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汉 Han · 赋 Fu rhapsody

舞赋（节选）

Rhapsody on the Dance (excerpt)

傅毅

Fu Yi

咏物Object poem 乐舞Theme 宴饮Theme

于是郑女出进，二八徐侍。
姣服极丽，姁媮致态。
貌嫽妙以妖蛊兮，红颜晔其扬华。
眉连娟以增绕兮，目流睇而横波。
珠翠的砾而照耀兮，华袿飞髾而杂纤罗。
顾形影，自整装。
顺微风，挥若芳。
动朱唇，纡清阳。
亢音高歌，为乐之方。

Then the Zheng girls come forward, sixteen in slow attendance. Their fine robes are of utmost beauty, gentle and graceful in bearing.
Their looks are lovely and enchanting; their red faces glow with bloom.
Their brows are fine and curving, their eyes glance like shifting waves.
Pearls and kingfisher shine and glitter; bright robes and flying ribbons mix with slender silk.
They glance at their forms, setting their dress; they follow the light wind, waving orchid scent.
They move red lips, brighten clear brows; raising their voices in song—such is the way to make merry.

Listen

Meaning

Fu Yi's 'Rhapsody on the Dance' is in the 'Wen Xuan' vol. 17. The preface, spoken through Song Yu, lays out the dance; it is really a record of Eastern Han court music and dance. The excerpt writes from the dancers' entrance to their loud song—representative brush of the Han fu depicting bodily beauty and music-dance beauty, also reflecting the era's flourishing musician-concubine culture.

于是郑地美女依次进前，十六人徐步侍立。娇美的服饰极其华丽，温婉地作出种种姿态。容貌俏丽而迷人啊，红润的容颜焕发光华。眉儿弯弯更显缠绵啊，目光流转似横生之秋波。珠翠闪烁照耀啊，华美的衣袿与飘举的髾尾杂以纤细轻罗。顾看形影，自整妆容。顺着微风，挥送杜若之芳。触动朱唇，舒展开朗的容光。放声高歌，便是行乐之法。

Appreciation

The excerpt uses pure exposition (the fu's own body): 'the Zheng girls come forward, sixteen in slow attendance' leads; then dress, look, brows, eyes, ornaments, pose are written separately, from still to moving, from form to sound. It uses many binomes and antitheses—'their looks are lovely and enchanting; their red faces glow with bloom,' 'their brows are fine and curving; their eyes glance like shifting waves'—neat and fine; words like 'glitter' and 'flying ribbons' show every state and grace. The 'xi' Chu tune runs through, making the dense, beautiful wording also carry a singing rhythm—exactly the Han fu norm of 'spreading ornament, embodying things, writing the intent.'

【白话串讲】傅毅写舞女起舞：眉如远山，目光流盼，珠翠闪耀。汉代人写舞蹈之美，写得眼波横流、衣袂飘飘。中国最早的“舞蹈现场直播”。【意象与手法】节选纯用铺陈（赋之本体），章法上先以「郑女出进，二八徐侍」总领登场，继以服、貌、眉、目、饰、姿分写，由静到动、由形到声，层次井然；多用对偶与联边词，「貌嫽妙以妖蛊兮，红颜晔其扬华」「眉连娟以增绕兮，目流睇而横波」骈俪精工，「的砾」「飞髾」等词极态尽妍；「兮」字楚调贯串其间，使密丽辞采复具歌唱韵律，正是「铺采摛文，体物写志」的汉赋正格。【情感与主旨】傅毅（约47—92），字武仲，扶风茂陵人，东汉文学家。《舞赋》见《文选》卷十七，赋前小序托言楚襄王游云梦、置酒宴饮，借宋玉之口铺陈舞容，实为东汉宫廷乐舞的写照。东汉贵族宴飨盛行女乐，傅毅以赋体实录其盛，节选写舞女登场至引吭高歌一段，是汉赋描摹人体美与乐舞美的代表笔墨，亦折射出当时乐府倡优文化的繁华。【名句点睛】常考：一、铺陈（赋比兴之「赋」）手法的辨识——如何由总到分、由形到声层层展开；二、「眉连娟以增绕兮，目流睇而横波」的描写角度（由眉到目、由静到动）；三、「兮」字骚体句与骈偶句交错的节奏之美。

Background

Fu Yi's 'Rhapsody on the Dance' is in the 'Wen Xuan' vol. 17. The preface says 'King Xiang of Chu toured Yunmeng and would feast…' and through Song Yu's mouth lays out the dance; it is really a record of Eastern Han court music and dance. In the Eastern Han, noble feasts flourished with women's music; Fu Yi recorded its splendor in the fu form. The chosen excerpt writes from the dancers' entrance to their loud song—representative brush of the Han fu depicting bodily and music-dance beauty, also reflecting the era's flourishing musician-concubine culture.

