诗篇表达杜甫晚年对诗歌创作的见解,带有总结性质。所以王嗣奭《杜臆》说:“此公一生精力用之文章,始成一部《杜诗》,而此篇乃其自序也。”上句“千古事”是指留传久远,关系重大,如同曹丕说的“文章经国之大业,不朽之盛事”。下句“寸心知”是说对于文章,作者本人的理解感知最为明白。这两句诗虽是以议论入诗,但对仗工整,语言高度概括,而且切中肯綮,含蕴丰富,很有哲理性。
" The eternal thing, gains and losses and know. The authors are special column, reputation is wave vertical. The poet sigh sight, Han Sheng Yu si. Soar into the predecessors, fallout was for. After the Yin and the old, the various taboos. Since Confucianism has, from weak, tired heart. Forever with ESA Yat, sickly ye qi. You Jialu Ji is a center with benefit, Lin. Wheel acts has cut, but still a church. Diffuse a treatise on the monument, to give a false woman."