魏晋 Wei-Jin · 诗 Poem
名都篇
The Famous Capital
名都多妖女，京洛出少年。
宝剑值千金，被服丽且鲜。
斗鸡东郊道，走马长楸间。
驰骋未能半，双兔过我前。
揽弓捷鸣镝，长驱上南山。
左挽因右发，一纵两禽连。
馀巧未及展，仰手接飞鸢。
观者咸称善，众工归我妍。
归来宴平乐，美酒斗十千。
脍鲤臇胎虾，寒鳖炙熊蹯。
鸣俦啸匹侣，列坐竟长筵。
连翩击鞠壤，巧捷惟万端。
白日西南驰，光景不可攀。
云散还城邑，清晨复来还。
His sword is worth a thousand gold; his dress is splendid and bright.
He pits cocks on the eastern suburb road, rides horses among the long paulownias.
Scarce half his gallop done, two hares cross before him.
He draws his bow, fits the whistling arrow, drives long up the southern hill.
Left hand bends the bow, right looses the string — one shot and both birds are linked.
His surplus skill not yet spent, he lifts his hand to catch the soaring kite.
All watchers praise him; the archers yield him the palm.
Returning, he feasts at the Pingle Lodge; fine wine, ten thousand a measure.
Minced carp and shrimp broth, cold turtle and roasted bear-paw.
He calls his companions, his mates; they sit in a long banquet.
Again and again they strike the ball and the earth, deft and quick in ten thousand ways.
The white sun hurries southwest; its light cannot be held.
Like clouds they scatter back to the city; at dawn they come again.
Meaning
In the famous capital are many beautiful women; from the capital Luoyang come the young men. His sword is worth a thousand gold, his clothing splendid and bright. On the eastern suburb road he matches cocks; among the long paulownias he rides. Scarce half his gallop done, two hares dart before him. He draws his bow and fits the whistling arrow, driving long up the southern hill. Left hand bends the bow, right hand looses — one shot links both birds. His surplus skill unspent, he lifts his hand to catch the soaring kite. All watchers cry well done; the archers grant him the prize. Returning, he feasts at Pingle Lodge; fine wine ten thousand a measure. Minced carp and shrimp soup, cold turtle and roasted bear-paw. He calls his companions and mates, sitting in a long banquet. Again and again they strike the ball and the earth, deft in ten thousand ways. The white sun hurries southwest; its light cannot be kept. Like clouds they scatter to the city; at dawn they return again.
名都之中多娇美女子，京洛之地涌出少年。宝剑价值千金，衣装华美鲜艳。在东郊大道斗鸡，于长楸树下走马。驰骋未到一半，两只野兔从我面前窜过。我引弓搭响箭，长驱直上南山。左手挽弓右手发矢，一射便连中两禽。余巧尚未施展，仰手又接住飞鸢。观者都齐声称善，众射手推许我最为精妍。归来宴饮于平乐观，美酒一斗值万钱。切鲤烹虾羹，寒鳖烤熊掌。呼朋啸侣，列坐竟是长筵。连连击鞠蹴壤，巧妙捷便千变万端。白日向西南奔驰，光景不可挽留。如云散去回归城邑，清晨又复来还。
Appreciation
The Famous Capital belongs to Cao Zhi's early period, with The White Horse and The Fair Maiden a group of poems on 'the young man'. The 'young man of the capital' who rides, shoots and feasts, proud of his skill, is in truth a projection of Cao Zhi's own talent and ambition. From youth he was quick of mind and aimed at a thousand leagues; the poem's extreme writing of the youth's vigour shows both the real life of a noble son and, beneath, a self-confident 'talent eager to be tried'. Yet 'the white sun hurries southwest; its light cannot be held' already faintly hints the regret that prime years cannot be relied on — a hidden worry beneath the surface of revelry.
