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先秦 Pre-Qin · 辞 Ci verse

离骚（节选）

Encountering Sorrow (Excerpt)

屈原

Qu Yuan

楚辞Chu Ci 爱国Patriotic 抒情Lyrical

长太息以掩涕兮，哀民生之多艰。
余虽好修姱以鞿羁兮，謇朝谇而夕替。
既替余以蕙纕兮，又申之以揽茝。
亦余心之所善兮，虽九死其犹未悔。
怨灵修之浩荡兮，终不察夫民心。
众女嫉余之蛾眉兮，谣诼谓余以善淫。

Long I sigh and wipe my tears,
Grieving for the people's many hardships.
Though I love refinement and bind myself with reins,
In morning I give counsel, by evening I am replaced.
They impeach me for wearing angelica,
And then add the charge of plucking thoroughwort.
Yet for what my heart holds good,
Even dying nine times I would not regret.
I resent the lord's wildness,
He never discerns the people's heart.
The many women envy my moth eyebrows,
They slander me, calling me lewd.

Listen

Meaning

The poet sighs and weeps for the people's hardships. Though virtuous and disciplined, he is slandered and dismissed. Accused for wearing fragrant herbs, he declares he will not regret even unto death. He blames the ruler's heedlessness and the calumny of jealous rivals.

我长长地叹息，掩面落泪啊，哀伤人生道路是如此艰难。我虽说爱好修洁、严于律己，却落得朝进忠言、夕遭贬黜。既因我佩戴蕙草而见罪，又加给我采撷白芷的过错。但只要是我心中所认定的善，纵然身死九回也绝不后悔。我怨恨君王如此荒唐糊涂，始终不能明察下情民心。那班小人嫉妒我的蛾眉之美，便造谣中伤，诬我善作妖媚之态。

Appreciation

This excerpt from Encountering Sorrow depicts the poet's grief and steadfastness after being slandered and estranged. It begins with lament for the people, narrates his unjust treatment, then delivers the resolute vow 'though I die nine times, I shall not regret'. The use of 'fragrant herbs' and 'beauty' metaphors creates a vivid political allegory, intertwining loyalty, resentment, and unyielding idealism.

【白话串讲】屈原被流放，写下“亦余心之所善兮，虽九死其犹未悔”——我愿意坚持我认定的美好，哪怕死九次也不后悔。两千年前这句话，至今仍是中国人最硬气的人生宣言。【意象与手法】节选集中体现《离骚》的象征艺术。其一，“香草美人”体系【情感与主旨】《离骚》为屈原代表作，是中国最长的抒情诗，约作于楚怀王后期他遭上官大夫谗言、见疏去职之际【名句点睛】常考“香草美人”象征体系（香草喻德、美人喻君/自喻），“虽九死其犹未悔”所体现的坚守理想精神，以及楚辞“兮”字句式特

Background

Encountering Sorrow is Qu Yuan's masterpiece, the longest lyric poem in Chinese literature, written during the late reign of King Huai of Chu when Qu Yuan was slandered and dismissed. Qu Yuan pioneered the Chu Ci style, advocated reforms, and allied with Qi against Qin, but was twice exiled due to noble opposition. This excerpt captures his anguish and unwavering commitment to his ideals.

《离骚》是屈原的代表作，也是中国文学史上最长的抒情诗，全文三百七十余句、二千四百余字。其创作时地，学界一般认为作于楚怀王后期屈原遭上官大夫谗言、见疏去职之际。司马迁《史记·屈原贾生列传》载：「屈平疾王听之不聪也，谗谄之蔽明也，邪曲之害公也，方正之不容也，故忧愁幽思而作《离骚》。」班固《离骚赞序》、王逸《楚辞章句》亦主此说。屈原早年任怀王左徒，博闻强志，明于治乱，入则与王图议国事、出则接遇宾客，后因改革触动旧贵族利益，上官大夫靳尚等谗之于怀王，屈原遂被疏远。本篇节选自《离骚》前部，写诗人遭谗被疏后的悲愤与坚守，「长太息以掩涕兮」一段正当诗人自述「謇朝谇而夕替」的遭遇之时。节选中「蕙纕」「揽茝」「蛾眉」等语，已见《离骚》香草美人的象征体系。「民生」一词，一说指人生、一说指民生（百姓），学界有歧解，多从「人生」解，谓哀人生道路之多艰，亦有学者据「哀民生之多艰」主张诗人哀悯楚国百姓，二说并存。关于「民生」的训释，王逸注为「万民」，谓屈原哀悯百姓之生计艰难；近人闻一多、游国恩等则主「人生」之说，谓其自哀人生道路之多艰。二说各有理据，今之选本或从「人生」、或两存之。节选部分正处《离骚》前半，是诗人自陈「謇朝谇而夕替」之后的一段自剖，情感最为激越。

