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汉 Han · 乐府 Yuefu ballad

艳歌何尝行

A Song of the White Geese

汉乐府

Han Yuefu

民生/讽喻People's Livelihood/Allegory 爱情/相思Love/Longing

飞来双白鹄，乃从西北来。
十十五五，罗列成行。
妻卒被病，行不能相随。
五里一返顾，六里一徘徊。
吾欲衔汝去，口噤不能开。
吾欲负汝去，毛羽何摧颓。
乐哉新相知，忧来生别离。
躇跦顾群侣，泪下不自知。
念与君离别，气结不能言。
各各重自爱，远道归还难。
妾当守空房，闭门下重关。
若生当相见，亡者会黄泉。
今日乐相乐，延年万岁期。

Flying, a pair of white geese, came from the northwest.
In tens and fifteens, they array in rows.
Suddenly the wife fell ill, unable to follow.
Every five miles he looks back, every six miles he lingers.
I want to carry you in my beak, but my mouth is shut tight.
I want to carry you on my back, but my feathers are worn.
Joyful is a new friend, sorrow comes from parting.
He hesitates, looks at the flock, tears fall unknowingly.
Thinking of parting from you, my breath knots, I cannot speak.
Each take good care of yourselves, the distant road makes return hard.
I will guard the empty room, close the door and drop the bolt.
If alive, we shall meet; if dead, we meet in the Yellow Springs.
Today let us enjoy joy together, may our years extend ten thousand.

Listen

Meaning

The poem tells the story of a pair of white geese. The female falls ill and cannot continue the journey. The male tries to help but fails, and they must part. It then shifts to a human voice, expressing the sorrow of separation and the hope of reunion in life or death.

一双白鹄从西北飞来，十五二十只成群列队而行。妻鹄突然染病，飞不动无法相随。雄鹄每五里一回头，六里一徘徊。我想用嘴衔你走，口却张不开；我想负你飞去，羽毛却已衰颓。新结的知己多么欢乐，忧苦却来自生离死别。它踟蹰顾念同伴，泪落而不自知。想到与你分别，气塞不能出声。彼此各自珍重，远路难归。妾身当守空房，闭门落下重闩。若活着定当重逢，死去便相会于黄泉。今日且乐相乐，祈愿延年万岁。

Appreciation

This Han yuefu poem uses the metaphor of geese to depict human parting. The sudden shift from joy to sorrow, the repetitive lines, and the final forced cheerfulness create a poignant effect.

【白话串讲】 “飞来双白鹄，乃从西北来”——两只白鹄从西北飞来。“妻卒被病，行不能相随”——妻子突然生病，飞不动了。“五里一返顾，六里一徘徊”——丈夫五里一回头，六里一盘桓。白鹄的生死别离，和人一样。【意象与手法】最大特色在托物拟人、以鹄写人。起手“飞来双白鹄”以乐景蓄势，旋以“妻卒被病”急转哀情，形成乐极哀生之跌宕【情感与主旨】《艳歌何尝行》见《乐府诗集》卷三十九“相和歌辞”，题为古辞，时代约在东汉。诗借双白鹄失侣之事，寄寓人世生离死别之悲【名句点睛】命题常集中于：一、表现手法，要求答“托物言志（拟人）+以乐景写哀情”

Background

The poem is from the Han yuefu collection, dating to the Eastern Han. It reflects the hardships of war and conscription, where couples were often separated. The poet uses the geese to symbolize human love and loss.

《艳歌何尝行》是汉乐府古辞，属《相和歌辞·瑟调曲》。此诗以“飞来双白鹄”起兴，写一对白鹄比翼双飞，忽而雌鹄中途得病，不能相随，雄鹄徘徊反顾、悲鸣不去，遂生离别之悲。诗中“吾欲衔汝去，口噤不能开；吾欲负汝去，毛羽何摧颓”以白鹄自述的口吻，写欲救无力的悲哀；后段“乐哉新相知，忧来生别离”转写人间离别，以“妾当守空房，闭门下重关”写思妇之守候，以“若生当相见，亡者会黄泉”写生死之约，最后以“今日乐相乐，延年万岁期”的祝祷作结。全诗以鸟喻人，写夫妻或爱侣之间生死离别的悲情，是汉乐府中“托物言志”的名篇。汉代乐府多写人生悲欢，此诗以白鹄起兴写离别，情致深婉，意象优美，是其中尤为动人的一篇。

Art

The main artistic feature is the use of birds as metaphor. The opening with happy geese sets a joyful scene, then sudden illness turns to sorrow. The repeated numbers 'five li' and 'six li' and the parallel 'I want to...' lines emphasize the helplessness. The ending with a wish for long life contrasts with the sadness.

