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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

侯君房

The Marquis Junfang

张方平

Zhang Fangping

山水Landscape 咏史History 哲理Philosophy

爵位功名可自豪，青云志士岂而曹。
一朝黄钺看看下，始愧狂奴故态高。

The rank and the title, the merit and the fame, can, be, proud, of, the self,
The scholar of the blue clouds, the will, how, would, it, be, your, sort.
One, morning, the yellow battle-axe, look, look, descending,
Then, beginning, to feel, ashamed, the mad servant, the old, the air, high.

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Meaning

A poem of the hermit and the marquis, written by Zhang Fangping. The rank and the title with the merit and the fame can be proud of the self, the scholar of the blue clouds the will how would it be your sort — the pride of the opening. One morning the yellow battle-axe look look descending, then beginning to feel ashamed the mad servant the old the air high — the shame of the close. The poem is the hermit and the marquis: the pride of the rank, and the close's shame of the mad servant.

爵位功名足以自豪，青云之上的志士岂是尔辈。一旦黄钺眼看就要落下，才惭愧那狂奴故态之高。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The rank and the title, the merit and the fame, can, be, proud, of, the self, the scholar of the blue clouds, the will, how, would, it, be, your, sort. One, morning, the yellow battle-axe, look, look, descending, then, beginning, to feel, ashamed, the mad servant, the old, the air, high. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the pride of the rank and the title, through the contrast with the scholar of the blue clouds, to the close's the yellow battle-axe descending and the shame of the mad servant. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the shame: the yellow battle-axe of the descending, and the close's the mad servant ashamed of the old air high — the pride gathered in the contrast and the close's shame. [Emotional Tone] Sharp, contrasting, and philosophic: the poem is the pride, the hermit and the close's shame.

【白话串讲】张方平写侯君房：“爵位功名可自豪，青云志士岂而曹”。“一朝黄钺看看下，始愧狂奴故态高”——他写功名的虚妄。【意象与手法】以「黄钺」「狂奴故态」两个反差意象结撰，冷峻短峭，对比强烈。【情感与主旨】借侯君房事刺恃功骄横者，反衬「狂奴故态」所代表的狷介之高。【名句点睛】「一朝黄钺看看下，始愧狂奴故态高」二句，以斧钺与故态之对比，为全诗骨力。

Background

Zhang Fangping (1007-1091), the statesman and poet of the Northern Song, wrote this 'The Marquis Junfang' of the hermit and the marquis — the reflection on the fame and the rank. The pride of the rank and the title with the scholar of the blue clouds, and the close's the yellow battle-axe descending with the shame of the mad servant — the poem gathers the reflection of the poet, the contrast of the hermit and the marquis. The poem is one of the works of the poet's poems of the reflection.

「侯君房」即侯霸，字君房，东汉初大臣，官至大司徒，封关内侯。《后汉书》载侯霸身后，其故人严子陵（光）持足加帝腹、狂傲不驯，世称「狂奴故态」；又汉世权臣多以功名自骄，而祸机常伏。张方平此诗咏侯君房，当是借东汉事讽北宋恃功骄横、不知节退之辈。北宋中期，大臣因功宠而骄、终遭贬戮者不乏其人（如王安石变法中诸臣起落），诗人以史为镜，冷眼揭「功名可自豪」背后的危殆。诗中「黄钺」为皇帝诛罚之斧，「看看下」写祸机之迫在眉睫。此诗因而不仅是怀古，更是那个「崇文抑武、功名易主」时代里，对权势骄满者的当头棒喝，折射宋人「满招损、谦受益」的政治训诫意识。侯霸与严光的故事，详载于《后汉书·严光传》与《侯霸传》。侯霸字君房，河南密人，笃志好学，光武帝时任大司徒，封关内侯，然其与严光为旧交；严光字子陵，与光武同游学，光武即位后变姓名隐身，帝三聘乃至，与帝同榻而眠、以足加帝腹，侯霸使人候之，严光口授「君房素痴，今为三公，良愈」之语，光武笑曰「狂奴故态也」。张方平此诗即撮取这段旧事，而独拈「爵位功名」与「狂奴故态」两端对照。其用意不在史实考订，而在借侯霸之「骄」与严光之「高」，作一番关于「权势」与「节操」的价值权衡。北宋中期，崇文抑武之制已立，然台谏与宰执之间、新旧党人之间，因功宠而骄、因骄而覆者代不乏人，方平以三朝老臣之眼，冷眼观此，遂借东汉旧事发为警世之语。此诗之「史」，实是「今」之镜鉴。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the contrast. The pride opens: the rank and the title, the merit and the fame, can, be, proud, of, the self — the pride of the rank and the title; the scholar of the blue clouds, the will, how, would, it, be, your, sort — the scholar of the blue clouds. The shame follows: one, morning, the yellow battle-axe, look, look, descending — the yellow battle-axe of the descending; then, beginning, to feel, ashamed, the mad servant, the old, the air, high — the ashamed of the mad servant — the pride, the contrast and the close's shame, gathered in the poem.

