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汉 Han · 古诗 Ancient poem

东城高且长

East City Wall, High and Long

古诗十九首（无名氏）

Anonymous (Nineteen Old Poems)

宴饮/祝颂Feast/Celebration 隐逸/忧愤Seclusion/Worry

东城高且长，逶迤自相属。
回风动地起，秋草萋已绿。
四时更变化，岁暮一何速！
晨风怀苦心，蟋蟀伤局促。
荡涤放情志，何为自结束？
燕赵多佳人，美者颜如玉。
被服罗裳衣，当户理清曲。
音响一何悲！
弦急知柱促。
驰情整中带，沉吟聊踯躅。
思为双飞燕，衔泥巢君屋。

East city wall, high and long, winding and continuous.
Whirlwind rises from the earth, autumn grass lush yet green.
The four seasons change alternately; year's end comes so swift!
The dawn wind harbors a bitter heart; the cricket grieves at its cramped state.
Cleanse the heart, release emotions; why bind oneself?
Yan and Zhao abound with beauties, the fairest with face like jade.
They wear robes of silk gauze, by the door playing clear tunes.
How sorrowful the sound! Strings tense, pegs close.
Roused, I adjust my belt, lost in thought, hesitating.
I long to be the double-flying swallow, carrying mud to nest in your house.

Listen

Meaning

The poem laments the swift passage of time and the futility of restraint, then turns to a longing for connection symbolized by a beautiful woman and the wish to be a pair of swallows nesting together, expressing a deep yearning for companionship or ideal fulfillment.

东城高而且长，城墙曲折连绵相连。旋风卷地而起，秋草凄凄仍绿。四季更替变化，岁暮何其迅速！晨风鸟怀苦心，蟋蟀伤其局促。荡涤情怀放任情志，何必自我束缚？燕赵多佳人，最美的颜如玉。身穿罗裳，当户弹清曲。乐声何等悲！弦急知柱促。驰情整衣带，沉吟且踯躅。愿作双飞燕，衔泥筑巢在你屋。

Appreciation

One of the Nineteen Old Poems, composed in the late Eastern Han, a time of chaos and frustration for scholars. The first half depicts bleak autumn scenery and a call for freedom; the second half shifts to admiration for a Yan-Zhao beauty, suggesting a displaced scholar's longing for understanding or an ideal. The poem transitions from scene to philosophy to emotion, culminating in the poignant image of 'double-flying swallows.'

【白话串讲】 “东城高且长，逶迤自相属。回风动地起，秋草萋已绿”——东城又高又长。“四时更变化，岁暮一何速”——四季轮回，年岁太快。“燕赵多佳人，美者颜如玉”——燕赵多美人。“荡涤放情志，何为自结束”——不如放开自己。【意象与手法】诗前半以“东城高且长，逶迤自相属”起，继写“回风动地”“秋草萋已绿”“岁暮一何速”，以惨淡秋景与急遽时序兴起“荡涤放【情感与主旨】《东城高且长》为《古诗十九首》之一，约作于东汉末年【名句点睛】本诗为古诗鉴赏常见篇，考点：一、结构——秋景—旷达—慕情三层递转；二、用典——“晨风”“蟋蟀”暗引《诗经》

Background

This poem is one of the Nineteen Old Poems, written around the late Eastern Han. The era was turbulent, and wandering scholars were frustrated in their careers. Lines like 'whirlwind rises from the earth' and 'year's end comes so swift' hint at the pressure of time and unrealized ambitions. The first half depicts autumn and a carefree attitude; the second half turns to a beauty from Yan and Zhao, reflecting a tradition of literati expressing disappointment through longing for a beloved.

