宋 Song · 诗 Poem
明妃曲
The Mingfei Song
明妃初出汉宫时，泪湿春风鬓脚垂。
低徊顾影无颜色，尚得君王不自持。
归来却怪丹青手，入眼平生几曾有；
意态由来画不成，当时枉杀毛延寿。
一去心知更不归，可怜着尽汉宫衣；
寄声欲问塞南事，只有年年鸿雁飞。
家人万里传消息，好在毡城莫相忆；
君不见咫尺长门闭阿娇，人生失意无南北。
Lingering, she glanced at her shadow, color of her face lost; yet still she moved the king beyond self-control.
Returning, he blamed the painter's hand — when had such beauty ever met his eye?
Mood and bearing were never to be painted; then Mao Yanshou was killed in vain.
Once gone she knew she would never return; pitifully she wore out her Han-palace clothes.
She sent word to ask of affairs south of the frontier; only year by year the wild geese fly.
Her family, ten thousand miles away, sent news: 'Be well in the felt city, do not remember us.'
Do you not see A Jiao shut within the Long Gate close at hand? In life, disappointment knows no south or north.
Meaning
Reversing the traditional Wang Zhaojun lament, the poem argues that her mood could never be captured by a painter and that disappointment in life is not a matter of distance or of Han versus Hu — a bold, argumentative historical reflection typical of Wang Anshi.
明妃刚出汉宫时，泪湿春风、鬓发下垂。徘徊顾影失了颜色，尚且让君王不能自持。回来后却怪画师，入眼的平生几曾有过；意态从来画不出来，当时白白杀了毛延寿。一去明知再不归，可怜汉宫衣衫穿尽；寄话想问塞南之事，只有年年鸿雁飞。家人万里传消息，好在毡城莫相忆；君不见咫尺长门闭锁阿娇，人生失意不分南北。
Appreciation
The first four lines show Zhaojun leaving the palace in tears, colorless yet still mastering the king; the middle four reverse the tale, blaming the painter and declaring mood unpaintable, so Mao Yanshou died in vain. The last lines turn to her life beyond the frontier and the flying wild geese, closing on A Jiao shut in the Long Gate: disappointment in life knows no south or north. The poem breaks the old convention of pitying the far marriage, turning a familiar story into a display of insight. Argumentative and sharp, it stands as a model of Song poetry 'making poem of argument'.
【白话串讲】 王安石写王昭君：“明妃初出汉宫时，泪湿春风鬓脚垂”。“意态由来画不成，当时枉杀毛延寿”——她的神韵，是画不出来的。“一去心知更不归，可怜着尽汉宫衣”——“君不见咫尺长门闭阿娇，人生失意无南北”——王安石借昭君，写士人的失意。 【意象与手法】 “意态由来画不成”翻案毛延寿传说；“人生失意无南北”以议论收束，破“远嫁悲”之常调，见荆公识力。 【情感与主旨】 借昭君翻案，表达人生失意本不关远近、不在胡汉的旷达识见，是宋诗“以议论为诗”的代表作。 【名句点睛】 “意态由来画不成，当时枉杀毛延寿”“人生失意无南北”——以翻案议论见荆公卓识，遂成宋诗名句。
Background
Wang Anshi's poem rewrites the traditional Wang Zhaojun material, reversing the age-old tone of pity and lament to voice the insight that life's disappointment is not a matter of Hu versus Han or of distance, reflecting the Song preference for reason over sentiment.
《明妃曲》为宋代王安石所作，是写王昭君出塞、明妃之悲的诗。王安石（1021—1086），字介甫，号半山，临川人，宋代政治家、文学家。此诗：明妃初出汉宫时，泪湿春风鬓脚垂。低徊顾影无颜色，尚得君王不自持。归来却怪丹青手，入眼平生几曾有；意态由来画不成，当时枉杀毛延寿。一去心知更不归，可怜着尽汉宫衣；寄声欲问塞南事，只有年年鸿雁飞。家人万里传消息，好在毡城莫相忆；君不见咫尺长门闭阿娇，人生失意无南北。全诗写王昭君出塞、明妃之悲，是王安石诗的名篇。
Art
A seven-character ancient-style poem, blending narrative and argument. The middle reverses the Mao Yanshou tale; the close uses A Jiao of the Long Gate to break the conventional Zhaojun-lament pattern, with crisp, startling argument.
《明妃曲》艺术上以明妃出塞的描摹与人生失意之叹的深挚见长。全诗十六句，层层写来：首写明妃出宫——“明妃初出汉宫时，泪湿春风鬓脚垂”写明妃初出汉宫时、泪湿春风鬓脚垂，“低徊顾影无颜色，尚得君王不自持”写低徊顾影无颜色、尚得君王不自持；中写丹青之冤——“归来却怪丹青手，入眼平生几曾有；意态由来画不成，当时枉杀毛延寿”写意态由来画不成、当时枉杀毛延寿；后写出塞之悲——“一去心知更不归，可怜着尽汉宫衣；寄声欲问塞南事，只有年年鸿雁飞”写一去心知更不归、只有年年鸿雁飞；末写失意之叹——“家人万里传消息，好在毡城莫相忆；君不见咫尺长门闭阿娇，人生失意无南北”用长门阿娇之典写人生失意无南北。全诗以明妃出塞写人生失意之叹，正是王安石诗深挚的笔法。
Allusions
'Mingfei' is Wang Zhaojun (called Mingfei under the Jin taboo on Sima Zhao's name). 'The painter's hand' is the artist Mao Yanshou. 'Killed Mao Yanshou in vain' uses the legend that he took a bribe, uglified Zhaojun, and caused her far marriage. 'Long Gate' is the Long Gate Palace where Chen A Jiao was confined by Emperor Wu. 'Felt city' is the Xiongnu dwelling.
