马嵬

(二首其二)

海外徒闻更九州,

他生未卜此生休。

空闻虎旅[1]传宵柝[2],

无复鸡人[3]报晓筹。

此日六军同驻马,

当时七夕笑牵牛。

如何四纪[4]为天子,

不及卢家有莫愁[5]。

诗人巧用倒叙和追忆的笔法将唐玄宗在马嵬坡的悲惨处境描述得淋漓尽致,诗意联想情节逼真。贵妃被诛杀之日,禁军杀了杨国忠之后仍驻马不前,提出杨妃不死不足以息众怒。回想起多年前七夕夜的海誓山盟,是多么悲伤啊!唐玄宗身为帝王连宠妃都保不住,真不如民间的普通夫妻呢!讽刺、叹息之意,油然而生。

注释:

[1]虎旅:指跟随玄宗入蜀的禁军。

[2]宵柝:又名金柝,夜间报更的刁斗。

[3]鸡人:皇宫中报时的卫士。

[4]四纪:四十八年。岁星十二年一周天为一纪,唐玄宗在位四十五年,约为四纪。

[5]莫愁:古洛阳女子,嫁为卢家妇,婚后生活幸福。萧衍《河中之水歌》:“河中之水向东流,洛阳女儿名莫愁。莫愁十三能织绮,十四采桑南陌头。十五嫁作卢家妇,十六生儿字阿侯。卢家兰室桂为梁,中有郁金苏合香。”

On Lady Yang’s Death

(II)

’Tis said there is a fairyland over the sea.

When this life is no more,can there another be?

In vain the watchman beat at night the warning gong;

No cock would wake her from dream with morning song.

The six armies demanded her death left and right.

Could she still laugh at severed lover-stars at night?

Though the emperor reigned as long as forty years,

She’s not so happy as a griefless maid appears.

Note:Lady Yang was the favorite mistress of the Bright Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.When the six armies in revolt demanded her death,the emperor could not save her.