汉 Han · 乐府 Yuefu ballad
陌上桑（节选）
Mulberry by the Path (Excerpt)
日出东南隅，照我秦氏楼。
秦氏有好女，自名为罗敷。
罗敷喜蚕桑，采桑城南隅。
青丝为笼系，桂枝为笼钩。
头上倭堕髻，耳中明月珠。
缃绮为下裙，紫绮为上襦。
行者见罗敷，下担捋髭须。
少年见罗敷，脱帽著帩头。
耕者忘其犁，锄者忘其锄。
来归相怨怒，但坐观罗敷。
使君从南来，五马立踟蹰。
使君遣吏往，问是谁家姝。
秦氏有好女，自名为罗敷。
使君谢罗敷，宁可共载不。
罗敷前置辞，使君一何愚。
使君自有妇，罗敷自有夫。
东方千余骑，夫婿居上头。
何用识夫婿，白马从骊驹。
青丝系马尾，黄金络马头。
腰中鹿卢剑，可值千万余。
十五府小吏，二十朝大夫。
三十侍中郎，四十专城居。
为人洁白皙，鬑鬑颇有须。
盈盈公府步，冉冉府中趋。
坐中数千人，皆言夫婿殊。
Shining on our Qin family's tower.
The Qin family has a lovely daughter,
She calls herself Luofu.
Luofu loves raising silkworms and picking mulberries,
She goes to the south of the city to pick mulberry leaves.
Green silk makes the basket's rope,
Cassia twigs make the basket's hook.
On her head, a falling-side bun,
In her ears, bright moon pearls.
Light yellow silk is her lower skirt,
Purple silk is her jacket.
Passersby see Luofu,
Put down their loads and stroke their beards.
Young men see Luofu,
Take off their caps and adjust their headscarves.
Plowmen forget their plows,
Weeding men forget their hoes.
Coming home, they blame each other,
All because of gazing at Luofu.
The prefect comes from the south,
His five-horse carriage halts in hesitation.
The prefect sends an official,
Asking whose beautiful girl she is.
"The Qin family has a lovely daughter,
She calls herself Luofu."
The prefect asks Luofu,
"Would you like to ride with me?"
Luofu steps forward and replies,
"Prefect, how foolish you are!
You have your own wife,
And I have my own husband.
To the east, over a thousand riders,
My husband is at their head.
How can you recognize my husband?
A white horse followed by a black colt.
Green silk ties the horse's tail,
Gold bridles the horse's head.
At his waist, a pulley sword,
Worth over ten million.
At fifteen, a minor clerk in the prefecture;
At twenty, a court minister;
At thirty, a palace attendant;
At forty, governor of a city.
His complexion is fair and white,
With a sparse, handsome beard.
He walks with a dignified pace in the government hall,
Gracefully moving among them.
Among thousands in the hall,
All say my husband is extraordinary."
Meaning
The poem depicts the beautiful and clever mulberry girl Luofu, who rejects a high official's improper advances and proudly boasts of her husband's status, showcasing her wit and integrity.
太阳从东南方升起，照亮了秦家的高楼。秦家有个美丽的女儿，自取名叫罗敷。罗敷喜爱养蚕采桑，每每去城南采摘桑叶。她用青丝做篮绳，桂枝做篮钩；头上梳着倭堕髻，耳垂挂着明月珠；浅黄绮缎做下裙，紫红绮缎做短袄。过路人看见罗敷，放下担子抚着胡须端详；少年看见罗敷，脱下帽子重整头巾；耕田的人忘了犁地，锄草的人忘了锄头，回来还互相埋怨，只因贪看罗敷。太守从南边乘五马大车而来，久久徘徊不前，派小吏去问这是谁家的美人。小吏回报是秦家好女罗敷，太守便问罗敷可愿同车而归。罗敷上前婉拒道：太守何等糊涂！您自有妻室，罗敷也自有丈夫。我丈夫东方千骑随从，位居前列；骑白马、随黑驹，青丝系马尾、黄金络马头，腰悬鹿卢剑价值连城；十五为小吏、二十为朝大夫、三十为侍中郎、四十独镇一城；他面容白净、须髯疏朗，迈着盈盈官步，满座千人皆赞他出众不凡。
Appreciation
The poem skillfully uses side contrast to describe Luofu's beauty: instead of directly writing her appearance, it shows the stunned reactions of passersby, young men, and farmers. The lavish description of her attire and accessories highlights her elegance. Luofu's proud boast of her husband acts as a sharp satire against the official, blending humor and dignity.
