魏晋 Wei-Jin · 诗 Poem
秋胡行
Qiu Hu Song
尧任舜禹，当复何为？
百兽率舞，凤凰来仪。
清歌微吟，筝人告歌。
悲吟慷慨，长笳吹鸣。
年寿有时而尽，荣乐止乎其身。
二者必至之期，未若杖策行之。
达人识真伪，愚夫好妄传。
追念往古事，愦愦千万端。
The hundred beasts dance, the phoenix descends in grace.
Clear songs and soft chants, the zheng player announces the tune.
Sad chanting passionate, the long reed-pipe blows.
Lifespan has its limit, glory and joy cease with the body.
Both must come to an end, better to wander with a staff.
The wise discern truth from falsehood, the foolish love false tales.
Thinking of ancient affairs, a myriad muddled strands.
Meaning
The poem praises the ideal governance of Yao and Shun, then shifts to a banquet scene, before suddenly confronting the finitude of life and glory. It advocates a carefree wandering and ends with a sigh of confusion over past events.
尧任用舜与禹，还须再做些什么？百兽相率而舞，凤凰前来朝仪。清歌低声吟唱，筝人报奏乐曲。悲吟慷慨激昂，长笳吹奏和鸣。年寿终有尽时，荣华欢乐只止于一身。这二者必然到来的期限，不如持杖出游而行。通达之人能辨真伪，愚昧之辈喜好妄传。追念往古之事，昏乱纷杂千万头绪。
Appreciation
This poem blends praise of antiquity, festivity, and philosophy. It begins with the perfect rule of Yao and Shun, moves to the joy of music and song, and then sharply turns to the limits of life and happiness, leading to the detached idea of 'wandering with a staff' and a sense of nihilism. The structure prefigures the metaphysical poetry of the Wei-Jin period while retaining the emotional richness of Jian'an.
【白话串讲】 “年寿有时而尽，荣乐止乎其身”——曹丕说，寿命终会到头，荣华只属于活着时。既然人生有限，不如拄着拐杖好好去走——一个皇帝对人生的清醒。 【意象与手法】 诗分三层：起四句颂尧舜至治，气象雍容；次四句写清歌长笳的宴乐之欢；末六句急转，以「年寿有时而尽，荣乐止乎其身」点破，引出「杖策行之」的达观与「追念往古」的虚无。由乐入悲、由具体到抽象，理趣渐显，已启正始玄言诗风，而情韵犹存建安。 【情感与主旨】 曹丕《秋胡行》二首，此为其一（郭茂倩《乐府诗集》题「尧任舜禹」）。汉乐府《秋胡行》本咏秋胡戏妻故事，曹丕拟作则脱离本事，借尧舜治道与宴乐场景，抒发对年寿荣乐有限的玄远之思，反映建安至正始间文人由建功转向生命哲思的趣味变迁。 【名句点睛】 常考：诗如何由颂古宴乐转入生命哲思；「年寿有时而尽，荣乐止乎其身」的意蕴；与汉乐府《秋胡行》本事的异同。
Background
Cao Pi's 'Qiu Hu Song' consists of two poems; this is the first. The original Han music bureau ballad 'Qiu Hu Xing' told the story of Qiu Hu teasing his wife, but Cao Pi departs entirely from that narrative. Instead, he uses the governance of Yao and Shun and a banquet scene to express reflections on the finitude of life and glory, reflecting a shift among literati from ambition to life philosophy during the transition from Jian'an to Zhengshi.
