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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

春日忆李白

Thinking of Li Bai in Spring

杜甫

Du Fu

怀友Longing for a Friend

白也诗无敌，飘然思不群。
清新庾开府，俊逸鲍参军。
渭北春天树，江东日暮云。
何时一樽酒，重与细论文。

Li Bai's verse has no rival,
his thought floats free of every crowd.
Fresh as Yu Xin of the Kai Office,
brilliant as Bao Zhao of the Command.
North of the Wei, spring trees;
East of the Jiang, evening clouds.
When shall we drink a cup together,
and weigh the poems over again, line by line?

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Meaning

In the spring, at the northern edge of the Chang'an plain, Du Fu looks out on spring trees and thinks of Li Bai somewhere east of the river. He first celebrates his friend's exacting literary standing, then names the two cities that stand between them, and ends by asking when they may drink and discuss poetry together again. The poem is at once a critique of a friend's work and a declaration of the bond that makes the criticism possible.

白也诗无敌，飘然思不群。清新庾开府，俊逸鲍参军。渭北春天树，江东日暮云。何时一樽酒，重与细论文。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The poem's four couplets move from estimate to address. [Structure] A classic 'first judge, then long' arrangement: the first half judges Li Bai's poetry by comparison with two Six Dynasties masters; the second half abandons judgment for the sight of the two places and the hope of a reunion. [Imagery] The fifth and sixth lines are the poem's spine — spring trees in the north, evening clouds in the east. Both are pictures of one man seen from two directions, and together they make absence into a landscape. [Closing] The last couplet is a plain question about a cup of wine, and the plainness is the point: the whole poem has been a way of reaching this ordinary sentence. The phrase 'weigh the poems over again, line by line' is the highest praise Du Fu knew how to give, and it is why the poem has served for twelve centuries as a testimony to the Li–Du friendship.

【白话串讲】杜甫写《春日忆李白》：“白也诗无敌，飘然思不群”——“清新庾开府，俊逸鲍参军”——“渭北春天树，江东日暮云”——“何时一樽酒，重与细论文”——他忆李白——“渭北春天树，江东日暮云”——两人天各一方。【意象与手法】此诗写怀友，以论诗写怀友，是杜甫的名篇。前四句论李白：「白也诗无敌，飘然思不群。清新庾开府，俊逸鲍参军」写白也诗无敌、清新庾开府、俊逸鲍参军——写尽李白的诗才；后四句写怀友：「渭北春天树，江东日暮云。何时一樽酒，重与细论文」写渭北春天树、江东日暮云、何时一樽酒——写尽对李白的怀念。全诗以论诗写怀友，写尽李白的诗才与对李白的怀念，是杜甫的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写怀友，以论诗写怀友，是杜甫的名篇。此诗写杜甫春日怀念远在江东的李白。天宝年间，杜甫在长安，李白漫游江南，杜甫见渭北春树而思江东的李白，遂作此诗论其诗才、抒其思念。此诗论李白：白也诗无敌，飘然思不群——写白也诗无敌、飘然思不群，写尽李白诗才的超群；清新庾开府，俊逸鲍参军——写清新庾开府、俊逸鲍参军，写尽李白诗风的清新俊逸；渭北春天树，江东日暮云——写渭北春天树、江东日暮云，写尽两地的相望；何时一樽酒，重与细论文——写何时一樽酒、重与细论文，写尽对重逢的期待。全诗以论诗写怀友——那「白也诗无敌」写尽李白的诗才，「何时一樽酒」写尽对李白的怀念，写尽李白的诗才与对李白的怀念，是理解杜甫李白交往的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「白也诗无敌，飘然思不群」论李白的诗才；「渭北春天树，江东日暮云」写两地的相望；以及全诗以论诗写怀友、以景写情的手法。

Background

Du Fu (712–770), courtesy name Zimei, called himself Shaoling Yelaо, and is honoured as the Poet Sage; his verse is called the history of his age. During the Tianbao years Du Fu was in Chang'an while Li Bai was travelling in the south, and the two met briefly, perhaps twice, and parted. Sighting the spring trees of the north, he thought of the man among the clouds of the east and wrote this poem, in which friendship with Li Bai is expressed almost entirely in terms of poetry.

