Cao Cao has profound knowledge in literature, calligraphy, music, etc. His literary achievements are mainly reflected in poetry, and his prose is also very distinctive.
Less than 20 of Cao Cao's poems are extant today, all of which are in Yuefu style. Content can generally be divided into three categories. One type is related to current affairs, the other is mainly about expressing ideals, and the other is poems about immortals. Taizu had been in charge of the army for more than thirty years, and he never let go of his books. The book talks about military strategies, and the night is spent thinking about the classics. When you climb high, you must write poems and compose new poems, which will be orchestrated and turned into music. ("Book of Wei") Shangya loves poetry, books and literature, and even though he is in the army, he can't let go of the scrolls. Every time I study, I calmly say: If a person is young and loves to learn, he will be specialized in thinking, and if he grows up, he will be good at forgetting. When he grows up, he can be a diligent scholar, only I and Yuan Boye are familiar with each other. ("Autobiography of Dianlun", Yuan Boye's name is left behind, Yuan Shaocong's brother.) Cao Gong is an upright man, and he has very sad words. (Zhong Rong's "Poetry")
Works that are somewhat related to current affairs include "Xing Dew Xing", "Xing Haoli", "Bitter Cold Xing", "Stepping out of Xiamen Xing", etc. The two poems "Xing Dew Xing" and "Hao Li Xing" were written in the early years of Jian'an. The former article reflects the failure of He Jin's plan to kill the eunuchs and Dong Zhuo's invasion of Luoyang to cause rebellion; the latter article describes the states and counties in Guandong raising troops to fight against Zhuo, each with their own ambitions and killing each other. The content is closely connected. The poem describes this historical process in a concise language at a high level, so it is known as "a true record of the late Han Dynasty and a true history of poetry" (Zhong Xing's "Return of Ancient Poems"). What is particularly valuable is that in the poem "Hao Li Xing", he used a sympathetic tone to describe the deep suffering suffered by the vast number of people during the war: "The armor is infested with lice, and thousands of people die, and the bones are exposed in the wild, thousands of miles away. "The rooster crows, leaving hundreds of people alive, and the thought of it breaks people's hearts." "Bitter Cold Journey" was written in the 11th year of Jian'an. The poem describes the severe cold, desolation, and precipitousness of the Taihang Mountains in winter. It is vivid and vivid, and it also expresses the poet's inner feelings. Mixed feelings. "Stepping out of Xiamen" was written in the twelfth year of Jian'an when he was conquering Wuhuan in three counties. The poem includes "Yan" (prelude) and four interpretations. "Yan" focuses on the poet's complicated mood when he went to war. The first interpretation of "Guan Canghai" describes the impressions when the army passed through Jieshi; the second interpretation of "Winter October" and the third interpretation of "Heshuohan" describe what he saw on the way back; the fourth interpretation of "Gui Sushou" describes the victory of this important battle. Ideological activities after the victory of the battle. Among them, "Viewing the Sea" describes the scene of the sea, "The autumn wind is bleak, the waves are surging, the sun and the moon are as if they are out of it; the stars are brilliant, as if they are out of it." The majestic momentum and majestic style reflect the poet's tolerance of the universe and his ability to speak. The broad mind of Sun and Moon. "The Turtle Lives Longevity" uses a series of vivid metaphors to express the poet's views on life and career: "The old man is helpless, but his ambition is a thousand miles, and the martyr is still ambitious in his old age." This is a true expression of the poet's lifelong positive and enterprising spirit.
Poems that mainly express ideals include "Duguan Mountain", "Duijiu", "Dan Ge Xing", etc. The first two articles deal with the poet's political ideals. The peaceful and prosperous age he envisioned was a politics of virtuous kings and good ministers that combined Confucianism and Legalism and used both grace and authority. This is undoubtedly of progressive significance in the context of the great social destruction in the late Han Dynasty. The theme of "Dan Ge Xing" is seeking talents. It uses poems such as "The mountains never get too high, the water never gets too deep, the Duke of Zhou spits out food, and the world returns to its heart" to express the desire to seek talents and recruit talents in order to achieve great things.
The poems about wandering immortals include "Qi Chu Sing", "Qiu Hu Xing" and so on. Cao Cao did not believe in the alchemist's theory of immortality, so he wrote these poems for a different purpose. He should not be equated with the Qin Emperor and Han Wu's pursuit of immortality based on this.