傅毅（约47—92），字武仲，扶风茂陵（今陕西兴平）人，东汉著名文学家。他少博学，明帝永平中于平陵习章句，章帝建初中为兰台令史，与班固、贾逵共典校书，后为大将军窦宪司马，以文才与班固齐名，时人并称「班傅」。东汉明、章之世，天下承平，宫廷与贵族宴飨极盛，女乐歌舞成为宴饮必备之娱乐，傅毅《舞赋》即此风气的产物。《舞赋》见于《文选》卷十七，赋前有序，托言楚襄王游云梦、置酒宴饮，与宋玉问答，命宋玉铺陈舞容，实借古人之口写当代乐舞之盛——这种托古设问的体制，正是汉赋「述客主以首引」的通行做法。此篇节选所写，为舞女登场、徐侍、整妆、至高歌的完整过程，以铺陈之笔描绘舞女之服饰、容貌、眉目、神情与歌喉，是汉赋中罕见的以人体美与乐舞美为对象的篇章，亦是研究汉代宫廷乐舞、服饰、礼制的珍贵文献，向与张衡《舞赋》、卞兰《许昌宫赋》并称，为汉代乐舞赋的开山之作。

Art

The excerpt uses pure exposition: 'the Zheng girls come forward…' leads; then dress, look, brows, eyes, ornaments, pose are written separately, from still to moving, from form to sound. Many binomes and antitheses—'their looks are lovely… their red faces glow,' 'their brows are fine… their eyes glance like waves'—neat and fine; 'glitter,' 'flying ribbons' show every grace. The 'xi' Chu tune runs through, making the dense wording also carry a singing rhythm—exactly the Han fu norm of 'spreading ornament, embodying things, writing the intent.'

此节纯用铺陈，尽显「赋」体「铺采摛文，体物写志」的本色。章法上，先以「于是郑女出进，二八徐侍」总领登场，点出人数（二八，十六人）与情态（徐侍，从容侍立），继以「姣服极丽，姁媮致态」总写其服其态；然后分写，由服到貌（「貌嫽妙以妖蛊兮，红颜晔其扬华」），由眉到目（「眉连娟以增绕兮，目流睇而横波」），由饰到衣（「珠翠的砾而照耀兮，华袿飞髾而杂纤罗」），再由静到动（「顾形影，自整装。顺微风，挥若芳」），终由形到声（「动朱唇，纡清阳。亢音高歌，为乐之方」），层次井然，如镜头徐徐推进，写貌则眉目传神，写饰则珠光满眼，写动则风袿飘举，写声则高歌入云。语言上，通篇骈偶精工，「貌嫽妙以妖蛊兮，红颜晔其扬华」之类对句上下相衔；「兮」字楚调贯串其间，使密丽的辞采复具歌吟的韵律；「的砾」「飞髾」「姁媮」等联边、叠韵词极态尽妍，正见汉赋「极声貌以穷文」的笔力，亦见赋家层层铺展、穷形尽相的章法匠心。

Allusions

'Zheng girls' uses the 'Shi Jing · Zheng Feng' 'Zheng-Wei music' tradition; Han people often used 'Zheng girls,' 'Zhao girls' for skilled dancers; 'ruo fang'—'ruo' is the orchid (Du Ruo), a Chu-ci fragrant herb ('bathed in orchid dew, holding ruo fragrance'); 'bright robes, flying ribbons'—'ribbon' is the woman's hair-tail or dress sash, seen in the 'Shuo Wen' commentary. The diction is elegant and grounded, touching no obscure tales yet showing richness.