【白话串讲】 曹植写京城少年：“宝剑值千金，被服丽且鲜”。“斗鸡东郊道，走马长楸间”——斗鸡走马。“左挽因右发，一纵两禽连”——箭法惊人。“归来宴平乐，美酒斗十千”——回来大摆宴席。一个贵族公子的快意人生。 【意象与手法】 全诗以赋法铺陈，气势骏快如走马。‘揽弓捷鸣镝’至‘仰手接飞鸢’一连串动作描写，如电影跟拍 【情感与主旨】 《名都篇》为曹植前期所作，与《白马篇》《美女篇》同属写‘少年’组诗 【名句点睛】 本诗宜从‘动作描写与少年形象’角度命题。考点一：分析‘左挽因右发，一纵两禽连’等句的动作描写及其塑造的少年形象
Background
The Famous Capital is by Cao Zhi in his early period, with The White Horse and The Fair Maiden a group of poems on 'the young man'. The 'young man of the capital' who rides, shoots and feasts, proud of his skill, is in truth a projection of Cao Zhi's own gift and ambition. From youth he was quick of mind and aimed at a thousand leagues; the poem's extreme writing of the youth's vigour shows both the real life of a noble son and, beneath, a self-confident 'talent eager to be tried'. Yet 'the white sun hurries southwest; its light cannot be held' already faintly hints the regret that prime years cannot be relied on — a hidden worry beneath the revelry.
《名都篇》为三国曹植所作，是写京洛少年游侠之乐的诗。曹植（192—232），字子建，谯人，三国魏诗人。此诗：名都多妖女，京洛出少年。宝剑值千金，被服丽且鲜。斗鸡东郊道，走马长楸间。驰骋未能半，双兔过我前。揽弓捷鸣镝，长驱上南山。……归来宴平乐，美酒斗十千。脍鲤臇胎鰕，炮鳖炙熊蹯。……全诗写京洛少年游侠之乐，是曹植诗的名篇。
Art
The whole poem expounds by fu method, its momentum swift as a running horse. From 'he draws his bow' to 'he catches the soaring kite' a string of action sketches, like a film following: drawing, driving, left-bend and right-loose, one shot linking two, lifting to catch the kite — link upon link, showing the youth's litheness. 'All watchers praise him' sets off his skill by the side; the feast passage expounds luxury with 'minced carp and shrimp broth' and other dainties. The language is rich yet bone-firm, showing Jian'an vigour within abundance, the inward and outward of The White Horse's fortitude.
《名都篇》艺术上以游侠之乐的铺陈与气韵的豪宕见长。全诗写京洛少年：首写少年之丽——“名都多妖女，京洛出少年。宝剑值千金，被服丽且鲜”写名都妖女、京洛少年、宝剑千金、被服丽鲜；中写游猎之乐——“斗鸡东郊道，走马长楸间”写斗鸡走马，“驰骋未能半，双兔过我前。揽弓捷鸣镝，长驱上南山”写驰骋逐兔、揽弓鸣镝、长驱南山；末写宴饮之盛——“归来宴平乐，美酒斗十千。脍鲤臇胎鰕，炮鳖炙熊蹯”写平乐宴饮、美酒斗十千、脍鲤炮鳖。全诗以铺陈写游侠之乐，正是曹植诗豪宕的笔法。
Allusions
The allusions are mostly in named things. 'Pingle' is the Pingle Lodge, a Han palace lookout for noble feasting; 'ten thousand a measure' transforms Cao Pi's 'fine wine ten thousand a measure' and the old poem 'a measure of wine ten thousand cash', writing deep drinking; 'bear-paw' comes from the Zuo Zhuan's 'the cook boiled the bear-paw not done', a rare delicacy; 'strike the ball and earth' means polo and kick-ball, Han youths' games. All take the familiar allusions of the capital's noble life — opulent yet not recondite — to set off the youth's heroism, an example of Cao Zhi's 'luxuriant diction'.