《东城高且长》为《古诗十九首》之一，是写人生短暂、及时行乐的诗。全诗：东城高且长，逶迤自相属；回风动地起，秋草萋已绿；四时更变化，岁暮一何速！晨风怀苦心，蟋蟀伤局促；荡涤放情志，何为自结束？燕赵多佳人，美者颜如玉；被服罗裳衣，当户理清曲；音响一何悲！弦急知柱促；驰情整中带，沉吟聊踯躅；思为双飞燕，衔泥巢君屋。全诗写岁月之速与及时行乐，是《古诗十九首》中写生命感慨的名篇。

Art

The poem opens with the high and winding city wall, then describes the whirlwind, autumn grass, and rapid seasonal change, leading to the liberating cry 'Why bind oneself?' It abruptly shifts to Yan-Zhao beauties, transitioning from scene to emotion. The music's sorrow and the final wish to be swallows create a tender, beautiful ending, unique among the Nineteen Old Poems.

《东城高且长》艺术上以景物的兴象与情感的转折见长。全诗结构分明：前段写岁暮之悲——“东城高且长，逶迤自相属”写东城之景，“回风动地起，秋草萋已绿”写秋风秋草，“四时更变化，岁暮一何速”写岁暮之速，“晨风怀苦心，蟋蟀伤局促”写晨风蟋蟀，“荡涤放情志，何为自结束”写放情之志；后段写及时行乐——“燕赵多佳人，美者颜如玉”写燕赵佳人，“被服罗裳衣，当户理清曲”写其理曲，“音响一何悲！弦急知柱促”写音响之悲，“驰情整中带，沉吟聊踯躅”写沉吟之态，“思为双飞燕，衔泥巢君屋”写双燕之愿。全诗由岁暮之悲转入及时行乐，正是《古诗十九首》写生命感慨的笔法。

Allusions

'Dawn wind' alludes to the bird in the Classic of Poetry (Mao #132), and 'cricket' hints at the poem 'Cricket' (Mao #114) about the passing year. 'Yan and Zhao' refer to ancient regions known for beauties. 'Face like jade' became a common metaphor. The 'double-flying swallows' image anticipated the later literary trope of swallows as symbols of love.

《东城高且长》用典在“晨风”“蟋蟀”“燕赵佳人”“双飞燕”。“晨风”写《诗经·秦风·晨风》之鸟名，写其怀忧；“蟋蟀”用《诗经·唐风·蟋蟀》之意，写岁暮之叹；“燕赵多佳人”写燕赵之地多美女；“双飞燕”写双宿双飞之燕。全诗以这些典故写岁暮之悲与及时行乐，用典自然而情致深婉，正是《古诗十九首》以典写情的笔法。

Commentary

Li Shan's commentary on the Wenxuan attributes it to 'old poems.' Liu Xie praised them as 'beautiful and sorrowful.' Zhang Yugu said the final line 'expresses an infatuated wish, tender and deep.'

《东城高且长》是《古诗十九首》之一，也是汉末古诗中写生命感慨、及时行乐的名篇。此诗写岁暮之速与及时行乐，向为论者称道。论者多赏其景物的兴象——“回风动地起，秋草萋已绿”写秋风秋草，岁暮之悲尽在景中；“四时更变化，岁暮一何速”写岁暮之速，更见其叹；末以“思为双飞燕，衔泥巢君屋”写行乐之愿，遂转悲为放。此诗由悲转放，正是《古诗十九首》写生命感慨的代表作。

Prosody

Form Ancient poem (five-character, Eastern Han literati poem)五言古诗

Rhyme shǔ, lǜ, sù, cù, shù, yù, qū, bēi, cù, zhú, wū (old rhyme group, level and oblique mixed)《东城高且长》为五言古诗，二十句，押平声韵。此诗用韵：属、绿、速、促、束、玉、曲、促、躅、屋（屋烛部），一韵到底，音节流转。

Tone pattern Five-character, not following yuefu pattern, literati poem五言古诗以音节舒缓、韵味深长见长。此诗前段写岁暮之悲，音节低回，如回风动地；后段写及时行乐，音节流转，如燕赵佳人。全诗一韵到底，声调与生命感慨的内容相合，是汉末古诗中感慨深沉的一路。

Reading note One of the Nineteen Old Poems, a mature five-character form, with three layers of scene, philosophy, and emotion.《东城高且长》为《古诗十九首》之一，是写人生短暂、及时行乐的诗。此诗前段以东城秋景写岁暮之悲，以“四时更变化，岁暮一何速”写岁月之速；后段转入及时行乐，以“荡涤放情志”写放情之志，以“思为双飞燕，衔泥巢君屋”写行乐之愿。由悲转放，正是《古诗十九首》写生命感慨的代表作。

Line by line

东城高且长，逶迤自相属。回风动地起，秋草萋已绿。

Eastward the city wall runs high and long, stretching on without end; whirlwinds rise and shake the earth, the autumn grass has grown thick and green.