曹丕（187—226），字子桓，沛国谯人，曹操长子，三国魏文帝，建安文学的核心人物，与父操、弟植并称「三曹」。曹丕《秋胡行》二首，此为其一，郭茂倩《乐府诗集》题「尧任舜禹」。汉乐府《秋胡行》本咏秋胡戏妻故事（秋胡仕宦归家，于桑间调戏采桑妇，及归家方知乃其妻，妻羞愤投河），属「相和歌辞·瑟调曲」。曹丕拟作此题则脱离本事，借尧舜治道与宴乐场景，抒发对年寿荣乐有限的玄远之思，是「借题发挥」的典范。建安时代，文人目睹乱离，感于年命不永，遂于建功立业之外，兴起对生命本质的哲思；曹丕作为帝王而思及「年寿有时而尽」，尤见其识见之深。此诗由颂古宴乐转入生命哲思，正反映建安至正始间文人由建功立业转向个体生命的趣味变迁，为魏晋玄言诗之先声。曹丕生于汉末乱世，随父曹操征战多年，亲见民生凋敝、白骨蔽野，故其诗多感慨人生短促；此《秋胡行》作年难考，或谓建安中后期，曹丕为五官中郎将、副丞相之时，虽处富贵而深怀忧生之念，故于颂古宴乐之余，忽悟「年寿有时而尽」。又曹丕雅好文学，与建安诸子游宴唱和，其诗多书卷气，此诗用典之雅、思理之深，正见其「文士气」。作为帝王而能于富贵中见荣乐之虚、于欢宴中悟年寿之短，其清醒与达观，正见建安文人「对酒当歌，人生几何」之思的延续，为研究建安文人心态与乐府演变的重要作品。
Art
The poem is structured in three layers. Lines 1-4 praise the ideal rule of Yao and Shun, with a grand and dignified atmosphere. Lines 5-8 describe the joy of banquet music: clear songs and sad flutes. Lines 9-14 (the final six lines) suddenly turn to the limits of life, advocating detachment and lamenting the confusion of history. The transition from joy to sorrow, from concrete to abstract, shows increasing philosophical interest and foreshadows the metaphysical poetry of the Zhengshi era.
诗分三层，章法井然。起四句颂尧舜至治：「尧任舜禹，当复何为」写尧之无为而治，任贤而不劳，「当复何为」一问，见至治之境无所事事，气象雍容；「百兽率舞，凤凰来仪」以《尚书》之典写至治之祥瑞，庄重典雅。次四句写清歌长笳的宴乐之欢：「清歌微吟，筝人告歌」写清歌低吟、筝声初起，「悲吟慷慨，长笳吹鸣」写悲吟慷慨、长笳和鸣，由清雅转激昂，宴乐之盛如闻其声。末六句急转：「年寿有时而尽，荣乐止乎其身」以对仗句点破人生之有限——年寿有尽，荣乐止身，两皆必至；「二者必至之期，未若杖策行之」由悲转达，谓与其坐待其期，不如持杖出游、及时行乐；「达人识真伪，愚夫好妄传」以达人愚夫对举，见其识见；「追念往古事，愦愦千万端」以虚无之叹收束。全诗由乐入悲、由具体到抽象，理趣渐显，已启正始玄言诗风，而情韵犹存建安。又此诗结构之妙，在「三层递进」：颂古为一层，写至治之世，气象雍容，如登高望远；宴乐为一层，写清歌长笳之欢，声情并茂，如觥筹交错；哲思为一层，写年寿荣乐之尽，冷峻深邃，如当头棒喝。三层由古及今、由外及内、由乐及悲，层层收束，而「未若杖策行之」一转，又由悲转达，以「追念往古事，愦愦千万端」一叹收束，将颂古、宴乐、哲思、达观、虚无五重意绪熔于一炉，正是建安乐府以意运辞的典范，亦开魏晋玄言诗以理入诗之先声。
Allusions
'Yao employed Shun and Yu' refers to the legendary abdication of Yao and Shun. 'The hundred beasts dance, the phoenix descends' comes from the 'Book of Documents' (Yiji), describing Shun's virtue. 'Wandering with a staff' suggests a reclusive, carefree life, as in Zhuangzi and early reclusive traditions. 'The wise' (daren) derives from Zuo Zhuan and the Daoist ideal of detachment. These classical allusions are seamlessly integrated, showing Cao Pi's deep learning and transcendent outlook.
