<Header>
<Author: 杜甫>
<Title: 丹青引贈曹將軍霸>
<Format: 七言古詩>
<Year: 1940>
<BookName: Selection from the Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty>
<Translator: Soame Jenyns>
<TranslatedTitle: A Ballad of Painting addressed to General T‘sao Pa>
<BookPage: 69-72>
<UsedPage: 4>
<Feature: 1, 2, 4>
<End Header>
<Poem>
將軍魏武之子孫，
於今爲庶爲清門。
英雄割據雖已矣，
文彩風流猶尚存。
學書初學衛夫人，
但恨無過王右軍。
丹青不知老將至，
富貴於我如浮雲。
開元之中常引見，
承恩數上南熏殿。
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來酣戰。
先帝天馬玉花驄，
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，
意匠慘澹經營中。
斯須九重真龍出，
一洗萬古凡馬空。
玉花却在御榻上，
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，
必逢佳士亦寫真。
即今飄泊干戈際，
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。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
GENERAL, although you are descended from King Wu of Wei,
To-day you have come down in the world, 
Yet you are still of high descent.
The kingdom-carving hero has passed away,
But his culture and learning live on in you.
When you first studied calligraphy you were a follower of the lady of Wei,
But to your disappointment you could not surpass Wang Hsi Chih.
The artist does not know when old age arrives.
Wealth and honours are to you like the floating clouds.
In the years of K‘ai Yüan you were seen at court;
The imperial benevolence often required your presence at the hall of the southern fragrance.
In the Mounting Cloud pavilion the portraits of meritorious officials had become faded;
You set to work to give them new life,
You portrayed the worthy ministers with official caps.
Fierce generals with big feathered arrows at their waists.
The very hair on the faces of Pao Kung and O Kung seemed to be moving;
Their heroic mien vivid as in the days of their lust for battle.
The late emperor possessed a jade-coloured horse;
A whole army of painters painted it from different points of view.
One day it was led to the steps of the red terrace and stood poised in the imperial gateway like (the spirit of) a rushing mighty wind.
At the Emperor’s command you threw open a roll of blank silk,
Your thoughts and skill were bent on the task before you;
In the twinkling of an eye there came forth a true dragon $((horse))$ of the Nine Heavens.
In one wash ten thousand other pictures of horses paled into insignificance.
The jade flower steed $((you painted))$ is hung above the imperial couch.
On his verandah before the imperial couch the two horses $((model and painting))$ face one another.
His Majesty smiles delightedly and hastens to bestow gold upon you;
Grooms and stablemen alike are dumfounded.
Your pupil Han Kan became famous early in the painting of horses and exhausted every special feature,
But even he was only able to paint the flesh and not the bones,
And his paintings of splendid steeds lacked the breath of life.
The excellence of your painting, General, lies in its spirit.
You would also paint scholars if they came your way,
But to-day, adrift on the surface of these troubled times,
You are forced to paint even the men of the street.
Your road to advancement is closed and the world looks coldly on you.
No one in the world has ever been as poor as you,
But from old times till to-day those whose fame has been high have in the evening of their days
Fallen on evil times and their lives have been crumpled.
<End Translation>
<Formatted Translation>
GENERAL, although you are descended from King Wu of Wei,
To-day you have come down in the world, 
Yet you are still of high descent.
The kingdom-carving hero has passed away,
But his culture and learning live on in you.
When you first studied calligraphy you were a follower of the lady of Wei,
But to your disappointment you could not surpass Wang Hsi Chih.
The artist does not know when old age arrives.
Wealth and honours are to you like the floating clouds.
In the years of K‘ai Yüan you were seen at court;
The imperial benevolence often required your presence at the hall of the southern fragrance.
In the Mounting Cloud pavilion the portraits of meritorious officials had become faded;
You set to work to give them new life,
You portrayed the worthy ministers with official caps.
Fierce generals with big feathered arrows at their waists.
The very hair on the faces of Pao Kung and O Kung seemed to be moving;
Their heroic mien vivid as in the days of their lust for battle.
The late emperor possessed a jade-coloured horse;
A whole army of painters painted it from different points of view.
One day it was led to the steps of the red terrace and stood poised in the imperial gateway like (the spirit of) a rushing mighty wind.
At the Emperor's command you threw open a roll of blank silk,
Your thoughts and skill were bent on the task before you;
In the twinkling of an eye there came forth a true dragon $((horse))$ of the Nine Heavens.
In one wash ten thousand other pictures of horses paled into insignificance.
The jade flower steed $((you painted))$ is hung above the imperial couch.
On his verandah before the imperial couch the two horses $((model and painting))$ face one another.
His Majesty smiles delightedly and hastens to bestow gold upon you;
Grooms and stablemen alike are dumfounded.
Your pupil Han Kan became famous early in the painting of horses and exhausted every special feature,
But even he was only able to paint the flesh and not the bones,
And his paintings of splendid steeds lacked the breath of life.
The excellence of your painting, General, lies in its spirit.
You would also paint scholars if they came your way,
But to-day, adrift on the surface of these troubled times,
You are forced to paint even the men of the street.
Your road to advancement is closed and the world looks coldly on you.
No one in the world has ever been as poor as you,
But from old times till to-day those whose fame has been high have in the evening of their days 
Fallen on evil times and their lives have been crumpled.
<End Formatted Translation>