In terms of artistic style, Cao Cao's poems are simple and unadorned, without any decoration. They win with deep emotions and majestic charm. The mood of the poem is characterized by generosity and sadness. Generous and sad, this is originally the common theme of Jian'an literature, but in Cao Cao's poems, it is the most typical and prominent. In terms of poetry genre, Cao Cao's Yuefu poems did not copy the conventions of Han Yuefu, but developed somewhat. For example, "Xing Dew Xing" and "Hao Li Xing" are both elegy in Han Yuefu, but he used old titles to express brand-new content. Cao Cao initiated the tradition of using Yuefu to write about current affairs, which had a profound influence. The large number of Yuefu poems written by Jian'an writers and many poets from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty can be said to be the inheritance and development of this tradition.
Cao Cao's prose is mostly practical writing, which can be roughly divided into three categories: tables, orders, and books.
His representative works include "Please add Guo Jia's enfeoffment list", "Let the county self-explain the original chronicle", "Revise the book with the king", "Sacrifice the late Taiwei Qiao Xuanwen", etc. The common characteristics of these words are simplicity, richness, straightforwardness and smoothness, which express Cao Cao's unique voice. For example, "Rangxian Ziming Benzhi Ling" describes his struggle experience for most of his life, analyzes the situation at that time, and analyzes his own aspirations. It has such words as "If there is no one in the country, I don't know how many people will be called emperors and how many people will be called kings." Be extremely candid and courageous. Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, there has been a trend of parallelism in prose, which gradually became apparent at the end of the Han Dynasty; generally prose writers began to pay attention to parallelism and allusion. However, Cao Cao was unique at the time with his easy, practical and concise style of writing. Lu Xun once praised Cao Cao as "the founder of reforming articles" ("Wei and Jin Styles and the Relationship between Articles, Medicine and Wine").
Cao Cao's literary achievements are also reflected in his constructive role in Jian'an literature (see the Seven Sons of Jian'an). Jian'an literature was able to flourish in the context of long-term war and social ruin, and at the same time His attention and promotion are inseparable. When Liu Xie discussed the reasons for the prosperity of literature in Jian'an, he once pointed out that "Wei Wu regarded the prime minister as the king and loved poems elegantly" ("Wen Xin Diao Long Preface"). In fact, all the major writers of the Jian'an period were closely related to him. Cao Pi and Cao Zhi were his sons, and the "Seventh Son" and Cai Yan also relied on his protection. It can be said that the "Ye literati group" was formed on the basis of the material conditions he provided; and their creations were also carried out under the influence of his advocacy.
Cao Cao's writings, according to the textual research of Yao Zhenzong of the Qing Dynasty's "Three Kingdoms Art and Literature", include more than ten kinds of works, including 1 volume in 30 volumes of "Collection of Emperor Wu of Wei", 13 volumes of "Book of War", etc. However, most of them have been lost and those that survive today Only "Sun Zi's Notes". Zhang Pu of the Ming Dynasty compiled 145 scattered poems and articles into the Collection of Emperor Wu of the Wei Dynasty, which was included in the Collection of One Hundred and Three Families of the Han, Wei and Six Dynasties. Ding Fubao's "Collection of Famous Masters of Han, Wei and Six Dynasties" also includes "Collection of Emperor Wu of Wei", which contains slightly more works than Zhang Pu's edition. In 1959, Zhonghua Book Company based on Ding Fu's preservation of the original version, slightly organized and supplemented it, added "Sun Zi's Notes", and attached "Wei Zhi·Wudi Ji", "Cao Cao Chronology", etc., and reprinted it into "Cao Cao Collection".
[Edit this paragraph] Cao Cao’s famous poems
Dan Ge Xing (two poems)
Part one
Singing over wine, life geometry?
Like morning dew, it will be more painful every day. (It is said that there are not many days left)
Be generous and worry about unforgettable things. (It is said that meditation is unforgettable)
How to relieve worries? Only Du Kang.
Qingqing Zijin, my heart is leisurely.
But for the sake of your Majesty, I still ponder it.
Yo yo, the deer roars, eating apples in the wild.
I have a guest who plays the drum, harp and sheng.
It’s as bright as the moon, when can you wipe it off? (Tell me when to stop)
Worry comes from it and cannot be cut off.
The more unfamiliar you are, the more you cross the border, the more useless you are.
Qi Kuo talks about Yan, thinking about old kindness.
The moon and stars are sparse, and the magpies are flying south.
Walking around the tree three times, what branch can I rely on? (It is said that there are no branches to rely on)
The mountains never get too high and the sea never gets too deep. (It is said that water never gets tired of being deep)
When Duke Zhou spits out food, the world returns to its heart!