【白话串讲】 采桑女罗敷太美了，美到路人看见她放下担子捋胡子，美到太守都想娶她。罗敷不慌不忙，把丈夫夸上了天——汉乐府里最机智的一次拒绝。 【意象与手法】 诗中极善用侧面烘托与铺排。以「行者见罗敷，下担捋髭须；少年见罗敷，脱帽著帩头；耕者忘其犁，锄者忘其锄」几组人物反应，不写容貌而尽显其美，即「烘云托月」之法。罗敷夸夫一段连用「十五府小吏……四十专城居」的排比递进，铺陈丈夫的仕途与威仪，夸张诙谐，既显其机智，又戗太守之傲，手法圆熟。 【情感与主旨】 《陌上桑》属汉代乐府「相和歌辞」，是民间采录、经乐府机关整理的叙事民歌，约产生于东汉。诗借采桑女拒绝太守调戏之事，折射当时社会阶层的矛盾，也寄托了百姓对坚贞机智女性的称赏，历来在民间广为传唱。 【名句点睛】 考点常集中于侧面描写手法（以观者痴态衬罗敷之美）与人物形象（美丽、坚贞、机智），以及「夸夫」一节以虚制实的喜剧手法。
Background
This is a narrative folk song from the Han Dynasty's Yuefu collection, reflecting the social conflict where officials often harassed common women. The story of Luofu cleverly resisting the prefect was widely sung, praising the wisdom and resilience of ordinary women.
《陌上桑》属汉代乐府「相和歌辞」，是民间采录、经乐府机关整理的叙事民歌，约产生于东汉，最早著录于《宋书·乐志》，题为《艳歌罗敷行》，后世选本多作《陌上桑》，诗中「日出东南隅」「秦氏有好女」等句历来脍炙人口。汉代贵族官吏常仗势渔色、强夺民女，史籍所载如《汉书》中霍光家奴冯子都等横行不法者甚众，民间遂以歌谣嘲讽这种丑行。诗借采桑女罗敷拒绝太守调戏之事，折射当时社会阶层矛盾——权势者对平民女子的觊觎与欺凌，也寄托了百姓对坚贞、机智女性的由衷称赏，表现了下层人民以智慧对抗强权的乐观精神。全诗以正面写美、侧面烘托、夸张夸夫三大笔法组成，历来在民间广为传唱，是「乐府双璧」（《孔雀东南飞》《木兰诗》）之外最脍炙人口的汉代叙事诗之一。此处所选为节选，保留「美—拒—夸」的完整冲突，为全诗精华所在，结构上首尾俱全，可独立成篇。
Art
The poem excels in indirect description and exaggeration. The scene where onlookers forget their work creates a vivid impression of Luofu's beauty. Luofu's boast uses parallelism and hyperbole, both humorous and effective in taunting the official.
此诗极善用侧面烘托与铺排。写罗敷之美，不作正面形容（不写眉眼口鼻），而以「行者见罗敷，下担捋髭须；少年见罗敷，脱帽著帩头；耕者忘其犁，锄者忘其锄；来归相怨怒，但坐观罗敷」几组人物反应侧面写出——过路人放下担子捋须痴看，少年脱下帽子整理头巾（意在展示自己、引人注目），耕者忘犁、锄者忘锄，回家还互相埋怨（只怪贪看罗敷耽误了农活），众人之失态反衬罗敷之美，即「烘云托月」之法，喜剧色彩浓厚。写罗敷之盛装，则用正面铺排（青丝笼系、桂枝笼钩、倭堕髻、明月珠、缃绮裙、紫绮襦），由头到脚、由饰到服，富丽而不俗艳。夸夫一段更连用「十五府小吏……四十专城居」的排比递进，铺陈丈夫仕途与威仪，夸张诙谐：既显罗敷之机智（以夸夫压太守），又戗太守之傲，四两拨千斤。全诗叙事有情节、有对话、有冲突，如一出小戏，手法圆熟多变，是汉乐府叙事诗艺术成就的最高体现之一。
Allusions
The term 'Prefect' refers to a high-ranking official in Han times. The 'pulley sword' (鹿卢剑) was an ornate sword symbolizing wealth and status. Luofu's description of her husband's career mirrors the actual promotion system of the Han Dynasty, lending credibility to her boast.
