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汉 Han · 赋 Fu rhapsody

逐贫赋（节选）

Fu on Driving Away Poverty (excerpt)

扬雄

Yang Xiong

哲理Philosophy 抒情Emotion

扬子遁世，离俗独处。
左邻崇山，右接旷野。
邻垣乞儿，终贫且窭。
礼薄义弊，相与群聚。
惆怅失志，呼贫与语：「汝在六极，投弃荒遐。
好为庸卒，刑戮相加。
匪惟幼稚，嬉戏土砂。
居非近邻，接屋连家。
恩轻毛羽，义薄轻罗。
进不由德，退不受呵。
久为滞客，其意谓何？
」贫曰：「唯唯。
主人见逐，多言益嗤。
心有所怀，愿得尽辞。
昔我乃祖，宣其明德。
克佐帝尧，誓为典则。
土阶茅茨，匪雕匪饰。
爰及季世，纵其昏惑。
饕餮之群，贪富苟得。
鄙我先人，乃傲乃骄。
瑶台琼榭，室屋崇高。
流酒为池，积肉为崤。
是用鹄逝，不践其朝。
三徙既获，莫敢我欺。
」

Master Yang withdrew from the world, leaving custom to dwell alone. To his left a lofty mountain, to his right open wilderness. His neighbor over the wall is a beggar, poor and needy to the end. Propriety thin, righteousness fallen, they crowd together. Troubled and disheartened, he calls to Poverty and speaks:
'You are among the six extremities, cast out to the barren far. You like to be a common drudge, adding punishment and slaughter. Not only in childhood, you play in earth and sand. Your dwelling is not near neighbors, yet houses join houses. Your kindness is light as a feather; your righteousness thin as light gauze. You advance not by virtue, you retreat not by blame. Long a lingering guest — what is your intent?'
Poverty said: 'Yes, yes. The master would drive me out; more words only invite mockery. Yet I have something in my heart; may I speak it fully. My ancestor of old proclaimed his bright virtue. He could aid Emperor Yao, sworn as a model. An earth step, a thatch roof, uncarved, unadorned. Then came the last age, giving rein to its dark delusion. The gluttonous swarm, greedy for wealth and grasping. They despised my forebear, and grew proud and arrogant. Jade terraces and jewelled pavilions — lofty chambers. Wine flowed as pools, meat piled as hills. Therefore I departed like a swan, and tread not their court. Thrice I moved and found peace; none dared cheat me.'

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Meaning

Master Yang withdrew from the world, dwelling alone apart from custom. To his left a lofty mountain, to his right open wilderness. The beggar over the wall is poor and needy to the end. Propriety thin and righteousness fallen, they gather together. Troubled and disheartened, he calls to Poverty and speaks: 'You are among the six extremities, cast out to the barren far. You like to be a common drudge, punished and slain. Not only as a child, you play in earth and sand. Your dwelling is not near neighbors, yet houses join. Your kindness is light as feather, your righteousness thin as gauze. You advance not by virtue, you retreat not blamed. Long a lingering guest — what is your intent?' Poverty answers: 'Yes, yes. The master would drive me out; more words only bring scorn. I have a heart's burden; may I speak it all. My ancestor of old proclaimed bright virtue. He aided Emperor Yao, sworn as a rule. An earth step, a thatch roof, uncarved, unadorned. Then came the last age, giving rein to dark delusion. The gluttonous swarm, greedy for wealth and grasping. They despised my forebear, growing proud. Jade terraces and jewelled pavilions, chambers lofty. Wine flowed as pools, meat piled as hills. Therefore I flew off like a swan, treading not their court. Thrice moved, none dared cheat me.'