此诗仅两句（七言截句），却以极简笔墨写极沉的史论与讽喻。前二句「爵位功名可自豪，青云志士岂而曹」先写侯君房恃功名爵位而骄，视青云志士（如严光之流）不在此辈——「可自豪」三字带几分冷讽，「岂而曹」以反诘写其目中无人。后二句「一朝黄钺看看下，始愧狂奴故态高」陡转：一旦斧钺加身、祸机立至，方才惭愧那「狂奴故态」之高洁。前后形成「骄—愧」的强烈反差，章法由扬转抑，如快刀斩处。通篇不用景语、不著闲字，纯以「功名」与「斧钺」、「而曹」与「故态」的对照运思，是宋人咏史「翻案、以事显理」的短章范例，骨力全在末句的对比反讽。细按此二句的章法，实是「扬—抑—转」的严密三段：前二句「爵位功名可自豪，青云志士岂而曹」是「扬」，极写侯霸恃功自矜、目无余子的骄态；第三句「一朝黄钺看看下」是「抑」，笔锋陡转，写祸机之骤至；第四句「始愧狂奴故态高」是「转」，在「愧」字上完成价值反转，把前文被轻视的「狂奴故态」翻为高洁。短短四句，扬、抑、转三折，如尺水兴波。其手法之妙，一在「反差」：爵位之尊与黄钺之危、「而曹」之贱与「故态」之高，两两对照，反差刺目；二在「反转」：末句一个「始」字、一个「高」字，把全诗的褒贬悄然颠倒，读者至此方悟前二句的「自豪」原是反讽。这种「先扬后抑、卒章显志」的笔法，本于《史记》论赞的跌宕，而方平以诗出之，冷峭处更见史家之眼。

Allusions

'The marquis Junfang' (Hou jun fang) is the marquis Junfang — the Hou Ba of the Eastern Han, the marquis of the fame; 'the scholar of the blue clouds' (qing yun shi) is the scholar of the blue clouds — the scholar of the lofty, the Yan Guang of the hermit; 'the yellow battle-axe' (huang yue) is the yellow battle-axe — the axe of the yellow, the symbol of the power; 'the mad servant' (kuang nu) is the mad servant — the servant of the mad, the Yan Guang of the high air.

一、侯君房：侯霸字君房，东汉大司徒，以功名显，「爵位功名可自豪」即写其恃宠而骄。二、青云志士：指胸怀高节、不慕荣利之士，如严子陵，「岂而曹」言侯霸以彼辈不屑为己类。三、黄钺：以黄金为饰的斧，天子诛罚之权，「黄钺看看下」写祸机迫近、刑诛将加。四、狂奴故态：出《后汉书·严光传》，侯霸（君房）遣使聘严光，光曰「奈何久沉沦」，使者曰「公闻先生至，区区欲即诣造」，光曰「君房素痴，今为三公，良愈」，因眠卧「以足加帝腹上」，人谓「狂奴故态也」。诗中「始愧狂奴故态高」反用：侯霸至祸至方悟，那被己轻视的狂奴故态，实为高洁。典实的安排由「骄」（功名）到「戮」（黄钺）再到「愧」（故态），构成价值反转的闭环。诸典之中，尚可再辨其出处与取舍。「黄钺」一物，《尚书·牧誓》「王左杖黄钺」，为天子亲征或诛罚之权，后世以「节钺」「斧钺」喻生杀大权；方平以「黄钺看看下」写侯霸之危，暗含「功高震主、赏尽祸随」的史鉴，与韩信「兔死狗烹」、文种「飞鸟尽而良弓藏」的旧事同一史观。「狂奴故态」四字，本光武帝笑严光之语，语带戏谑，方平却于「故态」之上着一「高」字，把帝王的轻哂翻作士人的赞颂，是典型的「反用成典」。又，「青云志士」之「青云」，本有「登青云之志」的仕进义与「青云之士」的高隐义二解，方平于此偏取高隐、狷介一义，正与「狂奴故态」呼应，同指不慕荣利、傲视王侯的一类人。此数典合用，遂把「功名」之虚、「节操」之实，对比得纤毫毕现。