《名都篇》用典在“斗鸡东郊道”“美酒斗十千”“平乐”。“斗鸡东郊道”写东郊斗鸡之戏；“美酒斗十千”用《史记》“斗酒十千”之意写美酒之贵；“平乐”写平乐观（洛阳宫观）。全诗以这些意象写京洛少年之乐，用典自然而豪宕自见，正是曹植诗的笔法。
Commentary
The Yuefu Anthology puts it in the miscellaneous songs, titled 'Qi-se song'. The Qing critic Fang Dong-shu in his Words from the Obscure says of Cao Zhi 'in Famous Capital, White Horse and such, talent overflows, the air is high and fair'. The modern Huang Jie holds 'this piece writes the youth's heroic roaming, in truth Cao Zhi telling of his own talent' — enough to show how he writes his breast through the youth, vigour within luxuriance.
《名都篇》是曹植诗的名篇，也是建安诗中写游侠之乐的代表作。此诗写京洛少年游侠之乐，向为论者称道。论者多赏其游侠之乐的铺陈与气韵的豪宕——“宝剑值千金，被服丽且鲜”写宝剑千金、被服丽鲜，豪宕之极；“归来宴平乐，美酒斗十千”写平乐宴饮、美酒斗十千，更见其豪；“脍鲤臇胎鰕，炮鳖炙熊蹯”写脍鲤炮鳖，尤见其盛。曹植为建安诗大家，其诗以豪宕著称，此诗正是其代表——以铺陈写游侠之乐，正是其诗风。
Prosody
Line by line
名都多妖女，京洛出少年。宝剑值千金，被服丽且鲜。
Famous cities have many lovely women; Luoyang produces young gallants. Their sword is worth a thousand gold; their robes are gorgeous and bright.
名都多妖女，京洛出少年。宝剑值千金，被服丽且鲜。
Famous cities have many lovely women; the capital Luoyang breeds young gallants. Their swords are worth a thousand pieces of gold; their robes are gorgeous and fresh.
首写少年之丽，是全诗游侠之乐的起点。“名都多妖女，京洛出少年”写名都京洛——“名都多妖女”写名都多妖女，“京洛出少年”写京洛出少年——名都妖女，京洛少年；“宝剑值千金，被服丽且鲜”写宝剑被服——“宝剑值千金”写宝剑值千金，“被服丽且鲜”写被服华丽且鲜——宝剑千金，被服丽鲜。四句写少年之丽：名都多妖女、京洛出少年，宝剑值千金、被服丽且鲜。以“名都多妖女，京洛出少年”写京洛繁华、少年辈出，以“宝剑值千金，被服丽且鲜”写宝剑千金、被服丽鲜之豪，正是曹植诗写游侠之乐的起点——京洛少年，剑服华豪。
These first four lines write the gallants' beauty, the starting point of the rhapsody-knight's pleasure. Famous-cities-have-many-lovely-women; Luoyang-produces-young-gallants writes the capital's prosperity and its young men. Their-sword-is-worth-a-thousand-gold; their-robes-are-gorgeous-and-bright writes the sword's value and the robes' luxury. The first couplet writes Luoyang's prosperity and the gallants; the second writes the sword-thousand and robes-gorgeous luxury. This is Cao Zhi's starting point for the wandering knight's pleasure: Luoyang gallants, sword and robes gorgeous and extravagant.
斗鸡东郊道，走马长楸间。驰骋未能半，双兔过我前。
They fight cocks on the eastern suburb road, ride horses among the tall catalpas. Before their gallop is half done, two hares dash before them.
斗鸡东郊之道，走马长楸之间。驰骋未能过半，双兔过我之前。
Cockfights on the eastern suburb road; horse racing among the tall catalpas. Before the gallop is half done, two hares cross before them.
