汉 Han · 乐府 Yuefu ballad
孔雀东南飞（节选）
The Peacock Flies Southeast (Excerpt)
孔雀东南飞，五里一徘徊。
十三能织素，十四学裁衣，十五弹箜篌，十六诵诗书。
十七为君妇，心中常苦悲。
君既为府吏，守节情不移。
鸡鸣入机织，夜夜不得息。
三日断五匹，大人故嫌迟。
非为织作迟，君家妇难为。
妾不堪驱使，徒留无所施。
便可白公姥，及时相遣归。
府吏得闻之，堂上启阿母：儿已薄禄相，幸复得此妇。
结发同枕席，黄泉共为友。
共事二三年，始尔未为久。
女行无偏斜，何意致不厚。
阿母谓府吏：何乃太区区。
此妇无礼节，举动自专由。
吾意久怀忿，汝岂得自由。
东家有贤女，自名秦罗敷。
可怜体无比，阿母为汝求。
便可速遣之，遣去慎莫留。
十三能织素，十四学裁衣，
十五弹箜篌，十六诵诗书。
十七为君妇，心中常苦悲。
君既为府吏，守节情不移。
鸡鸣入机织，夜夜不得息。
三日断五匹，大人故嫌迟。
非为织作迟，君家妇难为。
妾不堪驱使，徒留无所施。
便可白公姥，及时相遣归。
府吏得闻之，堂上启阿母：
儿已薄禄相，幸复得此妇。
结发同枕席，黄泉共为友。
共事二三年，始尔未为久。
女行无偏斜，何意致不厚。
阿母谓府吏：何乃太区区。
此妇无礼节，举动自专由。
吾意久怀忿，汝岂得自由。
东家有贤女，自名秦罗敷。
可怜体无比，阿母为汝求。
便可速遣之，遣去慎莫留。
Meaning
A virtuous young woman, married into a harsh household, is forced to return to her family by her mother-in-law despite her husband's defense. The excerpt sets up the conflict leading to the tragic separation.
孔雀向东南飞去，每飞五里便徘徊不前。兰芝十三能织白绢，十四学裁衣，十五弹箜篌，十六诵诗书；十七嫁作你的妻，心中却常含悲苦。你既在府中当小吏，我守节情意不移；鸡鸣就上机织布，夜夜不得休息，三日织成五匹，婆婆却故意嫌我迟缓。并非织得慢，实是做你家的媳妇太难。我既受不住使唤，空留也无用，便可禀告公婆，及早休我回家。府吏听罢，上堂启禀母亲：儿命薄福浅，幸得此妻；结发同枕、黄泉为友，共事才二三年并不算久，她行为并无偏斜，为何待她刻薄？母亲斥道：你太愚执！此妇无礼，举动专断，我久怀恼怒，岂容你自由。东家有个贤女名叫秦罗敷，模样无人能比，我替你求娶，快些打发她走，切莫再留。
Appreciation
The opening employs a peacock flying southeast, pausing every five li, as a symbol of reluctant departure. Through Lanzhi's self-narrative, her skills and suffering are enumerated, while the dialogue between the husband and mother reveals the family conflict. The excerpt showcases the oppression of feudal patriarchy and Lanzhi's dignity.
【白话串讲】 焦仲卿和刘兰芝被生生拆散，一个投水，一个自缢，死后化作鸳鸯。这是中国文学史上第一首长篇叙事诗，也是最早的爱情悲剧。 【意象与手法】 诗以「孔雀东南飞，五里一徘徊」起兴，鸟之徘徊暗喻主人翁不忍离别，兴象悲婉。叙事善用对话推进，兰芝请遣、仲卿辩母、焦母逼子三段对话，各见性格：兰芝刚烈、仲卿懦善、焦母专断。兰芝自陈「十三能织素」至「十七为君妇」以排比铺叙其才德，与后文「大人故嫌迟」形成强烈反差，凸显悲剧之不公。 【情感与主旨】 《孔雀东南飞》最早见于《玉台新咏》，题作「古诗为焦仲卿妻作」，并注「汉末建安中」事，是汉末建安年间基于真人真事的民间叙事诗，经乐府采集传唱，与《木兰诗》并称「乐府双璧」。诗写刘兰芝、焦仲卿的爱情悲剧，控诉封建家长制与门第观念对青年婚姻的戕害。 【名句点睛】 考点含文学常识（《孔雀东南飞》为汉乐府最长叙事诗、与《木兰诗》并称「乐府双璧」）、起兴手法（孔雀起兴的作用）及人物形象分析（兰芝之刚烈、仲卿之懦善、焦母之专断）。
Background
The poem is first recorded in 'New Songs from the Jade Terrace' as 'An Ancient Poem for the Wife of Jiao Zhongqing', based on a true story from the Jian'an era (late Han). It reflects the tragedy of forced marriage separation under clan authority. Along with 'Mulan', it is called the 'Twin Jewels of Yuefu'.
