《洛神赋》创作于黄初三年（公元 222 年），当时曹植所处的历史背景较为复杂。
政治方面，曹丕已登基称帝，建立曹魏政权，曹植的政治地位急转直下。曹丕对曹植一直有所猜忌和防范，曹植的人生抱负难以施展，且时刻面临曹丕的打压，处于政治困境之中。
文化方面，建安文学的余韵仍在，文学创作氛围较为浓厚，文人们热衷于通过文学作品抒发情感、展现才华。曹植本身就是建安文学的杰出代表，有着极高的文学素养和创作热情。
在此背景下，曹植以浪漫主义手法创作了《洛神赋》，借对洛水之神宓妃的追求与思慕，表达自己在政治上的失意、理想抱负无法实现的苦闷以及对美好事物的向往 。
In 222 AD (the third year of the Huangchu reign), Cao Zhi created "The Ode to the Nymph of the Luo River". At that time, the historical background in which Cao Zhi was located was rather complex.
Politically, Cao Pi had ascended the throne and established the Cao Wei regime. Cao Zhi's political status declined sharply. Cao Pi had always been suspicious and vigilant against Cao Zhi. Cao Zhi's political aspirations were difficult to realize, and he was constantly under the suppression of Cao Pi, thus being in a political predicament.
Culturally, the legacy of Jian'an literature was still present, and the atmosphere for literary creation was relatively strong. Scholars were enthusiastic about expressing emotions and demonstrating their talents through literary works. Cao Zhi himself was an outstanding representative of Jian'an literature, with extremely high literary attainments and creative enthusiasm.
Against this background, Cao Zhi created "The Ode to the Nymph of the Luo River" in a romantic style. By expressing his pursuit and yearning for Mi Fei, the goddess of the Luo River, he conveyed his frustration in politics, the distress of being unable to realize his ideals and aspirations, as well as his longing for beautiful things.
黄初三年，余朝京师，还济洛川。古人有言，斯水之神，名曰宓妃。感宋玉对楚王神女之事，遂作斯赋，其辞曰：
In the third year of the Huangchu reign, I went to the capital to pay homage, and on my return crossed the Luo River. Ancient people said that the goddess of this river was called Mi Fei. Inspired by Song Yu's account of the goddess to King Chu, I composed this ode, which reads:
余从京域，言归东藩，背伊阙，越轘辕，经通谷，陵景山。日既西倾，车殆马烦。尔乃税驾乎蘅皋，秣驷乎芝田，容与乎阳林，流眄乎洛川。于是精移神骇，忽焉思散。俯则未察，仰以殊观。睹一丽人，于岩之畔。乃援御者而告之曰：“尔有觌于彼者乎？彼何人斯？若此之艳也！” 御者对曰：“臣闻河洛之神，名曰宓妃。然则君王所见，无乃日乎？其状若何？臣愿闻之。”
I set out from the capital and was returning to my fief in the east, having left the Yi Que Pass behind, crossed the Huan Yuan Pass, traversed the Tong Valley, and climbed Mount Jing. As the sun inclined westward, the carriage was weary and the horses tired. Then I stopped my carriage on the bank overgrown with calamus, fed my horses in the fields of sesame grass, strolled in the Yanglin Woods, and looked out over the Luo River. Then my spirit was stirred and my thoughts were scattered. When I looked down, I saw nothing special, but when I looked up, I saw a remarkable sight. There was a beautiful woman on the riverside rock. So I took hold of the coachman and said to him, "Can you see that person over there? Who is she? How could she be so beautiful!" The coachman replied, "I've heard that the goddess of the Luo River is called Mi Fei. Could it be her that you saw, my lord? What does she look like? I'd like to hear about it."
余告之曰：其形也，翩若惊鸿，婉若游龙，荣曜秋菊，华茂春松。髣髴兮若轻云之蔽月，飘飖兮若流风之回雪。远而望之，皎若太阳升朝霞。迫而察之，灼若芙蕖出渌波。秾纤得衷，修短合度。肩若削成，腰如约素。延颈秀项，皓质呈露，芳泽无加，铅华弗御。云髻峨峨，修眉联娟，丹唇外朗，皓齿内鲜。明眸善睐，靥辅承权，瓌姿艳逸，仪静体闲。柔情绰态，媚于语言。奇服旷世，骨像应图。披罗衣之璀粲兮，珥瑶碧之华琚。戴金翠之首饰，缀明珠以耀躯。践远游之文履，曳雾绡之轻裾。微幽兰之芳蔼兮，步踟蹰于山隅。于是忽焉纵体，以遨以嬉。左倚采旄，右荫桂旗。攘皓腕于神浒兮，采湍濑之玄芝。
I told him: Her figure is like a startled swan, graceful like a swimming dragon. She is as glorious as autumn chrysanthemums and as lush as spring pines. She seems like the moon covered by thin clouds, and flutters like snowflakes whirled by the wind. Seen from afar, she is as bright as the sun rising from the morning glow; seen up close, she is as dazzling as a lotus emerging from green waves. She is neither too plump nor too thin, neither too tall nor too short. Her shoulders are as if carved, and her waist is as slender as a white silk ribbon. Her long and graceful neck shows her fair skin. She wears no fragrant ointment or powder. Her hair is piled up like a cloud, and her eyebrows are long and curved. Her red lips are bright, and her white teeth are shining. Her bright eyes are good at looking around, and there are dimples on her cheeks. Her beautiful appearance is extremely charming, and her manner is quiet and leisurely. Her tender feelings and graceful posture make her words very charming. Her strange clothes are peerless in the world, and her figure is like that in the picture. She wears a bright silk dress and beautiful jade earrings. She wears gold and jade jewelry, and is decorated with bright pearls. She wears embroidered shoes for long journeys and drags a light skirt like mist. Slightly exuding the fragrance of orchid, she hesitantly walks in the mountain corner. Then suddenly she leaps and frolics. Leaning on a colored flag on the left and shaded by a cinnamon flag on the right, she stretches out her white wrist on the riverside and picks the black ganoderma in the rapids.
