All poems

汉 Han · 古诗 Ancient poem

青青陵上柏

Green, Green the Cypress on the Ridge

古诗十九首（无名氏）

Anonymous, from the Nineteen Old Poems

抒情Emotion 哲理Philosophy 宴饮Theme 忧愤Theme

青青陵上柏，磊磊涧中石。
人生天地间，忽如远行客。
斗酒相娱乐，聊厚不为薄。
驱车策驽马，游戏宛与洛。
洛中何郁郁，冠带自相索。
长衢罗夹巷，王侯多第宅。
两宫遥相望，双阙百余尺。
极宴娱心意，戚戚何所迫？

Green, green the cypress on the ridge,
Stone on stone in the ravine.
Man living between heaven and earth,
Suddenly like a traveler far.
A cup of wine for mutual joy,
Make it ample, not too thin.
Drive my cart with a nag,
Roam and play in Wan and Luo.
In Luo city how crowded!
Officials seek each other out.
Long streets lined with lanes,
Many mansions of princes.
Two palaces gaze from afar,
Twin towers a hundred feet high.
Feast to the full to cheer the heart,
Why be worried and oppressed?

Listen

Meaning

The poem contrasts the eternity of nature (green cypress, piled stones) with the fleeting nature of human life like a traveler. It then describes a journey to the bustling cities of Wan and Luo, observing the splendor of officialdom and palaces. The ending, with a rhetorical question, suggests that one should feast and enjoy life rather than be oppressed by sorrow, yet the tone is tinged with melancholy.

陵墓上的柏树青翠葱茏，山涧中的石头磊磊堆积。人生存于天地之间，转眼之间就像那远行的过客。斟上一斗酒互相取乐，聊且当作厚遇，不嫌它淡薄。赶着车子，鞭策着劣马，到宛城与洛阳去游玩嬉戏。洛阳城中何等繁盛热闹，士大夫们争相往来、彼此交结。长长的街道罗列着一条条小巷，王侯之家多有高大的府第。南北两宫遥遥相望，宫门前的双阙高过百余尺。尽情宴饮以愉悦心意，心中戚戚不安，又有什么逼迫着我呢？

Appreciation

One of the Nineteen Old Poems, this piece from the late Han dynasty reflects the literati's lament over life's brevity in a chaotic era. The opening contrast sets a philosophical tone, the middle section vividly depicts urban grandeur, and the ending question reveals a forced optimism that masks deep grief—a hallmark of the 'Nineteen Old Poems' style: simple words, profound emotion.

【白话串讲】 “人生天地间，忽如远行客”——人生在天地间，就像远行的过客。汉代诗人看着陵墓上的柏树，劝自己：趁着还在，喝杯酒吧。【意象与手法】此诗以兴开篇，陵柏涧石与人生对举，以永恒反衬须臾，理趣深沉；中幅由虚入实，铺写宛洛繁华，以乐景写哀情，愈写热闹愈见孤寂；结以反诘自解，外畅内悲，余味不尽。全诗叠字（青青、磊磊、郁郁、戚戚）回环生姿，章法三层递进，由景入理、由理入事、由事入情，是汉代文人五言诗成熟的标志。【情感与主旨】诗写汉末失意文人的生命焦虑：人生如寄而功名无望，故强作宴游以自遣；然繁华愈盛，孤独愈深，『戚戚何所迫』的反诘道出忧惧之无法排遣。貌似旷达，实含悲慨，为《古诗十九首》叹逝主题的代表作，亦开魏晋旷达之先声。【名句点睛】『人生天地间，忽如远行客』以远行之客喻人生，写生命之倏忽无根，是千古传诵的哲理名句，与『生年不满百，常怀千岁忧』同为汉末生命意识的宣言；『极宴娱心意，戚戚何所迫』以反诘作结，乐极而忧愈显，最见《十九首》深衷浅貌、语短情长之妙。

Background

This poem is the third of the Nineteen Old Poems (according to the Wenxuan order). During the late Eastern Han, the court was corrupt, partisans were persecuted, and scholars felt their lives were precarious and fame elusive. The cities 'Wan' (Nanyang) and 'Luo' (Luoyang) were political and cultural centers. The poet, facing eternal cypress and stone versus transient life, forces himself to feast in the bustling city, embodying the sentiment that 'life is but a sojourn, why worry?'—a typical response to the chaos of the era. It is a mature example of Han-dynasty five-character poetry.