扬子避世，离开俗尘独自居处。左邻高山，右接旷野。隔壁的乞儿，始终贫寒困穷。礼义淡薄败坏，与他群聚。惆怅失意，呼唤贫穷与之对话：你身处六极之外，被弃于荒远之地。甘为庸奴，常遭刑戮。不仅年幼，嬉戏泥沙。居处不与邻里相接，却接屋连家。恩情轻如毛羽，义气薄如轻罗。进不凭德，退不受责。久为滞留之客，是何心意？贫答道：唯唯。主人要驱逐我，多说只招人笑。我心中有所怀想，愿尽情陈辞。昔日我的祖先，宣明其德，能辅佐帝尧，立为典则。土阶茅茨，不雕不饰。到了末世，放纵昏惑。贪暴之群，贪富妄得。鄙弃我的先人，骄傲自大。瑶台琼榭，宫室崇高。流酒为池，积肉成山。因此我如天鹅高飞而去，不踏那朝堂。三度迁徙既得安居，无人敢欺我。

Appreciation

'Fu on Driving Away Poverty' was written by the Western-Han writer Yang Xiong (style Ziyun) in his late years, a lyric (xiao) fu. Yang Xiong was learned and poor, caring nothing for fame; seeing the late-Western-Han consort factions' monopoly of power and the fallen scholar's air, and himself long in low station, he made a fu setting forth a 'driving away of Poverty' colloquy with Poverty. The fu inherits the colloquy-and-question form of Qu Yuan's 'Bu Ju' and 'Yu Fu', pretending to wish to drive out Poverty while Poverty answers back, finally awakening to the meaning of contentment in poverty and love of the Way. This excerpt is the first half: Master Yang calls to Poverty and reproaches it; Poverty recounts its ancestry and modest virtue, mocking the last age's greed and keeping to poverty. It was likely written when Yang Xiong was collating books at the Tianlu Pavilion, before Wang Mang's usurpation, reflecting the scholar's spiritual choice to keep poverty and preserve integrity amid a turbid age — a key work in the turn of Han fu from spreading to lyric self-expression, and a college and high-school 'classical fu' reading item.

【白话串讲】扬雄穷得受不了，写了一篇《逐贫赋》，要把“贫”赶走。可贫说：我陪了你这么多年……最后扬雄不但没赶走穷，反而和穷和解了。两千年前，一个文人用幽默对抗贫穷。【意象与手法】赋用设辞问答体，扬子与「贫」拟人对话，波澜生趣。「扬子遁世」一段以简净白描布设孤贫之境；「呼贫与语」一长串诘问，排比铺陈贫之「罪状」，句式骈散相间，咄咄逼人。贫之答辞则以「唯唯」缓起，转守为攻：追述祖德佐尧、土阶茅茨，对比末世「瑶台琼榭」「流酒为池」的淫侈，以「鹄逝不践其朝」的决绝收束，反显贫之清高。正反相形，诙谐中见风骨。【情感与主旨】《逐贫赋》为西汉扬雄（字子云）晚年所作，属抒情小赋。扬雄博学清贫、不慕荣利，目睹西汉末年外戚专权、士风沦丧，自身久居贫贱，乃作赋以「逐贫」设辞，与「贫」展开对话，终悟安贫乐道之义。此节选为赋之前半：扬子呼贫责问，贫以祖德自陈、讥末世贪暴而守贫，折射士人在浊世中守贫全节的精神抉择。【名句点睛】本赋为文言赋阅读篇目。考点：其一，设辞问答体——理解扬子与贫对话的结构作用（欲扬先抑，反客为主）；其二，「土阶茅茨」与「瑶台琼榭」的对比所寓的崇俭抑奢之旨；其三，「鹄逝不践其朝」所写的守节不污之意。

