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七步诗 - Qī Bù Shī
曹植 - Cáo Zhí（192－232）
三国时代 - Sān Guó shídài（220-265）
煮豆燃豆萁 - Zhǔdòu rán dòo qí，
豆在釜中泣 - Dòu zài fǔ zhōng qì。
本是同根生 - Bēn shìtóng gēn shēng，
相煎何太急 - xiān jiān hé tài jí。
煮豆燃豆萁 - Zhǔ dòu rán dòu qí，
豆在釜中泣 - Dòu zài fǔ zhōng qì。
本是同根生 - Bēn shì tóng gēn shēng，
相煎何太急 - Xiān jiān hé tài jí。
本是同根生 - Bēn shìtóng gēn shēng，
相煎何太急 - Xiān jiān hé tài jí
煮豆燃豆萁 - Zhǔdòu rán dòu qí，
豆在釜中泣 - Dòu zài fǔ zhōng qì。
本是同根生 - Bēn shì tóng gēn shēng，
相煎何太急 - Xiān jiān hé tài jí。
煮豆燃豆萁 - Zhǔ dòu rán dòu qí，
豆在釜中泣 - Dòu zài fǔ zhōng qì。
本是同根生 - Bēn shì tóng gēn shēng，
相煎何太急 - Xiān jiān hé tài jí。
相煎何太急 - Xiān jiān hé tài jí。
|#|The Quatrain of Seven Steps
by Cao Zhi (192－232)
Three Kingdoms（220-265）
Burning the beanstalk to cook beans,
The beans are crying in the pot:
" Originally we were born from the same root,
Why are you boiling me so urgently/quickly? "
Burning the beanstalk to cook beans,
The beans are crying in the pot:
" Originally we were born from the same root,
Why are you boiling me so urgently/quickly? "
Burning the beanstalk to cook beans,
The beans are crying in the pot:
" We are from the same root,
Why are you boiling me so urgently/quickly? "
Burning the beanstalk to cook beans,
The beans are crying in the pot:
" We are from the same root,
Why are you boiling me so urgently/quickly? "
Why are you boiling me so urgently/quickly?
|#|Qi Bu Shi - The Quatrain of Seven Steps, created by Cao Zhi (192－232) in the Three Kingdoms period（220-265）, is a famous Chinese classical poem, and is included in the textbooks of Chinese elementary schools. Many Chinese children can recite it when they are only 2 or 3 years old.
So, why is the little poem of just 20 Chinese characters so popular?
First of all, let us look at the poem itself:
During the Three Kingdoms period (220 – 265) there was a literary and poetic family consisting of a father and two sons. They were known as three Caos, and included the father Cao Cao (155－220), his second son Cao Pi ( 187－226) and his third son Cao Zhi (192 -232).
Cao Cao (155 - 220) was a very famous politician, militarist and poet in the Three Kingdoms times and was effectively emperor of the North of China because he controlled the true emperor -- the last Emperor of Han Dynasty ( 206 B.C.- A.D.220 ), Emperor Xian of Han（181 - 234).
Cao Pi (187- 226) deposed the Emperor Xian of Han after Cao Cao died and became the first emperor of Wei and of the Three Kingdoms period. Cao Pi was a great poet and he created the first Qi Yan Poem (a poem with seven characters per line) in Chinese poetry history.
Cao Zhi ( 192 - 232) was the youngest son of Cao Cao and he made the highest literary achievement in the group of family poets, therefore, he was also the favorite son of Cao Cao and he almost became the crown prince.
Therefore, after Cao Cao passed away, Cao Pi became the king and his youngest brother Cao Zhi was given the position of prime minister. Because Cao Zhi was talented and had a very good reputation in the court. These made Cao Pi quite jealous and he worried about Cao Zhi taking his position, so that he hated his brother and saw him as an eyesore and a pain in the neck, and wanted to kill him. The people around of the king knew his thoughts and then flattered and cajoled the king to execute his brother for a trumped up crime of rebellion.
