All poems

魏晋 Wei-Jin · 诗 Poem

情诗

Love Poem

曹植

Cao Zhi

羁旅Sojourn 咏怀Singing of the Heart

微阴翳阳景，清风飘我衣。
游鱼潜渌水，翔鸟薄天飞。
眇眇客行士，遥役不得归。
始出严霜结，今来白露晞。
游者叹黍离，处者歌式微。
慷慨对嘉宾，凄怆内伤悲。

Faint shadows veil the bright scene; a clear wind lifts my robe.
Roaming fish hide in the green water; soaring birds skim near heaven's flight.
A lone traveler far off, bound to service, cannot return.
When first I left, hard frost had formed; now I come, white dew is dried.
The wanderer sighs the millet's fall; those at home sing 'Fading, Fading.'
With open generosity to my honored guests, inwardly I grieve and mourn.

Listen

Meaning

Cao Zhi paints an autumn scene of drifting fish and soaring birds, then reveals a traveler bound to distant service who cannot return home. Through the allusions to 'Millet's Fall' and 'Fading, Fading,' the poem voices separation's sorrow—outwardly generous to guests, inwardly grief-stricken. It is a Jian'an poem of sojourn and longing.

微阴翳阳景，清风飘我衣。游鱼潜渌水，翔鸟薄天飞。眇眇客行士，遥役不得归。始出严霜结，今来白露晞。游者叹黍离，处者歌式微。慷慨对嘉宾，凄怆内伤悲。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The first part writes autumn: faint shadows veil the sun, a clear wind lifts the robe; fish hide in green water, birds skim the sky. The middle writes the traveler: a lone traveler bound to distant service cannot return; when he left there was hard frost, now white dew is dried. The last writes sorrow: the wanderer sighs the millet's fall, those at home sing 'Fading, Fading'; generously he faces guests, yet inwardly grieves. [Structure] The poem follows scene-to-feeling: it opens with autumn scenery, contrasts the fish and birds at ease against the traveler's bondage, then turns to separation's grief through allusion—the classic 'scene writing feeling' of longing poetry. [Imagery] 'Roaming fish hide in green water; soaring birds skim near heaven'—one hidden, one flying, water and sky—uses the ease of creatures to contrast the traveler's inability to return (writing grief through a happy scene). The closing 'generous yet grieving' antithesis is Cao Zhi's signature blend of lofty bone and beautiful feeling.

【白话串讲】曹植写《情诗》：“微阴翳阳景，清风飘我衣”——“游鱼潜渌水，翔鸟薄天飞”——“眇眇客行士，遥役不得归”——“游者叹黍离，处者歌式微”——“慷慨对嘉宾，凄怆内伤悲”——他写征人思归。【意象与手法】此诗写怀人，以行役写怀人，是曹植的名篇。前段写秋景：「微阴翳阳景，清风飘我衣。游鱼潜渌水，翔鸟薄天飞」写微阴翳阳景、清风飘我衣——写尽翔鸟薄天的飞；中段写行役：「眇眇客行士，遥役不得归。始出严霜结，今来白露晞」写眇眇客行士、遥役不得归——写尽今来白露的晞；后段写伤悲：「游者叹黍离，处者歌式微。慷慨对嘉宾，凄怆内伤悲」写游者叹黍离、处者歌式微——写尽凄怆内伤的一悲。全诗以行役写怀人，写尽翔鸟薄天的飞与凄怆内伤的一悲，是曹植的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写怀人，以行役写怀人，是曹植的名篇。此诗为曹植情诗，写其行役思归与怀人之情。曹植此诗写其秋日行役的感伤。此诗写微阴翳阳景，清风飘我衣；游鱼潜渌水，翔鸟薄天飞；眇眇客行士，遥役不得归；始出严霜结，今来白露晞；游者叹黍离，处者歌式微；慷慨对嘉宾，凄怆内伤悲。此诗写秋景：微阴翳阳景，清风飘我衣——写微阴翳阳景、清风飘我衣，写尽清风飘我的衣；游鱼潜渌水，翔鸟薄天飞——写游鱼潜渌水、翔鸟薄天飞，写尽翔鸟薄天的飞；眇眇客行士，遥役不得归——写眇眇客行士、遥役不得归，写尽遥役不得的一归；始出严霜结，今来白露晞——写始出严霜结、今来白露晞，写尽今来白露的晞；游者叹黍离，处者歌式微——写游者叹黍离、处者歌式微，写尽处者歌式的式微；慷慨对嘉宾，凄怆内伤悲——写慷慨对嘉宾、凄怆内伤悲，写尽凄怆内伤的一悲。全诗以行役写怀人——那「翔鸟薄天飞」写尽翔鸟薄天的飞，「凄怆内伤悲」写尽凄怆内伤的一悲，写尽翔鸟薄天的飞与凄怆内伤的一悲，是理解曹植怀人诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「微阴翳阳景，清风飘我衣」写清风飘我的衣；「游者叹黍离，处者歌式微」写处者歌式的式微；以及全诗以行役写怀人、以用典写伤悲的手法。