此节用典多融化于词汇与意象之中，不着痕迹。「郑女」本《诗经》郑风之传统：郑、卫之音古称「淫声」，郑国女子以善歌舞著称，汉人遂以「郑女」「赵女」泛指善舞之佳人，李斯《谏逐客书》「郑卫桑间……随俗雅化佳冶窈窕赵女」即其先例。「二八」指十六人，古以八人为一列，「二八」即两列，亦常指妙龄少女。「妖蛊」之「蛊」本指迷惑人的毒虫，《左传》「蛊惑」之义，此处形容舞女媚态惑人。「眉连娟」「目流睇」「横波」写眉目传情之态，「横波」一词后世演为「秋波」的语源，足见此节词藻影响之深。「华袿飞髾」之「袿」为女子上衣，见《释名》释衣服，「髾」为衣饰之飘带或发尾，见《说文》系传，皆汉人服饰实物的写照，可为考史之资。「若芳」之「若」即杜若，楚辞香草，《九歌·湘夫人》「采芳洲兮杜若」，「挥若芳」谓挥送杜若般的芬芳，暗承楚辞香草美人之传统，使秾丽之笔归于雅正。全节融《诗》《骚》语汇与汉代俗语于一炉，用典而不见典，正是汉赋辞藻富赡而气脉浑成的体现。

Commentary

The 'Wen Xuan' Li Shan note cites Fu Yi's preface, calling his 'Rhapsody on the Dance' 'alone excels in its beauty.' Sun Kuang (Ming) judged Han fu 'exhausting form and likeness'; this dance passage is seen as the model of 'rich yet not lewd'; with Zhang Heng's 'Viewing the Dance' and Bian Lan's 'Xuchang Palace' it stands among the Han-Wei music-dance fu.

《舞赋》在汉代辞赋中别具一格。刘勰《文心雕龙·诠赋》论汉赋「铺采摛文，体物写志」，此节正是「体物」的极致：以赋体专写舞女容态与乐舞之美，在汉赋多写京都、宫殿、田猎、江海的大传统中，独辟出一隅写「人」的天地，实开后世咏美人之赋的先声，其意义自不可低估。萧统《文选》收录此赋，李善注引傅毅序，称其「独擅其美」，可见六朝人对它的推重。明孙鑛评汉赋「穷形尽相」，此节写舞容被视为「丽而不淫」的范式——辞采虽秾丽，而归于雅正，无淫靡之气，正合「诗言志，赋体物」的分工，与司马相如赋之铺张夸饰、枚乘赋之奇谲恣肆相比，自有一种从容雅正的风格。就文学史言，此赋下启曹植《洛神赋》对女性容态之美的铺陈，与张衡《观舞赋》并为汉魏乐舞赋的双璧；就文化史言，它又是研究东汉宫廷乐舞、服饰、礼制的第一手材料，其价值远超一般辞赋，为后世乐舞诗赋提供了典范的写法。

Prosody

Form Han rhapsody (civil fu, exposition form, with 'xi')汉代辞赋（散体大赋·骚体句式，间用四言）

Rhyme Shi, tai, hua, bo, luo, fang, yang, fang; zhi, yu groups mixed; fu rhyme as the text flows随文用韵，韵脚疏密相间：「侍、态」之部相押，「华」鱼部，「波、罗」歌部，「芳、阳、方」阳部，大体以之、歌、阳诸部交错转押，不似诗律之严密

Tone pattern Prose and antithesis mixed; not bound to poetic level-oblique骈散相间，不依近体平仄，以「兮」字句调节节奏，四言、三言句顿挫收束

Reading note A model of Han fu embodying things and writing intent; dense, beautiful wording此篇为汉赋，赋体与诗不同，不讲究近体诗的平仄粘对，而以铺陈排比、骈偶对仗与句式的长短错落构成自己的节奏。节选部分可见三种句式：一是「貌嫽妙以妖蛊兮，红颜晔其扬华」式的骚体句，句中用「兮」字，句长七言，一唱三叹，节奏悠长摇曳，直接承《楚辞》而来，是汉赋「骚体」一派的标志；二是「于是郑女出进，二八徐侍」「顾形影，自整装。顺微风，挥若芳」式的四言短句，顿挫有力，节奏明快，多用于叙事与写动作；三是「动朱唇，纡清阳」式的三言句，短促利落，收束有力。三种句式交错使用，长句咏叹其美，短句推进其动作，读来疾徐有致，如乐章之起伏。用韵方面，赋体随文转韵，「侍、态、华、波、罗、芳、阳、方」大体以之部、歌部、阳部相押，韵位疏密随意，不似诗律之严格，正体现赋「不歌而诵」而重声调之美的特点，诵读之际自有一种铺张扬厉的节律之美。

Line by line

于是郑女出进，二八徐侍

Then the Zheng girls come forward; sixteen of them wait, moving with slow grace.

