南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties · 乐府 Yuefu ballad
木兰诗
Ballad of Mulan
唧唧复唧唧，木兰当户织。
不闻机杼声，唯闻女叹息。
问女何所思，问女何所忆。
女亦无所思，女亦无所忆。
昨夜见军帖，可汗大点兵，军书十二卷，卷卷有爷名。
阿爷无大儿，木兰无长兄，愿为市鞍马，从此替爷征。
东市买骏马，西市买鞍鞯，南市买辔头，北市买长鞭。
旦辞爷娘去，暮宿黄河边，不闻爷娘唤女声，但闻黄河流水鸣溅溅。
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唧唧复唧唧，木兰当户织。
不闻机杼声，唯闻女叹息。
问女何所思，问女何所忆。
女亦无所思，女亦无所忆。
昨夜见军帖，可汗大点兵，军书十二卷，卷卷有爷名。
阿爷无大儿，木兰无长兄，愿为市鞍马，从此替爷征。
东市买骏马，西市买鞍鞯，南市买辔头，北市买长鞭。
旦辞爷娘去，暮宿黄河边，不闻爷娘唤女声，但闻黄河流水鸣溅溅。
旦辞黄河去，暮至黑山头，不闻爷娘唤女声，但闻燕山胡骑鸣啾啾。
万里赴戎机，关山度若飞。
朔气传金柝，寒光照铁衣。
将军百战死，壮士十年归。
归来见天子，天子坐明堂。
策勋十二转，赏赐百千强。
可汗问所欲，木兰不用尚书郎，愿驰千里足，送儿还故乡。
爷娘闻女来，出郭相扶将；
阿姊闻妹来，当户理红妆；
小弟闻妹来，磨刀霍霍向猪羊。
开我东阁门，坐我西阁床，脱我战时袍，著我旧时裳。
当窗理云鬓，对镜帖花黄。
出门看火伴，火伴皆惊忙：同行十二年，不知木兰是女郎。
雄兔脚扑朔，雌兔眼迷离；
双兔傍地走，安能辨我是雄雌？
Mulan sits weaving at the door.
No sound of shuttle is heard,
Only a girl's sigh is heard.
"Girl, what is on your mind?"
"Girl, what do you recall?"
"I have nothing on my mind,
"I recall nothing at all.
"Last night I saw the draft notice,
"The Khan is raising a great army;
"The rolls of conscription fill twelve scrolls,
"And every scroll bears my father's name.
"Father has no grown son,
"And Mulan has no elder brother.
"I will buy a saddle and horse,
"And from now on take Father's place to war.
In the eastern market she buys a fine steed,
In the western market she buys a saddle and blanket,
In the southern market she buys a bridle,
In the northern market she buys a long whip.
At dawn she leaves father and mother,
At dusk she camps by the Yellow River;
She hears no call of father and mother,
Only the Yellow River's splashing waters.
At dawn she leaves the Yellow River,
At dusk she reaches the Black Mountain's peak;
She hears no call of father and mother,
Only the Tartar horses neighing on the Yan Hills.
Ten thousand miles she marches to the battle,
Crossing passes and hills as if in flight.
Northern winds carry the watch-drum's sound,
Cold light gleams on the iron armor.
Generals die in a hundred battles,
The brave warriors return after ten years.
She returns and sees the Son of Heaven,
Who sits in the Hall of Bright Audience.
Her merit is recorded in twelve promotions,
And rewards of hundreds and thousands are given.
The Khan asks what she desires;
Mulan wants no post of minister.
She longs to ride a steed a thousand li,
To carry her home to her native land.
When father and mother hear their daughter comes,
They go outside the town, leaning on each other;
When elder sister hears her sister comes,
She sits by the door to make up her rouge;
When younger brother hears his sister comes,
He whets his knife, flashing, for pig and sheep.
She opens the door of my eastern chamber,
Sits on the bed of my western chamber,
Takes off my wartime robe,
And puts on my old-time clothes.
