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汉 Han · 乐府 Yuefu ballad

东门行

East Gate Song

汉乐府

Han Yuefu

民生People's life 讽喻Satire 忧愤Theme

出东门，不顾归。
来入门，怅欲悲。
盎中无斗米储，还视架上无悬衣。
拔剑东门去，舍中儿母牵衣啼：“他家但愿富贵，贱妾与君共哺糜。
上用仓浪天故，下当用此黄口儿。
今非！
”“咄！
行！
吾去为迟！
白发时下难久居。
”

Going out the east gate, not minded to return.
Coming back through the gate, filled with sorrow and grief.
In the crock there's not a peek of rice stored;
Turning around, on the rack no garment hangs.
Drawing his sword, he goes toward the east gate again;
His wife in the hut catches his robe and weeps:
"Other families only wish for wealth and rank,
Your humble wife would share thin gruel with you.
Above, for the blue sky's sake;
Below, for this yellow-mouthed child.
What you do now is wrong!"
"Tut! Let me go! I've been too late!
White hairs fall—it's hard to stay long."

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Meaning

This poem depicts a destitute man who, driven by extreme poverty and hopelessness, decides to leave his family and take desperate action, despite his wife's tearful pleas. It reflects the social reality of the Han dynasty where oppressive taxes and famine forced common people into rebellion.

走出东门，本已下定决心不再回头。可是终究又回到家中，进门一看，怅然欲悲。瓦瓮里没有一斗米的存粮，回头看衣架上也没有一件悬挂的衣服。于是拔剑又要出东门去，屋里的孩子母亲拉住他的衣角哭泣道：「别人家只愿富贵，我宁愿与您共喝稀粥。上要看苍天的缘故，下要看这黄口小儿，如今这样做不对啊！」丈夫喝道：「咄！走！我去得已经算迟了！白发时时脱落，这日子实在难以久居了！」

Appreciation

A masterpiece of Han folk poetry, this poem uses stark realism and vivid dialogue to portray a family on the brink of collapse. The tension between the husband's determination and the wife's entreaties creates a powerful dramatic effect, highlighting the theme of 'rebellion driven by oppression'.

【白话串讲】一个穷人家，米缸空了，衣架上也没衣服。丈夫拔出剑要出门闯，妻子拉住他哭。他吼：“咄！”——汉乐府里最绝望也最真实的一次家庭挣扎。【意象与手法】叙事结构简劲：以「出—入—再出」三次动作勾连全篇，节奏如戏剧。中间插入夫妻对话，妻语柔婉哀切，夫语短促决绝，声口毕肖。「咄！行！吾去为迟！」连用短句与感叹，情绪骤紧，极富舞台张力。全诗无一字评点，而民生之艰与官逼民反的必然尽在其中。【情感与主旨】《东门行》收入郭茂倩《乐府诗集·相和歌辞》。东汉中后期政治腐败、土地兼并剧烈，下层百姓「盎中无斗米储，架上无悬衣」者众。诗中丈夫由「不顾归」到「拔剑东门去」，正反映官逼民反的社会真实，是汉代乐府「感于哀乐，缘事而发」的现实主义代表作。【名句点睛】常考：①夫妻对话所揭示的社会矛盾与人物心理；②「咄！行！吾去为迟！」的句式特点与情感表达；③「盎中无斗米储，还视架上无悬衣」的白描手法。

Background

Collected in the 'Yuefu Poetry Anthology', this poem is believed to be a folk song from the Eastern Han dynasty. During that time, political corruption and land annexation led to extreme poverty among the lower classes, forcing many to take up arms. The poem realistically captures the moment when a poor man decides to abandon his family and resist.