余情悦其淑美兮，心振荡而不怡。无良媒以接欢兮，托微波而通辞。愿诚素之先达兮，解玉佩以要之。嗟佳人之信修，羌习礼而明诗。抗琼珶以和余兮，指潜渊而为期。执眷眷之款实兮，惧斯灵之我欺。感交甫之弃言兮，怅犹豫而狐疑。收和颜而静志兮，申礼防以自持。
I was delighted by her beauty and kindness, but my heart was restless and uneasy. There was no good matchmaker to help me express my love, so I had to send my message through the gentle waves. I hoped that my sincere feelings could be conveyed to her first, so I took off my jade pendant to invite her. Alas, the beauty is really virtuous and proficient in etiquette and poetry. She raised her jade to respond to me and pointed to the deep pool to make an appointment. I held on to my sincere feelings, but I was afraid that the goddess would deceive me. Thinking of how Zheng Jiaofu was betrayed by the goddess, I was so disappointed and hesitant that I was full of doubts. So I put away my smile and calmed my mind, and restrained myself with the rules of etiquette.
神光离合，乍阴乍阳。竦轻躯以鹤立，若将飞而未翔。践椒涂之郁烈，步蘅薄而流芳。超长吟以永慕兮，声哀厉而弥长。尔乃众灵杂遝，命俦啸侣。或戏清流，或翔神渚。或采明珠，或拾翠羽。叹匏瓜之无匹兮，咏牵牛之独处。扬轻袿之猗靡兮，翳修袖以延伫。体迅飞凫，飘忽若神。凌波微步，罗袜生尘。动无常则，若危若安。进止难期，若往若还。转眄流精，光润玉颜。含辞未吐，气若幽兰。华容婀娜，令我忘餐。
The divine light flickered, sometimes dim and sometimes bright. She stood on tiptoe like a crane, as if about to fly but not yet taking off. She stepped on the pepper path full of strong fragrance and walked through the calamus bushes, leaving a trail of fragrance. She let out a long sigh to express her eternal love, and her voice was sad and long. Then all kinds of spirits gathered, calling for their companions. Some played in the clear stream, some flew over the divine islet. Some picked bright pearls, some picked up green feathers. She sighed that the gourd melon star had no partner and chanted that the cowherd star was alone. She raised her light skirt gracefully and covered herself with her long sleeve, standing there for a long time. Her body was as fast as a flying duck, erratic as a spirit. She took small steps on the waves, and her silk stockings seemed to raise dust. Her actions had no fixed rules, sometimes seeming dangerous and sometimes safe. It was hard to predict her advance and retreat, as if she was about to leave but then returned. Her eyes sparkled, and her jade-like face was radiant. She had words in her mouth but didn't speak, and her breath was like orchid. Her beautiful figure was so graceful that it made me forget to eat.
于是屏翳收风，川后静波。冯夷鸣鼓，女娲清歌。腾文鱼以警乘，鸣玉鸾以偕逝。六龙俨其齐首，载云车之容裔。鲸鲵踊而夹毂，水禽翔而为卫。
Then the Wind God put away the wind, and the River God calmed the waves. Feng Yi beat the drum, and Nüwa sang a clear song. The flying fish jumped out of the water to guard the carriage, and the jade bells rang as they left together. Six dragons raised their heads in unison, carrying the cloud chariot gracefully. The whales and dolphins jumped up to flank the carriage, and the water birds flew to escort them.
于是越北沚，过南冈，纡素领，回清阳，动朱唇以徐言，陈交接之大纲。恨人神之道殊兮，怨盛年之莫当。抗罗袂以掩涕兮，泪流襟之浪浪。悼良会之永绝兮，哀一逝而异乡。无微情以效爱兮，献江南之明珰。虽潜处于太阴，长寄心于君王。忽不悟其所舍，怅神宵而蔽光。
So they crossed the north shoal and passed the south hill. She turned her white neck, looked back with clear eyes, opened her red lips and spoke slowly, stating the general principles of communication. She regretted that the ways of humans and gods were different and complained that they couldn't meet in their prime. She raised her silk sleeve to wipe her tears, and the tears wet her lapel. She mourned the eternal end of the good meeting and lamented that they would be in different places after parting. Since I had no way to express my love, I offered her the bright earrings from the south of the Yangtze River. Although she lived in the deep water, her heart was always with the king. Suddenly I didn't know where she had gone, and I was so disappointed that her divine light was hidden.
于是背下陵高，足往神留。遗情想像，顾望怀愁。冀灵体之复形，御轻舟而上溯。浮长川而忘返，思绵绵而增慕。夜耿耿而不寐，沾繁霜而至曙。命仆夫而就驾，吾将归乎东路。揽騑辔以抗策，怅盘桓而不能去。
Then I left the lowland and climbed the high mountain. My feet were moving forward, but my heart remained there. I left my feelings in imagination, looking back with sorrow. I hoped that her spirit would reappear, so I rowed a light boat upstream. I floated on the long river and forgot to return, and my thoughts were continuous and my love grew deeper. I was so worried that I couldn't sleep at night and didn't fall asleep until the heavy frost covered me at dawn. I ordered my servant to drive the carriage and I was going to return to the east. I held the reins of the horse and raised the whip, but I was so disappointed that I lingered and couldn't leave.