《明妃曲》用典在“丹青手”“毛延寿”“鸿雁”“毡城”“长门阿娇”。“丹青手”写画工；“毛延寿”用毛延寿画昭君之典（画工受贿点痣）；“鸿雁”写鸿雁传书；“毡城”写毡城（匈奴帐居）；“长门阿娇”用陈阿娇长门之典。全诗以这些典故写明妃出塞、人生失意之叹，用典自然而深挚自见，正是王安石诗的笔法。
Commentary
The 'Tiaoxi Yuyin Conversations' records that Ouyang Xiu and Mei Yaochen both wrote matching poems, praising 'in life, disappointment knows no south or north' as 'speaking what is in people's hearts'. This poem launched the Song fashion of revisionist historical verse.
《明妃曲》是王安石诗的名篇，也是宋代咏史诗中写明妃的代表作。此诗写王昭君出塞、明妃之悲，向为论者称道。论者多赏其明妃出塞的描摹与人生失意之叹的深挚——“明妃初出汉宫时，泪湿春风鬓脚垂”写明妃初出汉宫时、泪湿春风鬓脚垂，深挚之极；“意态由来画不成，当时枉杀毛延寿”用毛延寿之典写意态由来画不成、当时枉杀毛延寿，更见其议；“一去心知更不归，可怜着尽汉宫衣”写一去心知更不归、可怜着尽汉宫衣，尤见其悲；“君不见咫尺长门闭阿娇，人生失意无南北”用长门阿娇之典写人生失意无南北，尤见其深。王安石此诗咏昭君而翻新意（失意无南北），正是其代表——以明妃出塞写人生失意之叹，正是其诗风。
Prosody
Line by line
明妃初出汉宫时，泪湿春风鬓脚垂。
Mingfei first left the Han palace, tears wet her spring-fair face, hair hanging at the temples.
明妃初出汉宫时，泪湿春风鬓脚垂。
When the Bright Consort first left the Han palace, tears wetted the spring wind, her hair locks hanging low.
首写明妃初出汉宫时、泪湿春风鬓脚垂，是全诗写昭君出塞的起点。“明妃初出汉宫时”写明妃初出汉宫时——“明妃初出汉宫时”写王昭君初离汉宫之时——明妃初出汉宫时；“泪湿春风鬓脚垂”写泪湿春风鬓脚垂——“泪湿春风鬓脚垂”写泪湿春风、鬓脚低垂——泪湿春风鬓脚垂。二句写明妃初出汉宫时、泪湿春风鬓脚垂：明妃初出汉宫时，泪湿春风鬓脚垂。以“明妃初出汉宫时”写昭君初出汉宫、辞别故国，以“泪湿春风鬓脚垂”写泪湿春风、鬓脚低垂之悲，正是王安石诗写昭君出塞的起点——出宫辞汉，泪垂鬓脚。
The opening writes the Bright Consort's first leaving the Han palace and the tears wetting the spring wind, the poem's starting point for Zhaojun's frontier crossing. When the Bright Consort first left the Han palace writes Wang Zhaojun's first leaving; tears wetted the spring wind, her hair locks hanging low writes the tears and the lowered locks. Two lines: the first leaving, the tears and locks. The first leaving writes the parting with the old country, the tears and locks the grief — precisely Wang Anshi's starting point for Zhaojun's frontier crossing: leaving the palace and saying farewell to Han, the tears hanging on the locks.
意态由来画不成，当时枉杀毛延寿。
Mood and bearing were never to be painted; then Mao Yanshou was killed in vain.
意态由来画不成，当时枉杀毛延寿。
Her bearing and expression could never be painted; in those days they slew Mao Yanshan in vain.
中用毛延寿之典写意态由来画不成、当时枉杀毛延寿，是全诗写丹青之冤的深化。“意态由来画不成”写意态由来画不成——“意态由来画不成”写神态意态从来画不出来——意态由来画不成；“当时枉杀毛延寿”用毛延寿之典写当时枉杀毛延寿——“当时枉杀毛延寿”用毛延寿画昭君之典写当时冤枉杀了毛延寿——当时枉杀毛延寿。二句写意态由来画不成、当时枉杀毛延寿：意态由来画不成，当时枉杀毛延寿。以“意态由来画不成”写昭君意态、画工难传，以“当时枉杀毛延寿”用毛延寿之典写枉杀画工、怪罪错谬，正是王安石诗写丹青之冤的深化——意态难画，毛生枉杀。
The middle uses the Mao Yanshou allusion, writing the bearing's unpaintable and the painter's wrongful death, the deepening of the painting's grievance. Her bearing and expression could never be painted writes the spirit never paintable; in those days they slew Mao Yanshan in vain uses the Mao Yanshou painting-Zhaojun allusion, writing the wrongful slaughter of the painter. Two lines: the unpaintable bearing, the wrongful slaughter. The unpaintable writes Zhaojun's expression beyond the brush, the wrongful slaughter the mistaken blame — precisely Wang Anshi's deepening of the painting grievance: the expression hard to paint, Mao born slain.