《孔雀东南飞》最早见于南朝陈徐陵所编《玉台新咏》，题作《古诗为焦仲卿妻作》，并注「汉末建安中」事，是汉末建安年间基于真人真事的民间叙事诗，经乐府采集传唱，与《木兰诗》并称「乐府双璧」，是中国古代最长的叙事诗。诗叙庐江府小吏焦仲卿之妻刘兰芝，贤淑勤劳，却因焦母不容而被遣归；归家后兄长逼其再嫁，兰芝投水自尽，仲卿亦自缢殉情。此诗所写为汉末社会普遍存在的婚姻悲剧：当时门第观念森严，家长权威至高无上，青年男女的婚姻完全由父母包办，兰芝「无礼节」「自专由」的罪名，实则是她不肯屈从、保有尊严的「罪状」。诗在民间流传数百年，凝聚了百姓对美好爱情的向往与对封建礼教的控诉，是乐府叙事诗「感于哀乐，缘事而发」传统的巅峰之作。诗中所写庐江府即今安徽潜山一带，汉末此地属扬州，战乱频仍、礼法森严。兰芝、仲卿的悲剧并非孤例，而是当时无数青年男女在家长包办婚姻下无法自主的缩影，故诗在民间流传极广，至南朝始被徐陵收入《玉台新咏》，历时数百年而愈传愈盛。
Art
The poem begins with the peacock image, setting a mournful tone through its lingering flight. It uses dialogue-driven narrative: Lanzhi's request to leave, Jiao's plea, and the mother's rebuke each reveal character. Parallel structure ('thirteen... fourteen...') contrasts Lanzhi's virtue with her mother-in-law's hostility.
诗以「孔雀东南飞，五里一徘徊」起兴，鸟之徘徊暗喻主人翁不忍离别，兴象悲婉，开篇即定全诗悲剧基调。叙事善用对话推进情节，节选部分即有三段精彩对话：兰芝请遣，自陈「十三能织素，十四学裁衣」至「十七为君妇」，以排比铺叙其才德，「鸡鸣入机织，夜夜不得息」「三日断五匹」写其勤苦，而「大人故嫌迟」写其受屈，才德之盛与遭遇之冤形成强烈反差，凸显悲剧之不公；仲卿辩母，「结发同枕席，黄泉共为友」写夫妻情深，「女行无偏斜，何意致不厚」以理相诤，见其懦善而重情；焦母逼子，「何乃太区区」「此妇无礼节」「汝岂得自由」连用呵斥，见其专断暴戾。三段对话，兰芝刚烈清醒、仲卿懦弱深情、焦母专制冷酷，性格全出。全诗以赋法铺排、以对话立人，章法如戏剧，是乐府叙事诗的高峰。全诗以「遣归—殉情—合葬」为线索，节选部分虽止于「遣去慎莫留」，而兰芝之刚烈、仲卿之深情、焦母之专断已和盘托出，冲突一触即发，正是长篇叙事诗「于开端处见全豹」的笔力所在。
Allusions
'Binding the hair' refers to marriage, where spouses tie their hair together symbolizing lifelong union. 'Yellow Springs' is the afterlife, showing eternal commitment. The name 'Qin Luofu' references the chaste heroine from 'Mulberry on the Lane', ironically used by the mother-in-law to pressure her son, highlighting the injustice.
