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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

虢国夫人

The Lady of Guo State

杜甫

Du Fu

虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门却嫌脂粉涴颜色澹埽蛾眉朝至尊

The Lady of Guo enjoys the sovereign's favor, at dawn she mounts her horse and enters the palace gate.
Yet she fears rouge and powder would soil her beauty, lightly she brushes her moth-eyebrows to face the Lord of All.
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Meaning

Du Fu sketches the insolence of the Lady of Guo, sister of Yang Guifei: imperial favor lets her ride into the palace at dawn, and she disdains cosmetics as unworthy of her face, appearing barely made-up before the emperor. The portrait never moralizes, yet every detail exposes the arrogance of a courtwoman whose privilege outruns ritual.

虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门却嫌脂粉涴颜色澹埽蛾眉朝至尊

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The Lady of Guo enjoys the emperor's favor; at dawn she mounts her horse and rides in through the palace gate. She thinks rouge and powder would soil her complexion, so with lightly brushed eyebrows she goes to face the sovereign. [Irony by Detail] Du Fu condemns without comment: 'at dawn she mounts her horse' shows a courtwoman riding like a man into the palace; 'fears rouge would soil her color' exposes conceit; 'lightly brushed eyebrows' shows insolent casualness before the emperor. [Satirical Restraint] The poem's power lies in what it does not say. No epithet is wasted; the three actions — mounting, disdaining, brushing — let the reader complete the indictment.

【白话串讲】 杜甫写《虢国夫人》：“虢国夫人承主恩，平明上马入宫门”——“却嫌脂粉涴颜色，澹埽蛾眉朝至尊”——他写虢国夫人——却嫌脂粉涴颜色。 【意象与手法】 “虢国夫人承主恩，平明上马入宫门”写承主恩；“却嫌脂粉涴颜色”写嫌脂粉；结以“澹埽蛾眉朝至尊”写淡扫蛾眉。冷隽讽喻。 【情感与主旨】 杜甫写虢国夫人之作，写虢国夫人平明上马入宫门、淡扫蛾眉朝至尊的恃宠之态，于冷隽中寓讽刺，是杜甫讽喻诗中的名篇。 【名句点睛】 常考“虢国夫人承主恩，平明上马入宫门”写承主恩入宫门；“却嫌脂粉涴颜色，澹埽蛾眉朝至尊”以淡扫蛾眉写恃宠。

Background

Du Fu (712–770), courtesy name Zimei, is China's greatest poet. The Lady of Guo State was one of the sisters of Yang Guifei, Xuanzong's beloved consort; when Yang rose to power, her sisters were ennobled as ladies of Qin, Guo, and Han and showered with favor. According to the Old and New Tang Histories, the Lady of Guo's carriage and retinue rivaled the emperor's, and she was so privileged that she could enter the palace freely, even riding in with the courtiers. Du Fu, then in Chang'an, wrote this quatrain as a coldly ironic exposure of the Yang family's arrogated privilege on the eve of the An-Shi Rebellion.

《虢国夫人》为唐代诗人杜甫所作诗。杜甫（712—770），字子美，号少陵野老，巩县人，唐代诗人。此诗写咏人讽喻，为咏虢国夫人之作。诗中「虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门」写虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门；「却嫌脂粉涴颜色澹埽蛾眉朝至尊」写却嫌脂粉涴颜色澹埽蛾眉朝至尊。杜甫此诗以咏人讽喻、澹埽蛾眉朝至尊写其讽喻之情，冷隽讽喻，是杜甫诗中的名篇。此篇《虢国夫人》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。此篇《虢国夫人》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。此篇《虢国夫人》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。

Art

The poem's technique is ironic understatement. It opens with the blunt fact of favor, proceeds with a single morning action — mounting at dawn, entering the palace — that violates court ritual, and ends with the telling detail of cosmetics: she refuses rouge because it would soil her beauty, and appears with lightly brushed eyebrows before the emperor. The phrase 'soils her color' implies that the Lady's beauty, not the court's dignity, is what matters; 'lightly brushed' turns preparation into studied carelessness. In twenty-eight characters Du Fu draws an entire character and indicts an age.