Background

Cao Zhi (192–232), courtesy name Zijian, was a native of Qiao in Pei (today's Bozhou, Anhui), son of Cao Cao and younger brother of Cao Pi, a poet of Wei in the Three Kingdoms, the great synthesizer of Jian'an literature, whom Zhong Rong's 'Poetry Gradations' calls 'lofty bone and rare height, splendid diction,' honored as 'Prince of Chen.' This is a love poem (情诗) writing his sojourn-longing. In autumn he feels the sorrow of distant service: faint shadows veil the sun, a clear wind lifts his robe; fish hide in green water, birds skim the sky; a lone traveler bound to service cannot return; when he left hard frost had formed, now white dew is dried; the wanderer sighs the millet's fall, those at home sing 'Fading, Fading'; generously facing guests, inwardly he grieves. It is a crucial text for understanding Cao Zhi's longing poetry.

此诗写怀人，以行役写怀人，是曹植的名篇。曹植（192—232），字子建，沛国谯县（今安徽亳州）人，曹操之子，曹丕之弟，三国魏诗人，建安文学集大成者，南朝钟嵘《诗品》称其「骨气奇高，词采华茂」，世称「陈思王」。此诗为曹植情诗，写其行役思归与怀人之情。曹植此诗写其秋日行役的感伤。此诗写微阴翳阳景，清风飘我衣；游鱼潜渌水，翔鸟薄天飞；眇眇客行士，遥役不得归；始出严霜结，今来白露晞；游者叹黍离，处者歌式微；慷慨对嘉宾，凄怆内伤悲。此诗写秋景：「微阴翳阳景，清风飘我衣」写微阴翳阳景、清风飘我衣——写尽清风飘我的衣（微阴翳阳景，清风飘我衣）；「游鱼潜渌水，翔鸟薄天飞」写游鱼潜渌水、翔鸟薄天飞——写尽翔鸟薄天的飞（游鱼潜渌水，翔鸟薄天飞）；「眇眇客行士，遥役不得归」写眇眇客行士、遥役不得归——写尽遥役不得的一归（眇眇客行士，遥役不得归）；「始出严霜结，今来白露晞」写始出严霜结、今来白露晞——写尽今来白露的晞（始出严霜结，今来白露晞）；「游者叹黍离，处者歌式微」写游者叹黍离、处者歌式微——写尽处者歌式的式微（游者叹黍离，处者歌式微）；「慷慨对嘉宾，凄怆内伤悲」写慷慨对嘉宾、凄怆内伤悲——写尽凄怆内伤的一悲（慷慨对嘉宾，凄怆内伤悲）。全诗以行役写怀人，写尽翔鸟薄天的飞与凄怆内伤的一悲，是理解曹植怀人诗的重要篇章。