《艳歌何尝行》艺术上以比兴见长，全诗以白鹄起兴、以鸟喻人，前写鸟、后写人，兴象与情意相生。前八句写白鹄：“飞来双白鹄，乃从西北来”写双鹄齐飞，“十十五五，罗列成行”写群鹄飞行之状，“妻卒被病，行不能相随”写雌鹄忽病——“卒”字写病之突然，“不能相随”写离散之始；“五里一返顾，六里一徘徊”写雄鹄的徘徊反顾——“返顾”“徘徊”写其不舍与犹豫，是千古传诵的佳句。“吾欲衔汝去，口噤不能开；吾欲负汝去，毛羽何摧颓”以白鹄自述写欲救无力的悲哀——想衔你同行，口却张不开；想驮你同飞，羽翼却已摧颓，无奈之情溢于言表。中段“乐哉新相知，忧来生别离”由鸟转人，点出“生别离”的主题，是全诗的转捩。后段“躇跦顾群侣，泪下不自知”写思妇之泣，“念与君离别，气结不能言”写离别之痛，“各各重自爱，远道归还难”写叮咛之语，“妾当守空房，闭门下重关”写守候之志，“若生当相见，亡者会黄泉”写生死之约，“今日乐相乐，延年万岁期”以强作欢颜、祝祷延年作结。全诗由鸟而人、由离而守，比兴贯穿，层层深入，把生死离别的悲情写得深婉动人。

Allusions

No classical allusions; it uses folk imagery. 'White geese' often symbolize faithful partners. 'Yellow Springs' refers to the underworld. The poem's power comes from its natural, unadorned expression.

《艳歌何尝行》以白鹄起兴，是汉乐府“托物言志”的典型。“白鹄”即白天鹅，在中国文学中自来为高洁、忠贞的象征，《诗经》以来以鸟喻情的传统（如“关关雎鸠”“燕燕于飞”）皆为此诗所承。“五里一返顾，六里一徘徊”之“返顾”“徘徊”，承《古诗》“行行重行行，与君生别离”的徘徊意象，又与《孔雀东南飞》“孔雀东南飞，五里一徘徊”同一机杼，可见汉乐府中以禽鸟徘徊写离别的传统。“乐哉新相知，忧来生别离”化用《楚辞·九歌》“悲莫悲兮生别离，乐莫乐兮新相知”，是直接承袭的经典典故。“黄泉”指地下，为死亡之代称，出《左传》“不及黄泉，无相见也”。全诗以鸟起兴、以辞用典，比兴与传统交织，是汉乐府融会经典的佳构。

Commentary

Critics praise this poem for its simplicity and emotional depth. It exemplifies the Han yuefu tradition of 'feeling sorrow and joy, arising from events'.

《艳歌何尝行》是汉乐府写离别悲情的名篇，以“飞来双白鹄”起兴，以“五里一返顾，六里一徘徊”写雄鹄之不舍，向为论者激赏。此诗前写白鹄离别，后写人间离别，以鸟喻人、兴象天然，正是乐府比兴的高境。清人评汉乐府“情真语质”，此诗正是情真语质的代表——白鹄的返顾徘徊、思妇的空房守候，皆以最朴素的笔写最深沉的情。诗中“乐哉新相知，忧来生别离”化用《九歌》，写尽“新相知”与“生别离”的悲欢对比；“若生当相见，亡者会黄泉”写生死之约，尤为沉痛。全诗以祝祷作结，于悲伤中强作欢颜，更见其悲之深。

Prosody

Form Han Yuefu (Xianghe Song)汉乐府（《相和歌辞·瑟调曲》）杂言

Rhyme Free rhyme changes with emotion《艳歌何尝行》以五言为主，间用杂言，属汉乐府古辞。用韵大体：来、行、随、徊、开、颓、离、知、难、关、泉、期（微、支、元等部通押），一韵到底而略有变通，音节流转，宜于叙情。

Tone pattern Not bound by modern tonal patterns汉乐府杂言，以声情自然为主。此诗前八句写白鹄，节奏舒缓，如见双鹄翱翔；中段“吾欲衔汝去”四句以自述口吻，句句顿挫，如闻哽咽；后段写思妇，由守候而盟誓而祝祷，声情由悲而壮、由壮而强自宽解。全诗以比兴贯穿，声情随情思流转，正是乐府民歌自然天成的风调。

Reading note Five-character lines with repetition, suitable for singing.《艳歌何尝行》为汉乐府杂言体，以比兴写离别，是乐府“托物言志”的典范。全诗以白鹄起兴，前写鸟之离别，后写人之离别，由物及人、由比入兴，章法浑然。其“五里一返顾，六里一徘徊”以数字与动作写不舍，“吾欲衔汝去，口噤不能开”以自述写无奈，皆是乐府民歌的独特笔法。汉乐府长于叙事，此诗却以抒情为主，兼有叙事，正见乐府题材的多样。此诗的“白鹄”意象与“徘徊”笔法，对《孔雀东南飞》等后世乐府影响深远，是汉乐府中尤为动人的一篇。

Line by line

飞来双白鹄，乃从西北来。十十五五，罗列成行。妻卒被病，行不能相随。五里一返顾，六里一徘徊。

A pair of white swans flies in, coming from the northwest. In tens and fives they range in rows. His mate has suddenly fallen ill and cannot fly beside him. Every five li he turns his head; every six li he hovers and lingers.