Commentary

This poem is one of the works of Zhang Fangping's poems of the reflection, quoted for the sharpness of its contrast and the philosophy of its close. The scholar of the blue clouds, and the mad servant ashamed of the old air high, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's contrast: the pride gathered in the shame, to the close's high air.

张方平集中咏史怀古之作不多，此篇却极见史胆，与其奏议中「论天下事」的直气、以及《过沛题歌风台》「更欲多求勐士为」的冷讽一脉相承，皆以短章揭雄主与权臣政治中的残酷与虚妄。将本篇与同集《过沛题歌风台》并观，二诗同写「功名场中的血腥与虚妄」：一刺刘邦戮功臣，一刺侯霸恃功骄，皆宋人「以史为鉴」的典型。与王安石《商鞅》「今人未可非商鞅」等翻案咏史相较，张方平此诗不翻案而正写「骄必败」，更近传统训诫诗。历来选家于其诗著录极少，然此小诗「于两句中见反转」的笔法，足见其作为政治人物的清醒。其接受虽微，却是研究宋人「以诗讽权、以史训政」的珍贵小品，亦折射北宋「崇文抑武、警惕功宠」的时代集体心理。再就咏史传统看，此诗虽短，却接续了一条古老的「刺骄」诗脉。自《诗经·小雅》「赫赫宗周，褒姒灭之」之鉴，到左思《咏史》「世胄蹑高位，英俊沉下僚」之愤，再到刘禹锡「旧时王谢堂前燕」之叹，咏史一路本有「以古讽今、借史刺政」的传统；方平此诗以侯霸、严光二事为喻，专刺「恃功而骄」一类，正承此脉。而其所刺，又不限于一时一人：凡以功名自矜、不知进退者，读此诗皆当惕然。与唐人咏史多寄兴亡之感相较，宋人咏史更重「事理之鉴」，方平此诗「骄必败」的断语，正是宋人咏史「以理为骨」的体现。又，此诗与《过沛题歌风台》同以汉事为镜，一刺君、一刺臣，合观可见方平咏史诗的完整视野：权力场中，君猜臣骄，皆足致祸，故士人当以严光之高自处。此其所以为「冷眼」处。

Prosody

Form A quatrain of the reflection (qi yan jue ju)七言二句（古体截句）

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the quatrain that carries the sharp contrast.「豪」「曹」「高」中古豪、歌、豪通押（曹属歌，豪、高属豪），大体协律，短章随势而止，不以韵害意。

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the contrast: the level opening with the pride, the turning with the scholar, and the close's fall with the shame of the mad servant.二句七言，平仄大致相俪：「仄仄平平仄仄平，平平仄仄仄平平；仄平平仄平平仄，仄仄平平仄仄平」，句式近律而古淡峭拔。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its sharpness: the cadences of the quatrain, and the close — 'shi kui kuang nu gu tai gao' — falls with the high, the sound of the shame of the reflecting poet.此诗虽仅两句，音韵却极见经营，走「古淡峭拔」一路，与张方平应制排律的端重、七律的温润皆不同。前二句「爵位功名可自豪，青云志士岂而曹」以平声豪、歌韵起，音节响亮，恰写侯霸自矜之态，先声已带几分冷眼；后二句「一朝黄钺看看下，始愧狂奴故态高」以入声「钺」短促破入，如斧落之声，随即转平声「高」收束，由峭入缓，把「骄—愧」的反转写得声情毕肖。整体不以严韵拘束，古淡中见骨力，是宋人咏史短章「以声运讽」的精练范例。其声情逻辑是：起联响亮写骄、结联斩截写祸、悠长写愧，节奏的「响—断—悠」正服务于「立骄—破骄—反转」的章法，较之列律更显痛快冷峻。再就声调看，此二句前响后峭，「豪、曹、高」的平声洪亮写其骄态，「钺」的入声短促写其祸机，一声之变而含「骄—祸」之转，以声运讽，极见匠心。