Art

The artistry can be read in four aspects. First, scenic writing of autumn: 'faint shadows veil the bright scene' with 'a clear wind lifts my robe' writes the autumn wandering air, hinting at the late hour and unsettled heart. Second, antithetical pairing of roam and soar: 'roaming fish hide in green water; soaring birds skim near heaven's flight'—one hidden, one flying, water and sky—uses creatures' ease to contrast the traveler's bondage, the 'write grief through happy scene' (以乐景写哀) device. Third, contrast for the sojourn: 'a lone traveler far off, bound to service, cannot return' writes the inability to go home. Fourth, allusion for sorrow: 'the wanderer sighs the millet's fall; those at home sing Fading, Fading' uses the Songs to write separation. The poem moves from scene to feeling, the classic longing-poetry method. Its structure is tight: it opens with faint shadows and clear wind, hints at time's lateness; the fish-and-bird antithesis reflects the traveler; 'hard frost' and 'white dew' mark the long absence and shifting seasons in one brush; the close splits wanderer and home, then opposes 'generous' and 'grieving'—Cao Zhi's 'lofty bone with beautiful feeling.'

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以写景写秋景。「微阴翳阳景」以写景写秋景——那「清风飘我衣」写尽清风飘我的衣，以写景写尽清风飘我的衣。其二，以对仗写游翔。「游鱼潜渌水」以对仗写游翔——那「翔鸟薄天飞」写尽翔鸟薄天的飞，以对仗写尽翔鸟薄天的飞。其三，以对比写行役。「眇眇客行士」以对比写行役——那「遥役不得归」写尽遥役不得的一归，以对比写尽遥役不得的一归。其四，以用典写伤悲。「游者叹黍离」以用典写伤悲——那「处者歌式微」写尽处者歌式的式微，以用典写尽处者歌式的式微。此外，此诗前写翔鸟薄天的飞，后写凄怆内伤的一悲，由景及情，正是怀人诗「以景写情」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以行役写怀人，写尽翔鸟薄天的飞与凄怆内伤的一悲，是曹植的代表作。又，此诗章法精严、以景起情：起笔「微阴翳阳景，清风飘我衣」以微阴清风写秋日游氛，暗含时之将晚、心之不宁；「游鱼潜渌水，翔鸟薄天飞」一潜一飞、一水一天，以鱼鸟之得其所反衬行役之不得归，物我对照，此即「以乐景写哀」之妙；中段「始出严霜结，今来白露晞」以严霜、白露两个时间意象写离家之久、节候之移，一笔带过而岁月流转可见；末段「游者叹黍离，处者歌式微」分写游者与处者，双线并收，「慷慨对嘉宾，凄怆内伤悲」以「慷慨」与「凄怆」对举，正是曹植「骨气奇高而情辞兼美」的本色。

Allusions

The diction is rooted in the longing and sojourn tradition. 'Faint shadows' evokes 'faint shadows veil the sun'; 'veil' the shading image; 'bright scene' the sunlight; 'clear wind' evokes Su Shi's 'a clear wind comes gently'; 'lifts my robe' the fluttering robe; 'roaming fish' the swimming fish; 'green water' evokes Li Bai's 'green water ripples, white apes cry'; 'soaring birds' evokes Tao Yuanming's 'birds fly home together'; 'skim near heaven' the near-sky flight; 'traveler' evokes the Nineteen Old Poems 'the traveler's joy though he says'; 'distant service' evokes the Songs 'the king's service has no rest'; 'cannot return' the hard return; 'hard frost' evokes 'hard frost binds the court orchid'; 'white dew dried' evokes Cao Cao's 'like morning dew, the bygone days are many'; 'millet's fall' the Songs 'that millet droops' and the sorrow of millet; 'Fading, Fading' the Songs 'Fading, Fading, why not return'; 'honored guests' evokes Cao Cao's 'I have honored guests, playing se and sheng'; 'grieve' the mourning feeling. The poem absorbs these images and allusions to write longing through sojourn, Cao Zhi's mastery of antithesis and the Songs tradition.

