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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

贫女

The Poor Girl

秦韬玉

Qin Taoyu

闺怨boudoir lament 寒士poor scholar 讽喻satire

蓬门未识绮罗香，拟托良媒亦自伤。
谁爱风流高格调，共怜时世俭梳妆。
敢将十指夸针巧，不把双眉斗画长。
苦恨年年压金线，为他人作嫁衣裳。

Born to a thatched gate, she has never known the scent of silk and gauze,
She thinks of asking a good matchmaker, and grieves at the thought.
Who now loves an elegant bearing and a lofty style?
Everyone alike admires the plain coiffure in fashion.
She dares to boast the skill of ten fingers at the needle,
But will not paint her brows long to compete for favor.
Her bitter grief is that year after year she presses the gold thread,
Only to sew wedding clothes for other women.

Listen

Meaning

A girl from a poor household speaks of her plain upbringing, her unmarriageable prospects, and her refusal to follow fashion. Her real complaint is that her exquisite embroidery goes year after year into other women's wedding clothes.

贫寒之家出身，从未识得绮罗的芬芳，想托个好媒人，却又暗自神伤。谁会喜爱这清雅高洁的格调？世人只同声称赏时兴的俭朴梳妆。我敢以一双巧手夸赞针线之精，却不愿把双眉画长去与人争艳。可恨年年压着金线刺绣，到头来只是替别人缝制出嫁的衣裳。

Appreciation

The poem is spoken entirely in the girl's own voice, and that first-person restraint is what makes it sting. The two middle couplets set her private standards against public taste, first through a question and its dispiriting answer, then through a proud claim balanced by a refusal. Nothing is exaggerated: she does not weep or accuse, she simply notes what the world rewards. The last line turns the embroidery into a figure for a whole class of talented men who spend their lives furnishing other people's success, and the double meaning has kept the line in circulation for a thousand years.

【白话串讲】 “蓬门未识绮罗香，拟托良媒亦自伤”——秦韬玉写贫女：生在蓬门，没穿过绫罗。“敢将十指夸针巧，不把双眉斗画长”——她只夸自己针线巧。“苦恨年年压金线，为他人作嫁衣裳”——她年年给别人做嫁衣。秦韬玉写贫女，写的是寒士的怀才不遇。【意象与手法】全诗以贫女自白口吻写就，托物言志。中间两联“谁爱……共怜……”“敢将……不把……”以对仗句式写其高洁自守与世态反差；尾联“为他人作嫁衣裳”由物及人，双关点睛。【情感与主旨】表面写贫女婚姻无依、巧手空忙，实则借贫女自况，抒发寒士怀才不遇、为人作嫁的愤懑。末句成为千古名句，道尽世间才士沉沦下僚的辛酸。【名句点睛】 “苦恨年年压金线，为他人作嫁衣裳”——以刺绣双关仕途，写尽才士终身为人作嫁、自身无成的悲慨，沉痛而警策。

Background

Qin Taoyu was a late Tang poet who served for a time in the entourage of the eunuch Tian Lingzi and whose official career never prospered. Speaking through a poor girl, he writes the grief of the unrecognized scholar; sewing wedding clothes for others is both the literal work of an embroiderer and a figure for a man who bends his talent to serve others and gains no rank of his own.

秦韬玉字仲明，晚唐诗人，少有才名而累举不第，后随唐僖宗入蜀，依附权宦田令孜，得荐为工部侍郎，世颇以此讥其依附。贫女一诗为其传世名作，以贫家女儿自伤婚嫁无依、巧手空忙为表层，实则是诗人借贫女以自况，抒发寒士怀才不遇、为人作嫁的深沉悲慨。晚唐科举壅滞、朋党交错，士子进身多藉援引，真才每沉下僚，秦韬玉自身便饱尝此味，故能写来字字真切。此诗托物言志，通篇以女子口吻白描身世，不直说仕途，而仕途之困已尽在其中，是中晚唐以闺情寓身世之叹的典型之作，与朱庆馀闺意献张水部、张籍节妇吟同一机杼而更见沉痛。秦韬玉少有才名而累举不第，后依附权宦田令孜得荐，世颇讥之，此诗以贫女自况，抒发寒士怀才不遇、为人作嫁的深沉悲慨，最见晚唐行卷失路之痛。秦韬玉少有才名而累举不第，后依附权宦田令孜得荐工部侍郎，世颇讥其谄附，此诗以贫女自况，抒发寒士怀才不遇、为人作嫁之悲，最见晚唐科场壅滞、士子沉沦之痛，语语矜惜而字字沉痛。

Art

The entire poem speaks on the girl's behalf, unfolding as a first-person monologue. The first four lines give the sorrow of having no match and no go-between, the middle four the integrity she maintains, and the closing couplet gathers everything into a pun that lifts the piece from a boudoir complaint to the lament of a scholar passed over. The implication reaches far beyond the situation described.