此诗写怀友，以论诗写怀友，是杜甫的名篇。杜甫（712—770），字子美，自号少陵野老，巩县（今河南巩义）人，唐代诗人，被尊为「诗圣」，其诗称「诗史」。此诗写杜甫春日怀念远在江东的李白。天宝年间，杜甫在长安，李白漫游江南，杜甫见渭北春树而思江东的李白，遂作此诗论其诗才、抒其思念。此诗论李白：「白也诗无敌，飘然思不群」写白也诗无敌、飘然思不群——写尽李白诗才的超群（白也诗无敌，飘然思不群）；「清新庾开府，俊逸鲍参军」写清新庾开府、俊逸鲍参军——写尽李白诗风的清新俊逸（清新庾开府，俊逸鲍参军）；「渭北春天树，江东日暮云」写渭北春天树、江东日暮云——写尽两地的相望（渭北春天树，江东日暮云）；「何时一樽酒，重与细论文」写何时一樽酒、重与细论文——写尽对重逢的期待（何时一樽酒，重与细论文）。全诗以论诗写怀友，写尽李白的诗才与对李白的怀念，是理解杜甫李白交往的重要篇章。

Art

The poem's art is concentrated in the treatment of distance. Du Fu never says 'I miss Li Bai'; he says 'North of the Wei, spring trees; / East of the Jiang, evening clouds,' which lets the two men be located by the scenery each is looking at. This is a disciplined use of the scene for feeling, and it makes the following question about wine the only emotional statement in the poem. The opening is deliberately colloquial — 'Li Bai's verse has no rival,' with the particle ye after the name — and the measured parallelism of the middle couplet is used as a contrast rather than as an ornament. Even the title's 'thinking of' is postponed: only the reader, not the speaker, has said the word.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以议论论诗才。「白也诗无敌」以议论论诗才——那「诗无敌」「思不群」写尽诗才的超群，以议论写尽李白的诗才。其二，以比拟写诗风。「清新庾开府，俊逸鲍参军」以比拟写诗风——那「清新」「俊逸」以庾信、鲍照比拟，以比拟写尽李白诗风的清新俊逸。其三，以景物写两地。「渭北春天树，江东日暮云」以景物写两地——那「春树」「暮云」写尽两地的景物，以景物写尽对李白的相望。其四，以问写期待。「何时一樽酒」以问写期待——那「何时」「重与」写尽重逢的期待，以问写尽对李白的怀念。此外，此诗前四句论李白的诗才，后四句写对李白的怀念，由论及思，正是怀友诗「先评后思」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以论诗写怀友，写尽李白的诗才与对李白的怀念，是杜甫的代表作。此诗还善于以「也」「飘然」写李白的风神——那「白也诗无敌」以「也」字呼名入诗，亲切而郑重；「飘然思不群」以「飘然」写其思致之飘逸，正见李白「谪仙人」的风采。又善以具体评论写诗才——「清新庾开府，俊逸鲍参军」以庾信、鲍照两家比拟，论李白诗兼有清新、俊逸之长，正是论诗诗「以人论诗」的典范。

Allusions

Yu Xin (Yu Xin) held the title Kai FuYi Tong San Si, hence 'Kai Fu' in the poem, and was famous for a fresh, unforced style; Bao Zhao (Bao Zhao) held the command of a general and was famous for a bold, unrestrained one. Du Fu also wrote of Yu Xin, 'Yu Xin's work grows stronger with age,' and he uses both masters here as the standard against which Li Bai is set. 'Wei' is the region about Chang'an where Du Fu was, and 'Jiangdong' the lower Yangtze where Li Bai was wandering. 'Weigh the poems over again' prepares the later, familiar phrase 'spring trees and evening clouds,' which became a byword for thinking of a friend and is still quoted as a two-word kiss.