「结发同枕席」之「结发」指成婚，古俗新婚时男女各取一绺头发相结，喻结为夫妻，故「结发夫妻」为原配之意；「黄泉共为友」言至死不离，共赴黄泉，为后文殉情埋下伏笔。「秦罗敷」本为《陌上桑》中坚贞美女之名——罗敷采桑陌上，拒绝使君调戏，是汉乐府中贞洁自守的女性典型；此处焦母随口举为「东家贤女」，以为仲卿另娶的人选，恰成反讽：罗敷本是坚贞烈女，焦母却拿她当寻常「贤女」荐与新夫，愈见其对兰芝的刻薄与对贞节的轻慢，也暗讽其择媳标准之荒谬。「孔雀东南飞」以鸟起兴，承《诗经》「关关雎鸠，在河之洲」的兴体传统，而鸟之徘徊更具悲剧意味。全诗用典多化于民间语境，正见乐府诗「缘事而发」的本色。「鸡鸣入机织」承《诗经》「鸡既鸣矣」的起兴传统，以鸡鸣写勤苦；「三日断五匹」之「断」为截断布匹，是织布工序的写实，见出乐府诗纪实的特点。全诗以民间习俗、家常细节入诗，不事雕琢而真切动人，正合乐府「感于哀乐，缘事而发」的本色。
Commentary
Wang Shizhen of Ming said the poem is 'plain yet ornate, varied yet orderly'. Shen Deqian of Qing called it 'the longest ancient poem with 1700+ characters'. Modern critics see Lanzhi as a prototype of the dignified female figure resisting oppression, influencing later works like 'The Peony Pavilion' and 'Dream of the Red Chamber'.
明人王世贞《艺苑卮言》称《孔雀东南飞》「质而能丽，乱而能整」，赞其质朴与华美兼得、错落与整饬并存；清人沈德潜《古诗源》评其「共一千七百余字，古今第一首长诗也」，又谓「杂述十数人口中语，而各肖其声音面目」，极赞其对话艺术。此诗在文学史上的地位极高：它是中国叙事诗成熟的标志，以完整的情节、鲜明的人物、个性化的对话奠定了后世叙事诗的基础；兰芝的形象更是开中国文学「反抗压迫、坚守节操」女性典型之先河，其刚烈自尊的性格影响了后世无数文学形象。今人读此诗，既能感受汉末社会婚姻悲剧的深重，亦能体会百姓对忠贞爱情的赞美。节选部分虽仅及「遣归」之因，而悲剧的根源——婆媳矛盾、家长专断、门第观念——已和盘托出，是全诗最见功力的部分。文学史上，兰芝形象与《陌上桑》罗敷、《诗经》弃妇并立，而兰芝之自觉反抗更进一层：她不只悲叹命运，更以行动争取尊严，其「举身赴清池」的殉情，是控诉，也是抗争。此诗因此成为中国古典文学中女性觉醒意识最早的丰碑之一。
Prosody
Line by line
孔雀东南飞，五里一徘徊。
A peacock flies southeast, pausing every five li. It uses the bird's hesitance to imply Lanzhi's reluctance to leave, setting the tragic tone.
孔雀向东南飞去，每飞五里便徘徊不前。
The peacock flies southeast; every five li it pauses and hovers.
开篇以孔雀起兴，是全诗著名的发端。「孔雀东南飞」写孔雀向东南飞去，「五里一徘徊」写其飞不多远便徘徊不前，依依不舍。此二句兴中有比：孔雀之徘徊，暗喻主人翁不忍离别——兰芝被迫归家，正如孔雀被迫离去，飞而徘徊，正是欲去还留、牵肠挂肚的写照。以鸟的习性起兴，承《诗经》兴体传统，而鸟之徘徊比「关关雎鸠」更具悲剧色彩，开篇即定全诗凄婉基调。此起兴手法既写实（孔雀确有顾恋之性）又写情（暗喻人物不忍分离），物我交融，是乐府诗起兴的典范，为后文兰芝与仲卿的生离死别作了情感铺垫，也是「孔雀东南飞」成为全诗代称的原因。
The peacock's flight. The peacock flies southeast; every five li it pauses and hovers. The bird's reluctance is the couple's: the peacock, forced to leave, keeps looking back. The opening image will return at the lovers' double death. To have opened with a bird flying would be a beginning; the peacock pausing every five li is the beginning's grief.