此诗通体以贫女第一人称自白，章法绵密而立意双关。首联蓬门未识绮罗香、拟托良媒亦自伤，先点出身世之寒与婚嫁之难；颔联谁爱风流高格调、共怜时世俭梳妆，以世人之逐俗反衬己之清高；颈联敢将十指夸针巧、不把双眉斗画长，以针巧自许、不以画眉争艳，写其自守；尾联苦恨年年压金线、为他人作嫁衣裳，由物及人，双关收束，点出终身为人作嫁的辛酸。中间两联谁爱共怜、敢将不把上下呼应，句式对仗而意脉流转。全诗语语写女，语语写士，托喻之妙在于不露痕迹，末句一转，将全篇积蓄的悲愤倾泻而出，警策千古。中间两联谁爱共怜、敢将不把上下呼应，句式对仗而意脉流转，尾联苦恨年年压金线、为他人作嫁衣裳以双关收束，语语写女而语语写士。通体以贫女第一人称白描身世，首联点寒与伤，颔联以世态反衬清高，颈联以针巧自许、不以画眉争艳，尾联双关收束，中间两联上下呼应、意脉流转，托喻之妙在于不露痕迹。

Allusions

The 'thatched gate' woven of wild grass stands for a poor household. 'Silk and gauze' denote fine woven clothing. The 'plain coiffure' was a hairstyle then in vogue and represents what the crowd admires. 'Pressing the gold thread' describes the embroiderer holding the thread down with her finger and stands for laborious needlework. 'Sewing wedding clothes' carries the double sense of stitching a bridal gown and of exhausting oneself in another's service.

绮罗香指富贵人家丝绸衣裳的香气，与蓬门之寒形成阶级对照，暗喻士子出身之清寒。良媒古谓撮合姻缘之人，诗中借指援引之士，拟托良媒亦自伤暗含寒士求荐而又自伤卑微的矛盾。风流高格调化用世说新语中形容人物风神之语，此处指不随流俗的高洁品格。时世俭梳妆则点当时风尚，唐德宗贞元以来民间好作时世妆、尚俭妆，诗中以此写世俗所趋，与贫女之格调形成反差。压金线之压指刺绣时以指按压金线使纹样匀整，为他人作嫁衣裳则直承古诗中嫁衣意象，以缝制嫁衣双关士人为权门筹划而自身无成。绮罗香指富贵衣裳之香，良媒借指援引之士，时世俭梳妆点当时风尚，压金线写刺绣之劳，为他人作嫁衣裳则直承古诗嫁衣意象。绮罗香指富贵衣裳之香与蓬门相照，良媒借指援引之士，时世俭梳妆点当时风尚，压金线写刺绣之劳，为他人作嫁衣裳直承古诗嫁衣意象，以缝制嫁衣双关士人为权门筹划而自身无成。

Commentary

The closing couplet became proverbial, and later writers used the phrase about sewing another's wedding clothes to lament their own careers. Shen Deqian observed that every line is the poor girl grieving over herself, and that the poet is in fact using her to speak of his own condition.

此诗自宋以来即为传诵名篇，尤以末联为他人作嫁衣裳一句，凝成后世习用之成语，用以概括才士沉沦、徒劳为人效力的普遍悲慨。王安石曾摘唐人诗联成句，于秦韬玉此诗独取尾联，可见其警策之深。前人评此诗，谓其语语矜惜、字字沉痛，看似写儿女婚姻，实写寒士身世，托喻之妙不让张籍、朱庆馀。近人更推其为唐代讽喻诗中以闺情寄怀抱的代表，认为它比直白的行卷诗更含蓄、更有力量。今人读之，亦每于职场、世途中照见自身为人作嫁的影子，足见此诗跨越时代的人生共鸣。末联为他人作嫁衣裳凝成后世习用之成语，概括才士沉沦、徒劳为人效力之普遍悲慨，其超越时代的人生共鸣，正见此诗警策之深。末联为他人作嫁衣裳凝成后世习用之成语，概括才士沉沦、徒劳为人效力之普遍悲慨，王安石摘唐人诗独取此联，足见其警策之深，其超越时代的人生共鸣正见此诗生命力之强。

