丹青引贈曹霸將軍 杜甫

丹青引贈曹霸將軍     杜甫(712-770)

將軍魏武之子孫，于今為庶為清門。

英雄割據雖已矣，文彩風流今尚存。
學書初學衛夫人，但恨無過王右軍。
丹青不知老將至，富貴于我如浮雲。
開元之中常引見，承恩數上南薰殿。
凌煙功臣少顏色，將軍下筆開生面。
良相頭上進賢冠，猛將腰間大羽箭。
褒公鄂公毛髮動，英姿颯爽猶酣戰。
先帝玉馬玉花驄，畫工如山貌不同。
是日牽來赤墀下，迥立閶闔生長風。
詔謂將軍拂絹素，意匠慘淡經營中。
斯須九重真龍出，一洗萬古凡馬空。
玉花卻在御榻上，榻上庭前屹相向。
至尊含笑催賜金，圉人太僕皆惆悵。
弟子韓幹早入室，亦能畫馬窮殊相。
幹惟畫肉不畫骨，忍使驊騮氣凋喪。
將軍畫善蓋有神，偶逢佳士亦寫真。
即今漂泊幹戈際，屢貌尋常行路人。
途窮反遭俗眼白，世上未有如公貧。
但看古來盛名下，終日坎壈纏其身。

A Ballad of Painting to General Cao Ba      Du Fu (712-770)

A scion of Emperor Wu of Wei you are, revered general,
Now ranking only to the humble and no longer a noble,

Long gone is the tripartite kingdoms founding hero,

Still prevalent is his éclat cultural,

Learning calligraphy from Madam Wai to start it all,

To your great chagrin you could never manage surpassing Wang Xizhi to excel,

In painting you forget the approach of the age of senile,

Wealth and power to you are all floating clouds and insubstantial,

During the Kai Yuan era you were often summoned before His Imperial,

On His Majesty’s grace you frequented the South Fragrance Hall,

When colours faded in the distinguished statesmen and soldiers in the Celestial Mists Chamber portrayals,

Your brush brings them a new refreshed glow,

On great ministers merit worthy hats are availed,

At the belts of valorous generals you adorn them with big feather arrows,

The Duke of Bao and the Duke of E with their hair bristled,

In heroic and formidable postures they come head in the battles on their mettle,

Our late emperor’s imperial war horse the Jade Blow,

Painters having it painted in the past are numerous but none able to produce a true likeness in their portrayals,

One day it was led out to the Red Terrace of the Court below,

As it stood far off in the gates into the palace came a long gale,

An order was given to you preparing for the painting to have white silk unrolled,

Painstakingly your artistic mind concocts intensively how to get down to buckle,

Presently a true dragon from the empyrean unfolds,

Wiping away in a trice all ordinary horses painted from of old,

Over and behind the throne the portrayal is soon dangled,

With the one in the courtyard facing each other they proudly goggle,

With a smile His Majesty urges gold to be bestowed,

The stable boys and grooms are all blighted in great dismals,

Your disciple Han Gan has long already been promoted to your stratum but still lacks the dexterity of your skills,

He can also exhaust all different sorts of horses with his facile style,

But he can only produce horses with flesh but no bones and hence not vital,

Whence under his brush all coursers lose their elan vital,

General, your ability to paint such horses is celestial,

Usually you will paint other portraits as well,

Only if you meet someone really special,

Now forlorn and drifting in this tumultuous world,

Quite often you also paint the ordinary people,

Struggling in desperate straits you always suffer from looks of despise from spiteful

people,

Surely no one is as poor as you, general, in this acrid world,

All those enjoying great acclaim and fame from of old,

Struggle throughout their lives amidst hardship and fails.