于是郑地美女依次进前，十六人徐步侍立。

Then the maidens of Zheng come forward; sixteen of them wait on the guests, moving slowly.

节选的总起之笔，写舞女登场，落笔从容而有法度。「于是」二字承上启下，是赋体叙事转折的惯用语，带出宴饮场面的转场；「郑女」点出舞女的身份与地域——郑国女子素以善歌舞著称，汉人言「郑女」「赵女」即善舞佳人的代称，此处以「郑女」起笔，已暗含对她们技艺的期待；「出进」写其依次入场，「二八」点明人数为十六人（两列八人），「徐侍」状其步态从容、侍立有节，不见一丝仓促。九个字把登场的人数、次序、仪态写得清清楚楚，如舞台开场的定场镜头，为下文逐层铺写她们的服饰、容貌、眉目、歌喉预作总领，章法谨严，正是赋家「首尾周密」的笔意。

The entrance. Then the Zheng girls come forward; sixteen of them wait, moving with slow grace. The Zheng girls (the famous dancing women) and the sixteen (two rows of eight) set the number and the slow pace. The fu's stage direction. To have introduced the dancers would be an entrance; the Zheng girls coming forward and the sixteen waiting slowly are the entrance.

貌嫽妙以妖蛊兮，红颜晔其扬华

Their features are lovely and enchanting, oh; their red faces glow like flowers unfolding.

容貌俏丽而迷人啊，红润的容颜焕发光华。

Lovely and bewitching are their looks, oh; their red faces shine with opening blossoms.

由总写转入分写，第一笔落在容貌上。「貌嫽妙」写容貌之俏丽美好，「妖蛊」则进一层——蛊本指令人迷惑的毒虫，此处形容其容色媚态足以惑人，是褒词贬用，写出舞女动人心魄的魅力；「红颜晔其扬华」写红润的容颜焕发出光采，「晔」字见容光之盛，如花初放，「扬华」二字把静态的容色写成动态的光华四射。两句一写其美，一写其媚，一写其色，一写其光，上下相承，把「美目盼兮，巧笑倩兮」式的古典美学落实为铺陈的笔墨。句中「兮」字为楚骚句式的标志，使骈俪的辞采带出歌吟的节奏，读来抑扬有致，是汉赋「骚体句」与「骈句」交错的典型。

The faces. Their features are lovely and enchanting, oh; their red faces glow like flowers unfolding. The Chuci particle gives the prose-poem its singing line. The red faces like opening flowers are the static beauty. To have described the dancers' faces would be a description; the lovely bewitching features and the red faces glowing like flowers are the description.

眉连娟以增绕兮，目流睇而横波

Their brows are fine and curving, their eyes glance like shifting waves.

眉儿弯弯更显缠绵啊，目光流转似横生之秋波。

Their brows are long, slender, and coiled, oh; their eyes glance sideways like rippling water.

全节最精工的骈句，由眉到目、由静到动，写尽舞女顾盼生姿之态。「眉连娟以增绕兮」写眉——「连娟」状眉形细长弯曲之美，「增绕」写其弯度更添缠绕缠绵之致，是静写；「目流睇而横波」写目——「流睇」状目光流转顾盼，「横波」写眼波如横流之水波，荡漾生姿，是动写。两句合观，眉之静美与目之灵动相映，眉目之间风情毕现；「增绕」与「横波」尤其精妙：眉之「绕」是曲线的缠绕，目之「波」是光波的横溢，一收一放，一静一动，把「巧笑倩兮，美目盼兮」的古典美在赋体中作了最铺张的展开。后世「秋波」一词即由「横波」演化而来，可见此句影响之深。

The brows and eyes. Their brows are long, slender, and coiled; their eyes glance sideways like rippling water. The coiled brows and the sideways glances (the origin of the later word autumn-wave for an amorous glance) are the detail work. To have described their eyebrows and eyes would be a detail; the long coiled brows and the rippling sideways glances are the detail.