Background

'Fu on Driving Away Poverty' was written by the Western-Han writer Yang Xiong (style Ziyun) in his late years, a lyric xiao fu. Yang Xiong was learned and poor, not chasing fame or gain; seeing the late-Western-Han consort factions' monopoly of power and the fallen scholarly air, and himself long in low station, he made a fu setting forth a 'driving away of Poverty' colloquy with Poverty. The fu inherits the colloquy-and-question form of Qu Yuan's 'Bu Ju' and 'Yu Fu', pretending to wish to drive out Poverty while Poverty answers back, finally awakening to contentment in poverty and love of the Way. This excerpt is the first half: Master Yang calls to Poverty and reproaches him, Poverty recounts his ancestry and clear virtue, mocking the last age's greed and keeping to poverty. It was likely written when Yang Xiong was collating books at the Tianlu Pavilion, before Wang Mang's usurpation, reflecting the scholar's spiritual choice to keep poverty and preserve integrity amid a turbid age — a key work in the turn of Han fu from spreading to lyric self-expression.

《逐贫赋》为西汉扬雄（前53—18）晚年所作，属抒情小赋。扬雄字子云，蜀郡成都人，汉代著名文学家、哲学家、语言文字学家，著有《太玄》《法言》及《方言》，以博学清贫著称。他四十余岁自蜀游京师，历成帝、哀帝、平帝三朝，仕途困顿，「三世不徙官」，久居贫贱；又目睹西汉末年外戚专权、王莽篡政、士风沦丧的现实，遂作此赋以自解自励。赋承屈原《卜居》《渔父》的设辞问答体，假托扬子欲「逐贫」（驱逐贫穷），而「贫」反陈其辞，历数祖先佐尧之德、末世贪暴之失，终使扬子安贫乐道。此节选为赋之前半：扬子呼贫责问，历数贫之「罪状」；贫则以「唯唯」应之，追述祖德、讥刺末世，反守为攻。约作于王莽未篡、扬雄校书天禄阁之际，正是士人在浊世中面临出处抉择的时代。赋以诙谐之笔写严肃的主题，借「逐贫」而实「安贫」，把「贫」人格化为清德的化身，是汉赋由铺张扬厉转向抒情言志的关键作品，也是中国隐逸文学中「安贫乐道」主题的源头之一。

Art

The fu uses the colloquy-and-question form (host and guest), with Master Yang and 'Poverty' speaking as personae, lively and interesting. The 'Master Yang withdrew' passage sets the lone-poor scene in spare, plain description; the long reproach 'calls to Poverty and speaks' spreads Poverty's 'crimes' (drudge, punishment, playing in sand) in parallel question, with prose and parallel mixed, pressing hard. Poverty's answer eases with 'yes, yes', turning from defense to attack: it recounts the ancestor's aid to Yao and the earth-step thatch-roof, contrasting with the last age's 'jade terraces and jewelled pavilions' and 'wine as pools, meat as hills' excess, closing with the firm 'therefore I flew off like a swan, treading not their court'. Positive and reverse set against each other, wit within the bone; parallel and free lines alternate, opening the way for Wei-Jin lyric xiao-fu.

此赋艺术上最突出的特色，是设辞问答体的巧妙运用与正反相形的对比结构，开魏晋抒情小赋的先声。全赋以「扬子」与「贫」的对话展开：前半扬子逐贫，后半贫反陈辞，欲扬先抑、反客为主。此节选正写这两层冲突的开端。第一层，扬子呼贫：「扬子遁世，离俗独处」以简净的白描布设孤贫之境——左山右野、邻垣乞儿，一幅清贫而独立的生活图景；「惆怅失志，呼贫与语」点出逐贫的动机，是失意之人的迁怒。接着是一连串诘问：「汝在六极，投弃荒遐」「好为庸卒，刑戮相加」「恩轻毛羽，义薄轻罗」……以四言排比铺陈贫之「罪状」，句式骈散相间，咄咄逼人，如连珠炮发，把「贫」说得一无是处。第二层，贫之答辞：「贫曰：唯唯」以恭敬之语缓起，先抑后扬；「昔我乃祖，宣其明德。克佐帝尧，誓为典则。土阶茅茨，匪雕匪饰」追述祖德——贫的祖先是辅佐帝尧的贤者，以茅茨土阶为居，正是古圣王俭德的化身；「爰及季世，纵其昏惑」「瑶台琼榭，室屋崇高。流酒为池，积肉为崤」笔锋一转，写末世之淫侈——正是那些贪富苟得之辈，把先人的俭德鄙弃殆尽；「是用鹄逝，不践其朝」以「鹄逝」自喻，如天鹅高飞而去，不踏污浊之朝，反显贫之清高。一斥一辩，一贬一褒，正反相形，诙谐中见风骨，骈偶与散行错落，气脉贯通，已开魏晋抒情小赋「以谐写庄、寓庄于谐」的先声。