诗中「使君」为汉时对刺史、太守的尊称，点明来者乃朝廷命官，与「耕者」「锄者」等平民对照，身份悬殊立见，权势与民女的冲突由此展开。「五马」为太守的仪仗（古礼诸侯乘车五马，汉太守秩二千石，仪同诸侯，故以五马代指太守），「五马立踟蹰」写太守一见罗敷即勒马不前，权势者的觊觎之态毕现，与「行者」「少年」的痴看相映成趣。「鹿卢剑」即辘轳剑，剑首以玉作辘轳（滑轮）形，为当时佩剑中的贵重者，「可值千万余」极言其价，见夫婿之豪贵。「侍中郎」为汉代加官，得入禁中侍奉皇帝，地位尊贵；「专城居」指独镇一城的太守之任，皆汉世职官实制。罗敷所夸夫婿的官阶（府小吏—朝大夫—侍中郎—专城居）、年齿（十五—二十—三十—四十），皆依汉代选官实制铺写，可见民歌亦融时代制度典故，夸饰之中自有依据，令听者信服，这正是罗敷夸夫能奏奇效的深层原因。此外「倭堕髻」为汉时流行的堕马髻式样，「明月珠」指宝珠，皆见汉世服饰风尚，为写人增色。
Commentary
Ming critic Hu Yinglin praised Han Yuefu as 'plain yet profound, shallow yet deep.' Qing scholar Shen Deqian noted its 'extravagant description with moral seriousness.' Modern critics consider Luofu one of the earliest intelligent female figures in Chinese literature, pioneering the 'gentle defiance' narrative.
明代胡应麟《诗薮》称汉乐府「质而不俚，浅而能深」，《陌上桑》正得其神——语言质朴如话（「一何愚」「宁可共载不」皆口语），而寓意严正深刻（民女抗暴、以智胜权）。清代沈德潜《古诗源》评其「铺陈秾至，而寓意严正」；张玉榖《古诗赏析》则称其写罗敷之美「不着一字，尽得风流」。今人多谓罗敷是中国古典文学中最早也最光辉的机智女性形象之一：她美丽而不妖冶，坚贞而不怯懦，机智而不失体面——先以「使君自有妇，罗敷自有夫」正言拒绝，再以夸夫之辞反客为主，以柔克刚，令太守自惭形秽，进退失据。这种以智斗权贵的叙事模式，开后世「弱女抗强暴」题材（如《孔雀东南飞》的刘兰芝、《窦娥冤》的窦娥）之先声。在乐府诗史上，《陌上桑》与《孔雀东南飞》《木兰诗》并称汉乐府叙事诗的三大高峰，其艺术生命力穿越两千年而不衰，至今仍是理解汉代社会风貌与民歌艺术的经典文本。其「烘云托月」之笔与「夸夫」之智，更成为后世戏曲、小说塑造机智女性形象的艺术源头，影响及于《西厢记》红娘、《聊斋》诸女而不止，足见其生命力之绵长。
Prosody
Line by line
日出东南隅，照我秦氏楼。 秦氏有好女，自名为罗敷。
The sun rises in the southeast corner, shining on our Qin family tower. The Qin family has a lovely daughter; her own name is Luofu.
太阳从东南方升起，照亮了秦家的高楼。秦家有个美丽的女儿，自取名叫罗敷。
The sun rises in the southeast and lights the Qin family tower. The Qins have a beautiful daughter who calls herself Luofu.
起笔以「日出东南隅，照我秦氏楼」写朝阳自东南升起、明光照楼，红日高悬、楼阁生辉，为罗敷的出场营造明亮辉煌的背景——「我」字将叙述者融入，亲切如邻人夸赞自家女儿，民歌的叙事口吻扑面而来。值得注意的是「东南」二字：古人谓日出东南（春季日出偏东），以此起兴，暗含时序生机，一派欣欣向荣。「秦氏有好女，自名为罗敷」以「好女」点题：一个「好」字，兼含德容之美，是总评而非细写；「自名」二字见其自主明朗的性情——不是深闺藏娇、由人命名，而是自取名号、落落大方，开篇即立起一位明朗自信的女性形象。四句以朝阳起兴、以好女立人，明丽开局，已定全诗欢快明朗的基调，与后世《孔雀东南飞》「孔雀东南飞，五里一徘徊」的起兴法同源而异趣。
The entrance. The sun rises in the southeast and lights the Qin tower; the Qins have a beautiful daughter who calls herself Luofu. The our-tower narrator is the folk voice praising a neighbor. The self-naming is the free character. To have introduced the girl would be an entrance; the sunlit tower and the daughter who names herself are the entrance.