《东门行》是汉代乐府民歌，收入郭茂倩《乐府诗集》卷三十七《相和歌辞·瑟调曲》。乐府本是汉代掌管音乐的官署，汉武帝时大规模采集民间歌谣，感于哀乐、缘事而发为汉乐府的创作传统，这些民歌多反映下层民众的生活与心声。《东门行》的具体作年已不可考，一般认为产生于东汉中后期。当时政治腐败，外戚宦官交替专权，豪强地主兼并土地，赋税徭役繁重，农民纷纷破产流亡，「盎中无斗米储，架上无悬衣」正是这种社会现实的真实写照。诗中主人公本是个安分守己的贫民，在无米无衣、走投无路的绝境下，终于拔剑出门、铤而走险——官逼民反的意味十分明显。此诗与《妇病行》《孤儿行》《平陵东》等同为汉乐府写民生疾苦的名篇，共同构成汉代饥者歌其食、劳者歌其事的现实主义诗歌传统，对后世杜甫三吏三别、白居易新乐府等现实主义创作影响深远。

Art

The narrative structure is concise and powerful: the three actions 'go out—come back—go out again' form the backbone. The dialogue between husband and wife is remarkably lifelike, with the wife's gentle, pleading tone contrasting sharply with the husband's short, abrupt exclamations. The use of short three- and five-character lines creates a sense of urgency, and the poem ends abruptly at the climax, leaving a lasting impact.

此诗叙事艺术极高，最突出的特点是「以动作勾连、以对话传神、以留白蓄势」。全诗以「出—入—再出」三次动作构成叙事骨架：开篇「出东门，不顾归」，一个「不顾」写尽丈夫初出门时的决绝，仿佛一去不回头；「来入门，怅欲悲」陡然转折，出门又折返，进门所见更令人悲从中来；「盎中无斗米储，还视架上无悬衣」，以「盎」「架」两个具体的家当写极贫之境，「还视」二字写其环顾四壁、绝望之态；「拔剑东门去」三字，剑是新的道具，由贫而怒、由怒而决，第二次出门与第一次判然有别。中间夫妻对话是全诗高潮：妻语柔婉哀切，以「他家但愿富贵，贱妾与君共哺糜」的低姿态挽留，以「上用仓浪天故，下当用此黄口儿」的双重理由劝阻；夫语则短促决绝，「咄！行！吾去为迟！白发时下难久居」连用命令式短句，如闻其声。全诗无一字评点，而人物心理、社会矛盾尽在对话与动作之中，戛然而止，余味无穷。

Allusions

'Canglang Sky' (仓浪天) is a poetic term for the blue sky, derived from the 'Mencius' song of the Canglang River. 'Yellow-mouthed child' (黄口儿) originally referred to a young bird with a yellow beak, metaphorically meaning an infant or young child. These terms are common folk expressions, yet they add depth by invoking heaven and family as dual constraints on the husband's decision.

此诗用典极淡，而语言皆有民间渊源。「仓浪天」即苍天，「仓浪」为叠韵联绵词，本于《孟子·离娄》「沧浪之水清兮，可以濯我缨；沧浪之水浊兮，可以濯我足」的「沧浪」之声，借指苍天，含指天发誓之意，是汉代民间语。「黄口儿」指幼子，古以「黄口」称雏鸟，雏鸟口黄未褪，故转指小儿，《淮南子》「古之伐国，不杀黄口」已用之，此处以「黄口儿」写幼儿的弱小无辜，极见母性之悲悯。「哺糜」之「糜」即粥，妻以「共哺糜」写最卑微的生存愿望——只要一起喝粥活下去就行，反衬家境之赤贫。「盎」为瓦瓮，「斗米」为量词，皆民间常语。诗中「顾」「还视」「牵衣」「啼」等动词，都是汉代口语中的寻常字眼，而组合起来却极具戏剧张力。此诗不用一个僻典，而以民间口语写民间悲欢，正是汉乐府质而不俚、浅而能深的特色——以天、儿两层约束写尽丈夫去留两难的处境，入木三分。「白发时下难久居」之「时下」，意为时时脱落，写忧煎之深、岁月之迫；「难久居」三字直白如话，而绝望之情溢于言表，正是汉乐府以常语写真情的本色，无一丝文人雕琢之气。

Commentary

The 'Yuefu Jieti' commentary says: 'The East Gate Song is an old poem, about a man who goes out the east gate and does not think of returning... it describes a scholar who cannot bear his poverty.' Ming scholar Hu Yinglin praised Han yuefu for being 'plain but not vulgar, shallow yet profound'. Modern scholar Yu Guanying called it 'a realistic masterpiece of Han poetry that portrays the anger and resistance of the oppressed'.