此诗的用语深植于论诗与怀友的传统。「庾开府」令人想到「庾开府」指庾信——庾信官至开府仪同三司，诗风清新，也令人想到「清新庾开府」的意象；「鲍参军」令人想到「鲍参军」指鲍照——鲍照官至参军，诗风俊逸，也令人想到「俊逸鲍参军」的意象；「渭北」令人想到「渭北」写长安的意象——渭北即长安一带，杜甫所在，也令人想到「渭北春天树」的意象；「江东」令人想到「江东」写江南的意象——江东为李白游踪所在，也令人想到「江东日暮云」的意象；「论文」令人想到「论文」写论诗的意象——杜甫《天末怀李白》亦论诗，也令人想到「把酒论文」的意象；「一樽酒」令人想到「一樽酒」写饮酒的意象——也令人想到「莫使金樽空对月」（李白）的意象。全诗化用庾开府、鲍参军、渭北、江东的意象，以论诗写怀友，正是杜甫「语不惊人死不休」而善论诗、承怀友传统写深情的本领。「庾开府」「鲍参军」皆为魏晋六朝诗人——庾信历经梁、西魏、北周，诗赋清新流丽，杜甫《戏为六绝句》称「庾信文章老更成」；鲍照为南朝宋诗人，诗风俊逸奔放，杜甫以两家并论李白，正见其对六朝诗传统的重视。又「春树暮云」二字，后演为怀友之成语，正见此诗对后世的影响。

Commentary

Long ranked among Du Fu's best poems of friendship, and often quoted as the chief witness to the Li–Du relationship. Qing readers commented on the plainness of the opening and called later that 'the poem judges the age and the friendship at once.' Modern readers single out the fifth and sixth lines, from which the compressed idiom 'spring trees and evening clouds' is derived as a standard way of naming the missing friend. Its special place is that it joins the praise of a poet's work to the grief of his absence, and does so without ever raising its voice; the poem reads as calm, but it is calm because the poet has held his feeling in check.

此诗历来被推为杜甫怀友诗的名篇，也是唐人写李杜交谊的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以论诗写怀友，极推许之诚」；近人更指出「渭北春天树，江东日暮云」写两地的相望，是此诗的名句，后「春树暮云」成为怀友的成语。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以八句的五律写尽李白的诗才与对李白的怀念——那诗无敌，那思不群，那清新，那俊逸，那庾开府，那鲍参军，那渭北春树，那江东暮云，那一樽酒，那论文，都写尽了杜甫笔下的李白；那「何时一樽酒，重与细论文」更以问写尽对重逢的期待。此诗与杜甫《天末怀李白》（「凉风起天末」）、《梦李白》同为怀李白名篇，一写「文章憎命达」的天末（天末怀李白），一写「重与细论文」的春日（春日忆李白）；又与李白《沙丘城下寄杜甫》的互相怀念一脉相承，可见李杜交谊在中国文学史上的佳话。对于今日读者，此诗是理解李杜交谊的窗口，也是中国诗写怀友的经典——那江东的暮云，穿越千年，仍在诉说着对李白的怀念。

Prosody

Form Chinese poetry — five-character regulated verse (Wu Yan Lü Shi)诗·五言律诗

Rhyme Regulated verse on the 'Wen' rhyme (上平十二文): qun, jun, yun, wen — one rhyme maintained to the end, in the clear, unhurried level tone五律，押「群」「军」「云」「文」韵（上平十二文），一韵到底，音节清畅

Tone pattern A five-character regulated poem on level-tone rhymes, single rhyme throughout, in a clear and easy rhythm that matches the composure of the feeling.此诗为五言律诗，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节清畅，正合怀友的清畅。