十三能织素，十四学裁衣， 十五弹箜篌，十六诵诗书。 十七为君妇，心中常苦悲。
At thirteen she could weave white silk; at fourteen she learned to cut garments; at fifteen she played the konghou harp; at sixteen she chanted the Books of Odes and Documents. At seventeen she became your wife, yet her heart is always heavy with grief.
兰芝十三能织白绢，十四学裁衣，十五弹箜篌，十六诵诗书；十七嫁作你的妻，心中却常含悲苦。
At thirteen she could weave white silk; at fourteen she learned tailoring; at fifteen she played the konghou; at sixteen she recited the Odes and Documents. At seventeen she became your wife, yet her heart was always sorrowful.
此段以排比铺叙兰芝的才德，是全诗人物描写的名笔。「十三能织素，十四学裁衣，十五弹箜篌，十六诵诗书」以年龄为序，层层铺写兰芝自幼聪慧多能：织素、裁衣见其女工之精，弹箜篌见其才艺之雅，诵诗书见其教养之深，一个才德兼备、心灵手巧的少女形象跃然纸上。「十七为君妇」一顿，转入「心中常苦悲」，才德愈高而境遇愈苦，形成强烈反差。此段以排比写才，以「苦悲」写遇，先扬后抑，为下文「三日断五匹，大人故嫌迟」的冤屈蓄势：如此贤妇竟遭遣归，悲剧之不公于此立见。兰芝自陈身世，语带骄傲亦带悲凉，是乐府诗以铺叙立人的典范。
The catalog of accomplishments. At thirteen she could weave white silk; at fourteen she learned tailoring; at fifteen she played the harp; at sixteen she recited the classics; at seventeen she became your wife, yet her heart is always heavy. The years build the portrait: skilled, cultivated, and already grieving. The higher her attainments, the more unjust the coming dismissal. To have described a talented girl would be a catalog; the talents ending in the always-sorrowful heart are the catalog.
鸡鸣入机织，夜夜不得息。 三日断五匹，大人故嫌迟。
At cockcrow she goes to the loom; night after night she knows no rest. In three days she finishes five bolts, yet her mother-in-law deliberately calls her slow.
鸡鸣就上机织布，夜夜不得休息，三日织成五匹，婆婆却故意嫌我迟缓。
At cockcrow she sat at the loom, night after night without rest; in three days she wove five bolts, yet the mother-in-law deliberately complained she was slow.
此段写兰芝之勤与焦母之苛，是矛盾的集中爆发。「鸡鸣入机织，夜夜不得息」写其起早贪黑、昼夜劳作，鸡一叫就上机织布，夜夜不得休息，勤苦至极；「三日断五匹」写其织艺之精，「断」指织成、截断布匹，三日织五匹，工效极高；「大人故嫌迟」陡然一转，如此勤苦精进，婆婆却「故」意嫌她织得慢。「故」字是全句之眼，点明焦母并非真嫌迟，而是故意刁难、蓄意排挤，矛盾根源由此揭出。以「夜夜不得息」「三日断五匹」的勤苦精进，反衬「故嫌迟」的无理苛责，一正一反，兰芝之冤、焦母之苛俱见，是全诗「以实写虚」、揭示悲剧根源的关键段落。
The labor and the complaint. At cockcrow she sits at the loom, night after night without rest; in three days she weaves five bolts, yet the mother-in-law deliberately complains she is slow. The deliberately is the whole conflict: the work is prodigious, the complaint is manufactured. The exact counts (five bolts in three days) make the grievance concrete. To have said she worked hard and her mother-in-law was unreasonable would be a summary; the cockcrow loom and the deliberate complaint despite five bolts are the summary.
非为织作迟，君家妇难为。 妾不堪驱使，徒留无所施。 便可白公姥，及时相遣归。
It is not that my weaving is slow; a wife in your house is too hard to be. I cannot bear your errands; staying on is useless. You may tell the mother-in-law now, and send me home in good time.
并非织得慢，实是做你家的媳妇太难；我既受不住使唤，空留也无用，便可禀告公婆，及早休我回家。
It is not that my weaving is slow; being a wife in your house is too hard. I cannot bear the errands; staying on is pointless. You may tell the mother-in-law now to send me home in good time.