此诗用典皆出经史，融化无迹。「尧任舜禹」用上古禅让治世之典：尧禅位舜，舜禅位禹，皆任贤而治，见《尚书·尧典》《舜典》「咨尔舜」「钦哉」之文，后世以「尧舜」为至治之代称。「百兽率舞，凤凰来仪」出《尚书·益稷》：「夔曰：予击石拊石，百兽率舞。庶尹允谐，舜作歌……箫韶九成，凤凰来仪。」谓舜时乐舞之盛，百兽皆舞、凤凰来仪，为至治之祥瑞，此处用之写至治之象。「杖策」谓持杖而行，表隐逸优游，汉魏游仙诗与招隐诗中习见，如《古诗十九首》「驱车策驽马，游戏宛与洛」近之。「达人」语本《左传·昭公七年》「圣达节，次守节，下失节」及《庄子》达观之旨，指通达事理之人。用典皆出经史，融化无迹，见文帝深厚学养与玄远襟怀。又「清歌微吟，筝人告歌」之「筝人」，即弹筝之乐工，汉魏宴饮多有乐工侑酒之事，《古诗十九首》「上有弦歌声，音响一何悲」即写宴饮闻歌之悲；曹丕以「清歌」「长笳」写宴乐之欢，而「悲吟慷慨」四字已露哀音，正见欢宴之中暗藏忧生之念。「杖策」又见于《庄子·让王》「原宪杖策而应门」之典，写隐者之清贫自守，曹丕取以写优游行乐，正是以隐者之具写达者之行，化用自然。全诗用典皆出经史子集，而融化无痕，足见文帝学养之富与驾驭典故之娴。
Commentary
The Yuefu Shiji quotes the original story but notes that Cao Pi's version 'only narrates Qiu Hu's official journey and separation, not the original plot.' Ming critic Hu Yinglin comments that Cao Pi's poems are 'gentle and graceful, with the air of a literatus.' Modern scholars see this piece as an example of yuefu transforming from narrative to lyrical and philosophical expression.
《乐府诗集》引《乐府解题》述秋胡本事，而评曹丕拟作「但叙秋胡游宦乖离，不及本事」——明其拟乐府而脱离本事，自出机杼。明人胡应麟《诗薮》谓文帝诗「便娟婉约，有文士气」，此诗雍容典雅中见玄思，正是「文士气」的体现。近人论曹丕诗，多许其「工于言情」「清绮有致」，此诗则于言情之外见玄思，尤为难得：作为帝王，能思及「年寿有时而尽，荣乐止乎其身」，其清醒与达观，正见建安文人「对酒当歌，人生几何」之思的延续。与曹操《短歌行》之慷慨、曹植《赠白马王彪》之悲郁相较，曹丕此诗更趋理性与哲思，为乐府由叙事向抒情说理过渡的例证，亦为魏晋玄学思潮在文学中的早期回响。又《秋胡行》本为写秋胡戏妻之乐府旧题，曹丕拟之而脱离本事，或颂古、或宴乐、或言理，正是文人拟乐府借题发挥的典型，郭茂倩《乐府诗集》收入《相和歌辞》，题「秋胡行」，注引《乐府解题》谓「但叙秋胡游宦乖离，不及本事」，正见其独创。近人萧涤非《汉魏六朝乐府文学史》评曹丕乐府「清绮婉约」，此诗则于清绮之外见玄思，尤为难得。又此诗与嵇康《秋胡行》并观，可见此题由叙事而抒情而说理的演变轨迹，亦见建安至正始文学思潮的转折，为研究乐府诗体演变与魏晋玄学兴起的重要文献。
Prosody
Line by line
尧任舜禹，当复何为？
Yao employed Shun and Yu, what else need be done? — Praising the effortless rule of sage kings.
尧任用舜与禹，还须再做些什么？
Yao employed Shun and Yu; what more need be done?
起句颂古，以问句出之，暗含对至治无为的向往。「尧任舜禹」写尧禅位于舜、舜禅位于禹，任贤而治，是上古至治的典范，见《尚书》禅让之典；「当复何为」以反问出之——尧既任舜禹，天下自治，还须再做些什么？一问之中，至治之境、无为之道尽显。此句之妙有三：一是以问起兴，开篇即设一问，引出全诗由颂古而宴乐而哲思的脉络；二是颂古之中寓玄思，「当复何为」之问，已含「至治无迹、垂拱而治」的道家理想，为后文「杖策行之」的达观张本；三是气象雍容，一问一答之间，上古圣王气象宛然，正见文帝典雅之笔。
The opening praises antiquity, in a question, holding the longing for perfect governance and non-action. Yao-employed-Shun-and-Yu writes Yao's abdication to Shun, Shun's to Yu, employing worthies to govern - the high antiquity perfect governance model, from the Book of Documents abdication allusion. What-more-need-be-done? asks in return: since Yao employed Shun and Yu, the world governs itself, what more need be done? In one question, perfect governance and non-action are fully shown. The line's beauty: first, starting with a question, opening with one question, leading the poem's thread from praising antiquity to banquet joy to philosophical thought. Second, praising antiquity holds metaphysical thought: what-more-need-be-done already contains the Daoist ideal of perfect governance leaving no trace, ruling with hands folded, preparing the later staff-in-hand-walk-on equanimity. Third, the bearing is dignified, between question and answer the ancient sage-kings' mien is vivid, showing Emperor Wen's elegant brush.