《青青陵上柏》为《古诗十九首》之一，依《文选》次第位居第三，作者为东汉末年无名氏。东汉自桓灵以降，朝政腐败，宦官外戚更相擅权，党锢之祸频兴，士人动辄得咎，仕进之路几乎断绝；加以水旱蝗灾、瘟疫横行，黄巾起义与军阀混战相继而来，社会陷入深重的动荡之中。身处其间的文人既无法建功立业，又深感生命短促、祸福无常，遂普遍生出失志伤时、人生如寄的感慨，《十九首》中此类叹逝之作尤多，本篇即是代表。诗中『宛与洛』指南阳宛城与洛阳：宛为光武帝刘秀故里，东汉称南都，繁华仅次于京师；洛阳则是当时政治文化中心。『两宫』指洛阳南宫与北宫，『双阙百余尺』写宫阙巍峨，皆实有其地。诗人驱车游戏于帝都的繁华之中，眼中所见愈是盛大恢弘，心中所感愈是苍凉虚无，结尾以『戚戚何所迫』自解，实为乱世文人在生命无常面前的无奈自我宽慰。此诗历来的归属与成篇年代虽众说纷纭，或谓西汉枚乘所作，或谓东汉末无名氏所为，然诗中那种直面死生、强作欢娱的深重悲感，与桓灵以后士人的集体心态最为相合，故今人多从东汉末年之说，视其为汉代文人五言诗由乐府民歌走向自觉抒情的成熟标本。

Art

The poem has three layers. The opening two lines use the evergreen cypress and solid stones as a foil, contrasting with the suddenness of human life, creating a deep philosophical contrast between eternity and transience. The middle section shifts from abstract to concrete, describing the crowded, prosperous Luoyang with vivid details: officials, mansions, palaces, and towers. The ending uses a rhetorical question to feign detachment, but underneath lies sorrow: outward cheerfulness, inner grief. The structure is clear, with natural imagery, urban scenes, and emotional reflection intertwined.

此诗艺术上最突出的是三层递进的结构与对比反衬的手法。起四句以兴开篇：『青青陵上柏，磊磊涧中石』写陵柏之长青、涧石之坚累，皆亘古不移之物；随即以『人生天地间，忽如远行客』的感慨相对照，永恒与须臾、静止与倏忽形成强烈反差，起兴之物的壮美反衬出生命之短暂，理趣深沉，为全诗定下苍凉基调。中幅由虚入实，转写都市之游：『驱车策驽马，游戏宛与洛』先以『驽马』自嘲，点出寒士身份；继以『洛中何郁郁』领起，铺写冠带相索、长衢夹巷、王侯第宅、两宫双阙，层层渲染洛阳的繁华鼎盛，笔致疏朗而画面壮阔。然此繁盛只是过客眼中之景，愈写热闹愈见内心孤寂，是以乐景写哀情的典范。末二句『极宴娱心意，戚戚何所迫』以反诘作结：既已极尽宴饮之乐，为何心中仍戚戚难安？貌似旷达自解，实则暗示忧愁无法排遣，外畅内悲，余味不尽。全诗由景入理、由理入事、由事入情，章法浑成，是汉代文人五言诗炉火纯青的成熟之作。

Allusions

The metaphor 'traveler far' for life's fleeting nature appears in Han folk songs and letters, deriving from the idea that life is but a journey. 'Cup of wine' continues the banquet tradition from the Book of Songs and Han yuefu. 'Wan' (Nanyang) and 'Luo' (Luoyang) were the two capitals of the Eastern Han. 'Officials' (guan dai) are the elite, 'two palaces' refer to the Southern and Northern Palaces, and 'twin towers' are the palace gates. The poem uses no obscure allusions, drawing on daily imagery and contemporary geography, simple yet evocative, and the 'traveler' trope prefigures the philosophical detachment of the Wei-Jin period.