历代对此诗评价甚高。《乐府解题》曰：「《东门行》，古词也，出东门，不顾归……言士有贫不安其居者。」点明此诗写贫士不安于贫的主题。明人胡应麟《诗薮》称汉乐府「质而不俚，浅而能深，近而能远」，此诗正是典范——语言质朴而情感深挚，写的是眼前琐事而反映的是时代痼疾。清人沈德潜《古诗源》录此诗，谓汉乐府「善道人意中事」，此诗夫妻对话之真切，正是道人意中事的极致。近人余冠英《乐府诗选》评此篇：「写出被迫害者的愤怒与反抗，是汉代诗歌中的现实主义杰作。」萧涤非《汉魏六朝乐府文学史》亦以《东门行》为汉乐府饥寒之诗的代表，与《妇病行》《孤儿行》并称。现代学者尤重其官逼民反的社会意义，认为诗中丈夫的铤而走险不是个人的堕落，而是制度性的压迫所致。此诗在艺术上开了中国叙事诗对话写人的先河，对后世杜甫《石壕吏》的对话叙事、白居易《卖炭翁》的白描手法均有直接影响，是汉乐府中思想性与艺术性兼善的杰作。

Prosody

Form Han yuefu mixed-line (Xianghe Songs - Se Tune)汉乐府杂言（相和歌辞·瑟调曲）

Rhyme End rhymes include gui, bei, yi, ti, mi, er, fei, chi, ju etc., with irregular pattern, typical of yuefu songs.归、悲、衣、啼、糜、儿、非、迟、居等参差错押，乐府歌辞不拘严韵

Tone pattern Not ascertainable (yuefu followed music, did not strictly observe tonal patterns)歌辞依乐而定，不究平仄；三、五、七言杂用

Reading note Lines of three, five, and seven characters intermixed, short and urgent, suitable for singing and narrative.《东门行》属汉乐府相和歌辞瑟调曲，为杂言体，句式长短错落：三言（出东门，不顾归）、五言（来入门，怅欲悲）、七言（盎中无斗米储，还视架上无悬衣）杂用，正配合叙事节奏的起伏——三言短句写急促的动作（出、入、拔剑），五言写情绪的转折，七言写家境的铺陈，句式与内容高度统一。全诗押韵较宽，归、悲、衣、啼、糜、儿、非、迟、居等字参差错押，不拘平仄，正是乐府民歌感于哀乐、缘事而发的自由体制。这种杂言体源于先秦民歌与楚歌，至汉乐府而大盛，为后世歌行（如李白《将进酒》）奠定了句式基础。《东门行》的用韵与句式都服务于叙事与抒情：对话部分以句式长短区别声口，妻语绵长哀切，夫语短促决绝，音乐性与戏剧性高度统一，是汉乐府杂言叙事诗的典范之作。

Line by line

出东门，不顾归

Leaving the east gate, not intending to return – the poem opens with a decisive escape, using short three-character lines to convey anger and suspense.

走出东门，本已决意不再回头。

He goes out the east gate, resolved not to look back.

开篇三言短句，写丈夫离家出走，一个「不顾」写尽其决绝之态。「顾」本义为回头看，「不顾归」即不回头、不念归家，三字蓄满绝望与愤慨——他并非薄情之人，而是被生活逼到绝路，才不得不弃家出走。若细味「不顾」二字，则知其内心并非毫无牵挂，正因为牵挂太深、痛苦太甚，才强迫自己不回头。「出东门」点明出走的方向，「东门」为城市东向之门，出东门即离城而去，暗示其离开的不仅是家，更是整个无法生存的境遇。全诗以决绝起笔，随即「来入门」的折返形成强烈反差，为全篇的戏剧性张本，三言短句的节奏亦如急促的脚步声，先声夺人。

The folk drama opens mid-flight. He goes out the east gate, resolved not to look back. The resolved-not-to-look-back is the whole situation: he is leaving home out of desperation, and the not-looking is forced on him. The terse three-character line is the stride out the gate. To have said the husband left angrily would be a summary; the not-looking-back out the east gate is the anger.