此诗艺术上以「冷隽讽喻、以妆写情」见长。全诗共四句，由虢国夫人承主恩而却嫌脂粉涴颜色。起「虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门」写虢国夫人承主恩：虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门；结「却嫌脂粉涴颜色澹埽蛾眉朝至尊」写却嫌脂粉涴颜色：却嫌脂粉涴颜色澹埽蛾眉朝至尊。全诗以妆写情，由虢国夫人承主恩而澹埽蛾眉朝至尊，冷隽讽喻，是杜甫诗中的名篇。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。

Allusions

The Lady of Guo State, sister of Yang Guifei, appears in the Old Tang History's account of the Yang family's rise: her procession through Chang'an outshone the imperial court. 'Moth-eyebrows' is the classical term for a woman's slender arched brows, a standard trope for feminine beauty traceable to ancient song. 'The Lord of All' is the emperor. The Old Tang History also records that the Lady of Guo once appeared before Xuanzong without full makeup — an unthinkable casualness — and Du Fu's 'lightly brushed eyebrows' is read as a pointed allusion to that very insolence.

诗中「虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门」「却嫌脂粉涴颜色澹埽蛾眉朝至尊」等语，皆含典故故实。「虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门」写虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门；「却嫌脂粉涴颜色澹埽蛾眉朝至尊」用蛾眉之典（蛾眉写女子眉），写却嫌脂粉涴颜色澹埽蛾眉朝至尊。诗人用蛾眉之典入诗，不着痕迹，而把咏人讽喻之情写得真切可感，是善于熔铸典故的体现。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。

Commentary

The poem has been praised since the Song dynasty as a masterpiece of cold and subtle satire. Critics note that Du Fu never names the emperor's indulgence, yet the image of a woman riding into the palace at dawn and refusing powder speaks louder than any reproach. The line 'she fears rouge and powder would soil her color' is quoted as one of the finest characterizations in Chinese poetry — conceit, privilege, and the coming catastrophe of the Yang family compressed into a gesture.

这首《虢国夫人》，是杜甫写咏人讽喻之作，写虢国夫人承主恩、却嫌脂粉涴颜色、澹埽蛾眉朝至尊之情，冷隽讽喻。起「虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门」——虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门。写虢国夫人承主恩：虢国夫人承主恩、平明上马入宫门——承主恩、入宫门；结「却嫌脂粉涴颜色澹埽蛾眉朝至尊」——却嫌脂粉涴颜色澹埽蛾眉朝至尊。写却嫌脂粉涴颜色：却嫌脂粉涴颜色、澹埽蛾眉朝至尊——涴颜色、朝至尊。这「却嫌脂粉涴颜色澹埽蛾眉朝至尊」，是全诗之结：以澹埽蛾眉朝至尊写其讽喻。全诗冷隽讽喻，以妆写情，正是杜甫诗中的名篇。综观全诗，情真、景切、理深，三者浑融无迹，故能于短短数语之中寄无限深意，令人百读不厌。其含蓄蕴藉之处，正是中国古典诗歌以少总多、言有尽而意无穷的美学精神的生动体现。综观全诗，情真、景切、理深，三者浑融无迹，故能于短短数语之中寄无限深意，令人百读不厌。其含蓄蕴藉之处，正是中国古典诗歌以少总多、言有尽而意无穷的美学精神的生动体现。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (qijue)诗（七言绝句）
Rhyme Four lines rhyming on men (gate) and zun (the Lord of All) of the yuan group. The deep, resonant rhyme gives the short poem a weight that matches its gravity.此诗为七言绝句，共四句。押韵：「门」「尊」押元部韵。前两句起、后两句转合，平仄相间，正与写咏人讽喻的冷隽讽喻相称，也见其以七绝写讽喻的凝练。
Tone pattern The level-tone rhyme and the quatrain's even measure keep the voice calm and controlled, so the satire registers as cold observation rather than hot denunciation.句式上，「虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门」写虢国夫人承主恩，音节冷隽；结「却嫌脂粉涴颜色澹埽蛾眉朝至尊」写却嫌脂粉涴颜色，音节悠长。全诗音节随情起伏，由冷隽而悠长，正合七绝「凝练」之妙，读来如咏人讽喻、澹埽蛾眉朝至尊之音，冷隽而动人。
Reading note The seven-character quatrain suits Du Fu's method here: a single scene, a few loaded details, and a closing gesture. The formal restraint mirrors the poem's tonal restraint — everything is shown, nothing is said.此诗为七言绝句，是杜甫写咏人讽喻之作，也是其诗中的名篇。全诗的艺术特色在于「冷隽讽喻、以妆写情」：「虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门」写虢国夫人承主恩、「却嫌脂粉涴颜色澹埽蛾眉朝至尊」写却嫌脂粉涴颜色。全诗冷隽讽喻，以妆写情。尤为精妙者，是「却嫌脂粉涴颜色」写尽涴颜色；而「澹埽蛾眉朝至尊」用蛾眉之典，正是杜甫诗「冷隽讽喻」的典范，为历代选本所常收。《虢国夫人》一诗之所以读来声情并茂，正在于诗人以声韵配合情思、以节奏烘托意境，音节之长短、平仄之起伏，皆与诗意相为表里，此亦可见中国古典诗歌声律之美与匠心之工。