Reading note Eight lines of five characters, rhyming on the Wen rhyme (qun, jun, yun, wen) and held to the end. The rhyme is a close one, so the lines ring against each other without any harsh collision. The regulated pattern generously allows the colloquial opening, so that 'Li Bai's verse has no rival' keeps its speech rhythm inside a formal frame. Read lines 1–4 in an even voice, lines 5–6 slower, and the closing question with the weight rather than the lament of an answer, and Du Fu's honest complement is audible.此诗为五言律诗，八句——「白也诗无敌，飘然思不群。清新庾开府，俊逸鲍参军。渭北春天树，江东日暮云。何时一樽酒，重与细论文」，押「文」韵（群、军、云、文），一韵到底，音节清畅。全诗以论诗写怀友：前四句论李白的诗才（白也诗无敌、清新庾开府），后四句写对李白的怀念（渭北春天树、何时一樽酒）。八句短章，前论诗才，后写怀念，以「重与细论文」写尽对重逢的期待，正见杜甫「沉郁顿挫」之外亦有清畅的本色。诵读此诗，宜以清畅的语调读「白也诗无敌」的论诗，以低回的语调读「何时一樽酒」的期待，结句要读得清畅而有余韵，方能传达出杜甫的推许之诚。杜甫五律以「沉郁顿挫」著称，此诗正是其怀友律诗的典范。

Line by line

渭北春天树，江东日暮云

North of the Wei, spring trees; east of the Jiang, evening clouds.

渭北春天树，江东日暮云。

In Weibei, the trees of spring; in Jiangdong, the clouds at sunset.

此二句是全诗写相望的核心，以渭北春天树写渭北，以江东日暮云写江东，写尽两地的相望，是千古名句。「渭北春天树」写渭北春天树——那「渭北春天」写渭北春天，「树」写树，写尽渭北的春树；「江东日暮云」写江东日暮云——那「江东日暮」写江东日暮，「云」写云，写尽江东的暮云。这句的深意在于：它以「渭北春天树」的渭北与「江东日暮云」的江东，写尽两地的相望——渭北春天树，那「渭北春天树」写尽渭北的春树——渭北春树，正是杜甫所在的长安，那「春树」写尽杜甫的居处；江东日暮云，那「江东日暮云」写尽江东的暮云——江东暮云，正是李白所在的江南，那「日暮云」写尽李白的居处；那「渭北春天树」写尽渭北的春树，那「江东日暮云」写尽江东的暮云，一写渭北，一写江东，写尽两地的相望——渭北春树与江东暮云，正是两地相望的写照；此二句以渭北、江东写尽两地的相望，也让此二句成为全诗写相望的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「我在长安你在江南」，则失其含蓄；唯以「渭北春天树」写渭北、「江东日暮云」写江东，写尽两地的相望，也让此二句成为全诗写相望的核心。

The couplet separates the two friends by landscape without ever naming a feeling. In Weibei—where Du Fu, near Chang'an, sits—the spring trees; in Jiangdong—where Li Bai wanders in the south—the sunset clouds. Each man looks out at his own weather: the one at new leaves in spring, the other at evening clouds, and the distance between the two scenes is the distance between the friends. The famous quiet lies in what is not said: no longing, no letter, just two horizons set against each other. Later critics note that wherever Du Fu looks, he imagines Li Bai looking back. To have said I am in the north and you are in the south would be a map; the two landscapes are the longing.

白也诗无敌，飘然思不群

Li Bai's verse has no rival; his thought floats free of every crowd.

白也诗无敌，飘然思不群。

Bai, his poetry has no equal; his spirit floats free, beyond the common crowd.