Prosody

Form Seven-character regulated verse七言律诗

Rhyme The rhyme words are xiang ('fragrance'), shang ('grieve'), zhuang ('adornment'), chang ('long'), and shang ('garment'), in the level-tone 'yang' group of the Pingshui rhyme tables.首句入韵，韵脚香、伤、妆、长、裳，属平水韵下平七阳部，一韵到底。

Tone pattern Level-tone opening, with strict parallelism in the two middle couplets, as in 'who loves' answered by 'all admire'.平起首句入韵体，中二联谁爱风流高格调、共怜时世俭梳妆与敢将十指夸针巧、不把双眉斗画长俱对仗工稳，符合七律格律。

Reading note A seven-character regulated poem with a level-tone opening; in the middle couplets 'who loves' answers 'all admire' and 'she dares' answers 'she will not', so that a poor girl's voice carries a scholar's neglect, and the closing pun became one of the most quoted lines in the tradition.此诗为七言律诗，却以女子口吻一气白描，不见律诗常见的庄重典重，而见歌行般的流转亲切，正是中晚唐七律趋于通俗一路的例证。首联平起入韵，香、伤同部，起势舒缓带怨；中二联对仗精整，谁爱对共怜、敢将对不把，虚词呼应，既见格律之工，又助文意之跌宕；尾联苦恨年年压金线、为他人作嫁衣裳以流水对收束，将前面所有的自守翻作沉痛一叹。七阳韵音色清亮悠长，与全诗哀而不伤、怨而不怒的温厚气度相称，故读来虽悲却雅，最见唐人律诗以韵调济情感的妙处。七阳韵音色清亮悠长，与全诗哀而不伤、怨而不怒的温厚气度相称，尾联以流水对收束，将前面所有的自守翻作沉痛一叹，读来虽悲却雅。

Line by line

敢将十指夸针巧，

She dares to boast the skill of her ten fingers, and her pride shows itself in her craft.

我敢以一双巧手夸赞针线之精，

I dare boast of these ten fingers' needlework.

此句写贫女以针黹之巧自许，敢将二字见出其虽处蓬门而自有傲骨，不以绮罗为念，却以一双十指的本事自豪。针巧既是实写贫女赖以谋生的女红，更是诗人暗喻自身才学技艺之精——寒士虽无门第可依，却有真才实学可恃。一个夸字写得坦然自信，与前文谁爱高格调的落寞形成张力：世人既不爱我之风流格调，我亦不必迎合，唯以本分之能自立。此句于沉抑中透出一丝骄傲，最见贫女亦即寒士的骨气。

This line writes the poor girl's pride in her needlework, the words 'I dare' showing that though she lives in a humble door, she has her own backbone — caring nothing for silk and gauze, yet proud of the skill of her ten fingers. The 'needlework' is both the real sewing she lives by, and the poet's secret metaphor for his own fine learning and craft — the poor scholar, though he has no house to rely on, has his true talent to stand on. The word 'boast' is spoken with easy confidence, set against the loneliness of 'who loves my high style' above: since the world loves not my elegance, I need not curry favor, but stand on my own honest skill. The line, within the suppressed, lets a thread of pride through, showing best the backbone of the poor girl — and of the poor scholar.

不把双眉斗画长。

She will not lengthen her painted brows to compete for attention; she keeps to herself and refuses the prevailing style.

却不愿把双眉画长去与人争艳。

Yet I will not paint my brows long to vie with others' beauty.

此句与敢将十指夸针巧对举，写贫女不屑于以画眉斗艳去争世俗的宠爱。斗画长暗用汉宫画眉、张敞故事及唐时竞尚长眉的时俗，诗人借此表明自己不肯随波逐流、以媚俗取容。不字斩钉截铁，与敢字一正一反，凸显其清高自守的品格。在仕途语境中，这正是不肯夤缘权贵、不愿屈节竞进的寒士写照。两句一肯一否，把贫女的外貌谦退与内在自信写得层次分明，也把一个不遇之士宁守其拙、不事谄媚的孤高姿态刻画入骨。

This line pairs with 'I dare boast of these ten fingers' to write the poor girl's disdain for painting her brows long to vie for worldly favor. 'Paint my brows long' secretly uses the Han palace story of Zhang Chang painting his wife's brows, and the Tang fashion for long brows; through it the poet shows his refusal to drift with the tide, to court favor through vulgar charm. The word 'will not' is decisive, the 'dare' and the 'will not' one positive one negative, bringing out the lofty, self-guarding character. In the official career's context, this is the portrait of the poor scholar who refuses to climb through the powerful, who will not bend his knees to compete for advancement. Two lines, one affirmation one negation, writing the poor girl's outward reserve and inward confidence in clear layers, carving to the bone the lone pride of the unfound talent who keeps his roughness and will not flatter.