此段是兰芝自请遣归的宣言，最能见其性格。「非为织作迟，君家妇难为」先辩后叹：不是织得慢，而是你家的媳妇实在难做，一句道破矛盾本质，也暗含对焦母刁难的清醒认识；「妾不堪驱使，徒留无所施」写其决绝之由：既受不住使唤，留下也无处施展，与其受辱，不如自去；「便可白公姥，及时相遣归」干脆请婆婆休弃自己，主动要求遣归。兰芝不哭不求，而以清醒的认知与决绝的姿态自请出局，正是她刚烈自尊性格的集中体现——她宁可主动离开，也不愿屈辱留下。「非为」「难为」「不堪」「无所施」连用，语气坚定，一个不卑不亢、有骨气的女性形象跃然纸上，是乐府诗中女性自觉意识的闪光。
The proud request. It is not that my weaving is slow; being a wife in your house is too hard. I cannot bear the errands; staying on is pointless. Tell the mother-in-law now, and send me home in good time. She does not weep or beg; she asks to be dismissed. The self-assertion is her character. To have said she asked to leave would be a fact; the honest account of the impossible job and the timely request to be sent home are the character.
结发同枕席，黄泉共为友。 共事二三年，始尔未为久。 女行无偏斜，何意致不厚。
Our hair was bound, we share the pillow; to the yellow springs we shall be comrades. We have been together but two or three years; it is not yet long. Her conduct has no flaw, why do you treat her so harshly?
结发同枕、黄泉为友；共事才二三年并不算久，她行为并无偏斜，为何待她刻薄？
Our hair was bound, we shared the pillow; to the Yellow Springs we will be comrades. We have lived together only two or three years, not long as yet. Her conduct has no fault; why do you treat her so unkindly?
此段是仲卿上堂辩母之言，写其对兰芝的深情与对母亲的委婉抗争。「结发同枕席，黄泉共为友」以结发之礼起誓：既已结为夫妻，当同枕共席、生死相依，情深意重，为后文殉情埋下伏笔；「共事二三年，始尔未为久」写夫妻共处不过二三年，尚不算久，暗含「何忍遽遣」之意；「女行无偏斜，何意致不厚」以理相诤：她行为并无偏斜，为何待她刻薄？「无偏斜」正面为兰芝辩护，「何意」反诘母亲，语气恭顺中见不平。仲卿的辩白既见其深情，亦见其懦善——他不敢直斥母亲，只能委婉陈情，而这种软弱正是悲剧得以推进的原因之一，此段与焦母的专断形成对照，凸显人物性格的差异。
The husband's defense. Our hair was bound, we share the pillow; to the Yellow Springs we shall be comrades. We have been together but two or three years, not long. Her conduct has no fault; why do you treat her so? The oath to share even the grave is both his love and the premonition. The defense is respectful but powerless. To have said he argued on her behalf would be a summary; the grave-side comradeship and the question why treat her so are the summary.
阿母谓府吏：何乃太区区。 此妇无礼节，举动自专由。 吾意久怀忿，汝岂得自由。
His mother says to the clerk: How can you be so small-minded? This wife has no manners; she acts as she pleases. I have long been angry; how should you have your freedom?
母亲斥道：你太愚执！此妇无礼，举动专断，我久怀恼怒，岂容你自由。
The mother says to the clerk: How can you be so petty? This wife has no manners, she acts entirely on her own. I have long been angry; how should you have your freedom?
此段是焦母的答辞，专断暴戾的家长形象跃然纸上。「何乃太区区」劈头呵斥：你怎如此愚执！「区区」作「小、固执」解，斥仲卿为妇辩护是愚执；「此妇无礼节，举动自专由」给兰芝定罪：无礼数、不守妇道、举动自作主张——「自专由」正是兰芝自尊自主性格在焦母眼中的「罪名」，封建礼教对个性的扼杀于此可见；「吾意久怀忿，汝岂得自由」亮出底牌：我早已怀恨在心，哪容你自作主张！「久怀忿」点明矛盾由来已久，非因织迟而发，遣归之意蓄谋已久。三句连用呵斥，语势逼人，焦母的专断冷酷、不容分说尽在其中，与仲卿的委婉辩白形成鲜明对照，是节选部分戏剧冲突的高潮，也是理解悲剧根源的关键。
The mother's reply. How can you be so petty? This wife has no manners, she acts on her own. I have long been angry; how should you have your freedom? The charge acts on her own is exactly the daughter's dignity, recast as a fault. The long-cherished anger reveals the dismissal was planned. To have said the mother was domineering would be a summary; the charge of acting-on-her-own and the long-cherished anger are the summary.