青丝为笼系，桂枝为笼钩。 头上倭堕髻，耳中明月珠。 缃绮为下裙，紫绮为上襦。
Black silk thread ties her mulberry basket, cassia bough makes its hook. On her head the falling-pony-tailed coiffure; at her ears the bright moon pearls. Amber silk for her lower skirt, purple silk for her short jacket.
她用青丝做篮绳，桂枝做篮钩；头上梳着倭堕髻，耳垂挂着明月珠；浅黄绮缎做下裙，紫红绮缎做短袄。
Her mulberry basket is strung with black silk and hooked with cassia; she wears the falling coiffure, moon-pearl earrings, an amber silk skirt and a purple silk jacket.
此段以铺排写罗敷之盛装，由工具到服饰，由头到脚，层层渲染，是正面描写的典范。「青丝为笼系，桂枝为笼钩」写采桑篮的装点：青丝为绳、桂枝为钩，取材清雅，见其爱美之心与不俗品位——寻常农具在她手中亦成点缀，采桑女之雅致于此可见。继写头饰与衣饰：「头上倭堕髻」写其梳汉时流行的堕马髻，斜垂如堕，妩媚动人；「耳中明月珠」写垂珠晶莹，光华夺目；「缃绮为下裙，紫绮为上襦」写黄裙紫袄，黄紫相映，明丽大方。色彩秾丽而不艳俗，身份虽为采桑女，装束却清新高贵，正合「好女」之誉。这种正面铺排与后文侧面烘托相配合：先写其「形」（穿戴之美），再写其「神」（众人之痴），形神兼备，罗敷之美遂立体可感。铺排中暗藏叙事节奏：由远及近、由物及人，如镜头缓缓推进，佳人渐次清晰，为「行者见罗敷」的轰动场面蓄足铺垫。
The costume. Her basket is strung with black silk and hooked with cassia; she wears the falling coiffure, moon-pearl earrings, an amber skirt and purple jacket. The listing from basket to head to feet is the camera's slow approach. The amber and purple are bright but not cheap. To have described her clothes would be a description; the basket cord, the coiffure, the pearl earrings, the amber skirt and purple jacket are the description.
行者见罗敷，下担捋髭须。 少年见罗敷，脱帽著帩头。 耕者忘其犁，锄者忘其锄。
Wayfarers seeing Luofu lower their loads and stroke their beards; young men seeing Luofu take off their caps and straighten their headbands; plowmen forget their plows, weeders their hoes.
过路人看见罗敷，放下担子抚着胡须端详；少年看见罗敷，脱下帽子整理头巾；耕田的人忘了犁地，锄草的人忘了锄头。
Passerby see Luofu, lower their loads and stroke their beards; youths take off their caps and straighten their headbands; plowmen forget their plows, hoers their hoes.
这是全诗最著名的侧面烘托段落，即「烘云托月」之法：不写罗敷之貌一字，而以众人之失态尽显其美，是侧面描写手法的千古典范。行者「下担捋髭须」——放下担子、捋着胡须痴看，中老年男子之凝望毕现，捋须之态写尽端详玩味；少年「脱帽著帩头」——脱下帽子、整理头巾，是要展示自己的风采，青年男子之爱慕呼之欲出，一个「著」字写尽整理之郑重；耕者「忘其犁」、锄者「忘其锄」——农事全抛，痴立观望，夸张而不失真实，以「忘」字写痴，炼字极省而效极显。四个「见罗敷」的排比句式反复咏叹，民歌的复沓之美尽在其中。此段喜剧色彩浓厚：众人之痴态愈可笑，罗敷之美愈动人，而其后的情节（拒太守）亦因众望所归而更具说服力——如此美好之女，岂容权贵轻辱？此段既是写美，亦是为后文铺垫。
The onlookers. Passersby lower their loads and stroke their beards; youths take off their caps and straighten their headbands; plowmen forget their plows, hoers their hoes. The beauty is told through the loss of composure of every man who sees her. The comedy is the point. To have said everyone stopped to stare would be a summary; the beards stroked, the caps adjusted, the forgotten plows and hoes are the summary.