此四句写斗鸡走马、逐兔驰骋，是全诗游侠之乐的深化。“斗鸡东郊道，走马长楸间”写斗鸡走马——“斗鸡东郊道”写斗鸡于东郊道，“走马长楸间”写走马于长楸间——斗鸡走马；“驰骋未能半，双兔过我前”写逐兔驰骋——“驰骋未能半”写驰骋未能过半，“双兔过我前”写双兔过我之前——驰骋未半，双兔过我前。四句写斗鸡走马、逐兔驰骋：斗鸡东郊道、走马长楸间，驰骋未能半、双兔过我前。以“斗鸡东郊道，走马长楸间”写斗鸡走马之戏，以“驰骋未能半，双兔过我前”写驰骋未半而双兔当前、正待逐射，正是曹植诗写游侠之乐、以游猎写豪的深化。
These four lines write cockfights, horse riding, and hare-chasing, the deepening of the knight's pleasure. Cockfights-on-the-eastern-suburb-road; horse-racing-among-the-tall-catalpas writes the games. Before-their-gallop-is-half-done; two-hares-dash-before-them writes the chase not yet half done when two hares cross, ready to be hunted. The first couplet writes the cockfight and horse ride; the second writes the un-finished gallop and the hares before them. This is Cao Zhi's deepening of the wandering knight's pleasure through hunting.
归来宴平乐，美酒斗十千。脍鲤臇胎鰕，炮鳖炙熊蹯。
They return to feast at Pingle; fine wine costs ten thousand a dipper. Minced carp, stewed shrimp; roast turtle, grilled bear's paw.
归来宴于平乐，美酒斗十千。脍鲤臇胎鰕（虾），炮鳖炙熊蹯（熊掌）。
They return to feast at Pingle Tower; fine wine at ten thousand a dipper. Minced carp, rich shrimp broth; roast turtle, grilled bear's paw.
末四句写平乐宴饮、美酒珍馐，是全诗游侠之乐的归结。“归来宴平乐，美酒斗十千”写平乐宴饮——“归来宴平乐”写归来宴于平乐（洛阳宫观），“美酒斗十千”用斗酒十千之意写美酒斗十千——平乐宴饮，美酒斗十千；“脍鲤臇胎鰕，炮鳖炙熊蹯”写脍鲤炮鳖——“脍鲤臇胎鰕”写脍鲤臇胎鰕（虾），“炮鳖炙熊蹯”写炮鳖炙熊掌——脍鲤胎鰕，炮鳖熊蹯。四句写平乐宴饮、美酒珍馐：归来宴平乐、美酒斗十千，脍鲤臇胎鰕、炮鳖炙熊蹯。以“归来宴平乐，美酒斗十千”写平乐宴饮、美酒之贵，以“脍鲤臇胎鰕，炮鳖炙熊蹯”写脍鲤炮鳖、珍馐之盛，正是曹植诗写游侠之乐、以宴饮写豪的归结——游猎而归，宴饮极盛。
These last four lines write the Pingle Tower feast, fine wine, and rare dishes, the resolution of the knight's pleasure. They-return-to-feast-at-Pingle; fine-wine-costs-ten-thousand-a-dipper writes the Pingle feast and the wine's price. Minced-carp-stewed-shrimp; roast-turtle-grilled-bear's-paw writes the dishes' rarity. The first couplet writes the Pingle feast and wine's price; the second writes the minced carp, roast turtle, and bear's paw rare dishes. This is Cao Zhi's resolution of the wandering knight's pleasure through feasting after the hunt.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
The White Horse writes the knight-errant serving the state; The Famous Capital writes the youth's roaming — compare the fortitude and abandon of Cao Zhi's youths.
曹植《白马篇》“白马饰金羁，连翩西北驰”写游侠报国，与本首同为曹植写少年。差异在主题：名都篇写游猎宴乐；白马篇写边塞报国。一写“乐”之逸，一写“志”之壮。两者并读，可见曹植写少年游侠的两种主题。
七哀诗 Seven Laments 曹植 · 同为曹植诗，一写少年之乐一写闺妇之怨，一豪一怨 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
曹植《七哀》“明月照高楼，流光正徘徊”写闺妇之怨，与本首同为曹植诗。差异在主题：名都篇写少年游侠之乐；七哀写闺妇之怨。一写“乐”之豪，一写“怨”之深。两者并读，可见曹植诗写人生之乐的两种主题。
野田黄雀行 Yellow Sparrow in the Wild Fields 曹植 · 与本首相关联的同类或同作者作品，供对比阅读 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
此处关联曹植《野田黄雀行》，与本首在主题、体裁或作者上相关联，可对比阅读以见其同异。