盎中无斗米储，还视架上无悬衣

In the jar no peck of rice, on the rack no garment – these concrete details depict extreme poverty, setting the stage for the man's departure.

瓦瓮里没有一斗米的存粮，回头看衣架上也没有一件悬挂的衣服。

No peck of rice is stored in the jar; looking back, no garment hangs on the rack.

此二句是全诗写贫的顶点，纯用白描，无一字评点而极贫之境毕现。「盎」为盛米的瓦瓮，「斗米」言其少，连一斗米的存粮都没有；「架上无悬衣」写衣架上连一件挂着的衣服都没有，食无米、衣无衣，一食一衣，皆是生存的底线，而两条底线同时被突破。「还视」二字尤妙：回头环顾，目光从瓮到架，从食到衣，一寸寸扫过空荡荡的家，绝望之态如在目前。两句以「无……无……」的对举句式写双重匮乏，节奏沉重，与下文「拔剑东门去」的决绝形成因果——正是这赤贫的家，逼出了丈夫的铤而走险。

The cause, in two bare nouns. No peck of rice in the jar; looking back, no garment on the rack. The looking-back is the camera: his eyes sweep the empty room, from food rack to clothes rack, finding nothing. The double absence (no rice, no clothes) is the poverty in plain objects. To have said the family was starving and ragged would be a complaint; the empty jar and the bare rack are the poverty.

拔剑东门去

Drawing his sword, he goes to the east gate – the word 'sword' marks the shift from poverty to anger, from grief to rebellion.

拔剑又要出东门而去。

He draws his sword and goes out the east gate.

五字写丈夫的第二次出走，是全诗情节的转折点。「拔剑」二字新增了道具——第一次出门是空手而去，这一次是拔剑而去，剑的出现意味着由忍到怒、由怒到抗的质变：他已决定不再忍受饥饿，而要用剑去争一条生路。「东门」与前文「出东门」呼应，表明走的仍是那条路，而心情已截然不同——前次是负气出走，此次是决绝反抗。「去」字斩钉截铁，与开篇「不顾归」遥相呼应，暗示这一次是真的不再回来了。五字短句，节奏急促，如剑出鞘般干脆利落，为下文的夫妻冲突蓄满张力，是叙事诗于转折处见功力的典范。

The second exit. He draws his sword and goes out the east gate. The sword is the new fact: the first exit was empty-handed; this one is armed. The return to the same gate shows it is the same escape route, now decided. To have said he left with a weapon would be a fact; the drawn sword at the east gate is the decision.

他家但愿富贵，贱妾与君共哺糜

Drawing his sword, he goes to the east gate – the word 'sword' marks the shift from poverty to anger, from grief to rebellion.

别人家只愿富贵，我宁愿与您一起喝稀粥。

Let other homes seek wealth; I, your wife, would share thin gruel with you.

此为妻子劝夫的第一句话，柔婉哀切，声口毕肖。「他家但愿富贵」先退一步，承认富贵是人之常情——别人家求富贵，那是别人的事；「贱妾与君共哺糜」再进一步，表明自己的立场：我不求富贵，只愿与你共喝稀粥，生死相守。「共哺糜」三字是全句的泪点——「糜」是稀粥，是最卑微的食物，「共哺糜」即分享一碗稀粥，将生存的愿望降到最低，正因所求如此之低而仍不可得，愈见其悲。一个「共」字写尽患难夫妻的深情，妻子不慕荣华、只求相守的品格跃然纸上。以妻子的柔情反衬丈夫的悲愤，一软一硬，对话的张力由此而生。

The wife's plea. Let other homes seek wealth; I, your wife, would share thin gruel with you. The thin gruel is the whole offer: she asks nothing but the bowl of poorest porridge, together. The contrast with the husband's desperation is the dialogue's heart. To have said she would live with him in poverty would be devotion; the shared thin gruel is the devotion.