Line by line

虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门

The Lady of Guo enjoys the sovereign's favor; at dawn she mounts her horse and enters the palace gate.

虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门

The Lady of Guo, favored by the emperor, mounts her horse at dawn and enters the palace gate.

起句写虢国夫人承主恩，起笔即见其夫人。「虢国夫人承主恩」写虢国夫人承主恩，「虢国夫人」写虢国夫人、「承主恩」写承主恩；「平明上马入宫门」写平明上马入宫门，「平明上马」写平明上马、「入宫门」写入宫门。一句写虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门，以虢国夫人承主恩写承主恩、以平明上马入宫门写入宫门，写尽虢国夫人承主恩、平明上马入宫门之情。以人起兴，冷隽而讽喻，是「以人起兴」的妙笔。

The opening line writes the Lady of Guo, favored by the emperor, mounting her horse at dawn to enter the palace; rising through the person, it is cool, pointed, and satirical.

却嫌脂粉涴颜色

Yet she fears rouge and powder would soil her beauty;

却嫌脂粉涴颜色

She even disdains powder and rouge, lest they soil her natural beauty.

此句写却嫌脂粉涴颜色，是全诗写脂粉之态的关键。「却嫌脂粉」写却嫌脂粉，「却嫌」写却嫌、「脂粉」写脂粉；「涴颜色」写涴颜色，「涴」写涴、「颜色」写颜色。一句写却嫌脂粉涴颜色，以却嫌脂粉写脂粉、以涴颜色写涴颜色，写尽却嫌脂粉涴颜色之情。以粉写情，冷隽而讽喻，是「以粉写情」的点睛之笔。此句以寥寥数语写尽深意，情韵兼胜，正是全诗点睛之笔。其于字句之间暗藏波澜，于平易之中寄寓曲折，尤当反复涵泳，方能得其三昧。

This line writes her disdaining powder and rouge lest they soil her looks; through the cosmetic it writes the cool satire of her presumptuous beauty.

澹埽蛾眉朝至尊

lightly she brushes her moth-eyebrows to face the Lord of All.

澹埽蛾眉朝至尊

With lightly brushed moth-eyebrows, she attends the sovereign.

结句写澹埽蛾眉朝至尊，是全诗立意的落点。「澹埽蛾眉」用蛾眉之典写澹埽蛾眉，「澹埽」写澹埽、「蛾眉」写蛾眉；「朝至尊」写朝至尊，「朝」写朝、「至尊」写至尊。一句写澹埽蛾眉朝至尊，以澹埽蛾眉写蛾眉、以朝至尊写朝至尊，写尽澹埽蛾眉朝至尊之情。以眉写情，冷隽而讽喻，是全诗最动人处，也是「以眉写情」的点睛之笔。

The closing line writes her lightly brushed moth-eyebrows as she attends the sovereign; through the eyebrow it lands the satire on the favored woman's arrogance.