Line by line

爵位功名可自豪，青云志士岂而曹。

The rank and the title, the merit and the fame, can, be, proud, of, the self, the scholar of the blue clouds, the will, how, would, it, be, your, sort.

爵位功名足以自豪，青云志士岂是尔辈。

Rank and fame may be grounds for pride; but the high-minded gentleman of the clouds - how could he be such as you?

起二句写侯君房恃功名而骄，是后文「愧」的对照面。「爵位功名可自豪」平叙其显达，「可自豪」三字看似肯定、实则冷讽——以功名自骄者，其骄正藏其浅；「青云志士岂而曹」以反诘写其目中无人：那些青云上的高节之士（如严光），岂是尔等屑小之辈？「岂而曹」即「岂汝辈」，语气傲倨，把侯霸的骄态写活。此联的价值在树立一个将被颠覆的「骄」的形象：正因为前二句把他写得如此自满，后二句「黄钺看看下」的转折才具千钧之力。诗人以简笔勾勒权臣常态，不事铺陈而神态毕肖，是宋人咏史「以事显理」的起手——先立其骄，后破其骄，章法已暗含反转。

The opening two lines write Hou Junfang's arrogance on his merit, the contrast surface for the later shame. Rank and fame may be grounds for pride narrates his eminence plainly, and the three words grounds for pride seem a praise but are really cold satire: the man who is proud of his merit hides his shallowness in that very pride. The second, but the high-minded gentleman of the clouds - how could he be such as you? writes his holding no one in his sight in a rhetorical question: the high-minded of lofty standard in the clouds (such as Yan Guang) - how could they be the likes of you? How could he be such as you means how could they be your sort, the tone arrogant, bringing Hou Ba's arrogance to life. The couplet's value lies in setting up the arrogant image that will be overturned: precisely because the first two lines write him so self-satisfied, the later turn of the yellow battle-axe coming down carries a thousandweight. The poet sketches the constant of the powerful minister in spare strokes, no spread yet the manner to the life, the Song way of singing the past of making reason show through events - first establishing his pride, then breaking his pride, the structure already holding the reversal.

一朝黄钺看看下，始愧狂奴故态高。

One, morning, the yellow battle-axe, look, look, descending, then, beginning, to feel, ashamed, the mad servant, the old, the air, high.

一旦黄钺眼看落下，始愧狂奴故态之高。

Once the yellow battle-axe is about to fall, then he is ashamed that the mad slave's old ways were the lofty ones.

结句为全诗骨力，以斧钺与故态的强烈对比完成价值反转。「一朝黄钺看看下」写祸机猝至——黄钺为天子诛罚之斧，「看看下」三字极写其迫在眉睫、无可逃避，与前「可自豪」的从容形成刺目反差。「始愧狂奴故态高」乃全诗点睛：到此时，侯霸才惭愧地领悟，那曾被自己轻视的「狂奴故态」（严光傲岸不驯、不慕荣利之态）才是真正的高洁。诗人反用《后汉书》故实，把「狂奴」的「狂」翻为「高」，使价值在天翻地覆中倒转。短短两句由「骄」到「愧」、由「功名」到「斧钺」、由「而曹」到「故态」，对比之烈、转折之速，恰似当头棒喝。张方平以政治老臣之眼写此，分明是对北宋恃功骄满者的警诫，冷峻无比。

