唐 Tang · 诗 Poem
哥舒歌
Song of Geshu
北斗七星高，哥舒夜带刀。
至今窥牧马，不敢过临洮。
Geshu by night wears his blade at his side.
To this day the grazing horses only peer and spy,
Daring not to cross beyond Lintao.
Meaning
The folk quatrain praises General Geshu Han, whose nightly vigil keeps the Tartar herds from crossing Lintao. It builds his awe through the enemy's own timidity.
北斗七星高高挂在天上，哥舒翰将军夜半还随身带着刀。直到如今，吐蕃的牧马只敢远远窥探，再不敢越过临洮一步。
Appreciation
In four lines the poem builds a general's legend by showing what the enemy does, not what he does: the Dipper high, Geshu with his blade, and the grazing herds that only 'peek' and dare not cross. The folk tone is blunt and cheerful, the awe delivered sideways through the foe's fear. Short as it is, it carries the confidence of a border people who sleep safe because one man stays armed.
【白话串讲】 “北斗七星高，哥舒夜带刀”——西鄙人写哥舒翰：夜里带着刀。“至今窥牧马，不敢过临洮”——敌人只敢远远窥探，不敢过临洮。一首民歌，写一个守边将领的威风。 【意象与手法】以“北斗高”起兴，以“夜带刀”写将帅英武，末二句以敌之畏缩反衬其威名。 【情感与主旨】歌颂哥舒翰守边之功，表达百姓对良将的信赖与对边境安宁的欣慰。 【名句点睛】“至今窥牧马，不敢过临洮”——以敌不敢犯，写尽戍边之威。
Background
The 'man of the western border' is a folk author; the poem praises Geshu Han's guarding of Longyou and his awe over the Tibetans.
《哥舒歌》为唐代西鄙人（西部边民）所作，是写哥舒翰夜带刀、边地安宁的民歌。西鄙人，唐代西部边地之人，姓名不详。此诗：北斗七星高，哥舒夜带刀。至今窥牧马，不敢过临洮。全诗写哥舒翰夜带刀、边地安宁，是唐代民歌的名篇。
Art
A forceful short piece, building the general's awe through the enemy's timidity, a sidewise lift.
《哥舒歌》艺术上以边地之夜的描摹与哥舒威名的豪壮见长。全诗四句：首写北斗哥舒——“北斗七星高，哥舒夜带刀”用北斗之典写北斗七星高、哥舒夜带刀；末写不敢过临洮——“至今窥牧马，不敢过临洮”用窥牧马临洮之典写至今窥牧马、不敢过临洮。全诗以边地之夜写哥舒威名，正是西鄙人歌豪壮的笔法。
Allusions
'Geshu' refers to Geshu Han, a famous Tang general, known to all rather than a literary reference.
《哥舒歌》用典在“北斗”“哥舒夜带刀”“窥牧马”“临洮”。“北斗”用北斗之典（北斗七星）；“哥舒夜带刀”写哥舒翰夜带刀；“窥牧马”用窥牧马之典（胡人窥边）；“临洮”写临洮（边城）。全诗以这些意象写哥舒翰夜带刀、边地安宁，用典自然而豪壮自见，正是西鄙人歌的笔法。
Commentary
This poem spread with the folk 'the seven stars of the Dipper ride high,' bearing the air of folk song.
《哥舒歌》是西鄙人歌的名篇，也是唐诗中写边将威名的代表作。此诗写哥舒翰夜带刀、边地安宁，向为论者称道。论者多赏其边地之夜的描摹与哥舒威名的豪壮——“北斗七星高，哥舒夜带刀”用北斗之典写北斗七星高、哥舒夜带刀，豪壮之极；“至今窥牧马，不敢过临洮”用窥牧马临洮之典写至今窥牧马、不敢过临洮，更见其威。西鄙人此歌为河西陇右民歌，正是其代表——以边地之夜写哥舒威名，正是其豪壮的笔法。
Prosody
Line by line
北斗七星高，哥舒夜带刀。
The seven Northern Dipper stars hang high; Geshua carries his blade by night.