一去心知更不归，可怜着尽汉宫衣。
Once gone, she knew in her heart she would not return; pitiably, she wore through all the Han palace robes.
一去心知更不归，可怜着尽汉宫衣。
Once gone, she knew in her heart she would not return; pitiably she wore through all the Han palace robes.
后写一去心知更不归、可怜着尽汉宫衣，是全诗写出塞之悲的深化。“一去心知更不归”写一去心知更不归——“一去心知更不归”写这一去心里知道不再归来——一去心知更不归；“可怜着尽汉宫衣”写可怜着尽汉宫衣——“可怜着尽汉宫衣”写可怜穿尽汉宫衣裳——可怜着尽汉宫衣。二句写一去心知更不归、可怜着尽汉宫衣：一去心知更不归，可怜着尽汉宫衣。以“一去心知更不归”写此去不归、自知永别，以“可怜着尽汉宫衣”写汉衣着尽、故国难忘，正是王安石诗写出塞之悲的深化——一去不归，汉衣着尽。
The later lines write the once-gone-never-returning and the worn-through Han robes, the deepening of the frontier grief. Once gone, she knew in her heart she would not return writes this going and the self-known farewell; pitiably she wore through all the Han palace robes writes the wearing of the Han garments and the old country's memory. Two lines: the once-gone, the worn robes. The once-gone writes the non-return and the self-known eternal parting, the worn robes the old-country clinging — precisely Wang Anshi's deepening of the frontier grief: once gone and not returning, the Han robes worn through.
君不见咫尺长门闭阿娇，人生失意无南北。
Do you not see A Jiao shut within the Long Gate close at hand? In life, disappointment knows no south or north.
君不见咫尺长门闭阿娇，人生失意无南北。
Do you not see, within a pace, the Long Gate locks away Ajiao? Life's frustration knows no north or south.
末用长门阿娇之典写君不见咫尺长门闭阿娇、人生失意无南北，是全诗写人生失意之叹的归结。“君不见咫尺长门闭阿娇”用长门阿娇之典写君不见咫尺长门闭阿娇——“君不见咫尺长门闭阿娇”用陈阿娇长门之典写不见咫尺长门幽闭阿娇——君不见咫尺长门闭阿娇；“人生失意无南北”写人生失意无南北——“人生失意无南北”写人生失意、不分南北——人生失意无南北。二句写君不见咫尺长门闭阿娇、人生失意无南北：君不见咫尺长门闭阿娇，人生失意无南北。以“君不见咫尺长门闭阿娇”用陈阿娇长门之典写长门幽闭、阿娇失宠，以“人生失意无南北”写人生失意、不分南北之叹，正是王安石诗写人生失意之叹的归结——长门失宠，失意无南北。
The close uses the Long Gate Ajiao allusion, writing the within-a-pace Long Gate locking Ajiao and the life's frustration without north or south, the gathering of the life-frustration sigh. Do you not see, within a pace, the Long Gate locks away Ajiao? uses Chen Ajiao's Long Gate allusion, writing the Long Gate's locking and Ajiao's fall from favor; life's frustration knows no north or south writes the frustration without east or west. Two lines: the locked Ajiao, the frustration without north or south. The locked Ajiao writes the palace fall, the frustration the universal sigh — precisely Wang Anshi's gathering of the life-frustration sigh: the Long Gate's fall from favor, the frustration without north or south.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
王安石《明妃曲》另有版本，与本首同为咏昭君之诗。差异在版本：本首为传世主篇；版本为异文。一写“主”之篇，一写“异”之版。两者并读，可见明妃曲的不同版本。
明妃曲二首·其一 Song of Bright Consort, No. 1 of Two 王安石 · 同为王安石明妃曲，一为主篇一为其一，皆咏昭君 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
王安石《明妃曲二首·其一》写明妃出塞之情，与本首同为王安石明妃曲。差异在篇目：本首为单篇明妃曲；其一组诗。一写“单”之篇，一写“组”之首。两者并读，可见王安石明妃曲的两种篇目。
王安石·桂枝香·金陵怀古 Fragrance of Cassia Boughs - Meditations on the Past at Jinling 王安石 · 同为王安石咏史怀古之词，一咏明妃一咏金陵，皆深致 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
王安石《桂枝香·金陵怀古》写金陵怀古、兴亡之叹，与本首同为王安石咏史怀古。差异在体裁：明妃曲为古诗；桂枝香为词。一写“人”之悲，一写“国”之叹。两者并读，可见王安石咏史怀古的两种体裁。