Allusions

The fu softens many allusions: 'earth step, thatch roof' derives from Yao and Shun's thrift virtue of 'thatch not trimmed, earth step of three grades' (Han Fei Zi, Mo Zi); 'thrice moved' hints the allusion-meaning of 'thrice moved to make a city' and 'Mencius's three moves', a metaphor for shunning evil and seeking good; 'the gluttonous swarm' uses the Zuo Zhuan 'the Yun family had an unworthy son, greedy in eating, called the glutton', meaning greedy, violent ministers; 'jade terraces and jewelled pavilions' softens King Zhou's 'jade terrace' excess. Poverty compares itself to the pure virtue aiding Yao, and sets the last age's excess against the cleanliness of keeping poverty. The allusions all fit the personal circumstance, not piled yet meaning-rich, showing Yang Xiong's learning of 'broad reading, wondrous use of allusion'.

此赋用典密集而皆贴切身世，是扬雄「博学多通」的集中体现。「土阶茅茨」用尧舜之典：《韩非子·五蠹》载「尧之王天下也，茅茨不翦，采椽不斫」，谓尧以茅草盖屋、不加雕饰；《墨子·三辩》亦言「尧舜茅茨不翦」，土阶茅茨遂为帝王俭德的象征。「克佐帝尧」更直接把「贫」的先祖与帝尧相连，谓贫之祖先辅佐尧帝、以身作则，把「贫」与上古圣贤的俭德传统焊接在一起，为「安贫」张本。「饕餮之群」用《左传·文公十八年》之典：「缙云氏有不才子，贪于饮食，冒于货贿，侵欲崇侈……谓之饕餮。」饕餮本为传说中贪食之兽，后指贪暴之人，此处以「饕餮之群」斥末世贪富苟得之辈。「瑶台琼榭」化用夏桀、商纣之侈：桀筑倾宫、饰瑶台，纣有瑶台琼室之侈，以瑶台琼榭写末世宫室之奢。「流酒为池，积肉为崤」更用商纣「以酒为池，悬肉为林」之典（见《史记·殷本纪》），以极致的奢靡对照「贫」之先人的俭朴。「三徙」暗用「三徙成都」（《庄子·寓言》）与「孟母三迁」之典意，写避恶就善、屡迁而得安，为「莫敢我欺」的自信作结。诸典皆古为今用，以史证理，正反相形，彰扬雄「宏览多该、妙于用典」的学养。

Commentary

The Wen Xuan records several of Yang Xiong's fu; though 'Driving Away Poverty' is a small fu it has long been valued. The Jin critic Zhi Yu in 'Wen Zhang Liu Bie Lun' says it 'words and meaning support each other, with a satiric pitch'. Tang Li Shan annotated the Wen Xuan citing it. The modern Liu Dajie says Yang Xiong's lyric xiao-fu 'opens the Wei-Jin manner, winning by reason over feeling'. Contemporary scholars praise it 'writing a deep will in a witty brush; Poverty becomes the host, the man the guest — a wondrous conception'. It flows in one vein with Tao Yuanming's 'Biography of Master Five Willows' and Wang Wei's 'Letter to Pei Di in the Mountains' on reclusive self-keeping, enough to show its source-meaning in Chinese reclusive literature.

