-whom-to-feed are the detail.

出门东向看，泪落沾我衣。

Go out eastward and look, tears fall wetting clothes. The silent, broken gesture ends the poem; the tears speak louder than words, leaving a haunting image of despair.

出门向东眺望，泪落沾湿衣襟。

I go out the gate and look east; my tears fall and wet my robe.

末二句以特写收束全诗，把老兵一生的悲苦凝于一个无言的画面。「出门东向看」写老兵走出屋门，向东眺望——东向或指归乡来时之路，或指亲人坟茔所在的方向，一个「看」字写尽惘然：看什么？家已不成家，人已无亲人，天地之间唯余一个八十老翁；「泪落沾我衣」写眼泪无声滑落，沾湿衣襟，不写嚎啕大哭，只写泪落沾衣，以无声之泣写深不可测之悲。全诗至此戛然而止，无一字议论、无一字说教，而战争的残酷、征役的惨毒、个体生命的凋零，尽在这泪落沾衣的一瞬。含蓄而力重千钧，将乱世小人物的悲苦推向高潮，正是汉乐府「感于哀乐、缘事而发」的最高境界，千载之下读之，犹令人泫然。

The closing. I go out the gate and look east; my tears fall and wet my robe. The eastward look (the road he came, or the graves' direction) and the silent tears are the old man's whole grief. To have said he wept would be an ending; the eastward look and the tears wetting his robe are the ending.

Study

Word focus

始 shǐ: finally, only then. Combined with 'fifteen' and 'eighty', a single character conveys sixty-five years of waiting and bitterness. 「八十始得归」之「始」字，是全诗起笔处最见锤炼的字眼，亦是读此诗的第一重震撼。「始」有才、方之义，写归期之迟：十五从军，八十方归，一个「始」字道尽六十五年兵役的漫长与归乡之迟。此字之妙在以一字写一生：若用「乃」字则平淡，用「遂」字则轻快，唯「始」字写出归乡之艰难与侥幸——不是想归便归，而是熬到八十高龄、熬到战争的尽头，方才获准生还，其间多少同袍埋骨异乡，不言而喻。「始」又与「十五」遥遥对举：十五时意气从军，八十时垂老得归，一始一归，一生已尽，时间的荒诞与生命的苍凉尽在此字之中，含无尽辛酸，正是汉乐府炼字而能「以一字写一生」的本领。
累累 lěi lěi: in piles, one after another. Describes the numerous graves, visually shocking; the sight of many mounds instantly tells of family loss. 「松柏冢累累」之「累累」二字，是全诗第一个晴天霹雳，也是读来最触目惊心的叠词。「累累」写坟冢连绵众多之貌，以叠词状坟茔之密，把亲人的坟头写得层层相连、一眼望不到头——一个「累累」，写尽全家尽殁之惨，也把老兵六十多年对家的牵挂与期待尽数埋葬。乡人不直说「你家人都死了」，而以「冢累累」三字指认，正是民间答话的含蓄；愈含蓄愈惨烈，愈平静愈惊心。此二字以景写哀，不着一悲字而悲已极：坟冢累累之处，正是老兵魂牵梦萦的家；归乡的终点竟是坟场，其幻灭之痛，尽在这两字之中。汉乐府善用叠词状物传情，「累累」正是其中以一当十的典范。
旅 lǚ: wild, self-sown. Implies the house has been uninhabited for so long that even grain and mallows grow untended, adding to the desolation. 「中庭生旅谷，井上生旅葵」之「旅」字，是全诗炼字最见功力处，也是读懂家园破败的关键。「旅」在此为形容词，犹言野生、不种自生：旅谷即野谷，旅葵即野葵，皆非人力所种而自然萌生。此字之妙，在以一字写尽久无人居：谷葵本是农家所种之物，今竟「旅生」于庭院井台，正见家园荒废之久、人去楼空之甚——不是一年半载的荒芜，而是数十年无人料理，才致草木不请自来、反客为主。若用「生」字则泛，用「野」字则直，唯「旅」字兼有陌生与漂泊之意，仿佛这些植物是过客而非主人，恰与老兵的身份遥相映照：草木旅生于故园，老兵旅归于故园，人非物是，其间的苍凉尽在一字之中，炼字见荒凉之境，正是汉乐府白描的绝诣。
阿谁 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「家中有阿谁？」「不知饴阿谁」之「阿谁」，是全诗两个问句共用的语汇，也是汉乐府口语入诗的典型用例。「阿谁」犹言谁人，「阿」为汉魏口语中的发语词，无实义，如今语「谁个」，正见乐府民歌采自民间、语言质朴的本色。此词的妙处在两次出现的不同分量：第一处「家中有阿谁？」是老兵的急切之问，满含归乡的期待与不安，问的是亲人的存殁；第二处「不知饴阿谁」是老兵的茫然自问，饭菜已熟而无人可食，问的是孤独的尽头。同一语汇，前一问尚有人可问，后一问已无人可问，由问人而问己，由期待而幻灭，一个口语词的两次出现，竟写尽一个老兵一生的悲欢，正是乐府语言「愈俗愈真、愈真愈痛」的绝佳例证。

Related Reading

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'Caiwei' 'Going, going slowly' and 'Fifteen Years' 'Tears wet my clothes' are both poignant cries of soldiers, but from different dynasties.

《诗经·小雅·采薇》「昔我往矣，杨柳依依；今我来思，雨雪霏霏」与《十五从军征》同为征役题材，而一写戍卒思归的乡愁，一写老兵归乡无家的绝望，可比较先秦与汉乐府对征役的不同书写。《采薇》写征人久戍不归、归途艰辛，末章以杨柳与雨雪的意象对比，写尽时光流逝与身心俱疲，情感哀而不伤，犹存风人之温厚；《十五从军征》写老兵六十五年兵役后归乡，亲故尽殁、家园成墟，情感由期待而幻灭、由幻灭而绝望，直写到底，不复温厚。《采薇》之「行道迟迟，载渴载饥」与《十五从军征》之「泪落沾我衣」，俱为征人悲苦绝唱；而由诗经之思归到乐府之归而无家，正可见战争对个体生命的摧残在文学中愈写愈深。

 春望 Spring View 杜甫 · 同写战乱离乱中家国破败、亲人离散之痛 Both depict war's devastation; Du Fu's poem shows a ruined capital, while this poem shows a ruined home. They share a common theme of desolation caused by conflict.

One is from the An Lushan Rebellion, the other from Han conscription; both use images of barrenness to express grief over lost families.

杜甫《春望》「国破山河在，城春草木深」写都城长安在安史之乱中的荒芜，《十五从军征》写老兵家园的荒芜，二诗可比较乱世中「景荒人亡」的共性书写。《春望》以诗人个人的忧国之情写国破之痛，草木深、花溅泪、鸟惊心，是文人以情观景、情景交融的写法；《十五从军征》以老兵归乡的视角写家破之惨，兔入狗窦、雉飞梁上、旅谷旅葵，是民间以事写景、白描见哀的写法。一写国、一写家，一为士大夫的苍生之泪，一为小人物的无声之泣，而荒城废墟之悲一也。杜甫新乐府叙事深得汉乐府「缘事而发」之神，此二诗正可见汉乐府写实传统在盛唐的传承与升华。