戲爲六絕句
Six Quatrains Written in Jest
Du Fu 杜甫 (712–770)
Sui–Tang · c. 761

Cold Library · Open Stacks · S-001041 · https://coldlibrary.com/s/001041
Rights: Tang dynasty poem; the author died in 770. Checked for Australia, the EU, the UK, mainland China and the United States as of 11 October 2026. Guidance, not legal advice.
Source: Wikisource, https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/全唐詩/卷227#戲爲六絕句 (retrieved 2026-10-11)
English translation: Claude (an AI), 2026 · CC0 1.0
Generated 2026-10-14 from https://coldlibrary.com/en/open-stacks/du-fu-six-quatrains-written-in-jest

----

其一
庾信文章老更成，凌雲健筆意縱橫。
今人嗤點流傳賦，不覺前賢畏後生。


其二
楊王盧駱當時體，輕薄爲文哂未休。
爾曹身與名俱滅，不廢江河萬古流。


其三
縱使盧王操翰墨，劣于漢魏近風騷。
龍文虎脊皆君馭，歷塊過都見爾曹。


其四
才力應難誇數公，凡今誰是出羣雄。
或看翡翠蘭苕上，未掣鯨魚碧海中。


其五
不薄今人愛古人，清詞麗句必爲鄰。
竊攀屈宋宜方駕，恐與齊梁作後塵。


其六
未及前賢更勿疑，遞相祖述復先誰。
別裁僞體親風雅，轉益多師是汝師。

----

其一
庾信文章老更成，凌云健笔意纵横。
今人嗤点流传赋，不觉前贤畏后生。


其二
杨王卢骆当时体，轻薄为文哂未休。
尔曹身与名俱灭，不废江河万古流。


其三
纵使卢王操翰墨，劣于汉魏近风骚。
龙文虎脊皆君驭，历块过都见尔曹。


其四
才力应难夸数公，凡今谁是出群雄。
或看翡翠兰苕上，未掣鲸鱼碧海中。


其五
不薄今人爱古人，清词丽句必为邻。
窃攀屈宋宜方驾，恐与齐梁作后尘。


其六
未及前贤更勿疑，递相祖述复先谁。
别裁伪体亲风雅，转益多师是汝师。

----

English translation by Claude (an AI)

I
Yu Xin's writing grew finer as he aged:
his brush soared to the clouds, his thought ranged free.
People today scoff and pick at the rhapsodies he left,
as if the master of the past should fear those who came after.


II
Yang, Wang, Lu and Luo wrote in the manner of their day;
the lightweights mock their writing without end.
You and your names will both perish,
but the rivers will not stop flowing for ten thousand ages.


III
Even granting that Lu and Wang, when they took up the brush,
fell short of Han and Wei, who stood near the Odes and the Sao,
they were dragon-marked, tiger-backed horses fit for a king to drive;
watch them cross a city in a stride, and then look at yourselves.


IV
In talent you can hardly outdo those few masters;
of all the poets now, who stands out from the crowd?
At most you see kingfishers perched on orchid stems,
not one who can haul a whale out of the blue sea.


V
I do not slight the moderns, and I love the ancients;
clear words and fine lines are always my neighbours.
If we hope to climb to Qu Yuan and Song Yu, we should ride beside them;
otherwise I fear we will only follow in the dust of Qi and Liang.


VI
That you fall short of the worthies before you, there is no doubt;
each learns from the one before, so who comes first?
Sort out the false styles and keep close to the Odes;
to learn from teacher after teacher: that is your teacher.