百兽率舞，凤凰来仪
The hundred beasts dance, the phoenix descends in grace. — Using the Book of Documents to evoke perfect governance.
百兽相率而舞，凤凰前来朝仪。
Hundred beasts lead the dance; the phoenix comes in its glory.
此句用《尚书》典写至治气象，雍容典重。「百兽率舞」出《尚书·益稷》「予击石拊石，百兽率舞」，写舜时乐舞之盛，百兽闻乐而舞；「凤凰来仪」出同篇「箫韶九成，凤凰来仪」，写凤凰闻韶乐而来朝。二句合用，写至治之世的祥瑞景象：音乐足以感物，百兽率舞、凤凰来仪，万物和谐，正是「尧任舜禹」之治的具体显现。此句之妙有三：一是用典之庄，以《尚书》至治之典写至治之境，典切题称；二是意象之盛，百兽与凤凰、舞与仪，一动一静，铺陈出太平气象，与建安乱世形成对照，暗含对治世的向往；三是承上启下，由颂古之祥瑞，转写宴乐之欢，为全诗由「古」入「今」的过渡。
This line uses the Book of Documents allusion for perfect governance's bearing, dignified and grave. Hundred-beasts-lead-the-dance comes from Book of Documents Yi Ji: I strike the stones, pat the stones, hundred beasts lead the dance, writing Shun's music and dance splendor, beasts dancing at music. The-phoenix-comes-in-its-glory comes from the same chapter: the Xiao Shao played nine times, the phoenix comes in glory, writing the phoenix coming at the Shao music. The two lines together write the perfect age's auspicious scene: music enough to move things, hundred beasts dancing, phoenix coming, all things in harmony - exactly the Yao-employed-Shun-and-Yu governance's concrete manifestation. The line's beauty: first, the allusion's gravity, using the Documents perfect-governance allusion for perfect-governance scene, allusion apt. Second, the imagery's splendor: hundred beasts and phoenix, dance and glory, one moving one still, laying out the peaceful age, set against the Jian'an troubled age, secretly longing for governance. Third, carrying up and leading down: from praising antiquity's auspiciousness, turning to banquet joy, the transition from ancient to present.
清歌微吟，筝人告歌
Clear songs and soft chants, the zheng player announces the tune. — Transitioning from governance to banquet music.
清歌低声吟唱，筝人报奏乐曲。
Clear songs softly chanted; the zither player announces the piece.
此句由治道转入宴乐，是全诗节奏的转折。「清歌微吟」写清越的歌声、低微的吟唱，一「清」一「微」，写宴乐初起之态，声情清雅而不喧腾；「筝人告歌」写筝人报奏乐曲，「筝人」指弹筝的乐工，「告歌」写其报曲将奏。此句之妙有三：一是写宴乐之始，由静入动，清歌微吟、筝声将起，宴饮之欢渐次展开，如见觥筹交错、丝竹初陈之景；二是与上句颂古相对，由治世之典转入眼前之乐，一古一今，一庄一雅，章法转捩自然；三是为下句「悲吟慷慨」蓄势——清歌微吟是宴乐之起，悲吟慷慨是宴乐之盛，由清雅而激昂，宴乐之欢层层推进，声情如闻。
This line moves from governance to banquet joy, the rhythm's turn. Clear-songs-softly-chanted writes clear singing and soft chanting; one clear one soft, writing the banquet's beginning, the sound-feeling elegant not clamorous. The-zither-player-announces-the-piece writes the zither player announcing the piece to be played. The line's beauty: first, writing the banquet's start, from still to motion, clear songs softly chanted, zither about to begin, the drinking joy unfolding, as if seeing cups crossing and strings newly laid. Second, set against the preceding ancient praise, from the governance allusion to the present pleasure, one ancient one present, one grave one elegant, the structural turn natural. Third, preparing the next line's sad-and-vehement chant: clear-songs-softly-chanted is the banquet's start, sad-and-vehement is its peak, from elegance to vehemence, the joy advancing layer by layer, sound as if heard.
