<Header>
<Author: 杜甫>
<Title: 韋諷錄事宅觀曹將軍畫馬圖>
<Format: 七言古詩>
<Year: 1987>
<BookName: 300 Tang Poems: A New Translation>
<Translator: 許淵冲, 陸佩弦, 吳鈞陶>
<TranslatedTitle: Looking at the Painting of Steeds by General Cao in Recorder Wei Feng's House>
<BookPage: 172-174>
<UsedPage: 3>
<Feature: 4>
<End Header>
<Poem>
國初已來畫鞍馬，
神妙獨數江都王。
將軍得名三十載，
人間又見真乘黃。
曾貌先帝照夜白，
龍池十日飛霹靂。
內府殷紅馬腦盌，
倢伃傳詔才人索。
盌賜將軍拜舞歸，
輕紈細綺相追飛。
貴戚權門得筆跡，
始覺屏障生光輝。
昔日太宗拳毛騧，
近時郭家師子花。
今之新圖有二馬，
復令識者久歎嗟。
此皆騎戰一敵萬，
縞素漠漠開風沙。
其餘七匹亦殊絕，
迥若寒空動煙雪。
霜蹄蹴踏長楸間，
馬官廝養森成列。
可憐九馬爭神駿，
顧視清高氣深穩。
借問苦心愛者誰，
後有韋諷前支遁。
憶昔巡幸新豐宮，
翠華拂天來向東。
騰驤磊落三萬匹，
皆與此圖筋骨同。
自從獻寶朝河宗，
無復射蛟江水中。
君不見金粟堆前松柏裏，
龍媒去盡鳥呼風。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
Ever since the dynasty was founded, in painting horses,
Prince of Jiangdu had the unique art with magic force.
But General Cao for thirty years now winning the fame,
Once again the world sees genuine steeds shining in flames.
He has depicted the late Emperor's Whiten-the-Night;
For ten days, with bolts, the dragons from the Pool took to
flight.
To a female Attendant a Maid of Honour passed the word
To take a dark red agate plate from the inner-store hoard.
Falling on his knees, then dancing with joy, he brought the plate back,
While fine silk fabrics and damasks as well followed his track.
The imperial kinsmen and the authorities never felt fine
Until they got his authentic work to make their screens shine.
Formerly, Emperor Taizong had a Curling-Mane-Dun;
Recently, Guo's Spotted-Lion is also not a common one.
And now on the new painting these two steeds he does produce;
Again the connoisseurs sigh for long and their praise is profuse.
Each of them could match myriads, these two were battle steeds;
On the white silk they stir up clouds of dust as they run at speed.
The seven others are out of the ordinary, too;
It seems as if smokes and snows are coming from the cold blue.
Their hoofs trample on the highway lined with catalpa trees;
The horsemen and grooms stand by solemnly in the lea.
These lovely nine vie with each other to be the most divine,
Looking up to the high, with spirit profound and refined!
One may inquire who loves horses so deeply with all his heart?
It was Buddhist monk Zhi Dun, and now you Wei Feng love the art.
When the Emperor went east to Xifeng, to a palace nearby,
The kingfisher-feather-decked pennons stroked the sky.
Followed by thirty thousand steeds, prancing and panting,
Their frames and sinews are all like those in the painting.
Since King Mu presented a treasure to the river god,
There was no more flood-dragon in the water being shot.
Don't you see that on the Gold Millet mountain, in the pines,
As the heavenly steeds are gone, the birds cry in the winds!
<End Translation>