此诗的用语深植于怀人与行役传统。「微阴」令人想到「微阴」写微阴的意象——也令人想到「微阴翳日」的意象；「翳」令人想到「翳」写遮蔽的意象——也令人想到「翳翳桑榆日」（陶渊明）的意象；「阳景」令人想到「阳景」写日光的意象——也令人想到「阳景西垂」的意象；「清风」令人想到「清风」写清风的意象——也令人想到「清风徐来」（苏轼）的意象；「飘我衣」令人想到「飘我衣」写衣飘的意象——也令人想到「风吹衣袂」的意象；「游鱼」令人想到「游鱼」写游鱼的意象——也令人想到「游鱼出听」的意象；「渌水」令人想到「渌水」写清水的意象——也令人想到「渌水荡漾清猿啼」（李白）的意象；「翔鸟」令人想到「翔鸟」写飞鸟的意象——也令人想到「飞鸟相与还」（陶渊明）的意象；「薄天飞」令人想到「薄天飞」写近天的意象——也令人想到「薄暮冥冥」的意象；「客行士」令人想到「客行士」写行役的意象——也令人想到「客行虽云乐」（《古诗十九首》）的意象；「遥役」令人想到「遥役」写远役的意象——也令人想到「王事靡盬」（《诗经》）的意象；「不得归」令人想到「不得归」写难归的意象——也令人想到「不得归故里」的意象；「严霜」令人想到「严霜」写严霜的意象——也令人想到「严霜结庭兰」（《孔雀东南飞》）的意象；「白露晞」令人想到「白露晞」写露晞的意象——也令人想到「譬如朝露，去日苦多」（曹操）的意象；「黍离」令人想到「黍离」写黍离的意象——《诗经·王风·黍离》「彼黍离离」，也令人想到「黍离之悲」的意象；「式微」令人想到「式微」写式微的意象——《诗经·邶风·式微》「式微式微，胡不归」，也令人想到「式微式微」的意象；「嘉宾」令人想到「嘉宾」写嘉宾的意象——也令人想到「我有嘉宾，鼓瑟吹笙」（曹操）的意象；「凄怆」令人想到「凄怆」写凄怆的意象——也令人想到「凄怆内伤悲」的意象。全诗化用微阴、翳、阳景、清风、飘我衣、游鱼、渌水、翔鸟、薄天飞、客行士、遥役、不得归、严霜、白露晞、黍离、式微、嘉宾、凄怆的意象典故，以行役写怀人，正是曹植「骨气奇高」而善对仗、承诗经传统写怀人之本领。

Commentary

This poem has long been praised as a masterpiece of Cao Zhi's longing poetry and a representative of Jian'an sojourn-longing. Critics rated it highly: Zhong Rong praises Cao Zhi's 'lofty bone and rare height, splendid diction'; a Qing reader notes it 'writes longing through sojourn, generous yet pathetic'; modern scholars point to 'the wanderer sighs the millet's fall; those at home sing Fading, Fading' as a famous line. Its special value lies in using five-character verse to exhaust both the birds' flight and the inward grief—the faint shadows, the veiled sun, the clear wind, the robe, the fish, the green water, the birds, the near-sky flight, the lone traveler, the distant service, the hard frost, the white dew, the wanderer, the millet, the home, the Fading song, the generosity, the grief. It pairs with Cao Zhi's 'Miscellaneous Poem · A Beauty in the South' as longing masterpieces—one 'the age despises red faces,' one 'a lone traveler bound to service'; one longing for talent, one longing for home. For today's readers it is a window into Cao Zhi's longing poetry and a classic of Jian'an sojourn-longing.

此诗历来被推为曹植怀人诗的名篇，也是建安诗写行役思归的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：钟嵘评曹植「骨气奇高，词采华茂」，清人更评此诗「以行役写怀人，慷慨悲凉」；近人指出「游者叹黍离，处者歌式微」写处者歌式的式微，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以五言写尽翔鸟薄天的飞与凄怆内伤的一悲——那微阴，那翳阳景，那清风，那飘我衣，那游鱼，那潜渌水，那翔鸟，那薄天飞，那眇眇，那客行士，那遥役，那不得归，那始出，那严霜结，那今来，那白露晞，那游者，那叹黍离，那处者，那歌式微，那慷慨，那对嘉宾，那凄怆，那内伤悲，都写尽了曹植笔下的情诗；那「游者叹黍离，处者歌式微」更以用典写尽处者歌式的式微。此诗与曹植《杂诗·南国有佳人》「南国有佳人」同为怀人名篇，一写「时俗薄朱颜」的南国有佳人，一写「眇眇客行士」的情诗；一写怀才，一写怀人。两诗对读，可见曹植怀人诗的两面。对于今日读者，此诗是理解曹植怀人诗的窗口，也是建安诗写行役思归的经典——那凄怆内伤的一悲，穿越千年，仍在诉说着翔鸟薄天的飞。