By the window she smooths her cloudlike hair,
Before the mirror she paints the yellow brow.
She goes out to see her comrades,
And the comrades are all astounded:
"We marched together twelve years,
"And never knew Mulan was a girl!"
The male hare's feet scamper,
The female hare's eyes are bleary;
When two hares run side by side on the ground,
How can you tell if I am male or female?
Meaning
The poem tells the whole story of Mulan, who takes her aged father's place in the army, fights for ten years, refuses high office, and returns home to resume her life as a woman. It celebrates filial courage and a heroine who quietly defeats the assumption that only men can be brave.
唧唧又唧唧，木兰对着门织布。听不到机杼声，只听女子叹息。问女想什么，问女忆什么。女也没想什么，也没忆什么。昨夜见征兵文书，可汗大点兵，军书十二卷，卷卷有父名。父无大儿，木兰无长兄，愿去买鞍马，从此替父从征。 东市买骏马，西市买鞍鞯，南市买辔头，北市买长鞭。晨辞爹娘去，暮宿黄河边，听不到爹娘唤女声，只听黄河流水溅溅。晨辞黄河去，暮至黑山头，听不到爹娘唤女声，只听燕山胡骑啾啾。 万里赴战场，关山飞度。朔风传金柝，寒光照铁衣。将军百战死，壮士十年归。 归来见天子，天子坐明堂。记功十二转，赏赐百千。可汗问所求，木兰不愿尚书郎，愿骑千里马，送儿还故乡。 爹娘闻女来，出城相扶；阿姊闻妹来，当户理红妆；小弟闻妹来，磨刀霍霍向猪羊。开我东阁门，坐我西阁床，脱我战时袍，着我旧时裳。当窗理云鬓，对镜贴花黄。出门看伙伴，伙伴皆惊忙：同行十二年，不知木兰是女郎。 雄兔脚扑朔，雌兔眼迷离；双兔贴地走，怎能辨我是雄雌？
Appreciation
The poem narrates Mulan's whole arc—her decision, the long campaign, the triumphant return, and the comic reveal—with the brisk pace of oral song. Its power comes from parallel structure ('east market... west market...'), refrain ('at dawn she leaves... at dusk she camps...'), and antithesis that turn march and home into rhythm. War is passed over in a breath while the family reunion is drawn in warm detail, letting ordinary love outweigh glory. The closing image of two hares running side by side turns a joke into a quiet boast, overturning the rule that only men are bold.
【白话串讲】 “唧唧复唧唧，木兰当户织”——木兰替父从军。“阿爷无大儿，木兰无长兄，愿为市鞍马，从此替爷征”——“万里赴戎机，关山度若飞”——“将军百战死，壮士十年归”——“同行十二年，不知木兰是女郎”——“雄兔脚扑朔，雌兔眼迷离；双兔傍地走，安能辨我是雄雌”——中国最著名的女性英雄诗。 【意象与手法】善用排比（“东市买……北市买……”）、复沓（“旦辞……暮宿……”）、对偶（“朔气传金柝，寒光照铁衣”）；“将军百战死，壮士十年归”以高度概括写惨烈与荣归。叙事有详有略，从军苦战一笔带过，家人相聚细笔铺陈。 【情感与主旨】塑造了一位坚毅、孝顺、不慕荣利的巾帼英雄。诗颂其忠孝勇武，更以其“不用尚书郎”的淡泊与“安能辨我是雄雌”的自信，突破男尊女卑，是北朝乐府最光辉的形象。 【名句点睛】“雄兔脚扑朔，雌兔眼迷离；双兔傍地走，安能辨我是雄雌？”——以双兔喻男女，既然并肩驰走便难辨雌雄，诙谐反诘中见木兰的豪爽自信，是对“女不如男”的最俏皮一击。
Background
Ballad of Mulan, also called the Mulan Lyric, was collected in the Music Bureau's 'Transverse Flute' section and took shape in the Northern dynasties (Northern Wei); its author is unknown. Passed down through Sui and Tang singing and compiled by Song scholars, it is ranked with the Peacock Flies Southeast as the 'twin jewels of yuefu' (some pair it with the Western Isle Song as the twin peaks of north and south).
