Listen to this article
垂老别
四郊未宁静，
垂老不得安。
子孙阵亡尽，
焉用身独完[1]！
投杖出门去，
同行为辛酸。
幸有牙齿存，
所悲骨髓干[2]。
男儿既介胄[3]，
长揖别上官。
老妻卧路啼，
岁暮衣裳单。
孰知是死别，
且复伤其寒。
此去必不归，
还闻劝加餐。
土门[4]壁甚坚，
杏园[5]度亦难。
势异邺城下，
纵死时犹宽。
人生有离合，
岂择衰盛端[6]！
忆昔少壮日，
迟回竟长叹。
万国尽征戍，
烽火被冈峦[7]。
积尸草木腥，
流血川原丹。
何乡为乐土？
安敢尚盘桓！
弃绝蓬室居，
塌然摧肺肝[8]。
《石壕吏》写“有吏夜捉人”，捉走的是老妇；《垂老别》写官府征兵，征去的却是老翁。这首叙事诗不以情节曲折取胜，而以人物的心理刻画见长。诗人用老翁的自诉自叹，对人对己的安慰语气来展开描写，着重表现人物时而沉重忧愤，时而自作旷达的复杂心理。杜甫高于一般诗人的地方，主要在于他无论是叙事还是抒情，都能做到立足生活，深入人心，通过个别反映一般，准确传神地表现他那个时代的生活现实，概括劳动人民的辛酸苦难。诗中老翁担心老妻受寒着凉，老妻劝老翁要努力加餐，这些生活中极其寻常的劝慰语言，出现在极不寻常的生离死别的背景之下，便收到了惊心动魄的艺术效果。有时老翁故作旷达之语，但也不能掩饰内心的矛盾，反倒流露出了乱世的真情。这就是杜诗为什么被称为“诗史”的原因。
注释：
[1]身独完：独自活下去。
[2]骨髓干：形容身体的衰老。
[3]介胄：即“甲胄”，指铠甲、头盔。
[4]土门：土门关。唐代防守的要地。
[5]杏园：唐军防守的要地，位于今河南省卫辉市东南。
[6]端：思绪。
[7]被冈峦：遍布整个山冈。
[8]摧肺肝：极度悲痛的样子。
Lament of an Old Man
In all the country there’s no peace.
How can an old man live with ease?
Sons and grandsons in battle slain,
Why should my old body remain?
Casting my staff away, I go;
My companions compassion show.
Fortunately my teeth are sound,
But in my bones no marrow’s found.
As soldier clad in armor now,
To officers I make a bow.
By the roadside cries my wife old,
So thinly clad in winter cold.
Who knows if we can meet again?
Seeing her shiver, I feel pain.
Once gone, I can’t come back, I fear;
She still says, “Eat more!” to my ear.
I tell her the fortress is strong,
To cross the stream takes a time long.
Unlike the siege of days gone by,
It’s not so soon for me to die.
To meet or part is fate in life,
Whether with a young or old wife.
Remembering when I was strong,
Can I not heave sighs deep and long!
War’s raging in the countryside;
Beacon fire blazes far and wide.
Grass and trees stink with bodies dead;
With blood the streams and plains turn red.
Where can I find a happy land?
Why do I tarry here and stand?
Why not from my humble home part
And march away with broken heart!
《垂老别》是唐代大诗人杜甫的诗作，为组诗“三吏三别”之一。此诗通过描写一老翁暮年从军与老妻惜别的悲戚场景，不仅深刻地反映了安史之乱时期人民遭受的灾难与统治者的残酷，而且也忠实地表达了作者的爱国精神。全诗叙事抒情，立足生活，直入人心，剖析精微，准确传神地表现特定时代的生活真实，同时在艺术结构上，既严谨整饬，又具有跌宕起伏、缘情宛转之妙。
The poem “Lament of an Old Man” is a poem by Du Fu, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty, and is one of a group of poems called “Three Officials and Three Farewells”. The poem depicts the sad scene of an old man in his twilight years who is in the army and bids farewell to his old wife. The whole poem is based on life, goes straight into the hearts of the people, analyzes the subtleties, and accurately and elegantly expresses the realities of life in a particular era, while in terms of artistic structure, it is not only rigorous and neat, but also has the beauty of ups and downs, and the edge of emotions.