Second
Bochang of Western Zhou Dynasty had this holy virtue.
There are three parts of the world, but there are two.
If you make contributions to your cultivation, your integrity will not be prosperous.
The Chonghou slandered him, so he was detained.
Afterwards, he saw Pardon and gave him an ax and ax to enable him to conquer.
It is called by Zhongni, it reaches the highest level of virtue.
He still serves Yin and discusses its beauty.
Qi Huan’s meritorious service is the leader of the hegemony.
Nine princes unite to bring order to the world.
To conquer the world, one cannot use military chariots.
Be honest but not arrogant, his virtue is legendary.
Confucius sighed and called Yiwu, and the people received his kindness.
Given to the temple, no one has to bow down.
Xiaobai doesn’t dare, God’s power is so close.
The Jin Dynasty is also domineering and worships the king of heaven.
I was given a Gui Zan and a Tong bow.
Thousands of bows and arrows, and three hundred men with tigers.
Conquer the princes and be respected by the teacher.
When people from all over the world heard about it, he was named Ya Qihuan.
Heyang Zhihui falsely called himself the King of Zhou, which is why he had different names.
Note: The word "Yan" may be the same as the word "Yan", and the words in different versions are different
Viewing the Canghai
To the east is the Jieshi, to view sea.
Where is the water? The mountains and islands are standing tall.
There are many trees and lush grass.
The autumn wind is bleak and the waves are rising.
The journey of the sun and the moon can be seen from within;
The brilliant stars can be seen from within.
Fortunately, I sing to express my ambition.
(Written in the autumn of the twelfth year of Jian'an)
Stepping out of Xiamenxing·The turtle may live a long life
Although the turtle lives a long life, it still has its time.
The soaring snake rides on the mist, but in the end it becomes ashes.
The old man is still ambitious, but his ambition is thousands of miles;
The martyrs are ambitious in their old age.
The period of profit and contraction is not only in heaven;
The blessing of nourishing happiness can lead to eternal life.
Fortunately! Sing to express your ambition.
Bitter Cold Journey
Climbing north to the Taihang Mountains is so difficult and so majestic!
The yangchangsaka is bent, and the wheels are destroyed.
How desolate the trees are, the sound of the north wind is sad!
The bear squatted against me, and the tiger and leopard cried on the road.
There are few people in the valley, how does the snow fall!
Longing one’s neck and sighing, traveling far away brings many things to one’s heart.
Why am I depressed? I want to return eastward.
The water is deep and the bridge is dead, and the middle road is wandering.
Confused and lost the old way, no shelter in the evening.
The journey is far away, and both men and horses are hungry.
Carrying a bag to collect salary, holding an ax to make mince.
The sad poem "Dongshan" makes me sad for a long time.
Xie Luxing
Only in the 22nd year of Han Dynasty, he was honest and bad.
Baby monkeys and crowns, knowing the small and planning the territory.
Hesitating and not daring to make a decision is because he is hunting for the king.
The white rainbow is the sun, and I will suffer first.
The thieves held the power of the country and killed the master and destroyed Yujing.
The emperor's foundation was destroyed, and the ancestral temple was burned to death.
Boyue moved to the west, crying and moving.
Looking at the city walls of Biluo, I feel sad.
Hao Li Xing
There are righteous men in Guandong who raise troops to fight against the evil.
In the early days of Huimengjin, my heart was in Xianyang.
The army's combined strength was uneven, and the geese were hesitant.
Snobbishness makes people fight, and the heirs fight against each other.
The title of Huainan brother is carved in the north.
The armor is infested with lice, and thousands of people die from it.
White bones are exposed in the wild, and there is no rooster crow for thousands of miles.
One of the hundreds of things left by the people will be heart-breaking if you think about it.
Duguan Mountain
Between heaven and earth, people are precious.
Establish a monarch and herdsmen, and follow the rules.
The traces of ruts and horses, the four extremes of latitude and longitude.
The emperor was deposed and bright, and the common people flourished.
Yu Shuoxian is the president of the country.
The five feudal nobles were sentenced to prison in Jingtian.
There is a burnt elixir book, but there is no universal pardon.
Marquis Gaotaofu, why have you neglected your duty?
Sigh, later generations changed the system of Yi Lv.
He who works for the people becomes the king and gives them strength through service.
Shun's lacquered food utensils were used by ten countries.
It was not as good as Tang Yao's, and he did not cut the rafters.
The world sighs at Boyi and wants to punish the customs.
Luxury is the greatest evil, but frugality is the greatest virtue.