《木兰诗》为南北朝乐府民歌（佚名），是写木兰代父从军、女扮男装的诗。此诗：唧唧复唧唧，木兰当户织。不闻机杼声，唯闻女叹息。问女何所思，问女何所忆。女亦无所思，女亦无所忆。昨夜见军帖，可汗大点兵，军书十二卷，卷卷有爷名。阿爷无大儿，木兰无长兄，愿为市鞍马，从此替爷征。东市买骏马，西市买鞍鞯，南市买辔头，北市买长鞭。旦辞爷娘去，暮宿黄河边，不闻爷娘唤女声，但闻黄河流水鸣溅溅。旦辞黄河去，暮至黑山头，不闻爷娘唤女声，但闻燕山胡骑鸣啾啾。万里赴戎机，关山度若飞。朔气传金柝，寒光照铁衣。将军百战死，壮士十年归。归来见天子，天子坐明堂。策勋十二转，赏赐百千强。可汗问所欲，木兰不用尚书郎，愿驰千里足，送儿还故乡。爷娘闻女来，出郭相扶将；阿姊闻妹来，当户理红妆；小弟闻妹来，磨刀霍霍向猪羊。开我东阁门，坐我西阁床，脱我战时袍，著我旧时裳。当窗理云鬓，对镜帖花黄。出门看火伴，火伴皆惊忙：同行十二年，不知木兰是女郎。雄兔脚扑朔，雌兔眼迷离；双兔傍地走，安能辨我是雄雌？全诗写木兰代父从军、女扮男装，是北朝乐府的名篇。
Art
A model of narrative yuefu: parallelism (east market... west market...), refrain (at dawn... at dusk...), and antithesis (northern wind... cold light...) interweave; detail is well weighed, war brushed past in a line while the family reunion is drawn at length; the close sets a hare metaphor, ending with wit.
《木兰诗》艺术上以木兰从军的叙写与女扮男装的神奇见长。全诗层层写来：首写代父从军——“唧唧复唧唧，木兰当户织”写唧唧复唧唧、木兰当户织，“昨夜见军帖，可汗大点兵”写昨夜见军帖、可汗大点兵，“阿爷无大儿，木兰无长兄，愿为市鞍马，从此替爷征”写愿为市鞍马、从此替爷征；中写征戍十年——“旦辞爷娘去，暮宿黄河边”写旦辞爷娘去、暮宿黄河边，“万里赴戎机，关山度若飞”写万里赴戎机、关山度若飞，“朔气传金柝，寒光照铁衣”写朔气传金柝、寒光照铁衣，“将军百战死，壮士十年归”写将军百战死、壮士十年归；后写归来省亲——“归来见天子，天子坐明堂”写归来见天子、天子坐明堂，“策勋十二转，赏赐百千强”写策勋十二转、赏赐百千强，“可汗问所欲，木兰不用尚书郎，愿驰千里足，送儿还故乡”写木兰不用尚书郎、送儿还故乡，“开我东阁门，坐我西阁床，脱我战时袍，著我旧时裳”写开东阁门、著旧时裳；末写伙伴惊忙——“出门看火伴，火伴皆惊忙：同行十二年，不知木兰是女郎”写同行十二年、不知木兰是女郎，“雄兔脚扑朔，雌兔眼迷离；双兔傍地走，安能辨我是雄雌”用双兔之喻写安能辨我是雄雌。全诗以木兰从军写女扮男装，正是北朝乐府神奇的笔法。
Allusions
'Khan' is the northern ruler's title; 'Hall of Bright Audience' is where the Son of Heaven holds court; 'merit recorded in twelve promotions' means advancement by merit; 'minister' is a central official; 'scamper' and 'bleary' describe the male hare's feet and the female hare's eyes; 'yellow brow' is a Northern-dynasty woman's forehead ornament.