此二句是全诗论诗才的核心，以白也诗无敌写诗，以飘然思不群写思，写尽李白的诗才，是千古名句。「白也诗无敌」写白也诗无敌——那「白也」写白也，「诗无敌」写诗无敌，写尽李白诗才的超群；「飘然思不群」写飘然思不群——那「飘然」写飘然，「思不群」写思不群，写尽李白才思的飘逸。这句的深意在于：它以「白也诗无敌」的诗与「飘然思不群」的思，写尽李白的诗才——白也诗无敌，那「白也诗无敌」写尽李白诗才的超群——李白之诗，天下无敌，正是对李白诗的极推，那「诗无敌」写尽李白诗才的杰出；飘然思不群，那「飘然思不群」写尽李白才思的飘逸——飘然之思，不同凡俗，正是对李白才思的极赞，那「思不群」写尽李白才思的超群；那「白也诗无敌」写尽李白诗才的超群，那「飘然思不群」写尽李白才思的飘逸，一写诗，一写思，写尽李白的诗才——诗无敌而思不群，正是对李白诗才的极推；此二句以诗、思写尽李白的诗才，也为下文的清新俊逸作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗论诗才的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「李白的诗写得很好」，则失其分量；唯以「白也诗无敌」写诗、「飘然思不群」写思，写尽李白的诗才，也让此二句成为全诗论诗才的核心。

Du Fu's praise of Li Bai is absolute. Bai, his poetry has no equal—the particle after the name is fond, as if addressing him; his spirit floats free, beyond the common crowd. The first line judges the work, the second the man: unmatched poetry and a temperament that will not be herded. Floating free is the exact self-portrait of Li Bai—unmoored, airborne—and beyond the common crowd explains why the work has no equal. This is the highest critical estimate one poet can give another, and it sets up the fresh, bold style named just below. To have said Li Bai was a great poet would be a review; the floating spirit beyond the crowd is the verdict.

Study

Word focus

无敌 In 'Li Bai's verse has no rival,' wudi means having no equal, and is the poem's whole verdict, delivered in two words with the flat certainty of a judgment rather than of a compliment; it carries the poet's sincerity as much as his criticism, since only a friend can be praise this freely. (About 30 words) 「白也诗无敌」之「无敌」是论诗才的关键词，一个「无敌」写尽李白诗才的超群。无敌者，没有敌手、天下第一也。杜甫以「白也诗无敌」论诗才，这个「无敌」至少有双重意味：其一，写诗之冠——那「白也诗无敌」写白也诗无敌，那「无敌」写尽李白诗才的杰出——李白之诗，天下无敌，正是对李白诗的极推，那「无敌」写尽李白诗才的超群；其二，写情之诚——那「无敌」更是写诚——诗无敌，正见杜甫推许之诚，那「无敌」写尽对李白的情谊。以「无敌」论诗才，正是杜甫写怀友的枢纽——若换作「绝伦」「无比」等词，则或失其与「白也」「诗」的配合，或失其写无敌的意味；唯「无敌」二字，以白也诗无敌写尽李白诗才的杰出与杜甫推许的真诚，与「飘然思不群」的思不群相合，写尽李白的诗才，也让「白也诗无敌」成为全诗论诗才的名句。

重 In 'When shall we drink a cup together, / and weigh the poems over again,' zhong means again, and turns the question from a wish to see into a plan to resume the old work; it carries the years that have passed in a single character and restores the past without nostalgia. (About 30 words) 「重与细论文」之「重」字是写期待的关键词，一个「重」字写尽重逢的期待。重者，再次、重新也。杜甫以「何时一樽酒，重与细论文」写期待，这个「重」字至少有双重意味：其一，写别后之重——那「重与细论文」写重与细论文，那「重」字写尽别后的重逢——重与论文，正是重逢再论的写照，那「重」字写尽对重逢的期待；其二，写情谊之深——那「重」字更是写深——重，正见情谊之深，那「重」字写尽对李白的怀念。以「重」字写期待，正是杜甫写怀友的枢纽——若换作「再」「又」等字，则或失其与「细论文」的配合，或失其写重的意味；唯「重」字，以何时一樽酒，重与细论文写尽别后的重逢与情谊的深长，与「渭北春天树」的相望相合，写尽对李白的怀念，也让「重与细论文」成为全诗写期待的名句。