东边的城墙又高又长，绵延相连。回旋的秋风动地而起，秋草萋萋已现绿色。

The east city wall runs high and long, stretching on without a break; whirlwinds rise and shake the ground, the autumn grass has grown thick and green.

首四句写东城秋景，是全诗岁暮之悲的起点。“东城高且长，逶迤自相属”写东城之景——“东城高且长”写东城墙高且长，“逶迤自相属”写绵延相连——东城高长，逶迤相接；“回风动地起，秋草萋已绿”写秋风秋草——“回风动地起”写回旋秋风动地而起，“秋草萋已绿”写秋草萋萋已现绿色——秋风动地，秋草萋绿。四句写东城秋景：东城高且长，逶迤自相属；回风动地起，秋草萋已绿。以“东城高且长”写登高望远之地，以“回风动地起，秋草萋已绿”写秋风秋草之象，正是《古诗十九首》以景写悲的笔法——秋景萧瑟，岁暮将至。

The nineteenth-old-poem opening is a climb. Eastward the city wall runs high and long, stretching on without end—the length of the wall measures the stretch of the gaze; then whirlwinds rise and shake the earth, and the autumn grass has grown thick and green. The paradox (autumn, yet green) is the poem's unease: the year is ending, and the grass is still lush. The high wall and the shaking wind set the autumn melancholy before any grief is named. To have described an autumn evening would be a scene; the unending wall and the wind-shaken green grass are the scene's foreboding.

四时更变化，岁暮一何速！晨风怀苦心，蟋蟀伤局促。

The four seasons change in their turn; how swiftly the year draws to its close! The morning-wind bird nurses a bitter heart; the cricket grieves that time is so cramped.

四时交替变化，岁暮何其迅速！晨风鸟怀着忧苦之心，蟋蟀感伤于时光局促。

The four seasons turn and change; how fast the year is ending! The lark grieves in its heart, the cricket sorrows at the shortness of time.

此四句写岁暮之速与物候之悲，是全诗生命感慨的核心。“四时更变化，岁暮一何速”写岁暮之速——“四时更变化”写四时交替，“岁暮一何速”写岁暮何其迅速——四时变化，岁暮太速；“晨风怀苦心，蟋蟀伤局促”写物候之悲——“晨风怀苦心”写晨风鸟怀忧苦之心，“蟋蟀伤局促”写蟋蟀感伤时光局促——晨风怀忧，蟋蟀伤时。四句写岁暮之速与物候之悲：四时更变化，岁暮一何速；晨风怀苦心，蟋蟀伤局促。以“岁暮一何速”写岁月之速，以“晨风怀苦心，蟋蟀伤局促”写物候之悲，正是《古诗十九首》写生命短暂的笔法——岁暮速而物候悲，人生何其短促。

Then the thought. The four seasons turn in their course; how fast the year draws to its close! The morning-wind bird nurses a bitter heart, and the cricket grieves that time is so cramped. The two creatures (the bird of the Book of Songs, the cricket of the same ode) are the poem's own anxieties projected: the bird grieves, the cricket feels trapped by time. The exclamation how swift is the poet's own. To have said the year was ending too fast would be a sigh; the grieving bird and the cricket cramped by time are the sigh.

荡涤放情志，何为自结束？燕赵多佳人，美者颜如玉。

Wash your heart clean and loose your desires; why bind yourself up? In Yan and Zhao there are many fair ladies, their faces like jade.

荡涤心怀、放任情志，为什么要自我束缚？燕赵之地多佳人，美丽的容颜如玉。

Wash your heart clean and let your feelings go free; why tie yourself up? Yan and Zhao are full of fair ladies, their faces bright as jade.