Art

This excerpt showcases the symbolic art of Encountering Sorrow: the 'fragrant herb and beauty' system uses angelica, thoroughwort, and moth eyebrows to symbolize virtue and talent, while the ruler and rivals are depicted through a male-female relationship metaphor. The 'xi' (兮) particle gives a rhythmic, languid melody. The narrative progresses from lament to narration to oath, building emotional intensity.

此节选集中体现了《离骚》的象征艺术与抒情方式。其一，香草美人体系：诗人以「蕙纕」（佩戴蕙草）、「揽茝」（采撷白芷）象征自身的高洁品德与修美之志，「蛾眉」以美貌自喻，「众女」以嫉妒之群小喻谗佞，草木与人伦、品德与色相相互譬喻，构成一个庞大的象征世界。其二，对比与反衬：「朝谇而夕替」写尽忠言与贬黜的瞬息反差，见君王之不明、群小之构陷；「虽九死其犹未悔」以死的极致反衬志的坚定。其三，直抒与咏叹的结合：开篇「长太息以掩涕」即直抒悲愤，「哀」「怨」等字层层推进，情感如江河直下，又因「兮」字的顿挫而摇曳生姿。其四，语言的华美与整饬：「修姱」「鞿羁」「蕙纕」「谣诼」等词双声叠韵、色彩浓丽，见楚辞「惊采绝艳」的文体特征。全节以九死未悔的精神贯穿，情感激越而章法井然。此节选的艺术还在于虚词与叠词的运用。「謇」「既」「又」「虽」「犹」「终」等虚词，使文气顿挫、转折分明，情感的推进层层递进；「谣诼」双声、「鞿羁」叠韵，音调铿锵。句式上，六言、七言交错，「长太息以掩涕兮」的舒缓与「虽九死其犹未悔」的斩截形成节奏的对比，一唱三叹中见出情感的跌宕。这种以虚词运文气、以声调写情感的笔法，正是楚辞区别于《诗经》四言体的关键，也是屈原对后世辞赋家影响最深远的艺术遗产。

Allusions

The 'fragrant herb and beauty' metaphor originated with Qu Yuan: he uses fragrant plants to signify his cultivation and 'beauty' to refer to the ruler or himself, establishing the tradition of 'entrusting fragrant plants to express resentment'. 'Lingxiu' originally meant a deity, but Qu Yuan first used it to refer to the ruler. 'Moth eyebrows' comes from the Book of Songs, originally describing a woman's beauty, here used to symbolize outstanding talent that invites jealousy, echoing the abandoned wife imagery.