How can there be any litigation if you give in?
Those who love each other are still the same, and those who are sparse are relatives.
Let the county self-explain its original annals
Gu Shi promoted filial piety and integrity. He was young and thought that he was not a well-known person in the cave. He was afraid that he would be seen by the people in the country as a common fool and wanted to be a county. Shou, good at politics and teaching, in order to establish a reputation and make the world know it clearly; therefore, in Jinan, he began to eliminate the residual and filthy, and elected calmly, and went against the regular servants. He thought he was angry with the powerful and might cause trouble to his family, so he responded with illness.
After he was dismissed from the official position, he was still young, and Gu considered him to be in the same age, fifty years old, but he was not called old. I have planned it from within, and I have been away for twenty years since then. When the world is clear, I will be on par with those who started to lift it at the same age.
Therefore, he returned to his hometown at four o'clock and built a monastery fifty miles east of Qiao. He wanted to study in autumn and summer and hunt in winter and spring. He wanted to find a place underneath. He wanted to cover himself with mud and water and prevent the coming and going of guests. However, we can't get what we want.
After the war, he was promoted to the captain of the military school, and he wanted to serve the country against thieves. He wanted to be named a marquis as a general who conquered the west. Then he inscribed his tomb and said, "The tomb of Cao Hou, the former general of the Han Dynasty who conquered the west." This is his ambition. However, when Dong Zhuo was in trouble, he raised righteous soldiers. At this time, joining forces can lead to more gains, but it will always cause harm to oneself, and one does not want to have too many troops. Therefore, if one has more troops and is more motivated to fight against a strong enemy, it will lead to even greater disasters. Therefore, thousands of people fought in the Bianshui battle. Later, they went to Yangzhou to recruit more people, but they could not recover more than 3,000 people. This was because their original intention was limited.
Then he led Yanzhou and defeated 300,000 Yellow Turban soldiers. Yuan Shu also assumed the imperial title in Jiujiang, and all his subordinates became ministers. The famous sect was called Jianhao sect, and all clothes and quilts were made by the emperor. The two women were vying to be the queen. The plan has been decided, and people have some persuasion, so he ascends to the throne and spreads his power to the world. He replied, "It's not possible for Duke Cao to still be here." Later, he alone begged for the four generals and won many of them. Then he was exhausted and exhausted, and he fell ill and died. When Yuan Shao took control of Hebei, his army was strong and he could control the situation alone, but he was really outmatched. However, he planned to commit suicide for the country and destroyed himself with righteousness, so he would be behind him. Fortunately, Shao was defeated and his second son was eliminated. Furthermore, Liu Biao thought he was a member of the royal clan, harbored treacherous intentions, and moved forward and retreated in order to see what was going on in the world. As a prime minister, the dignity of people and ministers is extremely high, and expectations have been exceeded.
If I say this alone now, if I am arrogant, I want others to say everything, so there is no need to hide it. Assuming that there is no one in the country, I don’t know how many people will be called emperors and how many people will be called kings! Or when people see that they are lonely and powerful, and they do not believe in destiny, they are afraid of selfish criticism, have unfavorable ambitions, think about each other, and are always stubborn. The reason why Qi Huan and Jin Wen are still called today is that they can still serve the Zhou Dynasty because of their vast military strength. "The Analects of Confucius" says: "There are two out of three parts of the world. To serve Yin, Zhou's virtue can be said to be the most virtuous." You can do big things but small things. Xi Leyi left Zhao, and the king of Zhao wanted to marry him. Le Yi fell down and wept, and said to him: "I serve King Zhao as I serve the great king. If I am punished, I will be placed in another country and die. I can't bear to plot against Zhao's disciples and subordinates, what about the heirs of Yan!" Hu Hai killed Meng Tian Also, Tian said: "From my ancestors to my descendants, I have accumulated trust in the three generations of Qin. Now I have more than 300,000 soldiers, and their power is enough to betray me. However, those who know that they will die and keep righteousness dare not insult the teachings of their ancestors." Forget the king." Every time I read these two people's letters, I often shed tears. The ancestor, the father, and even the single person are all responsible for the responsibility of the relatives. It can be said that the believer and brother Zihuan have lived for more than three generations.