Prosody

Form Five-character ancient-style verse五言古诗

Rhyme Five-character ancient-style; rhymes on 'robe' (衣), 'fly' (飞), 'return' (归), 'dried' (晞), 'Fading' (微), 'mourn' (悲) (level-tone wei/qi rhyme), one rhyme throughout.五古押「衣」「飞」「归」「晞」「微」「悲」（平声微齐韵），一韵到底

Tone pattern A five-character ancient-style poem in the level tone, one rhyme throughout, with pathetic music fitting the longing's sorrow.此诗为五言古诗，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节悲凉，正合怀人的悲凉。

Reading note This is a five-character ancient-style poem—'Faint shadows veil the bright scene... inwardly I grieve and mourn'—rhyming in the level tone (衣, 飞, 归, 晞, 微, 悲), one rhyme throughout, pathetic in music. It writes longing through sojourn: first the birds' flight (faint shadows, fish in green water), middle the inability to return (lone traveler, hard frost), last the inward grief (wanderer sighs, generous to guests). Read the birds' flight in a pathetic tone, the grief in a low, returning one, and close in lingering sorrow to convey Cao Zhi's generous-pathetic voice. His ancient verse is famed for 'lofty bone,' and this is the model of his longing poetry.此诗为五言古诗——「微阴翳阳景，清风飘我衣。游鱼潜渌水，翔鸟薄天飞。眇眇客行士，遥役不得归。始出严霜结，今来白露晞。游者叹黍离，处者歌式微。慷慨对嘉宾，凄怆内伤悲」，押平韵（衣、飞、归、晞、微、悲），一韵到底，音节悲凉。全诗以行役写怀人：前写翔鸟薄天的飞（微阴翳阳景、游鱼潜渌水），中写遥役不得的一归（眇眇客行士、始出严霜结），后写凄怆内伤的一悲（游者叹黍离、慷慨对嘉宾）。古诗铺叙，前写秋景，中写行役，后写伤悲，以「凄怆内伤悲」写尽凄怆内伤的一悲，正见曹植「骨气奇高」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以悲凉的语调读「翔鸟薄天飞」的游翔，以低回的语调读「凄怆内伤悲」的伤悲，结句要读得悲凉而有余韵，方能传达出曹植的慷慨悲凉。曹植古诗以「骨气奇高」著称，此诗正是其怀人诗的典范。

Line by line

游鱼潜渌水，翔鸟薄天飞

Roaming fish hide in the green water; soaring birds skim near heaven's flight.

游鱼潜渌水，翔鸟薄天飞。

The swimming fish dives into the green water; the soaring bird flies close to the sky.

此二句是全诗写游翔的核心，以游鱼潜渌水写潜渌水，以翔鸟薄天飞写薄天飞，写尽翔鸟薄天的飞，是千古名句。「游鱼潜渌水」写游鱼潜渌水——那「游鱼」写游鱼，「潜渌水」写潜渌水，写尽游鱼的潜渌水；「翔鸟薄天飞」写翔鸟薄天飞——那「翔鸟」写翔鸟，「薄天飞」写薄天飞，写尽翔鸟的薄天飞。这句的深意在于：它以「游鱼潜渌水」的潜渌水与「翔鸟薄天飞」的薄天飞，写尽翔鸟薄天的飞——游鱼潜渌水，那「游鱼潜渌水」写尽游鱼的潜渌水——游鱼潜渌水，正是游鱼潜水的写照，那「潜渌水」写尽翔鸟薄天的飞；翔鸟薄天飞，那「翔鸟薄天飞」写尽翔鸟的薄天飞——翔鸟薄天飞，正是翔鸟近天的写照，那「薄天飞」写尽翔鸟薄天的飞；那「游鱼潜渌水」写尽游鱼的潜渌水，那「翔鸟薄天飞」写尽翔鸟的薄天飞，一写潜渌水，一写薄天飞，写尽翔鸟薄天的飞——游鱼潜水而翔鸟近天，正是游翔的写照；此二句以潜渌水、薄天飞写尽翔鸟薄天的飞，也为下文的客行士作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写游翔的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「游鱼潜入渌水，翔鸟贴着天飞」，则失其工丽；唯以「游鱼潜渌水」写潜渌水、「翔鸟薄天飞」写薄天飞，写尽翔鸟薄天的飞，也让此二句成为全诗写游翔的核心。