此节选中的意象皆有深远源流。「蕙」「茝」（白芷）为香草，以香草喻美德，可上溯至《诗经》的比兴传统，如《诗经·秦风·蒹葭》以蒹葭起兴、以水草写追求，《楚辞》则将之比兴发展为自觉的象征体系，王逸《楚辞章句》所谓「善鸟香草，以配忠贞；恶禽臭物，以比谗佞」，正指此法。「蛾眉」以美貌自喻，源自《诗经·卫风·硕人》「螓首蛾眉」的美人描写，屈原借以自况，后世遂成君子自高之喻，李白「美人如花隔云端」、辛弃疾「蛾眉曾有人妒」皆承其绪。「灵修」指楚王，一说为喻君之词，王逸谓「灵，神也；修，远也，能神明远见者君德也」，故以称君；「浩荡」形容君王糊涂荒唐，是屈原对君王的怨词。「九死」极言死之多次，与《离骚》后文「伏清白以死直兮」相呼应，皆见诗人以死明志的决心。学界对「民生」的训释有歧说，对「灵修」是否指怀王亦有异见，正见《离骚》训诂的丰富与争议。「鞿羁」本为马缰绳与马络头，屈原借以自况，谓自己虽好修洁而反受束缚，如良马之受羁勒，此以驭马喻立身，与《诗经》「絷之维之」的写法相通。「謇朝谇而夕替」的「謇」为发语词，楚辞习用；「谇」训「谏」，谓朝进谏言而夕遭废替，朝与夕对举，写谗间之速、君心之易变。「怨灵修之浩荡」的「浩荡」，王逸训「无思虑貌」，洪兴祖《楚辞补注》训「水大貌」而引申为「荒唐」，二说并见，正见《离骚》训释的分歧。全节以香草、马具、蛾眉诸喻织成象征之网，是中国文学「香草美人」传统的奠基之作。

Commentary

Sima Qian in Records of the Grand Historian noted: 'Qu Yuan's Encountering Sorrow was born of his resentment... His ambition was pure, so he named things fragrant.' Ban Gu called it 'broad and elegant, the ancestor of rhapsodies', and Liu An praised it as combining the merits of the Book of Songs.

《离骚》的接受史是中国文学史上最显赫的一页。西汉淮南王刘安作《离骚传》，谓「《国风》好色而不淫，《小雅》怨诽而不乱，若《离骚》者，可谓兼之矣」，并赞其「虽与日月争光可也」。司马迁《史记》本传引其说，奠定《离骚》的经典地位。班固《离骚序》虽讥其「露才扬己」，亦不得不承认其辞赋之妙。王逸《楚辞章句》力挺屈子，称《离骚》「金相玉质，百世无匹」。刘勰《文心雕龙·辨骚》谓其「气往轹古，辞来切今，惊采绝艳，难与并能」，又总结其「朗丽以哀志」「绮靡以伤情」等风格。萧统《文选》列「骚」体于赋前，朱熹《楚辞集注》承王逸之绪。此节「虽九死其犹未悔」一句，千百年来成为志士坚守理想的座右铭，文天祥、谭嗣同皆以其自励。此节选被今人选入多种教材，是《离骚》中最广为传诵的片段之一。此节选中的「虽九死其犹未悔」与后文「路漫漫其修远兮，吾将上下而求索」并为《离骚》中最脍炙人口的名句，千百年来成为志士仁人坚守理想、不惧牺牲的精神旗帜。文天祥《过零丁洋》「人生自古谁无死，留取丹心照汗青」、谭嗣同「我自横刀向天笑」皆可见其精神血脉。就文学史而言，此节选集中体现了《离骚》「香草美人」的象征艺术与「发愤抒情」的创作主张，是理解屈原乃至整个楚辞的关键文本，故被今人选入多种教材，成为研读《离骚》的入门片段。

Prosody

Form Chu Ci, Sao style (Chu Ci style)楚辞（骚体诗），《离骚》节选

Rhyme Marked by 'xi' (six/seven syllables with xi), free line length, emotional rhyme not restricted by modern rules.《离骚》全诗隔句用韵、频繁换韵，此节选部分韵脚艰、替、茝、悔、心、淫等字分属上古音真、质、之、侵诸韵部，依楚地方音而押，与《诗经》用韵一脉而更灵活

Tone pattern Two-part structure with xi, slow and melodic, fragrant herb and beauty metaphors throughout.楚辞无平仄格律，节奏由「兮」字与句式长短调节。此节选句式以「上六下六」「上七下六」为主，「兮」字居句中或句末作语气顿宕，散句与偶句相间，声调悠长而跌宕，宜于长言咏叹。

