【注解】： １、蔡女：蔡琰（文姬）。 ２、拍：乐曲的段落。 ３、商弦、角羽：古以宫商角徵羽为五音。 ４、儿叮阂堵渖，喻琴声。 ５、逻娑：今西藏拉萨市。 ６、东掖垣：房啡胃事中，属门下省。 ７、凤凰池：凤池，因接近皇帝之故而得此名。
全诗巧妙地把董大之演技、琴声，以及历史背景、历史人物的感情结合起来，既 周全细致又自然浑成。最后称颂房罚也寄托自身的倾慕之情。诗以惊人的想象力， 把风云山川，鸟兽迸泉，以及人之悲泣，人为描摹琴声的各种变化，使抽象的琴声变 成美妙具体的形象，使读者易于感受。是一首较早描写音乐的好诗。
【作者介绍】
李颀(690-751)，汉族，东川（今四川三台）人，唐代诗人。少年时曾寓居河南登封。开元十三年进士，做过新乡县尉的小官，诗以写边塞题材为主，风格豪放，慷慨悲凉，七言歌行尤具特色。
李颀与王维、高适、王昌龄等著名诗人皆有来往，诗名颇高。其诗内容涉及较广，尤以边塞诗、音乐诗获誉于世。擅长五、七言歌行体。赵郡（今河北赵县）人，一说东川（今四川三台一带）人。少时家本富有，后结识富豪轻薄子弟，倾财破产。后刻苦读书。隐居颍阳（今河北南许昌）苦读10年，于唐玄宗开元二十三年（735年）考取进士，曾任新乡县尉。任职多年，没有升迁，晚年仍过隐居生活。他一生交游很广，当时著名诗人王昌龄、高适、王维等都与他关系密切。李颀性格疏放超脱，厌薄世俗。他的诗以边塞诗成就最大，奔放豪迈，慷慨悲凉，最著名的有《古从军行》 、 《古意》 、 《塞下曲》等。李颀还善于用诗歌来描写音乐和塑造人物形象。他以长歌著名，也擅长短诗，他的七言律诗尤为后人推崇。 《全唐诗》中录存李颀诗三卷，后人辑有《李颀诗集》 。
【英汉对照】
听董大弹胡笳声兼寄语弄房给事
李颀
蔡女昔造胡笳声， 一弹一十有八拍。
胡人落泪沾边草， 汉使断肠对归客。
古戍苍苍烽火寒， 大荒沈沈飞雪白。
先拂声弦后角羽， 四郊秋叶惊摵摵。
董夫子，通神明， 深山窃听来妖精。
言迟更速皆应手， 将往复旋如有情。
空山百鸟散还合， 万里浮云阴且晴。
嘶酸雏雁失群夜， 断绝胡儿恋母声。
川为静其波， 鸟亦罢其鸣。
乌孙部落家乡远， 逻娑沙尘哀怨生。
幽音变调忽飘洒， 长风吹林雨堕瓦。
迸泉飒飒飞木末， 野鹿呦呦走堂下。
长安城连东掖垣， 凤凰池对青琐门。
高才脱略名与利， 日夕望君抱琴至。
ON HEARING DONG PLAY THE FLAGEOLET A POEM TO PALACE-ATTENDANT FANG
Li Qi
When this melody for the flageolet was made by Lady Cai,
When long ago one by one she sang its eighteen stanzas,
Even the Tartars were shedding tears into the border grasses,
And the envoy of China was heart-broken, turning back home with his escort.
...Cold fires now of old battles are grey on ancient forts,
And the wilderness is shadowed with white new-flying snow.
...When the player first brushes the Shang string and the Jue and then the Yu,
Autumn-leaves in all four quarters are shaken with a murmur.
Dong, the master,
Must have been taught in heaven.
Demons come from the deep pine-wood and stealthily listen
To music slow, then quick, following his hand,
Now far away, now near again, according to his heart.
A hundred birds from an empty mountain scatter and return;
Three thousand miles of floating clouds darken and lighten;
A wildgoose fledgling, left behind, cries for its flock,
And a Tartar child for the mother he loves.
Then river waves are calmed
And birds are mute that were singing,
And Wuzu tribes are homesick for their distant land,
And out of the dust of Siberian steppes rises a plaintive sorrow.
...Suddenly the low sound leaps to a freer tune,
Like a long wind swaying a forest, a downpour breaking tiles,
A cascade through the air, flying over tree-tops.
...A wild deer calls to his fellows. He is running among the mansions
In the corner of the capital by the Eastern Palace wall....
Phoenix Lake lies opposite the Gate of Green Jade;
But how can fame and profit concern a man of genius?
Day and night I long for him to bring his lute again.