The two lines are the core of the poem's writing of the swimming and soaring, writing the green water through the swimming fish dives into the green water and the sky-close flight through the soaring bird flies close to the sky, exhausting the soaring bird's heaven-nearing flight, an immortal line. The swimming fish dives into the green water writes the fish diving into the clear green water. The soaring bird flies close to the sky writes the soaring bird's flight near heaven. The deep meaning: through the diving fish and the heaven-nearing flight, the soaring bird's flight is exhausted — the swimming fish dives into the green water is precisely the picture of the fish swimming below; the soaring bird flies close to the sky is precisely the picture of the bird near heaven. One writing the green-water dive, one the heaven-nearing flight, exhausting the soaring flight — the fish diving and the bird near heaven, precisely the picture of the swimming and soaring. The two lines write the soaring flight through the green water dive and the heaven-nearing flight, and prepare the traveler below, making the lines the core of the swimming and soaring and an immortal line. Were it said plainly the fish dives into the green water, the bird flies against the sky, the finish would be lost; only by writing the green-water dive through the swimming fish dives into the green water and the heaven-nearing flight through the soaring bird flies close to the sky, is the soaring flight exhausted, making the lines the core of the swimming and soaring.

游者叹黍离，处者歌式微

The wanderer sighs the millet's fall; those at home sing 'Fading, Fading.'

游者叹黍离，处者歌式微。

The traveler sighs over the millet grass; the dweller sings of the decline.

此二句是全诗写伤悲的核心，以游者叹黍离写叹黍离，以处者歌式微写歌式微，写尽处者歌式的式微，是千古名句。「游者叹黍离」写游者叹黍离——那「游者」写游者，「叹黍离」写叹黍离，写尽游者的叹黍离；「处者歌式微」写处者歌式微——那「处者」写处者，「歌式微」写歌式微，写尽处者的歌式微。这句的深意在于：它以「游者叹黍离」的叹黍离与「处者歌式微」的歌式微，写尽处者歌式的式微——游者叹黍离，那「游者叹黍离」写尽游者的叹黍离——游者叹黍离，正是游者伤离的写照，那「叹黍离」写尽处者歌式的式微；处者歌式微，那「处者歌式微」写尽处者的歌式微——处者歌式微，正是处者盼归的写照，那「歌式微」写尽处者歌式的式微；那「游者叹黍离」写尽游者的叹黍离，那「处者歌式微」写尽处者的歌式微，一写叹黍离，一写歌式微，写尽处者歌式的式微——游者伤离而处者盼归，正是怀人的写照；此二句以叹黍离、歌式微写尽处者歌式的式微，也为下文的嘉宾作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写伤悲的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「游者叹息黍离，处者歌咏式微」，则失其典雅；唯以「游者叹黍离」写叹黍离、「处者歌式微」写歌式微，写尽处者歌式的式微，也让此二句成为全诗写伤悲的核心。

The two lines are the core of the poem's writing of grief, writing the sigh over the millet through the traveler sighs over the millet grass and the song of decline through the dweller sings of the decline, exhausting the dweller's song of the decline, an immortal line. The traveler sighs over the millet grass writes the traveler's sigh over the millet. The dweller sings of the decline writes the dweller's song of decline. The deep meaning: through the millet sigh and the decline song, the dweller's song of decline is exhausted — the traveler sighs over the millet grass is precisely the picture of the traveler grieving parting; the dweller sings of the decline is precisely the picture of the dweller longing for return. One writing the millet sigh, one the decline song, exhausting the dweller's decline song — the traveler grieving parting and the dweller longing for return, precisely the picture of the longing for the absent. The two lines write the dweller's decline song through the millet sigh and the decline song, and prepare the honored guest below, making the lines the core of the grief and an immortal line. Were it said plainly the traveler sighs the millet, the dweller sings the decline, the elegance would be lost; only by writing the millet sigh through the traveler sighs over the millet grass and the decline song through the dweller sings of the decline, is the dweller's decline song exhausted, making the lines the core of the grief.