After a "rebellion incident", Cao Pi falsely accused Cao Zhi of being the chief instigator. Then at a noon, Cao Pi ordered his brother to come to the pool. As soon as Cao Zhi came, he was headed off by the bodyguards. When he looked at Cao Pi, he asked: “What does my brother want to see me about?” Cao Pi said: “Young brother, didn't you know, there was an attempted rebellion this morning, it is said you were the chief instigator, is that true? ” Cao Zhi took a deep sigh : “Elder brother, you suspect me of rebellion and wanting to take your position, how could I contemplate committing such a big crime? I hope you are able to see the fine down of birds in autumn -- that you are very perspicacious.” Cao Pi said, since it is so, for the sake of our brotherhood, I order you to compose a poem within walking seven steps, to intone the brotherhood of you and me, but it must not contain the word “Brother”. If you cannot poetize, then, do not complain to me about upholding justice and righteousness even at the sacrifice of blood relations, and killing you. ”.
There is another account of how Cao Zhi came to be ordered to create a poem while walking seven steps: One day, Cao Pi ordered his two younger brothers Cao Xiong and Cao Zhi to come to the court and wished to punish them because he did not think they went to mourn their dead father in time. However, their mother interceded for them. Cao Pi asked Cao Zhi to create the poem within walking 7 steps, and told him that if he could not do it, he would be killed.
As soon as Cao Pi gave his order, Cao Zhi answered “ if I cannot write the poem within the seven steps, do whatever you have to do.. ”
The moment Cao Zhi took the first step, he smelled the smell of beans cooking, then he made the famous poem Qi Bu Shi, which, on the surface was about beans, but was truly about the relationship between brothers.
Cao Zhi is the first poet who actively wrote Wu Yan poems (poems with five characters per line), he is the founder of the Wu Yan poem. About 60 of the 90 of his poems still in existence are Wu Yan poems. His poetry completed the transformation from traditional Yuefu poems (folk) to literati poems, pushing the development of the literati's Wu Yan poems in Chinese literary history.
|#||#|The first line: 煮豆燃豆萁 – Zhǔ dòu rán dòu qí. 煮 zhǔ, means boil, cook, steam, 豆- dòu means bean, 燃 - rán, means burn, 豆萁- dòu qí, means beanstalk. This line means: burning the beanstalk to cook beans. Here the poet skillfully compares himself to the beans and his emperor brother to the beanstalk.
The second line: 豆在釜中泣 - Dòu zài fǔ zhōng qì. 豆- dòu, means bean; 在 ...中 - zài means in (something), inside, 釜-fǔ means pot, kettle, 泣 – qì, means cry, sob, weep. This line means: The beans are crying and saying in the pot. With the word " 泣 " – qì: cry, sob and weep, the poet gives the beans human feelings, sobbing because of his endless sorrow and distress about being boiled by his full brother.
The third line: 本是同根生 - Bēn shì tóng gēn shēng. 本- Bēn, means originally, 是 shì, means be, is, are; 同- tóng , means same, 根- gēn, means root, 生- shēng, means be born, to be given birth to. This line means: Originally we were both born from the same root, that means originally you and me were born of the same parents, we are full brothers.
The last line: 相煎何太急 - xiāng jiān hé tài jí. 相 - xiāng , means each other; 煎 - jiān, means fry, decoct, boil, hear it means torment or torture, 何- hé means why; 太- tài: means too, so; 急 -jí, means quickly, rapidly, urgently. This line means: Why are you boiling me so urgently / quickly? .It uses the tone of the beans to ask why the full brothers torment each other so urgently? So quickly? Here, it uses “何太急 - hé tài jí, why are you so quick to fry me?” to express the endless soreness that as soon as our father passed away, his remains scarcely cold, yet you want to kill me in such haste!
The last two lines, borrow from the mouth of the beans, to question his emperor and elder brother: Originally we are full brothers, so why do you want to kill me so quickly? To express the deep sadness and justified scolding of the poet to the slaughter between brothers.
