汉末大乱，连年烽火，蔡文姬在逃难中被匈奴所掳，流落塞外，后来与左贤王结成夫妻，生了两个儿女。在塞外她度过了十二个春秋，但她无时无刻不在思念故乡。曹操平定了中原，与匈奴修好，派使节用
重金赎回文姬，于是她写下了著名长诗《胡笳十八拍》，叙述了自己一生不幸的遭遇。
《胡笳十八拍·第十八拍》 蔡琰
胡笳本自出胡中，绿琴翻出音律同。
十八拍兮曲虽终，响有馀兮思未穷。
是知丝竹微妙兮均造化之功，哀乐各随人心兮有变则通。
胡与汉兮异域殊风，天与地隔兮子西母东。
苦我怨气兮浩於长空，六合离兮受之应不容。
Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute Song 18 Cai Yan
The nomad flute originally came from the nomads themselves,
Matched with the qin, their music follows the same patterns.
With these eighteen stanzas, my song is finished,
But the tones continue, and my longing is without end.
From this we know how subtle strings and pipes may be; they reflect the work of creation,
In sorrow and joy they follow men's hearts, and transform to match them.
The nomads and Han, different lands, different customs,
Heaven and earth separate us, alas! children west, mother east.
Bitter am I, angry my spirit, flooding to the great void,
The length and breadth of the universe cannot contain this feeling!