使君遣吏往，问是谁家姝。 秦氏有好女，自名为罗敷。 使君谢罗敷，宁可共载不。
The governor sends a clerk to ask whose beauty she is. The reply: the Qin family has a lovely daughter, who calls herself Luofu. The governor asks Luofu: will you ride in my carriage?
太守派小吏去问这是谁家的美人；小吏回报是秦家好女罗敷；太守便问罗敷可愿同车而归。
The governor sends a clerk to ask whose beauty she is; told she is the Qin daughter Luofu, he asks if she will ride home in his carriage.
使君出场，情节由「美」转入「争」。「使君从南来，五马立踟蹰」写太守乘五马大车自南而来，一见罗敷即勒马徘徊——权势者的觊觎之态、贪色之状毕现，五马之盛更显其势之炽，与采桑女的孤身相对，冲突一触即发。「遣吏往，问是谁家姝」写太守不便亲自开口，先遣小吏探问，暗写其心机与身份之尊；小吏回报「秦氏有好女，自名为罗敷」复沓前文，民歌回环之妙再显，也借他人之口再次点出「好女」之誉。「使君谢罗敷，宁可共载不」是矛盾总爆发：「谢」为询问，「共载」即同车——太守竟公然要求民女与己同车，以权势逼凌之意昭然若揭，轻佻傲慢之态可掬。「共载」二字是全诗冲突的焦点：一为采桑民女，一为五马太守，阶级的悬殊与人格的高下在此对撞，为罗敷的抗争蓄足张力，读者的期待亦被推至顶点。
The governor. The governor sends a clerk to ask whose beauty she is; told she is Luofu, he asks if she will ride with him. The power moves in: the five-horse carriage against the mulberry-gathering girl. The repeated name Luofu is the folk refrain. To have said the governor propositioned her would be a plot; the clerk's inquiry, the repeated name, and the will-you-ride request are the plot.
罗敷前置辞，使君一何愚。 使君自有妇，罗敷自有夫。
Luofu steps forward and says: How foolish you are, sir! You, my lord, have your wife; and Luofu has her husband.
罗敷走上前来说道：太守何等糊涂！您自有您的妻室，罗敷也自有我的丈夫。
Luofu steps forward: How foolish you are, sir! You have your wife, and I have my husband.
这是全诗的高潮，罗敷正面交锋。「前置辞」三字写其从容：不躲不避，上前陈辞，一介民女直面五马太守而毫无惧色，胆识立现，此前铺排之美、之慧，至此皆有所归。「使君一何愚」以「一何」这个口语副词直斥太守糊涂——「一何」犹言「何等」，语气泼辣刚直，毫不留情，是民歌本色的淋漓迸发；愚者谁欤？以权势压人、以荒淫失态者，正是太守，「愚」字一字定谳，将堂堂太守斥为愚人，痛快至极。「使君自有妇，罗敷自有夫」以两个「自有」对举，正言相告：你已有妻室，我亦有丈夫，于情于理、于法于义，皆无可觊觎。短短十字，义正辞严，柔中带刚：先斥其愚、再陈其理，情、理、势兼备，罗敷的坚贞与机智跃然纸上。此段是全诗「拒」的核心，为下文「夸夫」作势——正言既拒，更以夸夫绝其后念。
The refusal. Luofu steps forward: How foolish you are, sir! You have your wife, and I have my husband. The direct rebuke and the two-own parallel are her courage. The folk bluntness (how foolish) is the voice. To have said she refused him would be a plot beat; the how-foolish and the two-owned parallel are the beat.
东方千余骑，夫婿居上头。 何用识夫婿，白马从骊驹。 青丝系马尾，黄金络马头。 腰中鹿卢剑，可值千万余。
Eastward ride a thousand horsemen; my husband leads them at the head. How know my husband? The white horse, with black colts behind. Black silk ties the horse's tail; gold nets its head. At his waist the pulley-sword, worth ten thousand pieces.
我丈夫在东方有千余骑随从，位居前列；怎么辨认他呢？他骑白马，后有黑驹相随；青丝系着马尾，黄金络着马头；腰间佩着鹿卢剑，价值千万有余。
Eastward ride more than a thousand horsemen, my husband at their head. Know him by the white horse led by black colts, the black-silk tail, the gold head-net, and the pulley-sword at his waist worth ten thousand.