《逐贫赋》在文学史上地位独特，历来受重。晋代挚虞《文章流别论》称其「辞意相扶，讽喻之致」，以为是辞赋中「以理胜情」的佳作；南朝刘勰《文心雕龙·谐隐》论「谐辞隐语」，实与此赋的谐谑笔法相通。唐人李善注《文选》，于扬雄诸赋多所征引，此赋虽未入选而流传不废。宋人苏轼《前赤壁赋》借客主问答以抒怀，正是承此赋设辞问答的体制而来；其《哨遍》词更以「逐贫」为喻，可见其影响。近人刘大杰《中国文学发展史》谓扬雄抒情小赋「开魏晋之风，以理胜情」，此赋正其代表；当代学者则赞其「以诙谐之笔写沉郁之志，贫反为主、人反为客，构思奇绝」。就思想史意义言，此赋把儒家的安贫乐道与道家的守拙全真熔于一炉：扬雄借「逐贫」而悟「贫不可逐」，正如陶渊明《五柳先生传》「不戚戚于贫贱」、王维《山中与裴秀才迪书》的隐逸自守，皆承此一脉。此赋以两千年前的声音宣告：贫不是耻辱，而是浊世中的清节，其「安贫守节」的精神，成为后世中国文人面对逆境时的重要精神资源，影响深远。

Prosody

Form Han fu · lyric xiao-fu (colloquy-and-question form, prose-parallel mixed)汉赋·抒情小赋（设辞问答体，骈散相间）

Rhyme Fu uses rhyme, changing rhyme with the feeling辞赋用韵，随情转韵：前半写扬子之困多押仄声（处、野、窭、聚、语），后半贫之答辞转押平声（辞、则、饰、惑、得、骄、高、崤、朝、欺），声情由促而舒、由怨而庄。

Tone pattern Not traceable非诗体，以散体赋法行文，间以四言骈偶；句式以四字句为主，参以散句，音节随文气起伏，无固定平仄。

Reading note Not a poetic form; moves in prose fu method, with parallel passages between.此赋为骚体抒情小赋的变体，属汉赋中的「设辞问答」一体，非近体诗，不以平仄格律为绳，而以文气行文。其句式以四言为主（如「扬子遁世，离俗独处」「土阶茅茨，匪雕匪饰」），骈偶成对、音节整齐，读来朗朗上口；间以散句（如「惆怅失志，呼贫与语」「贫曰：唯唯」）疏宕其气，骈散相间、张弛有度。用韵上，此赋随情转韵而不拘一韵：前半扬子逐贫，多押仄声韵（处、野、窭、聚、语），音节急促，写失意之人的愤懑；后半贫之答辞，转押平声韵（辞、则、饰、惑、得、骄、高、崤、朝、欺），音节舒徐庄重，写贫之自陈的从容与理直气壮。声情与辞情相应，正见扬雄「以声写情」的功力。就赋史意义言，此赋上承屈原《卜居》《渔父》的问答体，下开魏晋抒情小赋（如向秀《思旧赋》、陶渊明《归去来兮辞》）的先声，其以谐谑之笔写庄重之旨、以对话之体写内心之思的写法，成为后世辞赋与散文（如韩愈《送穷文》）反复取法的范型。

Line by line

扬子遁世，离俗独处

Master Yang withdrew from the world, leaving custom to dwell alone.

扬子避世，离开俗尘独自居处

Master Yang withdrew from the age, leaving the world to dwell alone.

开篇六字，是全赋的起笔，以简净的白描立出主人公的形象与处境。「扬子」以第三人称自指，如传中立传，见其冷静自省的态度；「遁世」写其选择——避开俗世，不与世争，是乱世中士人的全身之策；「离俗独处」进一步写其生活状态——离开世俗的喧嚣，独自居处。「遁」「离」「独」三字连用，层层加深，把扬子的隐逸姿态写得决绝而清高。此句与下文「左邻崇山，右接旷野」呼应，构成一幅山水之间的独处图景：左山右野，与世隔绝，唯有清贫为伴。此六字定下全赋「隐士清贫」的基调——正因为遁世独处，才与「贫」相伴，才生出「逐贫」之念，也正因为遁世独处，才能在与「贫」的对话中最终悟出安贫之理。开篇虽短，而全赋的处境、心态、主题皆由此生发，是典型的「立骨之笔」。

The hermit. Master Yang withdrew from the age, leaving the world to dwell alone. The three words (withdraw, leave, alone) set the recluse's posture. To have described the scholar's withdrawal would be a posture; Master Yang's withdrawal from the age and the leaving-the-world-alone dwelling are the posture.