亢音高歌，为乐之方

They raise their voices in song—such is the way to make merry.

放声高歌，便是行乐之法。

Lifting their voices, they sing loudly; this is the way of revelry.

节选的收束之笔，由形入声，归于宴乐之旨。「亢音」即引吭放声，「高歌」写歌声之嘹亮高亢——前文写舞女静立、整妆、拂芳，皆是无言之态，至此忽然发声，如静夜惊雷，整个宴饮场面的高潮就此掀开；「为乐之方」点明歌舞之为用，正在于助宴饮之乐，把舞女的歌舞行为纳入「行乐」的框架，回应赋序「置酒宴饮」的题目。两句以四言收结，铿锵有力，与前面「兮」字句的悠长摇曳形成节奏上的顿挫，如乐曲之终拍。就全节言，由登场而容饰、而眉目、而整妆、而高歌，层层推进，终以「为乐之方」一语收束，首尾完具，正见汉赋「铺采摛文」之外章法经营的匠心。

The singing. Lifting their voices, they sing loudly; this is the way of revelry. The dance becomes song, and the poem states its purpose: this is how pleasure is made. To have said the women sang would be a turn; the raised loud voices and the this-is-the-way-of-revelry are the turn.

Study

Word focus

的砾 In 'pearls and kingfisher shine and glitter,' 'di li' pictures the pearl-light flashing—a rhyming binome, bright wording. 「珠翠的砾而照耀兮」之「的砾」，是汉赋状物的名辞，形容珠玉、宝石光彩闪烁的样子。「的」与「砾」皆为叠韵联绵字（一音之转），本指珠玉明亮、晶莹剔透之貌，司马相如《上林赋》「明月珠子，的砾江靡」即用此词形容明月珠的光泽。此处以「的砾」状舞女头上珠翠之饰，写其在灯火下流光四射、璀璨夺目的情状；又与「照耀」连用，「的砾」写光之细碎闪烁，「照耀」写光之四射铺满，一碎一满，把珠光宝气写得如在目前。联绵字以声写貌，双声叠韵，音节本身便有珠玉相击的清脆之感，这正是汉赋「极声貌以穷文」的典型手段，一个「的砾」足见傅毅选词之精，亦见汉赋词藻之富赡。

流睇 In 'their eyes glance like shifting waves,' 'liu di' writes the glance flowing, echoing 'shifting waves'—vividly draws the looking-back, living grace. 「目流睇而横波」之「流睇」，写目光流转顾盼之态，是描摹眉目的传神之笔。「睇」本义为斜视、流盼，《说文》释「睇」为「目小视也」，楚辞《九歌·山鬼》「既含睇兮又宜笑」已用其写美目流盼；「流」字更进一层，写目光不是定定地看，而是如水般流动、顾盼生辉。与「横波」连用，「流睇」是动，「横波」是态：目光一流转，便如横流之水波荡漾开来，「流」与「横」二字把眼波写得有形有态、有光有韵。一字之妙，在使静默的眉眼活起来，让读者如见其人顾盼之间，秋波流转，风情万种。后世「流盼」「秋波」之语皆由此出，可见此二字影响之深远，亦见汉赋写美人眉眼已臻神妙之境。

妖蛊 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「貌嫽妙以妖蛊兮」之「妖蛊」，以「蛊」字写美之惑人，是汉赋中极见胆识的用字。「蛊」本指人工培养的毒虫，引申为诱惑、迷惑之意，《周易·蛊卦》有「干父之蛊」之说，《左传》「蛊惑人心」亦用此义；以毒虫之「蛊」形容女子之美，初看似贬，实则写出美色的强大魔力——能令人如中毒般沉溺其中，正是「妖」字的极致。傅毅以「嫽妙」（俏丽美好）与「妖蛊」并置，一写其形貌之正，一写其魅力之邪，正邪相济，反而把舞女那种既美丽又危险、令人目眩神迷的气质写活了。这种以「蛊」写美的用法，上承《诗经》「美目盼兮」的含蓄，下启曹植「翩若惊鸿」的铺张，是汉赋修辞中大胆而精妙的一笔。