箭镞本求利,淬砺良甚难。
砺将何所用,砺以射凶残。
不砺射不入,不射人不安。
为盗即当射,宁问私与官。
夜射官中盗,中之血阑干。
带箭君前诉,君王悄不欢。
顷曾为盗者,百箭中心攒。
竞将儿女泪,滴沥助辛酸。
君王责良帅,此祸谁为端。
帅言发硎罪,不使刃稍刓。
君王不忍杀,逐之如迸丸。
仍令后来箭,尽可头团团。
发硎去虽远,砺镞心不阑。
会射蛟螭尽,舟行无恶澜。
箭镞本求利,淬砺良甚难。
砺将何所用,砺以射凶残。
不砺射不入,不射人不安。
为盗即当射,宁问私与官。
夜射官中盗,中之血阑干。
带箭君前诉,君王悄不欢。
顷曾为盗者,百箭中心攒。
竞将儿女泪,滴沥助辛酸。
君王责良帅,此祸谁为端。
帅言发硎罪,不使刃稍刓。
君王不忍杀,逐之如迸丸。
仍令后来箭,尽可头团团。
发硎去虽远,砺镞心不阑。
会射蛟螭尽,舟行无恶澜。
箭镞本为锋利而造,
但淬火打磨实在艰难。
打磨是为了什么用途?
是为了用来射杀凶残之徒。
不磨就射不进去,
不射则人心不安。
为盗者就当射杀,
何必区分私事与公干。
夜间射中官中盗贼,
射中后血流纵横。
身中箭者向君王诉苦,
君王默然不悦。
那些曾经为盗的人,
百箭穿心。
竞相流下儿女之泪,
滴落更添辛酸。
君王责备良将,
这场祸患谁是其端?
将领说罪在新磨之刃,
不让刀锋有丝毫卷钝。
君王不忍诛杀,
将他驱逐如弹丸迸飞。
仍命令后来的箭镞,
尽可做成圆头。
磨石虽被弃远,
磨砺箭镞之心却不息。
待到蛟龙尽被射杀,
舟行便无险恶波澜。
Arrowheads are made for sharpness,
Yet tempering them is truly hard.
What is the purpose of this tempering?
To temper them for shooting the fierce and cruel.
Untempered, they cannot pierce;
Not shooting, people find no peace.
If one is a robber, he should be shot—
Why ask if private or official?
At night, shooting an official robber,
Hitting him, blood flows profusely.
Bearing the arrow, he pleads before the lord,
The sovereign is silent, displeased.
Those who once were robbers,
A hundred arrows pierce their hearts.
They vie in shedding children's tears,
Dripping, adding to the bitterness.
The sovereign blames the good commander,
Who is the source of this calamity?
The commander says the fault lies with the newly ground blade,
Not letting the edge be even slightly dulled.
The sovereign cannot bear to kill,
But expels him like a bouncing pellet.
Yet orders future arrows,
To all have rounded heads.
Though the grinding stone is cast far away,
The heart for tempering arrowheads does not cease.
When all the flood dragons are shot,
Boats sail without fierce waves.
元稹借咏箭镞讽喻中唐藩镇割据与吏治之弊。
诗人以箭镞为治理隐喻,揭示刚性执法与仁政间的周期困境。
借箭镞淬砺与射盗之事,讽喻执法当公正严明,君王不可姑息养奸。
淬砺 · 凶残 · 盗 · 君王 · 良帅
本诗为五言古诗,押平声韵。
东山书院编辑整理