飞来一对白天鹅，正从西北方向飞来。它们十十五五，排列成行。雌鹄忽然染病，不能再相随飞行。雄鹄每飞五里就回头一看，每飞六里就徘徊不前。

A pair of white swans flies in from the northwest; in tens and fives they form their rows. The mate has suddenly fallen ill and cannot follow; every five li he looks back, every six li he hovers.

起八句写白鹄之离别，是全诗比兴的开端。“飞来双白鹄，乃从西北来”写双鹄齐飞——“双”字点出比翼之情，“西北来”写其来路；“十十五五，罗列成行”写群鹄飞行之状，画面开阔。“妻卒被病，行不能相随”是全诗的转折——“卒”字写病之突然，“不能相随”写比翼之断；“五里一返顾，六里一徘徊”写雄鹄的不舍——“返顾”是回望，“徘徊”是迟疑，每飞五里六里便一回顾一徘徊，愈飞愈不忍远去。这十个字以数字与动作写情，把雄鹄的依依不舍写得如见如闻，是千古传诵的佳句，也是全诗“生别离”主题的第一次呈现。

The swans. A pair of white swans flies in from the northwest; in tens and fives they range in rows. The mate has suddenly fallen ill and cannot fly beside him; every five li he turns his head, every six li he hovers. The pair, the flock, the sudden illness, and the five-and-six li of looking back are the bird story. To have described swans flying with a sick mate would be a scene; the pair from the northwest, the sick mate, and the five-li-look-back and six-li-hover are the scene.

吾欲衔汝去，口噤不能开。吾欲负汝去，毛羽何摧颓。

I would carry you off in my beak, but my mouth is locked and cannot open. I would bear you on my back, but my feathers are so broken and worn.

我想衔着你一同飞去，嘴巴却紧闭不能张开；我想驮着你一同飞去，羽毛却已经凋零颓败。

I would carry you away in my beak, but my mouth is locked and will not open; I would bear you on my back, but my feathers are so broken and worn.

此四句以雄鹄自述的口吻，写欲救无力的悲哀，是全诗最动人的段落。“吾欲衔汝去，口噤不能开”写第一重无奈——想衔着生病的雌鹄同行，口却张不开；“吾欲负汝去，毛羽何摧颓”写第二重无奈——想驮着她同飞，羽毛却已凋零。“衔”与“负”，写尽雄鹄竭尽全力的挣扎；“口噤”“摧颓”，写尽力不从心的悲哀。两个“欲”字，写愿望之切；两个“不能”“何”，写现实之无奈。以白鹄自述写情，比旁观描写更见深情，正是乐府“代言体”的妙处。这四句把雄鹄的无力与悲哀写得淋漓尽致，是“生别离”主题的深化。

The swan's plea. I would carry you off in my beak, but my mouth is locked; I would bear you on my back, but my feathers are so broken and worn. The two impossible rescues (beak and back) are the male swan's helplessness, spoken in his own voice. To have said the swan could not carry his mate would be a fact; the locked beak and the broken worn feathers are the fact.

乐哉新相知，忧来生别离。躇跦顾群侣，泪下不自知。

Joy, oh joy, in a new friend; sorrow, oh sorrow, in a living parting. He limps and looks back at his flock, tears falling before he knows it.

新相知多么快乐，生别离多么忧愁。徘徊四顾着同伴们，眼泪落下而不自知。

Joy in a new acquaintance, sorrow in a living parting. He limps and glances back at his flock, tears falling unawares.

此四句由鸟转人，是全诗的转捩。“乐哉新相知，忧来生别离”化用《楚辞·九歌》“悲莫悲兮生别离，乐莫乐兮新相知”，把“新相知”之乐与“生别离”之忧对举——相知时何其快乐，别离时何其忧愁，一乐一忧，情之两极；“躇跦顾群侣，泪下不自知”以“躇跦”写徘徊之态，以“顾群侣”写不舍之望，以“泪下不自知”写悲不自胜——“不自知”三字，写泪水夺眶而出而不自觉，正是深情之至、忘乎所以。由鸟之徘徊转入人之流泪，比兴至此而人鸟合一，生别离之悲，遂成人与鸟共通的情感。

The human turn. Joy in a new acquaintance, sorrow in a living parting; he limps and glances back at his flock, tears falling unawares. The Chuci couplet (new friendship's joy, living parting's sorrow) is applied to the swan, and the bird becomes a man. To have applied the parting couplet to the swan would be an allusion; the joy-in-new-friend and sorrow-in-living-parting, the limping look back, and the tears unawares are the allusion.