礼薄义弊，相与群聚

Propriety thin, righteousness fallen, they crowd together.

礼义淡薄败坏，与乞儿群聚

Rites thin, duty broken, he gathers with the poor in their company.

此二句写扬子所处的社会环境，是全赋由个人处境转向社会批判的枢机。「礼薄义弊」四字，直指西汉末年的世风：礼义淡薄，道德败坏，整个社会礼崩乐坏、人心不古——这是扬雄所处时代（外戚专权、王莽篡政前夕）的真实写照；「相与群聚」写扬子的选择：在这样的世道中，他与「邻垣乞儿」群聚，与贫贱之人为伍，而不是与权贵相交。「相与群聚」四字看似平淡，实含深意：当世之人趋炎附势、群聚于权门，而扬子独与乞儿为群，这一反常的选择，正见其不屑与浊世同流的高洁。此二句承上启下：正因为「礼薄义弊」，扬子才遁世独处、与贫为群；也正因为世道浇薄，才有了下文「惆怅失志，呼贫与语」的愤懑。二句以极简的文字完成从写景到写世、从个人到社会的过渡，是全赋批判锋芒的第一次显露，亦是「逐贫」背后的真正原因——所逐者非贫，而是这礼薄义弊的世道。

The age. Rites thin, duty broken; he gathers with the poor in their company. The broken rites and the choice of poor companions over powerful ones are the social critique. To have said the age was corrupt and he kept the poor company would be a summary; the thin rites and broken duty against the gathering-with-the-poor are the summary.

土阶茅茨，匪雕匪饰

An earth step, a thatch roof, uncarved, unadorned.

土阶茅草顶，不雕不饰

Earth steps, thatched roof; no carving, no ornament.

此二句出自「贫」之答辞，追述贫之祖先的俭德，是全赋正反对比中「正」的一面，也是「安贫」之理的史证。「土阶茅茨」用尧舜之典：尧之王天下，以土为阶、以茅覆屋，不事雕饰，是上古圣王俭德的极致；「匪雕匪饰」以双重否定重申其俭——不雕琢、不装饰，房屋虽陋而德性自高。此二句的深意在于：贫之祖先「克佐帝尧，誓为典则」，以土阶茅茨之居立身，正说明「贫」并非耻辱，而是圣贤的传统——上古圣王尚且如此，何况士人？「贫」以祖先的俭德自证，把「安贫」从无奈的选择提升为崇高的传统，反守为攻，理直气壮。此二句与下文「瑶台琼榭，室屋崇高」的末世之侈形成尖锐对比：圣王以茅茨为德，末世以瑶台为奢，一俭一奢、一贤一愚，正反相形，全赋的崇俭抑奢之旨于此豁然，是「贫」之答辞的核心论点，也是全赋最具思想锋芒的一笔。

The ancient frugality. Earth steps, thatched roof; no carving, no ornament. The Yao-and-Shun image (the sage's humble house) is Poverty's own genealogy: poverty is the sage tradition. To have described a thatched hut would be a dwelling; the earth steps, the thatched roof, and the no-carving-no-ornament are the dwelling.

流酒为池，积肉为崤。是用鹄逝，不践其朝

Wine flowed as pools, meat piled as hills. Therefore I flew off like a swan, and tread not their court.

酒积为池，肉积成山；因此我如天鹅高飞而去，不踏那朝堂

They flowed wine into pools and piled meat into hills; therefore I, like a swan, fly off and will not set foot in their court.