年寿有时而尽，荣乐止乎其身
Sad chanting passionate, the long reed-pipe blows. — The music turns sorrowful and stirring.
年寿终有尽时，荣华欢乐只止于自身。
Years and life have their end; glory and joy stop with one's body.
此句是全篇枢机，由乐跌悲，点破人生有限。「年寿有时而尽」写寿命终有穷尽之时，「有时」二字冷静客观，道出生命之必然归宿；「荣乐止乎其身」写荣华欢乐只止于自身——荣乐不随生命延续，亦不能传之后人，「止乎其身」四字，将荣乐之短暂与局限一语道破。此句之妙有三：一是对仗之工，「年寿」对「荣乐」、「有时而尽」对「止乎其身」，工稳而冷峻，如判决之词；二是思理之深，身为帝王，深知权位荣华之虚幻，其清醒远超常人，正是建安文人「人生几何」之思的深化；三是转捩之力，前八句颂古宴乐之欢，至此骤然点破，由乐入悲，全诗之题旨由此揭出，为后文「杖策行之」的达观立论。
This line is the whole piece's pivot, from joy falling to grief, hitting life's limits. Years-and-life-have-their-end writes lifespan having its final time; have-their-time is calm and objective, speaking life's inevitable end. Glory-and-joy-stop-with-one's-body writes glory and joy ending with the body - glory and joy do not continue with life, nor pass to descendants; stop-with-one's-body breaks glory and joy's brevity and limits at one stroke. The line's beauty: first, parallel's refinement: years-life against glory-joy, have-their-end against stop-with-one's-body, steady and cold, like a judgment. Second, thought's depth: as emperor, he knows power and glory's unreality, his clarity far beyond ordinary men - exactly the Jian'an literati's life-how-much thought's deepening. Third, the turn's force: the preceding eight lines praise antiquity and banquet joy, here suddenly broken, from joy to grief, the theme revealed, preparing the later staff-in-hand-walk-on equanimity.
追念往古事，愦愦千万端
Both must come to an end, better to wander with a staff. — Advocating a carefree, detached life.
追念往古之事，昏乱纷杂千万头绪。
Recalling ancient affairs, confused by a thousand threads.
结句以虚无之叹收束，余味邈然。「追念往古事」写追思往古之事——尧舜之治、百兽率舞、凤凰来仪，以及历代兴亡，皆在追念之中；「愦愦千万端」写其昏乱纷杂、头绪千万，「愦愦」叠字写心思之昏乱，「千万端」写头绪之纷繁。此句之妙有三：一是以虚收实，全诗由颂古而宴乐而哲思，至此归结为一片虚无——往古之事，纷杂万千，终难究诘，不如杖策行之，超然物外；二是叠字之工，「愦愦」写尽追念古事时的迷惘昏乱，如乱丝千端，理之不清，正见其沉思之深；三是余韵之远，以「千万端」之纷乱收束，不说破、不点明，而虚无怅惘之感弥漫全篇，为魏晋玄言诗「以虚写实」的先声。
The closing line resolves in a void sigh, distant aftertaste. Recalling-ancient-affairs writes recalling antiquity - Yao and Shun's governance, hundred beasts dancing, phoenix coming, and dynasties' rise and fall, all in recollection. Confused-by-a-thousand-threads writes the confusion and thousand threads; confused is a reduplicative for the mind's chaos, thousand-threads for the threads' multitude. The line's beauty: first, closing the solid with the void: the poem from praising antiquity to banquet joy to thought, here condensed into void - ancient affairs, thousand-threaded, finally unsearchable, better to take the staff and walk on, detached from things. Second, the reduplicative's refinement: confused exhausts the bewilderment recalling antiquity, like a thousand tangled threads impossible to straighten, showing the deep thought. Third, the aftertaste's distance: closing with thousand-threads' confusion, not spelled out, not pointed, yet the void and wistfulness pervade, the precursor of Wei-Jin metaphysical poetry's using void to write solid.
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Both are yuefu by Cao Pi; 'Yan Ge Xing' depicts a wife's autumn longing, while 'Qiu Hu Song' expresses mystical detachment, both representing Cao Pi's versatility.
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