Reading note 'Fragrant herb and beauty' tradition established here, pioneering romanticism; the excerpt moves from lament to aspiration, intertwining loyalty and resentment.《离骚》属楚辞骚体，其形式特征在「兮」字与句式参差。此节选每两句为一韵组，上句以「兮」字作顿，如「长太息以掩涕兮」七字中「兮」居句末，下句「哀民生之多艰」六字收束，形成「七六」相配的节奏；「亦余心之所善兮，虽九死其犹未悔」则为「六六」相配。楚辞句式在《诗经》四言的基础上扩展为六言、七言，中间杂以「兮」字，读来舒缓悠长、一唱三叹，故王逸称其「长言咏叹」。《离骚》用韵较《诗经》更为自由，隔句押韵而换韵频繁，且杂用楚地方音，如「艰」「替」属真质对转，「悔」属之部，皆上古音韵部，非后世平水韵所能范围。楚辞无平仄之律，其声情之美全在「兮」字的顿挫与句式长短的交替，散句如「众女嫉余之蛾眉兮」之舒展，偶句如「既替余以蕙纕兮，又申之以揽茝」之整饬，错落有致。此「发愤以抒情」的骚体，上承《诗经》、下启汉赋，是中国诗歌由四言向五七言过渡的关键环节，其体式与声情至今为骚体诗之宗。

Line by line

长太息以掩涕兮，哀民生之多艰

I heave long sighs, wiping my tears, grieving how hard life's road is.

我长长地叹息，掩面落泪啊，哀伤人生道路是如此艰难。

Long I sigh and wipe away my tears, grieving how hard the lives of the people are.

开篇以「太息」「掩涕」两个动作写悲情，长叹、掩泪，是愁极悲极之态，直接为全诗定下沉痛的基调。「哀民生之多艰」的「民生」有歧解：作「人生」解，是诗人自哀人生道路之艰难；作「百姓」解，则是哀悯楚国民生的困苦。无论何解，一个「哀」字都见出诗人忧愤的深广——其悲不止于一己之遭遇，而关乎人生与家国的共同困境。以「兮」字作顿，声调悠长如泣，正是楚辞「长言咏叹」的抒情本色。其悲既关一己之遭遇，亦系家国之命运，忧愤之广，遂为全篇定调。

The sigh. I heave long sighs, wiping my tears, grieving how hard life's road is. The long-sighs-wiping-tears and the grieving-life-hard are the opening. To have heaved long sighs would be a heaving; the i-heave-long-sighs-wiping-my-tears-grieving-how-hard-life's-road-is is the heaving.

亦余心之所善兮，虽九死其犹未悔

What my heart holds good—though I die nine times, I would not repent.

但只要是我心中所认定的善，纵然身死九回也绝不后悔。

What my heart holds as good—though I die nine times over, I would not repent.

二句是全节的精神高峰，也是千古名句。「亦余心之所善」申明所坚持者乃心之所向的善，是其人格的自觉选择，非外力所迫；「虽九死其犹未悔」以「九死」的极致写「未悔」的坚定，一「虽」字转折，一「犹」字递进，斩钉截铁，掷地有声。此二句把屈原的悲剧从政治遭遇升华为理想人格的宣言——纵使粉身碎骨，也绝不放弃心中的正道。千百年来，此语成为志士仁人以死守志的典范表达，其精神力量至今不衰。此语千载之下读之，犹凛凛有生气。

The vow. What my heart holds good—though I die nine times, I would not repent. The heart-holds-good and the though-die-nine-times-not-repent are the famous resolve. To have held good would be a holding; the what-my-heart-holds-good-though-i-die-nine-times-i-would-not-repent is the holding.

怨灵修之浩荡兮，终不察夫民心

I grieve the lord's vast unconcern; he will never read the people's heart.

我怨恨君王如此荒唐糊涂，始终不能明察下情民心。

I grieve the lord's reckless ways; he will never understand the people's heart.