此诗用典不多而深得汉乐府与古诗传统之神。『人生天地间，忽如远行客』化用当时流行的『人生如寄』之喻：远行客者，暂居即去之过客也，以之喻人生在世之短暂、无根，此喻在汉乐府与苏李诗中屡见，至曹植『人生如寄，多忧何为』、陶渊明『人生如寄』而益彰，实开魏晋旷达之先声。『斗酒相娱乐』承《诗经》宴饮与汉乐府饮酒之传统，斗酒谓少量之酒，『聊厚不为薄』言虽非丰盛而自我宽慰，正是寒士宴乐的典型情态。『宛与洛』为汉代地理故实：宛为南阳郡治，东汉光武帝龙兴之地，号南都；洛为洛阳，东汉京师，二地并举，写游子所至之繁华都会。『冠带』指服冠束带的士大夫，『自相索』写权贵彼此邀结、门第相尚。『两宫』『双阙』则暗合东汉洛阳宫阙之制：南宫、北宫夹道相望，宫门双阙高耸，气象庄严。全诗无深僻典故，多取日常物象与汉代地理，朴茂自然，而以『客』之喻贯穿，寄慨遥深。

Commentary

Liu Xie in The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons says: 'The ancient poems are beautiful; some are attributed to Mei Sheng… Their style is straightforward but not crude.' Zhong Rong in The Poetic Grading lists them as top grade, saying: 'The language is warm and elegant, the meaning sad and profound, heart-stirring, almost worth a thousand gold per character.' Modern scholars see the last two lines as reflecting the typical mentality of late Han literati: using feasting to dispel anxiety.

《古诗十九首》在中国诗歌史上的地位极高，刘勰《文心雕龙·明诗》评曰：『观其结体散文，直而不野，婉转附物，怊怅切情，实五言之冠冕也。』钟嵘《诗品》列古诗于上品，称其『文温以丽，意悲而远，惊心动魄，可谓几乎一字千金』。本篇作为《十九首》中较早的一首，历代评家多着眼其旷达中的悲慨：清人张庚《古诗十九首解》谓『极宴娱心意，戚戚何所迫』『正见其心之不能一日安于宴乐也』，可谓一语中的。诗人表面劝人纵乐自遣，实则写尽汉末文人在政治高压与生命无常双重压迫下的惶惑：繁华愈盛，愈衬出个体的渺小与虚无；『戚戚何所迫』一问，问不出答案，只留下满纸苍凉。这种以乐写哀、以达语写悲情的写法，直接启发了后世『人生得意须尽欢』式的自我麻醉与『及时行乐』的思潮，亦为建安诗歌慷慨悲凉之风的先声。今人读此诗，犹能于千载之下感受到东汉末年那批无名士人灵魂深处的震颤。

Prosody

Form Han Dynasty · Nineteen Old Poems (five-character ancient verse)五言古诗（《古诗十九首》·汉）

Rhyme shi, ke, bo, luo, suo, zhai, chi, po (ancient rhyme shifting, not strict)全诗一韵到底，韵脚为石、客、薄、洛、索、宅、尺、迫，皆属上古入声铎部，音短促而沉实，一韵贯注全篇，声情与苍凉之意相合。

Tone pattern Unknown (Han five-character ancient verse, no tonal patterns)五言古体不讲近体平仄，以句内自然音节与偶句押韵构成声律，两句一联、四句一转意，节奏舒缓而气脉连贯。

Reading note Five-character main, from scene to reason, from void to reality, outward cheerful inward sad此诗为汉代五言古诗，属《古诗十九首》体。五言句式上二下三或上四下一，音节以两字一顿为主，较四言多出一字，容量更大而节奏更趋流走，是文人五言诗成熟的标志。全诗十六句，一韵到底，皆押上古入声铎部韵（石、客、薄、洛、索、宅、尺、迫），入声字短促急收，读来铿锵沉实，与诗中所写人生的沉重、生命的短促声情相谐；一韵到底而不转，正见诗人愁思之郁结难舒，气脉贯注而回环往复。章法上两句一联，前四句起兴发论，中八句铺写都市，后四句收束抒情，由虚入实、由外入内，层次分明。句法上多用叠字（青青、磊磊、郁郁、戚戚），复沓回环，增其缠绵；间用反诘（戚戚何所迫）以声问收尾，余韵悠长。整体音节古朴质直，不事雕琢，正合钟嵘『文温以丽，意悲而远』之评，是汉古诗声情合一的典范。

Line by line

青青陵上柏，磊磊涧中石。

Green, green, the cypresses on the tombs; rough, rough, the stones in the ravine.