北斗七星高，哥舒夜带刀。
The seven stars of the Northern Dipper hang high; by night, Geshua wears his saber.
首用北斗之典写北斗七星高、哥舒夜带刀，是全诗写边地之夜的起点。“北斗七星高”用北斗之典写北斗七星高——“北斗七星高”用北斗七星之典写北斗七星高悬——北斗七星高；“哥舒夜带刀”写哥舒夜带刀——“哥舒夜带刀”写哥舒翰夜中带刀——哥舒夜带刀。二句写北斗七星高、哥舒夜带刀：北斗七星高，哥舒夜带刀。以“北斗七星高”用北斗之典写北斗高悬、边夜寂静，以“哥舒夜带刀”写哥舒带刀、夜巡之威，正是西鄙人歌写边地之夜的起点——北斗高悬，哥舒带刀。
The opening uses the Northern Dipper allusion, writing the seven stars high and Geshua carrying his blade by night, the starting point for the border night. The seven Northern Dipper stars hang high uses the Dipper to write the border night's silence. By night, Geshua wears his saber: Geshua Han patrolling by night, blade at his side. One line writes the high Dipper and the quiet night, the other the blade and the night patrol's awe - the border song's starting point for the western border: the Dipper high, the blade at the waist, the night safe.
至今窥牧马，不敢过临洮。
To this day, they peer at our grazing horses, yet dare not cross Lintao.
至今窥牧马，不敢过临洮。
Even now they only dare peer at our grazing horses; they do not dare cross Lintao.
末用窥牧马临洮之典写至今窥牧马、不敢过临洮，是全诗写哥舒威名的归结。“至今窥牧马”用窥牧马之典写至今窥牧马——“至今窥牧马”用胡人窥边之典写至今胡人只敢窥伺牧马——至今窥牧马；“不敢过临洮”写不敢过临洮——“不敢过临洮”写不敢越过临洮——不敢过临洮。二句写至今窥牧马、不敢过临洮：至今窥牧马，不敢过临洮。以“至今窥牧马”用窥牧马之典写胡骑只敢窥伺、牧马观望，以“不敢过临洮”写不敢越临洮、边地安宁，正是西鄙人歌写哥舒威名的归结——窥牧不敢，不敢过临洮。
The closing uses the grazing-horse allusion, writing that they still only peer at grazing horses and dare not cross Lintao, the resolution of Geshua's terror. To this day, they only dare peer at our grazing horses adapts the allusion of the Hu cavalry raiding for grazing: to this day the Hu only dare watch and graze. They do not dare cross Lintao: not daring to pass beyond Lintao. One line writes the cavalry's watching and waiting, the other their not crossing, the border at peace - the western border song's resolution of Geshua's fame: peering to graze, yet not daring to cross Lintao.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
王翰《凉州词》写葡萄美酒、醉卧沙场，与本首同为唐诗写边塞豪情。差异在情境：哥舒歌写夜巡之威；凉州词写宴饮之豪。一写“威”之壮，一写“醉”之豪。两者并读，可见唐诗写边塞豪情的两种情境。
出塞 On the Frontier 王昌龄 · 同为唐诗写边塞将领，一写哥舒带刀一写龙城飞将，皆雄浑 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
王昌龄《出塞》写秦时明月、龙城飞将，与本首同为唐诗写边塞将领。差异在主题：哥舒歌写哥舒威名；出塞写飞将之思。一写“今”之将，一写“古”之思。两者并读，可见唐诗写边塞将领的两种主题。
从军行 Starting for the Front 王昌龄 · 同为唐诗写边塞军旅，一写哥舒带刀一写黄沙百战，皆豪壮 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
王昌龄《从军行》写黄沙百战、不破楼兰终不还，与本首同为唐诗写边塞军旅。差异在情境：哥舒歌写边将夜巡；从军行写战士报国。一写“将”之威，一写“士”之志。两者并读，可见唐诗写边塞军旅的两种情境。