二句直斥君王，是全节怨愤的集中爆发。「灵修」指楚王，「浩荡」一词，王逸训为「荒唐」，谓君王糊涂昏聩，故一「怨」字直指君上，见出屈原对怀王听信谗言、不辨忠奸的痛心。「终不察夫民心」的「终」字，写尽了进忠无门、期待落空的绝望——诗人反复陈情，而君王始终不能明察。如此直言怨君，在「怨而不怒」的温柔敦厚传统之外，开出楚辞特有的激切一路，正是《离骚》「发愤以抒情」的体现。如此怨君，在温柔敦厚之外别开激切一路，正是楚辞的本色。

The grievance. I grieve the lord's vast unconcern; he will never read the people's heart. The grieve-lord-vast-unconcern and the never-read-people-heart are the anger. To have grieved the lord would be a grieving; the i-grieve-the-lord's-vast-unconcern-he-will-never-read-the-people's-heart is the grieving.

众女嫉余之蛾眉兮，谣诼谓余以善淫

The throng of maidens envy my arched brows; they slander me, saying I am wanton.

那班小人嫉妒我的蛾眉之美，便造谣中伤，诬我善作妖媚之态。

The crowd of maidens envies my arched brows; they spread slanders, saying I am wanton.

二句以香草美人的象征写群小的构陷。「众女」喻朝中的谗佞之臣，「蛾眉」喻诗人自身的美德与才华，「嫉」字点出群小构陷的动机——正是嫉妒。「谣诼」是造谣中伤，「善淫」是诬人善作妖媚之态，以女子之口诬人淫邪，极写谗言的卑劣与恶毒。诗人以美人被众女嫉妒、反遭诽谤的譬喻，把忠奸之争写得既形象又沉痛，从此「蛾眉遭妒」成为才士蒙冤的经典语汇，辛弃疾「蛾眉曾有人妒」即化用此意。美人见妒，才士蒙冤，此喻遂成千古文人的共同悲慨。

The slander. The throng of maidens envy my arched brows; they slander me, saying I am wanton. The throng-maidens-envy-arched-brows and the slander-say-wanton are the jealousy. To have envied the brows would be an envying; the the-throng-of-maidens-envy-my-arched-brows-they-slander-me-saying-i-am-wanton is the envying.

Study

Word focus

太息 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「太息」即长叹，是楚辞中反复出现的动作词，此处分写，兼摄声与情。长太息，是积郁已久、不得不发的叹息，比「叹息」更深沉，比「悲叹」更含蓄，声调悠长而低回。以「太息」领起全节，先声夺人，把诗人遭谗见疏后的郁愤凝结在一声长叹之中。「以掩涕」继之，叹而落泪，悲情层层加码，为「哀民生之多艰」的深广忧愤作了情感的铺垫，是全节抒情基调的定音之字。「太息」二字，声与情俱出，是楚辞长言咏叹的典型。

九死 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「九死」极言死亡之多次，「九」为虚数，言其多而非实指。以「九死」对「未悔」，以生命的极端代价反衬志向的不可动摇，其张力极强。此语不直言「死而无悔」，而曰「虽九死其犹未悔」，把一次的死扩展为反复的死，愈见其决绝——纵使死上千百回，那份对善的执守也绝不更改。此语既见屈原以死明志的刚烈，也因其音节的铿锵而成为千古励志之言，其精神分量与语言力度皆冠绝全篇。「九死」之决绝与「未悔」之坚定，遂成中国文学中最响亮的坚守宣言。

蛾眉 moth eyebrows (symbol of outstanding talent and beauty) 「蛾眉」本指女子如蚕蛾触须般细长的美眉，屈原借以自喻其品德才华为世所嫉。以美人自况，将政治的忠奸之争转化为美与妒的冲突，把抽象的道德评判具象化为可感的形貌之美，是屈原象征艺术的精粹。一个「蛾眉」，既承《诗经·硕人》的美人描写，又开后世「香草美人」的象征传统，李白、辛弃疾皆化用其意。以「蛾眉」之美好反衬「众女」之嫉妒，更见群小构陷的无理与恶毒，一字而尽得讽喻之妙。以美自况，遂使忠奸之辨化为美妒之争，讽喻之妙，尽在其中。