东家有贤女，自名秦罗敷。 可怜体无比，阿母为汝求。 便可速遣之，遣去慎莫留。
Next door there is a virtuous girl, named Qin Luofu; her figure is matchless, and I have asked for her for you. Send this one away at once, send her off, do not keep her.
东家有个贤女名叫秦罗敷，模样无人能比，我替你求娶，快些打发她走，切莫再留。
Next door there is a virtuous girl named Qin Luofu; her figure is beyond compare, and I have asked her for you. Send this one away at once, send her off, and do not keep her.
此段以焦母之口收束节选，专断之态毕现。「东家有贤女，自名秦罗敷」引东家贤女为新的议亲对象，「秦罗敷」本为《陌上桑》中坚贞美女之名，此处被焦母当作寻常「贤女」随口举荐，恰成反讽——罗敷正是抗拒强权、坚贞自守的典型，焦母却拿她作拆散儿子婚姻的筹码，愈见其择媳标准之荒谬、对贞节之轻慢；「可怜体无比，阿母为汝求」写焦母自揽亲事，为子求娶，包办婚姻的专横毕现；「便可速遣之，遣去慎莫留」连用「速遣」「慎莫留」，斩钉截铁，不容转圜。三句层层紧逼，焦母的专断冷酷与仲卿此前的委婉辩白形成强烈对照，节选于此戛然而止，而遣归之势已成，悲剧的必然性于此立见，为全诗后半的殉情结局作了铺垫。
The replacement. Next door there is a virtuous girl named Qin Luofu, her figure beyond compare, and I have asked for her for you. Send this one away at once, send her off, do not keep her. The name Luofu—the heroine of the陌上桑 who rejected powerful men—is bitterly ironic here, used as a mere commodity. The repeated send-off closes the excerpt. To have said she found him another wife would be a plot point; the named Luofu and the repeated send-her-off are the plot point.
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In 'Meng' from the Book of Songs, the wife laments her abandonment, while Lanzhi takes a more assertive stand. One is lyrical, the other narrative.
《诗经·卫风·氓》与《孔雀东南飞》同写女性婚姻悲剧，可对照读。《氓》写女子「三岁为妇，靡室劳矣」的辛劳与「士也罔极，二三其德」的负心，最终「反是不思，亦已焉哉」的决绝，以第一人称自述，是抒情诗，怨中有刚；《孔雀东南飞》写兰芝「十三能织素」的才德与「大人故嫌迟」的受冤，最终「举身赴清池」的殉情，以第三人称叙事，是叙事诗，哀中有烈。一写男子变心之弃，一写婆婆不容之遣；一以怨诉写决绝，一以行动写刚烈。两诗并读，可见中国诗歌从先秦到汉魏写婚姻悲剧的发展：由抒情到叙事，由单一怨愤到复杂情节，而女性面对不公的刚烈自尊一脉相承。
陌上桑（节选） Mulberry on the Lane (Excerpt) 汉乐府 · 同汉乐府女性书写 Both are Han yuefu poems featuring strong female protagonistsLuofu outwits an official with wit, Lanzhi opposes her mother-in-law with dignity. Together they embody the assertive women in Han folk literature.
《陌上桑》与《孔雀东南飞》同为汉乐府写女性的名篇，可对照读。《陌上桑》写罗敷采桑陌上，使君欲夺，罗敷盛夸夫婿以拒之，笔调诙谐明快，罗敷以机智周旋取胜，是喜剧；《孔雀东南飞》写兰芝贤淑却遭婆母遣归，仲卿辩母无效，兰芝自请归家，笔调沉郁悲凉，兰芝以刚烈自守见志，是悲剧。一写对外来强权的智斗，一写对家庭专制的抗争；一以夸饰成趣，一以白描见情。两诗同写汉乐府女性的自尊，而一谐一悲、一智一烈，正可见汉乐府女性书写的丰富面貌，也可比较乐府诗喜剧与悲剧两种风格，是理解汉乐府叙事艺术的重要对照。