《木兰诗》用典在“军帖”“可汗”“鞍马”“黄河”“黑山”“燕山”“金柝”“明堂”“尚书郎”“花黄”“扑朔迷离”。“军帖”写军帖（征兵文书）；“可汗”写可汗；“鞍马”写鞍马；“黄河”写黄河；“黑山”写黑山；“燕山”写燕山；“金柝”写金柝（刁斗）；“明堂”写明堂；“尚书郎”写尚书郎；“花黄”写花黄（额黄妆）；“扑朔迷离”用扑朔迷离之喻。全诗以这些意象写木兰代父从军、女扮男装，用典自然而神奇自见，正是北朝乐府的笔法。
Commentary
This poem is vigorous and plain, witty and natural; Hu Yinglin called it 'the finest of the old yuefu.' Mulan, a common girl who becomes a hero, breaks the rule that 'women keep to the inner house,' a folk ennobling of the Northern dynasties' martial spirit.
《木兰诗》是北朝乐府的名篇，也是中国民歌中写巾帼英雄的代表作。此诗写木兰代父从军、女扮男装，向为论者称道。论者多赏其木兰从军的叙写与女扮男装的神奇——“唧唧复唧唧，木兰当户织”写唧唧复唧唧、木兰当户织，神奇之极；“万里赴戎机，关山度若飞”写万里赴戎机、关山度若飞，更见其勇；“将军百战死，壮士十年归”写将军百战死、壮士十年归，尤见其壮；“同行十二年，不知木兰是女郎”写同行十二年、不知木兰是女郎，尤见其奇；“雄兔脚扑朔，雌兔眼迷离；双兔傍地走，安能辨我是雄雌”用双兔之喻写安能辨我是雄雌，尤见其妙。此诗与孔雀东南飞并称乐府双璧，正是其代表——以木兰从军写女扮男装，正是其传奇的笔法。
Prosody
Line by line
唧唧复唧唧，木兰当户织。不闻机杼声，唯闻女叹息。
Tick-tick, again tick-tick, Mulan weaves by the door. No sound of the shuttle, only the girl's sighs.
唧唧复唧唧，木兰当户织。不闻机杼声，唯闻女叹息。
Tick-tick, again tick-tick, Mulan weaves at the door. No sound of the loom, only the girl's sighing.
首写唧唧复唧唧、木兰当户织、不闻机杼声、唯闻女叹息，是全诗写木兰叹息的起点。“唧唧复唧唧，木兰当户织”写唧唧复唧唧、木兰当户织——“唧唧复唧唧”写织机唧唧复唧唧，“木兰当户织”写木兰对着门户织布——唧唧复唧唧，木兰当户织；“不闻机杼声，唯闻女叹息”写不闻机杼声、唯闻女叹息——“不闻机杼声”写听不到机杼声，“唯闻女叹息”写只听到女叹息——不闻机杼声，唯闻女叹息。四句写唧唧复唧唧、唯闻女叹息：唧唧复唧唧，木兰当户织。不闻机杼声，唯闻女叹息。以“唧唧复唧唧”写织机声起、复又唧唧，以“木兰当户织”写木兰织布、当户而坐，以“不闻机杼声”写机杼声歇、停机叹息，以“唯闻女叹息”写唯闻叹息、心事重重，正是木兰诗写木兰叹息的起点——唧唧机声，唯闻叹息。
The weaving. Tick-tick, again tick-tick, Mulan weaves by the door. No sound of the shuttle, only the girl's sighs. The ticking shuttle stopped and the girl's sighs heard are the opening. To have ticked would be a ticking; the tick-tick-again-tick-tick-mulan-weaves-by-the-door-no-sound-of-the-shuttle-only-the-girl's-sighs is the ticking.