咄！行！吾去为迟！白发时下难久居

Go on then! Off I go, and even now I am too late! My white hairs are falling; I cannot live this life much longer.

咄！走！我去得已经算迟了！白发时时脱落，这日子实在难以久居了。

Out of the way! Go! I am leaving, and I am already too late! White hairs are falling; this life cannot be endured much longer.

此为丈夫的答语，是全诗情感的高潮。「咄」为呵斥之声，单字如雷，打断妻子的哭劝；「行」字斩钉截铁，命令自己立即行动；「吾去为迟」四字写其决绝中的自伤——他并非不知家中的艰难，而是深知这样的日子多熬一天都是折磨，所以「去」不是自私，而是被逼无奈下的最后选择。「白发时下难久居」七字写尽绝望：白发时时脱落，说明忧煎之深、岁月之迫，这样的日子实在难以继续。全句连用短句与感叹，节奏急促，如争吵之声在耳，戛然而止，留给读者无限想象——丈夫此去，是死是生？诗以最激烈的对话收束，而悲剧意味愈见深长，是汉乐府以对话写冲突的极致。

The husband's answer, and the play's cliffhanger. Out of the way! Go! I am leaving, and even now I am too late! White hairs are falling; this life cannot be endured much longer. The interjections are shouted; the falling white hair is the proof of wasted years. The poem ends on his exit, and we never know what he does. To have said he rushed out in despair would be a report; the shouted go and the falling white hairs are the despair.

Study

Word focus

不顾 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「出东门，不顾归」之「不顾」，意为不回头、不眷顾，是全诗写丈夫决绝心理的第一个关键动词。「顾」本义为回头看，引申为顾念、眷恋，前面着一「不」字，则写其强迫自己不再回头——他不是没有牵挂，而是牵挂愈深、痛苦愈甚，才愈要「不顾」。这一「不顾」为后文埋下伏笔：正因心中尚有牵挂，他才会「来入门」折返；而折返之后所见更令人绝望，遂有「拔剑东门去」的第二次出走。从「不顾」到「还视」（顾看架上）再到拔剑不顾而去，一个「顾」字在全诗中反复出现而意义三变，写尽丈夫从决绝到犹疑再到决绝的心理历程，炼字之精，叹为观止。

咄 An exclamation of reprimand, a single word like thunder, fully revealing the husband's resolute, driven-to-rebellion state. 「咄！行！吾去为迟！」之「咄」，是汉代口语中的呵斥声，单字成句，如雷贯耳，是全诗最有力的一个字。「咄」字写出丈夫在妻子哭劝之下的反应：不是软化，而是更加决绝——他深知妻子的劝阻出于深情，但他更清楚这样的日子无法继续，唯有以粗暴的呵斥打断柔情的挽留。「咄」字用在这里，有斩断儿女情长的决绝，有对命运不甘的怒吼，也有对自身处境的悲愤。一字而数情并见，正是汉乐府质而不俚的语言特色——寻常口语，入诗而自有千钧之力。与下文「行」「去为迟」连用，三个短句一气呵成，将矛盾推向高潮，此后戛然而止，余响不绝。

哺糜 'Mi' refers to gruel; the wife uses the humblest wish to survive to dissuade her husband, heightening the depth of their plight. 「贱妾与君共哺糜」之「哺糜」，意为喝稀粥，「哺」为食、喂，「糜」为粥，二字写最卑微的生存愿望。汉代以「糜」为日常主食中较稀薄者，「哺糜」连用，极言其简陋——连干饭都谈不上，只有稀粥。妻子以此相劝，正见其深情：我不求你富贵，不求你争气，只求你留下，一起喝稀粥活下去。「共哺糜」三字是全诗最温柔也最悲凉的一笔——所求低到尘埃里，而连这最低的愿望都难以实现，因为家中「盎中无斗米储」，连粥也煮不出来了。以最朴素的字眼写最深刻的悲哀，正是汉乐府本色，此二字可抵千言。

东门行