此四句由悲转放，是全诗写及时行乐的转折。“荡涤放情志，何为自结束”写放情之志——“荡涤”写洗荡，“放情志”写放任情志，“何为自结束”写为什么自我束缚——荡涤心怀、放任情志，何必自我束缚；“燕赵多佳人，美者颜如玉”写燕赵佳人——“燕赵多佳人”写燕赵之地多美女，“美者颜如玉”写其容颜如玉。四句写由悲转放：荡涤放情志，何为自结束；燕赵多佳人，美者颜如玉。以“荡涤放情志”写放情之志，以“燕赵多佳人，美者颜如玉”写行乐之由，正是《古诗十九首》写及时行乐的转折——岁月短促，何不放情行乐。

The turn is to recklessness. Wash your heart clean and loose your desires; why bind yourself up? Then: in Yan and Zhao there are many fair ladies, their faces like jade. The sudden urge to throw off restraint—the very question why bind myself—is the poem's argument with a life of duty. The fair ladies of Yan and Zhao are the promised reward for loosening the bonds. To have said one should enjoy life while one can would be a maxim; the unbinding question and the jade-faced ladies are the maxim's temptation.

思为双飞燕，衔泥巢君屋。

I long to be a pair of swallows, carrying mud to nest in your house.

想化作双飞的燕子，衔泥筑巢在您的屋上。

I would I were a pair of swallows, carrying mud to nest beneath your eaves.

末二句写双飞之愿，是全诗行乐之愿的归结。“思为双飞燕”写愿为双燕——“思为”写想化作，“双飞燕”写双宿双飞之燕；“衔泥巢君屋”写衔泥筑巢——“衔泥巢君屋”写衔泥筑巢于君之屋。两句写双飞之愿：思为双飞燕，衔泥巢君屋。以“双飞燕”写比翼双飞之愿，以“衔泥巢君屋”写相守之愿，正是《古诗十九首》写及时行乐的归结——愿与佳人，如双燕之相守。

The wish. I would I were a pair of swallows, carrying mud to nest beneath your eaves. The fantasy is small and concrete: not freedom in the abstract, but a swallows' nest under the beloved's roof. The poem's carpe diem ends in the homeliest domestic image. To have said I wished to be with you would be a wish; the two swallows carrying mud to your eaves are the wish.

Study

Word focus

逶迤 winding and continuous, describing the extended wall, hinting at endless melancholy. “逶迤自相属”之“逶迤”，写绵延曲折，是全诗写东城之景的关键词。“逶迤”写绵延曲折——东城逶迤，自相连接。这一词写东城之长：不是笔直之城，而是逶迤；不是短促之城，而是绵延相接。以“逶迤”写东城，正是《古诗十九首》以景起兴的笔法——东城逶迤，登高望远之地。

回风 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “回风动地起”之“回风”，写回旋之风，是全诗写秋风的关键词。“回”写回旋，“风”写秋风——回旋的秋风动地而起。这一词写秋风之象：不是寻常之风，而是回风；不是轻微之风，而是动地而起。以“回风动地起”写秋风，正是《古诗十九首》以景写悲的笔法——秋风动地，岁暮将至。

荡涤 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “荡涤放情志”之“荡涤”，写洗荡，是全诗写放情之志的关键词。“荡涤”写洗荡涤除——荡涤心怀，放任情志。这一词写放情之由：不是保留愁绪，而是荡涤；不是自我束缚，而是放情志。以“荡涤”写放情，正是《古诗十九首》写及时行乐的转折——荡涤愁怀，放任情志。

双飞燕 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “思为双飞燕”之“双飞燕”，写双宿双飞之燕，是全诗写行乐之愿的关键词。“双飞”写比翼双飞，“燕”写燕子——想化作双飞的燕子。这一词写行乐之愿：不是孤飞之燕，而是双飞；不是暂聚之人，而是相守之燕。以“双飞燕”写相守之愿，正是《古诗十九首》写及时行乐的归结——愿为双燕，衔泥相守。