陵墓上的柏树青翠葱茏，山涧中的石头磊磊堆积。

Green are the cypresses on the tombs; jumbled are the stones in the ravine.

起句以兴发端，写陵上柏之青青、涧中石之磊磊，皆取恒久不变之物象：柏树历寒不凋，涧石经水不移，二者以其『恒』反衬下句人生之『变』，为全诗立骨。『青青』写柏之色，叠字见其葱翠润泽；『磊磊』写石之形，叠字状其层累堆积、坚不可摧。两句对举工整，一上一下、一绿一褐，色彩与姿态俱明。诗人不写亭台楼阁而独取陵柏涧石，正因汉末人生短促之叹常与坟墓、丘墟意象相连，柏与石遂成为死亡与永恒的象征。此兴既出，则『人生天地间，忽如远行客』的感慨便如水到渠成：以不朽之物照见有涯之生，起兴之妙，在于不言悲而悲意自深。

The opening images. Green are the cypresses on the tombs; jumbled are the stones in the ravine. The two enduring things (evergreen cypresses, water-worn stones) are the standard against which human life will be measured. The tomb setting already names mortality. To have described trees and stones would be scenery; the cypresses on the tombs and the stones in the ravine are the scenery.

人生天地间，忽如远行客。

Man between heaven and earth is, in a flash, like a traveler on a long road.

人生存于天地之间，转眼之间就像那远行的过客。

Man's life between heaven and earth passes, in a flash, like a traveler on a far road.

此为全诗主旨句，亦是千古名句。『忽如』二字是全句之眼：『忽』状其倏忽、仓促，人生百年在天地之间不过一瞬；『如』则点明比喻关系，将抽象的生命感凝为可感的形象——远行的客人，来也匆匆，去也匆匆，天地不过是其暂寓的逆旅。汉人常用『客』喻人生，此处独加『远行』二字，更添漂泊无根、归途渺茫之感：客尚知有家可归，而人生之客归向何处？诗人未答，只留下怅惘。这句与起兴的柏石相对照，以须臾对永恒，以流动对静止，哲理之深已近于『哀吾生之须臾，羡长江之无穷』，而用语更古朴质直。它不假雕饰而直击人心，道出了乱世中人共有的生命焦虑，遂成后世叹逝诗反复回响的主旋律。

The famous line. Man's life between heaven and earth passes, in a flash, like a traveler on a far road. The suddenness and the traveler are the poem's whole meaning: we are passing guests, with no home to return to. To have said life is short would be a saying; the flash-like traveler on the far road is the saying.

驱车策驽马，游戏宛与洛。

I drive my cart and urge my sorry horse, making sport in Wan and Luo.

赶着车子，鞭策着劣马，到宛城与洛阳去游玩嬉戏。

I drive my cart, urging a sorry nag, and make merry in Wan and Luoyang.

此句由虚入实，从哲理感慨转入具体行事，章法上是一大转折。『驱车策驽马』五字写尽寒士之窘迫：驽马者，劣马也，本不堪远行，却偏要策之游于京都，可见诗人既无良马亦无骏乘，物质之窘与心气之傲同寓其中，自嘲中带着倔强。『游戏』二字看似轻松，实含深意：本为遣忧而游，却以游戏名之，正见其不敢认真、也无从认真的无奈。宛与洛为东汉两大都会，一为南都，一为京师，诗人不写仕进干谒，而写游戏其间，暗示其与功名富贵已隔一层，只是冷眼旁观繁华。此句承上启下：因人生如寄，故及时行乐；而行乐之具不过驽马斗酒，乐之有限更衬出忧之无穷，为下文洛阳繁华与结尾戚戚蓄势。

The action. I drive my cart, urging a sorry nag, and make merry in Wan and Luoyang. The sorry horse is the scholar's poverty; the make-merry in the two capitals is the mock-joy against the melancholy. To have said I went to the capitals to amuse myself would be a trip; the cart and the sorry nag and the make-merry in Wan and Luo are the trip.

极宴娱心意，戚戚何所迫？

Feasting to the utmost to please my heart—what is it, then, that presses me so?