The closing is the poem's bone of force, completing the reversal of values through the strong contrast of the battle-axe and the old ways. Once the yellow battle-axe is about to fall writes the sudden coming of disaster: the yellow battle-axe is the axe of the Son of Heaven's punishment; the three words about to fall write to the utmost its imminence and inescapability, forming a glaring contrast with the calm of the earlier grounds for pride. The second, then he is ashamed that the mad slave's old ways were the lofty ones, is the poem's eye: at this moment Hou Ba at last, ashamed, realizes that the mad slave's old ways he once despised (Yan Guang's proud unruliness, his not coveting rank and gain) were the true loftiness. The poet reverses the allusion of the Book of the Later Han, turning the mad slave's madness into the lofty, making values turn upside down. In two short lines, from pride to shame, from fame to the battle-axe, from your sort to the old ways, the contrast intense and the turn rapid, like a sudden blow. Fangping writes this with the eye of a senior statesman, plainly a warning to the merit-proud and swollen of the Northern Song, cold and stern.

Study

Word focus

钺 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「钺」在「一朝黄钺看看下」中指黄钺，以黄金饰斧，古代天子专用于诛罚大臣，是刑权之象征。此字是结句、也是全诗的转折枢纽：前文写「爵位功名可自豪」的显达，到此「黄钺」一出，温情尽灭、祸机立显。炼字之妙在「钺」所携的死亡与贬戮之意——它比「祸」「败」等常字更具仪式化的威慑，恰合咏史刺骄需要的庄重冷峭。且「黄钺」为帝王之器，与首句「爵位」形成「予夺皆出于上」的政治暗示，暗扣宋初「功宠易主」的训诫。音声上「钺」为入声月韵，短促斩截，置于「看看下」之前，如斧落之声，与「看看」的迟缓形成节奏张力。一字而兼写祸机、象征、声情三用，是短章立骨的关键字。

狂 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「狂」在「始愧狂奴故态高」中指「狂奴」严光的不羁之态，典出《后汉书》。张方平于此反用其意：世称严光「狂奴故态」本带贬嘲，诗人却说侯霸至祸至「始愧」其「高」——把「狂」翻转为「高洁不驯」的赞词。此字是价值反转的锁钥：正因为前文明写侯霸以青云志士「岂而曹」（不屑彼辈），此处「狂奴」正被包括其中，如今却「愧」其高，前后傲慢与惭愧的落差全系于此一字。炼字之巧在以贬词作褒用，与「黄钺」的刑威对照，构成「权势之卑、狷介之高」的强烈反差。音声上「狂」平声阳韵，读来悠长，与「高」呼应，余味在「愧」字之后绵起。一字而兼用典、翻案、对照三用。

豪 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「豪」在首句「爵位功名可自豪」中指豪迈、自矜，写侯霸以功名爵位自我夸许之态。此字是起句的诗眼，亦全篇「骄」的集中体现：以「可自豪」三字先立其显达自满，看似平常叙事，实则暗含冷讽——功名之「豪」最易生骄、骄则近败，为后文「黄钺」之祸预埋伏笔。炼字之妙在「豪」与结句「高」（狂奴故态之高）形成对照：侯霸的「豪」是外在功名的虚骄，严光的「高」是内在节操的实贵，二字遥对，价值判然。且「豪」平声豪韵，开口度大、读来响亮，恰宜写「自矜」之态，与后文入声「钺」的短促形成声情反差。一字而兼写性格、伏笔、声色三用，是短章起手的精警字。

曹 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「曹」在「青云志士岂而曹」中指辈类、侪辈，「岂而曹」犹言「岂是尔辈」，写侯霸以青云高节之士不屑为己类。此字是起句写其骄态的收束点：前以「可自豪」立其显达自满，此以「岂而曹」写其目无余子，傲慢之神毕肖。炼字之妙在「曹」作复数类指，使侯霸的轻视由个人扩为一群——他不唯轻严光，且轻一切青云志士，骄态更显。且「曹」平声豪韵，与「豪」「高」同部押韵，读来响亮，恰写其倨傲之态。更深一层，此字与结句「狂奴故态高」形成反转的支点：正因他视彼辈为「而曹」，后文方以「始愧」翻转其价值。一字而兼写态、写类、押韵三用，是短章起手的警策之字。

侯君房