念与君离别，气结不能言。各各重自爱，远道归还难。妾当守空房，闭门下重关。若生当相见，亡者会黄泉。今日乐相乐，延年万岁期。

Thinking of parting from you, my breath chokes and I cannot speak. Take good care of yourselves, one and all; the far road makes return hard. I shall keep the empty room, shut the gate and double-bolt it. If we live, we shall meet again; if we die, we shall meet at the Yellow Springs. For today, let us be merry together; may our years be long, ten thousand.

想到与你离别，气结于胸说不出话来。彼此各自珍重吧，远道归来太难了。我将在空房里守候，关上大门、闭紧门闩。如果活着还能相见，若死去就在黄泉相会。今日暂且一同欢乐，祝愿彼此延年万岁。

Thinking of parting from you, my breath chokes and I cannot speak. Take care of yourselves; the far road makes return hard. I shall keep the empty room, shut and double-bolt the gate. If alive, we shall meet; if dead, we meet at the Yellow Springs. For today, be merry together; may your years be long, ten thousand.

末段写思妇的守候与叮咛，是全诗情感的归结。“念与君离别，气结不能言”写离别之痛——“气结”写悲咽于胸、说不出话；“各各重自爱，远道归还难”写叮咛之语——彼此珍重，归来太难；“妾当守空房，闭门下重关”写守候之志——独守空房、闭门重关，是等待也是隔绝；“若生当相见，亡者会黄泉”写生死之约——生则相见，死则黄泉相会，是悲壮的山盟海誓；“今日乐相乐，延年万岁期”以强作欢颜作结——暂且相乐、祝祷延年，于悲伤中强自宽解。末段由叮嘱而守候而盟誓而祝祷，层层推进，把生别离的悲情写到深处，又以“乐相乐”的强欢反衬，更见其悲。

The wife's words. Thinking of parting from you, my breath chokes and I cannot speak; take care of yourselves, the far road makes return hard; I shall keep the empty room, shut and double-bolt the gate; if alive we meet, if dead we meet at the Yellow Springs; for today, be merry, may your years be long. The breath-choked farewell, the empty-room vow, the life-and-death promise, and the forced cheer are the wife's whole speech. To have summarized the parting words would be a summary; the choked breath, the empty room, the Yellow Springs meeting, and the today's-merrily-long-life are the summary.

Study

Word focus

卒 卒 (cù): suddenly; here it describes the sudden onset of illness, creating a turning point. “妻卒被病”之“卒”，意为突然，写雌鹄得病之仓促，是全诗悲剧的起点。“卒”字（通“猝”）写病之骤至——方才还比翼齐飞，忽然便染病不能相随，幸福与悲剧之间只隔一个“卒”字。这一字写出了命运的无常与变故的突然，为后文雄鹄的返顾徘徊、欲救无力作了铺垫。若写“忽”则平，写“卒”则险，一个副词，正是乐府炼字之工。

返顾 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “五里一返顾”之“返顾”，写雄鹄频频回望，与下句“六里一徘徊”相对，是全诗最见深情的两个字。“返顾”是回头望，每飞五里便回头一望——望那留在原地的病鹄；“徘徊”是盘旋不前，每飞六里便盘旋迟疑。一“返顾”一“徘徊”，以动作写不舍，以距离写深情：五里、六里，愈飞愈远而愈不忍去。这二字与《孔雀东南飞》“五里一徘徊”同一机杼，以禽鸟的徘徊写人间的离别，遂成千古名句。

摧颓 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “毛羽何摧颓”之“摧颓”，写羽毛的凋零衰败，是雄鹄自叹力不从心的写照。“摧”有折损之意，“颓”有衰败之意，二字连用，写羽翼的残损凋零——想负她同飞，羽翼却已摧颓，无能为力。这一词既写雄鹄体力的衰颓，也暗喻人生的困顿与无奈：不是不愿救，而是无力救。以“摧颓”写无力，比直言“不能”更见沉痛，是乐府以实写情的妙笔。

黄泉 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “亡者会黄泉”之“黄泉”，指地下冥界，为死亡的代称，是全诗最见悲壮的一词。“黄泉”出《左传》“不及黄泉，无相见也”，本指地下泉水，引申为死后的归宿。思妇以“若生当相见，亡者会黄泉”作生死之约——活着若能相见则相见，若死了就在黄泉相会。以“黄泉”立约，把离别之悲推到生死的高度：生离已是难堪，而此约直通死别，正是悲壮的誓言。这一词使全诗的情感激起一层波澜，由“生别离”而及“死相会”，哀感愈深。