Study

Word focus

夫人 The title 'Lady' — the ennobled sister of Yang Guifei, whose rank itself announces the favor that is the poem's target. 「夫人」写虢国夫人承主恩，是写夫人之态的关键。「虢国夫人承主恩」着一「夫人」，写夫人——着一「夫人」，写虢国夫人承主恩，见其人之夫。两字写尽夫人之态，是「以词写夫」的妙笔。「夫人」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
脂粉 Rouge and powder, the tools of a court woman's toilet; her refusal of them becomes a gesture of arrogance rather than modesty. 「脂粉」写却嫌脂粉涴颜色，是写脂粉之态的关键。「却嫌脂粉涴颜色」着一「脂粉」，写脂粉——着一「脂粉」，写却嫌脂粉涴颜色，见其粉之脂。两字写尽脂粉之态，是「以词写粉」的点睛之词。「脂粉」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
蛾眉 Moth-eyebrows, the classical arch of a beautiful woman's brows; here 'lightly brushed' suggests studied carelessness before the emperor. 「蛾眉」写澹埽蛾眉朝至尊，是写蛾眉之态的关键。「澹埽蛾眉朝至尊」着一「蛾眉」，写蛾眉——着一「蛾眉」，写澹埽蛾眉朝至尊，见其眉之蛾。两字写尽蛾眉之态，是「以词写眉」的点睛之词。「蛾眉」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
至尊 The Lord of All — the emperor. The final word places the insolent courtwoman in the presence of the sovereign himself, heightening the irony. 「至尊」写澹埽蛾眉朝至尊，是写至尊之态的关键。「澹埽蛾眉朝至尊」着一「至尊」，写至尊——着一「至尊」，写澹埽蛾眉朝至尊，见其尊之至。两字写尽至尊之态，是「以词写尊」的点睛之词。「至尊」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。

Related Reading

水调歌头·明月几时有 Prelude to Water Melody: When Will the Moon Be Clear? 苏轼 · 同写咏人感怀、冷隽旷达，一写人有悲欢离合、一写虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门，皆于咏人之中见冷隽 Both confront the human scene with a cool gaze, one philosophical, one satirical.

Su Shi finds consolation in the moon's constancy; Du Fu finds a whole corrupt court in one morning's action. The pair shows the range of the scholar-poet's gaze: from cosmic acceptance to social exposure.

苏轼《水调歌头·明月几时有》「人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全」，写咏人感怀、冷隽旷达，是宋词长调的名篇；杜甫《虢国夫人》则以「虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门」「澹埽蛾眉朝至尊」写入宫门、朝至尊。两诗同写咏人感怀、冷隽旷达：一写人有悲欢离合、以悲欢写离合，一写虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门、以夫人写咏人；一为苏轼之旷达、一为杜甫之冷隽，并读正可见诗写「咏人感怀」的两种笔法，皆于咏人之中见冷隽。

 八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天 Eight Beats of Ganzhou Song 柳永 · 同写宫门凝望、冷隽清丽，一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、一写虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门，皆于宫门之中见凝望 Both observe a public scene, one wistful, one sharply ironic.

Liu Yong watches the frosty river and sighs for home; Du Fu watches a palace gate and silently indicts a dynasty. The comparison shows how observation can become either elegy or satire.

柳永《八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天》「对潇潇暮雨洒江天，一番洗清秋」，写宫门凝望、冷隽清丽，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；杜甫《虢国夫人》则以「虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门」「却嫌脂粉涴颜色」写入宫门、涴颜色。两诗同写宫门凝望、冷隽清丽：一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、以暮雨写清秋，一写虢国夫人承主恩平明上马入宫门、以夫人写咏人；一为柳永之清丽、一为杜甫之冷隽，并读正可见诗写「宫门凝望」的两种笔法，皆于宫门之中见凝望。