万里赴戎机，关山度若飞。朔气传金柝，寒光照铁衣。
Ten thousand li to the trumpets' call, crossing mountains and passes as on wings. Northern air carries the watchman's clapper, cold light gleams on iron mail.
万里赴戎机，关山度若飞。朔气传金柝，寒光照铁衣。
Ten thousand li she goes to war, crossing mountain passes as if flying. The northern air carries the watchman's gong, cold light shines on iron armor.
中写万里赴戎机、关山度若飞、朔气传金柝、寒光照铁衣，是全诗写征戍之状的深化。“万里赴戎机，关山度若飞”写万里赴戎机、关山度若飞——“万里赴戎机”写奔赴万里军务，“关山度若飞”写飞度关山——万里赴戎机，关山度若飞；“朔气传金柝，寒光照铁衣”写朔气传金柝、寒光照铁衣——“朔气传金柝”写朔气传来金柝声，“寒光照铁衣”写寒光照着铁衣——朔气传金柝，寒光照铁衣。四句写万里赴戎机、朔气传金柝：万里赴戎机，关山度若飞。朔气传金柝，寒光照铁衣。以“万里赴戎机”写奔赴万里军务、从军之远，以“关山度若飞”写飞度关山、行军之速，以“朔气传金柝”写朔气金柝、边声之寒，以“寒光照铁衣”写寒光铁衣、征戍之苦，正是木兰诗写征戍之状的深化——万里赴戎，关山若飞。
The march. Ten thousand li to the trumpets' call, crossing mountains and passes as on wings. Northern air carries the watchman's clapper, cold light gleams on iron mail. The ten-thousand-li march and the flying passes and the clapper-and-iron-mail are the campaign. To have marched ten thousand li would be a marching; the ten-thousand-li-to-the-trumpets'-call-crossing-mountains-and-passes-as-on-wings-northern-air-carries-the-watchman's-clapper-cold-light-gleams-on-iron-mail is the marching.
将军百战死，壮士十年归。
Generals die in a hundred battles, stout warriors return after ten years.
将军百战死，壮士十年归。
Generals die in a hundred battles, the brave return after ten years.
中写将军百战死、壮士十年归，是全诗写十年征戍的归结。“将军百战死”写将军百战死——“将军百战死”写将军百战而亡——将军百战死；“壮士十年归”写壮士十年归——“壮士十年归”写壮士十年方归——壮士十年归。二句写将军百战死、壮士十年归：将军百战死，壮士十年归。以“将军百战死”写将军百战、马革裹尸，以“壮士十年归”写壮士十年、凯旋而归，正是木兰诗写十年征戍的归结——将军百战，壮士十年归。
The return. Generals die in a hundred battles, stout warriors return after ten years. The generals-die-in-hundred-battles and the warriors-return-after-ten-years are the balance. To have returned after ten years would be a returning; the generals-die-in-a-hundred-battles-stout-warriors-return-after-ten-years is the returning.
同行十二年，不知木兰是女郎。
Twelve years we marched together, never knowing Mulan was a girl.
同行十二年，不知木兰是女郎。
They marched together for twelve years, never knowing Mulan was a girl.
后写同行十二年、不知木兰是女郎，是全诗写女扮男装的神奇之笔。“同行十二年”写同行十二年——“同行十二年”写一同行军十二年——同行十二年；“不知木兰是女郎”写不知木兰是女郎——“不知木兰是女郎”写竟不知木兰是女郎——不知木兰是女郎。二句写同行十二年、不知木兰是女郎：同行十二年，不知木兰是女郎。以“同行十二年”写同行十二年、朝夕相处，以“不知木兰是女郎”写不知木兰是女郎、巾帼难辨，正是木兰诗写女扮男装的神奇之笔——同行十二年，不识木兰。
The girl. Twelve years we marched together, never knowing Mulan was a girl. The twelve-years-marched-together and the never-knowing-Mulan-was-a-girl are the close. To have not known would be a not-knowing; the twelve-years-we-marched-together-never-knowing-mulan-was-a-girl is the not-knowing.
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