尽情宴饮以愉悦心意，心中戚戚不安，又有什么逼迫着我呢？

Feasting to the full to cheer my heart—what is it, then, that weighs on me so?

结句以反诘收束，貌似达观自解，实为悲情最深处。『极宴娱心意』写极尽宴饮之乐以求排遣，『戚戚』则写忧惧之态，二者在同一句中正面冲突：乐既已极，忧何由生？『何所迫』一问，问天问地问自己，却无人能答。诗人自然知道逼迫自己的是什么——是生命的短促，是功名的无望，是乱世的飘摇，是繁华过后的空虚——只是不肯说破，也不忍说破，故以反诘之辞自宽自解。这种以乐语写哀情、以旷语写郁结的笔法，正是《十九首》『深衷浅貌，语短情长』的典型体现。全诗至此戛然而止，而余悲袅袅，千载之下犹能感到诗人强颜欢笑背后的泪痕，与『生年不满百，常怀千岁忧』的沉痛异曲同工。

The question. Feasting to the full to cheer my heart—what is it, then, that weighs on me so? The poem's gaiety is exposed as a mask: even the utmost feasting cannot answer the unnamed pressure. To have asked why I was still sad would be a question; the utmost feasting against the unnamed pressure is the question.

Study

Word focus

忽如 Suddenly like: emphasizes the fleeting nature of life, intensifying the sense of life as a temporary sojourn. 『人生天地间，忽如远行客』之『忽如』，是全诗由永恒转入须臾的关键词，亦为点睛之笔。『忽』字状时间之倏忽，人尚不觉其始，而已行至中途；『如』字将人生与远客勾连，使抽象的生命短促之感化为具体可感的形象。二字连用，既写出生命在天地间如白驹过隙的仓促，又暗示人生漂泊无定、无根无系的悲凉。若易为『犹如』『恰如』，则只言相似而少动态；『忽如』之妙，在以一种猝不及防的态势直逼眼前，仿佛人生之短促不是慢慢体悟，而是一下子惊觉。此二字朴拙无华，却力重千钧，道出汉末士人共通的生存焦虑，后世『人生忽如寄』诸句皆从此出，其表现力与感染力历千年而不减。

磊磊 Piled up (of stones): paired with 'green green' to depict the solidity and permanence of the stones. 『磊磊涧中石』之『磊磊』，叠字状涧石层累堆积之貌，与上句『青青』对举，是起兴句的基石之一。『磊磊』言其多而坚：涧中石块大小错落、层层相叠，经水流千载冲刷而屹然不动，正与陵上柏树之长青相映，共同构成永恒之象。用叠字写石，声情亦妙：『磊磊』二字重读，音节短促有力，仿佛能听见石块相击的铮铮之声，与『青青』之绵长舒缓形成节奏上的对比。这一对起兴意象并非闲笔，诗人着意以石之坚、柏之青反衬人生之脆、之暂：石恒在而人易朽，柏常青而人速老。后文『人生天地间，忽如远行客』的喟叹，正是在这永恒物象的映照下才格外惊心动魄。故『磊磊』二字虽只写景，实为全诗哲理张本，不可轻轻放过。

戚戚 Worried, sorrowful: in the rhetorical question 'what oppresses?', outward detachment but inner grief. 『戚戚何所迫』之『戚戚』，叠字写忧惧不安之貌，是全诗情感的结穴处。『戚戚』本形容心绪忧伤、蹙迫不安，《论语》有『君子坦荡荡，小人长戚戚』，此诗却反其意而用之：君子亦不免戚戚，正见其忧之深、之广、之无端。此字与上文『极宴娱心意』的欢乐形成剧烈反差：宴饮之乐不过一时，戚戚之忧如影随形，乐极而忧愈显，忧深而乐愈幻。『何所迫』以反诘紧承，言外之意是：并无外力相逼，是我自己放不下这生命之短、世路之艰——如此更见悲哀之无可逃避，连怪罪的对象都没有。二字以叠音出之，读来如闻叹息之声，缠绵低回；它与『郁郁』（洛阳繁盛）遥相呼应，一写外景之盛，一写内心之忧，内外对照，将汉末文人强作旷达而实难自遣的复杂心态写得入木三分。