苦恨年年压金线，

Her bitter grief is the gold thread pressed down year after year, labor spent on someone else's happiness.

可恨年年压着金线刺绣，

Bitter the grief of year after year pressing the gold thread.

尾联陡然转折，由前面的自守转入沉痛的控诉。苦恨二字凝蓄全篇悲愤，年年写时间之漫长与无奈之重复，压金线写其终年操劳于刺绣之役。一个压字极重，既状手指按压金线的动作之劳，更隐喻命运对人的沉重压抑——年年如此，永无尽头。贫女织就无数锦绣，却无一件属于自己；正如寒士耗尽才学，为权门谋划铺陈，到头来自家功名依旧落空。此句将前面所有的清高与骄傲，一下拉回到残酷的现实重压之下，为末句的点睛蓄满情绪张力。

The closing couplet turns abruptly, from the self-guarding above to a bitter indictment. 'Bitter the grief' condenses all the poem's indignation; 'year after year' the long time and the helpless repetition; 'pressing the gold thread' her year-round toil at the embroidery. The word 'presses' is heavy — both the labor of fingers pressing the gold thread, and the metaphor of fate's heavy pressure on the person; year after year, no end. The poor girl weaves countless brocades, yet not one piece is hers; as the poor scholar spends his learning planning and drafting for the great houses, and his own fame still ends in nothing. This line pulls all the pride above back under the cruel weight of reality, storing the fullest emotional tension for the final stroke.

为他人作嫁衣裳。

Sewing wedding clothes for other women closes the poem with a pun in which the poor girl becomes the image of the scholar left behind, and the sorrow is both sharp and instructive.

到头来只是替别人缝制出嫁的衣裳。

Stitching wedding robes for others to wear.

此句以双关收束全篇，遂成千古绝唱。表层写贫女辛苦刺绣，成品尽是旁人出阁的嫁衣，自己却始终无人来聘；深层则写寒士毕生才学，不过是为显贵营缮、替他人成事，而自身地位与前程依旧渺茫。作嫁衣裳四字，以最寻常的闺中劳作，道尽才士终身为人作嫁、自身无成的辛酸，沉痛而警策。正因其比喻之贴切、概括之广阔，此句遂脱离原诗，化为汉语中表述徒劳奉献、慨叹怀才不遇的通用语，足见其击中人情之深、流传之广。

This line closes the whole in double meaning, and became a song through the ages. On the surface, the poor girl's hard embroidery, the finished work all other women's wedding robes, while no one ever comes to ask for her hand; in depth, the poor scholar's lifelong learning, spent building and planning for the powerful, while his own station and future remain vague. The words 'wedding robes' take the most ordinary of boudoir tasks to tell to the full the bitter truth of talent that toils for others and achieves nothing for itself — bitter and alert. Precisely because the metaphor is so exact, the scope so wide, this line has broken from its poem to become the common phrase in Chinese for futile devotion, for the sigh of talent unfound — proof of how deeply it struck the human heart, how widely it has traveled.

Study

Word focus

压金线 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 压金线三字是全诗由扬转抑的关键意象，字面写刺绣时以指按压金线使纹样匀整的劳作，实则重若千钧。压字兼动作之劳与命运之重二重意味，金线则呼应前文绮罗香，暗示所绣尽是富贵人家的华服。年年压金线，写一个女子终年困于针黹，也写一个寒士终生为权门案牍筹谋，其所耗竭皆己之才力，所得却尽归他人。这一动词与名词的组合，以极小的动作承载极大的悲剧重量，是托喻诗中炼字见意的典范，读来令人气短。

敢、不 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 敢将与不把是颈联中一对相互呼应的副词，构成全诗品格描写的骨力。敢字表坦然自信，写出贫女虽贫却以针巧自许的不屈；不字表决然拒绝，写出其不屑与世俗争艳的孤高。二字一正一反，把人物外退内进、貌谦中傲的复杂心态刻画得极有层次。在比兴结构中，这一对虚词恰是诗人自我人格的投影：寒士敢于以才学自持，却不肯以谄媚取容。看似轻巧的二字，实为全篇风骨所系，使贫女形象免于哀怨软弱，而显出清峻自立的精神厚度。

贫女