南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties · 乐府 Yuefu ballad
企喻歌
The Qiyu Song
男儿欲作健，结伴不须多。
鹞子经天飞，群雀两向波。
No need of many companions in his band.
A sparrowhawk soars straight across the sky,
The flocking sparrows scatter like waves to either side.
Meaning
This short Northern-Dynasty yuefu celebrates the martial valor of frontier men: a true warrior needs few companions, just as a hawk's flight scatters the lesser birds.
男儿想要成为豪健之士，结伴不需太多。鹞鹰冲天飞过，群雀向两旁如波散开。
Appreciation
The poem opens with a bold declaration that a man would become a warrior and needs no large following. It then turns to imagery, picturing a sparrowhawk cutting across the heavens while the startled sparrows scatter like waves. The lone hawk and the fleeing flock form a stark contrast that mirrors the poet's ideal of solitary, commanding prowess. Its language is rugged and unornamented, typical of Northern folk song, and in a few terse lines it conveys the heroic, martial spirit of the steppe.
【白话串讲】 “男儿欲作健，结伴不须多”——南北朝民歌《企喻歌》：男儿要强壮，结伴不用多。“鹞子经天飞，群雀两向波”——像鹞子飞过天空，麻雀四处逃散。鲜卑族的战歌，短促有力。 【意象与手法】以“鹞子经天飞”喻健儿之勇，“群雀两向波”以群雀惊散反衬其威，刚健质朴。 【情感与主旨】歌颂北朝男儿尚武豪健、气概不凡的英武精神。 【名句点睛】“鹞子经天飞，群雀两向波”——以鹰雀对比写健儿之威，刚健如画。
Background
The Qiyu Song belongs to the Northern-Dynasty yuefu folk songs, which often celebrate men's martial valor and hardiness. It reflects the frontier ethos of the Northern peoples, quite unlike the delicate southern lyricism of the same era.
《企喻歌》为南北朝佚名所作，是写男儿作健、鹞子经天的北朝民歌。此歌：男儿欲作健，结伴不须多。鹞子经天飞，群雀两向波。全歌写男儿作健、鹞子经天，是北朝民歌的名篇。
Art
The poem relies on comparison and evocation (bi-xing): the sparrowhawk and the sparrows form a pointed contrast that sets off the warrior's might. Its diction is rugged and plain, and the four-line form strikes with compressed force.
《企喻歌》艺术上以男儿作健的描摹与鹞子经天的比兴见长。全歌四句：首写男儿作健——“男儿欲作健，结伴不须多”写男儿欲作健、结伴不须多；末写鹞子群雀——“鹞子经天飞，群雀两向波”写鹞子经天飞、群雀两向波。全歌以男儿作健写鹞子经天，正是北朝民歌比兴的笔法。
Allusions
There is no learned allusion here; 'sparrowhawk' simply serves as an image for the brave youth.
《企喻歌》用典在“男儿”“作健”“结伴”“鹞子”“经天飞”“群雀”“两向波”。“男儿”写男儿；“作健”写作健（作健儿）；“结伴”写结伴；“鹞子”写鹞子（猛禽）；“经天飞”写经天飞；“群雀”写群雀；“两向波”写两向波（向两边分开）。全歌以这些意象写男儿作健、鹞子经天，用典自然而比兴自见，正是北朝民歌的笔法。
Commentary
Northern songs are prized for their 'natural rhythm,' a taste that differs from the polished southern style.
《企喻歌》是北朝民歌的名篇，也是南北朝民歌中写尚武之气的代表作。此歌写男儿作健、鹞子经天，向为论者称道。论者多赏其男儿作健的描摹与鹞子经天的比兴——“男儿欲作健，结伴不须多”写男儿欲作健、结伴不须多，比兴之极；“鹞子经天飞，群雀两向波”写鹞子经天飞、群雀两向波，更见其雄。北朝民歌多尚武之作，此歌正是其代表——以男儿作健写鹞子经天，正是其笔法。
Prosody
Line by line
男儿欲作健，结伴不须多。
A man would be a hero; companions need not be many.
男儿欲作健，结伴不须多。
A young man would be a stalwart; his party need not be large.
首写男儿欲作健、结伴不须多，是全歌写男儿作健的起点。“男儿欲作健”写男儿欲作健——“男儿欲作健”写男儿要作健儿——男儿欲作健；“结伴不须多”写结伴不须多——“结伴不须多”写结伴不须多、独往独来——结伴不须多。二句写男儿欲作健、结伴不须多：男儿欲作健，结伴不须多。以“男儿欲作健”写男儿作健、立志雄强，以“结伴不须多”写结伴不须多、独行其志，正是北朝民歌写男儿作健的起点——男儿作健，结伴无多。
The hero. A man would be a hero; companions need not be many. The would-be-hero and the companions-need-not-be-many are the opening. To have willed the heroism would be a willing; the a-man-would-be-a-hero-companions-need-not-be-many is the willing.
鹞子经天飞，群雀两向波。
The goshawk flies across the sky; the flocks of sparrows part in waves on either side.
鹞子经天飞，群雀两向波。
The goshawk flies across the sky; the sparrows scatter in waves to either side.
末写鹞子经天飞、群雀两向波，是全歌写鹞子经天的归结。“鹞子经天飞”写鹞子经天飞——“鹞子经天飞”写鹞鹰横过天飞——鹞子经天飞；“群雀两向波”写群雀两向波——“群雀两向波”写群雀向两边分开如波——群雀两向波。二句写鹞子经天飞、群雀两向波：鹞子经天飞，群雀两向波。以“鹞子经天飞”写鹞子经天、猛禽横空，以“群雀两向波”写群雀两向、如波分开，正是北朝民歌写鹞子经天的归结——鹞子经天，群雀两波。
The goshawk. The goshawk flies across the sky; the flocks of sparrows part in waves on either side. The goshawk across the sky and the sparrows parting in waves are the image. To have flown across the sky would be a flying; the the-goshawk-flies-across-the-sky-the-flocks-of-sparrows-part-in-waves-on-either-side is the flying.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
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《木兰诗》写愿为市鞍马、从此替爷征，与本歌同为北朝民歌写男儿之志。差异在主题：企喻歌写男儿作健；木兰诗写代父从军。一写“健”之雄，一写“孝”之勇。两者并读，可见北朝民歌写男儿之志的两种主题。