夸夫之辞自此展开，写夫婿之威仪排场，是全诗「以虚制实」的关键段落。「东方千余骑，夫婿居上头」以「千余骑」极言随从之众，以「居上头」写夫婿位居众骑之首——千人簇拥、前呼后拥，排场之大直压太守的「五马」，先声夺人。「何用识夫婿，白马从骊驹」以设问引出辨认之法：白马前导、黑驹随后，一白一黑，鲜明夺目，辨识度极高，亦见夫婿之豪阔；「青丝系马尾，黄金络马头」写马饰之华贵——青丝为缰、黄金络头，富丽堂皇，金玉之盛咄咄逼人；「腰中鹿卢剑，可值千万余」写佩剑之贵重，价值连城。四句以铺排写夫婿之「势」与「贵」，层层加码。此段妙在夸张与真实并存：既依汉世制度（鹿卢剑、千骑仪仗皆有实据），又极尽夸饰（千万余），罗敷借夸夫以自抬身价、压服太守，机智尽显——你以五马权势压我，我以千骑夫婿回敬，四两拨千斤，令太守自惭形秽。
The invented husband's procession. Eastward ride more than a thousand horsemen, my husband at their head; know him by the white horse led by black colts, the black-silk tail, the gold head-net, the sword worth ten thousand. The thousand riders outshine the governor's five horses. The details (white horse, black colts, gold head-net) make the fiction persuasive. To have said she boasted of her husband would be a boast; the thousand riders and the identified white horse with the ten-thousand sword are the boast.
十五府小吏，二十朝大夫。 三十侍中郎，四十专城居。 为人洁白皙，鬑鬑颇有须。 盈盈公府步，冉冉府中趋。 坐中数千人，皆言夫婿殊。
At fifteen a clerk in the prefect's office; at twenty a court gentleman. At thirty a Palace Attendant; at forty ruling a city alone. His complexion is fair, his beard sparse and fine. He takes the slow, dignified official step through the yamen. Of the several thousand seated there, all say my husband is peerless.
他十五岁为郡府小吏，二十岁为朝中大夫，三十岁为侍中郎，四十岁独镇一城；他面容白净，须髯疏朗，迈着从容的官步在府中行走；满座数千人，都称赞夫婿出众。
At fifteen a junior clerk, at twenty a court officer, at thirty a palace gentleman, at forty governor of a city. Fair-skinned, with a fine light beard; taking the slow official stride; among the several thousand present, all agree he is beyond compare.
继写夫婿之仕途与仪容，夸饰推向顶点。「十五府小吏，二十朝大夫。三十侍中郎，四十专城居」以四个年龄递进铺写仕途：十五岁为郡府小吏，二十岁为朝廷大夫，三十岁为侍中郎（得入禁中侍奉皇帝），四十岁独镇一城——由地方到中央再到地方重镇，仕途之顺、升迁之速，夸张至极，实则罗敷虚构以压太守，步步升级、层层加码，如登阶梯。「为人洁白皙，鬑鬑颇有须」写其容貌：肤白须疏，端正儒雅，一派贵官气象；「盈盈公府步，冉冉府中趋」写其步态：从容庄重、仪态万方，举步之间自有威仪；「坐中数千人，皆言夫婿殊」以众人之赞叹收束——满座数千人皆称其出众，以「数千人」之众口一辞作结，声势浩大，如潮水般将夸饰推向最高峰。此段层层铺排、步步升级，民歌的铺张扬厉发挥到极致；然其妙在「虚」：罗敷夫婿实为虚构（如此夫婿，岂有令妻采桑之理），以虚构之贵压现实之权，正是以柔克刚的智慧巅峰，亦全诗喜剧精神的最高体现，令人绝倒。
The career and bearing. At fifteen a junior clerk, at twenty a court officer, at thirty a palace gentleman, at forty governor of a city; fair-skinned, finely bearded, taking the slow official stride; of the several thousand present, all agree he is peerless. The ladder of ages is the fiction's momentum; the crowd's verdict is the final flourish. To have summarized her husband's success would be a summary; the ages of promotion, the fair skin and fine beard, the slow official stride, and the thousands all saying he is peerless are the summary.
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