It was said, after hearing the poem, Cao Pi wept and he was quite shamed. Since then, he never thought of killing his younger brother again. But he put Cao Zhi under house arrest for the rest of his life. Cao Zhi was dead by the time he was 40 years old because of the endless sadness and frustration.
Until now, I guess that you have understood why this little poem so popular in China. Right?
In my opinion, it is famous because it skillfully cites a relevant and vivid metaphor: how people "burn the beans stalk to cook beans"; and the personification method: how the beans sob that " originally we are born from the same root, why are you boiling me so urgently /quickly?" to express a very clear and very profound message: dog-eat-dog ruthlessness in disputes among brothers is against natural justice and has no place in human affairs/civilized society.
This poem talks about a specific thing but a common social phenomenon during a dynasty was replaced in the history; expresses the wish to stop this kind of dog-eat-dog fighting and this poem has struck a sympathetic chord with people since it was created 1700 years ago. Therefore, it has been admired by later generations.
The story behind the poem and the famous lines "本是同根生，相煎何太急" has become the eternal and wise phrase to admonish brothers for their quarrels with each other.
|#|As I write this, two famous Chinese phrases jump into my mind:
One is: "兄弟同心，其利断金 - xiōngdì tóngxīn , qí lì duàn jīn , "means if brothers can be of one mind, their power will be able to break metal. It is from the Zhou Yi, the original words are: “ 二人同心，其利断金 -èr rén tóngxīn, qí lì duàn jīn, ” means if two people can be of one mind, their power is just like a sharp edged tool, it can break metal.
The other is: " 兄弟阋墙,家破人亡 - xiōngdì xì qiáng, jiā pò rén wáng, " the first part of this phrase from Shi Jing -Book of Poetry, means if brothers quarrel at home, their family will break up and its members will die.
Even though the story about Quatrain of Seven Steps has been around for about 1700 years, it can still give contemporary people some meaningful inspiration:
1. The easiest way to capture a fortress is from within, no matter whether we work for a company, a school or a country, if we want it to be increasingly flourishing, prosperous and strong, the precondition is to make people inside united. A united organization or a nation, can face and overcome any difficulty while protecting itself to expand and develop healthily.*
2. Any leader with a jealous and small mind would not only lose his or her friends, colleagues and followers, but also their family members. Although they might be very successful in a high position and be surrounded by many sycophants, they would certainly be alone (isolated) without any real backing.
To help you remember the poem easily, I created a piece of music to go with the poem Sept, 2005 in China and then I created a picture to go with the music and the poem during my travels in the USA, Dec, 2013. Then in 2016, my music coach Prof. Meng Weiye corrected my music and my British English tutor Mr. Mik Joyce corrected my writing and Mr. Charlie Quan Zhang Fixed the vocabulary.
I do hope our effort will be some help with you to understand this poem and to learn Chinese culture and language naturally and artistically.
Note: About the text of the poem, there is another version.
It is from Shi Shuo Xin Yu by Liu Yi Qing in the Southern Dynasties （420-589). It is:
煮豆持作羹 - Zhǔ dòu chí zuò gēng,
漉豉以为汁 - Lù chǐ yǐ wéi zhī。
萁在釜下燃 - Qí zài fǔ xià rán,
豆在釜中泣 - Dòu zài fǔ zhōng qì。
本是同根生 - Bēn shì tóng gēn shēng,
相煎何太急 –Xiāng jiān hé tài jí?
Cooking beans for making thick soup,
Filtering the lobster sauce for getting the soybean milk
The beanstalk is burning under the pot,
The Beans are crying in the pot.
Originally we were from the same root,
Why are you boiling me so urgently?
If you have any questions, comments and suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn ; you are welcome to publish your opinions in Message Board as well.
Shirley Yiping Zhang
Nov 30, in China
Nov 11, in the USA
29, 2013, in the USA
Sep 22, 2005 in China
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