Gu Feitu said this to all the gentlemen, and often spoke to his wives and concubines to make them all understand this. Gu said: "After ten thousand years of caring about me, both of you and Cao will get married. I want to preach my heart and let others know about it." Gu said these words in a heart-warming way. Therefore, those who are diligent and sincere in talking to their confidants will see that Zhou Gong has a book called "Jin Rui" to explain themselves, for fear that others will not believe it. However, if you want to be alone, you can donate all the soldiers you have commanded to return the deacons and return to the feudal state of Wuping, which is really not possible. Which one? I am sincerely afraid that I will cause trouble to others if I leave the army. It is not only for the sake of future generations, but also if one fails, the country will be in danger. Therefore, it is not allowed to seek real disaster for a false reputation. This is not what you should do. Previously, Chao En appointed his three sons as marquises, but refused to accept them. Now he wants to accept them, not because he wants to be honored again, but because he wants to be a foreign aid and a plan for peace and security.
When I heard that Jie Tui was avoiding the title of Jin, and that Shen Xu was fleeing to be rewarded by Chu, I sighed without giving up the book, and it was for self-examination. Serve the power of the country, conquer with the ax, push the weak to overcome the strong, be small but the bird is big. Whatever the intention is, there is nothing wrong with it, and whatever the heart is worried about is not going to work, then the world will be brought to an end, and the Lord's order will not be insulted. It can be said that heaven helped the Han Dynasty, not manpower. However, the enfeoffment of four counties has 30,000 food households. How can it be so virtuous? The rivers and lakes are not yet quiet, so don't give up your throne; as for the land, you can give it up. Today, the three counties of Yangxia, Zhe, and Ku return 20,000 households, but Shiwuping has 10,000 households, and by dividing the damage and slander, the responsibility of the orphan will be reduced.
[Edit this paragraph] Hymn to Cao Cao
Song of Yezhong
Ye is the river in Yecheng, Zhangshui, there must be a strange person from now on.
The heroes are plotters and gentlemen, the king and his ministers are brothers and father and son.
A hero does not have a vulgar mind, how can he appear and disappear according to the eyes of others?
The main contributors to the crime are not two people, but only one person.
The article is so domineering and powerful, how can you become a group?
The horizontal flow builds a platform away from Taihang, and the energy and rationality are low and high.
People in An Yousi do not rebel. If they are small, they will be overlords, but if they are big, they will not be kings.
The overlord descends to his sons and daughters, and there is no choice but injustice.
It is helpful to know clearly what is wrong with the account, and it can be said to be ruthless to share the fragrance.
Woohoo!
The ancients did not care about the details of their work, and they were all interested in loneliness and luxury.
The scholar talks lightly about the man in the tomb, and the scholar in the tomb laughs at you!
Double Tune Toad Palace Song
Aluwei
Ask who is the hero in the world, there is wine on the river, and Cao Gong.
Purple cover and yellow flag, many should be borrowed, the east wind blows from the red cliff.
It even shocked Nanyang Wolong and became famous in the Eight Formations.
The tripod is divided into three parts, one part is Xishu, and the other part is Jiangdong.
[Edit this paragraph] Comments on historical books
Historical comments on Cao Cao: "The Ming strategy is the best", "a traitor in the Qing Dynasty, a hero in troubled times" ("Book of the Later Han Dynasty·Xu Shao Biography", Pei Songzhi Annotated quote from Sun Sheng's "Miscellaneous Comments on Similarities and Differences" as "A capable minister in governing the world is a traitor in troubled times"). In the famous "Rangxian Ziming Benzhi Ling" written in the fifteenth year of Jian'an (210), Cao Cao said emotionally: "If there is no one left alone in the world, I don't know how many people will be called emperors and how many will be called kings."
In the long historical novel "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", from the perspective of the common people, it shows an obvious way of derogating Cao Cao. However, since "Three Kingdoms" was written in the Jin Dynasty, in order to show the orthodoxy of the Jin Dynasty, "Three Kingdoms" evaluated him as the highest among the monarchs of the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu. Chen Shou evaluated Cao Cao as "At the end of the Han Dynasty, the world was in chaos. The heroes were rising together, but Yuan Shao was looking at the four states and was invincible. Taizu planned and planned, whipped Yu Nei, used the magic of Shen and Shang, and used the clever strategies of Han and Bai, and the official materials, each with his own weapon, and he was free to calculate. Don't miss the old evil, you can finally defeat the emperor's plan and conquer the great industry, but his strategy is the best. He can be said to be an extraordinary person, a transcendent hero. "Cao Cao is a man of merit and flexibility in military tactics and strategies. He made significant contributions to the unification of northern China, the restoration of economic production and the maintenance of social order in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. In terms of domestic affairs, Cao Cao established the farming system and ordered soldiers who did not need to fight to work in the fields, which alleviated the food problem during the war in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.