此四句是「贫」之答辞的收束，以末世之极奢与守节之决绝作结，是全赋最有力的一笔。「流酒为池，积肉为崤」用商纣「以酒为池，悬肉为林」之典，写末世统治者的穷奢极欲：酒多到流成池，肉多到积成山，以极度的夸张写极度的糜烂，与「贫」之先人「土阶茅茨，匪雕匪饰」的俭朴形成天壤之别的对照——末世之所以逐贫，正是因为富者太奢，奢者不容俭，浊者不容清；「是用鹄逝，不践其朝」是全赋的警句——「鹄」即天鹅，高飞远举之物，「逝」写其决绝，如天鹅振翅高飞，一去不返，「不践其朝」写其坚守，污浊的朝堂，绝不踏足。此二句以「鹄逝」自喻，把「贫」（亦是清德的化身）写得既高洁又决绝：宁可远走高飞、独守清贫，也不与浊世同流。四句由极奢写到决绝，由批判世道写到自明心志，全赋「守贫全节」的主题至此和盘托出，收束有力，余味凛然。

The luxury and the flight. They flowed wine into pools and piled meat into hills; therefore I, like a swan, fly off and will not set foot in their court. The Zhou's last king's wine-pool and meat-hill are the tyrant's luxury; against it the swan-flight refusal. To have described the tyrant's luxury would be an image; the wine-pool and meat-hill against the swan-flight refusal of their court are the image.

Study

Word focus

窭 Needy, poor — 'poor and needy to the end' doubles the writing of destitution, condensed and heavy. 「终贫且窭」之「窭」（读jù），是全赋开篇写贫的关键字，一字而见扬雄用字之精。「窭」本义为贫穷简陋，《说文》释为「无礼居也」，段玉裁注谓「贫者无以为礼」，故「窭」不仅是财货之贫，更是礼数之贫、处境之困；《诗经·邶风·北门》「终窭且贫，莫知我艰」即以此字写贫士之困。扬雄用「终贫且窭」，以「贫」写财之乏、以「窭」写礼之困，两字连用、义近而微异，把「贫穷」写得既有物质的匮乏，又有处境的窘迫，较单用「贫」字深一层。此字又见于「邻垣乞儿，终贫且窭」——隔壁的乞儿始终贫窘，正是扬子「相与群聚」的邻居，以乞儿之贫衬扬子之贫，同是贫者，同处困窘，为下文「呼贫与语」的迁怒与「贫」之答辩铺设了具体的情境。一字而兼有训诂之精与情境之功，正是扬雄作为语言学家的炼字本色。

鹄逝 To depart like a swan — a metaphor that Poverty (pure virtue) shuns the turbid world and keeps integrity unsoiled, a lofty image. 「是用鹄逝，不践其朝」之「鹄逝」，是全赋最具意象性的一词，写尽「贫」（清德）守节不污的高洁姿态。「鹄」即天鹅，古称黄鹄，《楚辞·惜誓》「黄鹄之一举兮，知山川之纡曲」以黄鹄高飞喻贤者远引，《史记·陈涉世家》「燕雀安知鸿鹄之志哉」亦以鸿鹄喻志向高远；「逝」为离去，如《论语》「逝者如斯夫」之流逝，此处写其决绝远引。「鹄逝」二字连用，意象之美与气节之高兼备：天鹅振翅，高飞远逝，其姿态之优雅，正喻清德者之从容；其去意之决绝，正写守节者之坚贞——见浊世而「不践其朝」，宁可高飞远去、独守清贫，也不肯踏足污浊的朝堂一步。此词与「不践其朝」相连，以具体的飞鸟意象写抽象的气节选择，化议论为形象，是全赋从铺陈议论转向形象抒情的点睛之笔，亦是「贫」之答辩中最见神采的一笔，千载之下，「鹄逝」二字犹令人想见其高洁之姿。