Study

Word focus

潜 The character 'qian' (潜, 'hide / dive') in 'roaming fish hide in green water' (游鱼潜渌水) is the keyword of roam-and-soar, writing in one character the fish's diving into the green water. 'Qian' means to hide, to dive. Cao Zhi uses it at least doubly: first, as the fish's action—'roaming fish hide in green water' writes the fish diving, a portrait of fish in water, and 'qian' exhausts that diving; second, as the fish's ease—'qian' also suggests the pleasure of diving, the joy of fish and water's harmony. As the hinge of his longing writing, 'qian' pairs with 'soaring birds skim near heaven' to exhaust the fish's diving and the birds' near-sky flight; replacing it with 'you' or 'yong' would lose this fit. 「游鱼潜渌水」之「潜」字是写游翔关键词，一个「潜」字写尽游鱼的潜渌水。潜者，潜藏、潜水也。曹植以「游鱼潜渌水」写游翔，这个「潜」字至少有双重意味：其一，写鱼之潜——那「游鱼潜渌水」写游鱼潜渌水，那「潜」字写尽游鱼的潜渌水——潜渌水，正是游鱼潜水的写照，那「潜」字写尽游鱼的潜渌水；其二，写鱼之乐——那「潜」字更是写乐——潜，正见鱼潜之乐的意味，那「潜」字写尽曹植的欣悦。以「潜」字写游翔，正是曹植写怀人的枢纽——若换作「游」「泳」等字，则或失其与「游鱼潜渌水」「翔鸟薄天飞」的配合，或失其写潜的意味；唯「潜」字，以游鱼潜渌水写尽游鱼之潜游与鱼水之相得，与「翔鸟薄天飞」的薄天飞相合，写尽游鱼的潜渌水，也让「游鱼潜渌水」成为全诗写游翔的名句。

悲 The character 'bei' (悲, 'grieve / mourn') in 'inwardly I grieve and mourn' (凄怆内伤悲) is the keyword of sorrow, writing in one character the inward grief. 'Bei' means sadness, mournful. Cao Zhi uses it at least doubly: first, as the heart's sorrow—'inwardly I grieve and mourn' writes the inward wound and mourning, a portrait of inner grief, and 'bei' exhausts that mourning; second, as the depth of feeling—'bei' also suggests the intensity of longing for home. As the hinge of his longing, 'bei' pairs with 'the wanderer sighs the millet's fall' to exhaust the inward grief and the depth of homesickness, making the line a famous sorrow-couplet. 「凄怆内伤悲」之「悲」字是写伤悲关键词，一个「悲」字写尽凄怆内伤的一悲。悲者，悲伤、悲凉也。曹植以「凄怆内伤悲」写伤悲，这个「悲」字至少有双重意味：其一，写心之悲——那「凄怆内伤悲」写凄怆内伤悲，那「悲」字写尽凄怆内伤的一悲——伤悲，正是内伤悲痛的写照，那「悲」字写尽凄怆内伤的一悲；其二，写情之深——那「悲」字更是写深——悲，正见思归情切的意味，那「悲」字写尽曹植的怀人。以「悲」字写伤悲，正是曹植写怀人的枢纽——若换作「伤」「痛」等字，则或失其与「凄怆内伤悲」「游者叹黍离」的配合，或失其写悲的意味；唯「悲」字，以凄怆内伤悲写尽内伤之悲恸与怀人之情深，与「游者叹黍离」的叹黍离相合，写尽凄怆内伤的一悲，也让「凄怆内伤悲」成为全诗写伤悲的名句。

情诗