同谷七歌
(其七)
男儿生不成名身已老,
三年饥走荒山道。
长安卿相多少年,
富贵应须致身早。
山中儒生旧相识,
但话宿昔[1]伤怀抱。
呜呼七歌兮悄终曲,
仰视皇天白日速。
此诗写的是公元759年,杜甫应同谷县令之邀,从秦州出发历尽艰难到达同谷,而县令却嫌弃杜甫已弃官且穷困潦倒便避而不见。适逢大雪封山的隆冬季节,诗人衣食无着之下搭草屋栖身,眼见一家人饿病在床,无奈中长歌当哭,和着血泪写出了这组长诗,这是第七首,是组诗中最精彩的篇章。开头是叹穷嗟老的身世感慨,年近半百,名未成,身已老,转徙流离,老病穷愁,集中地抒发了诗人身世飘零之感。三、四句,追叙困居长安时,达官贵人中少年很多,这不能不使诗人发出愤激的讽刺之词:“富贵应须致身早”,以看似劝人的口吻,表达对凭借父兄余荫谋取卿相的腐败政治的愤慨。诗人身处异常窘困的境地,感叹自己不幸的遭遇,忧国忧民的怀抱无法施展,因而和友人谈起的都是令人伤感的往事。诗人默默地收起笔望天,只见白日转移,向着西方天际快速飞驰,顿生迟暮之感,悲壮激烈之情在诗人心底涌起。
注释:
[1]宿昔:昔日。
Seven Songs Written in Tonggu
(VII)
I am a man grown old without making a name.
Starved three long years, I trudge desolate mountain way.
In the capital young men have won wealth and fame,
It is all natural for them to have their day.
I meet a scholar in the hills, a friend of mine,
Talking about the past, we can give sigh for sigh.
Alas! I’ve sung all my seven songs, line by line;
Looking up, I see the sun sink in western sky.