All poems

汉 Han · 乐府 Yuefu ballad

巫山高

Mount Wu Is High

汉乐府

Han Yuefu

思乡Homesickness 羁旅Theme

巫山高，高以大。
淮水深，难以逝。
我欲东归，害粱不为？
我集无笠，水何梁汤汤回回。
临水远望，泣下沾衣。
远道之人心思归，谓之何！

Mount Wu is high, high and great. The Huai runs deep, hard to cross.
I would go east home—why is there no bridge?
I stop with no hat; the waters how they surge and swirl!
By the water I gaze far, tears falling and wetting my robe.
The far-wanderer's heart longs for home—what is to be done!

Listen

Meaning

The sixteenth of the 'Eighteen Songs of the War Drums' (nao ge), martial music of the Han. This piece alone writes mountain-and-river separation and a traveler's homesick return—likely a southwestern folk god-and-love song later taken into the yuefu. 'Longs for home' is plain to see.

巫山高高，高而且大。淮水深深，难以涉渡。我想要向东归家，却因风浪阻隔不能成行。我停下脚步没有遮蔽，水势汤汤回旋难渡。临水远望，泪下沾湿了衣裳。远行在外的游子思念归乡，又能拿它怎么办呢！

Appreciation

The poem opens with two three-character couplets 'Mount Wu is high, high and great. The Huai runs deep, hard to cross,' using the images of high mountain and deep water to symbolize the cut-off road home; 'surge and swirl' doubles the water's turning, the sound and feeling rocking. The form is built on four-character lines, with loose lines like 'why is there no bridge' and 'I stop with no hat' inserted, plain as speech. It closes with 'what is to be done' as a question without answer, endless melancholy—most of the 'grieved yet not wounded' grace.

【白话串讲】 “巫山高，高以大。淮水深，难以逝”——巫山太高，淮水太深，我回不了家。一个远方的游子，临水远望，“泣下沾衣”。回家的路，为什么这么难。【意象与手法】诗以「巫山高，高以大。淮水深，难以逝」两组三字对起，以山高水深的物象象征归路之绝；「汤汤回回」叠字拟水势回旋，声情摇荡。句式以四言为骨，间入「害粱不为」「我集无笠」等散句，质直如口语。结以「谓之何」设问而不答，怅惘无尽，最得「哀而不伤」之致。【情感与主旨】《巫山高》为汉乐府「铙歌十八曲」第十六曲。铙歌本军乐，多叙战阵，此篇独写山川阻隔与行役思归，当是西南民间祀神恋歌被采入乐府后流变而成。巫山在巴蜀、淮水在中原，地望悬隔，或反映荆扬人民被征徭、远役不归之苦。其本事已难确考，然「思归」主题一望可知。【名句点睛】中考或取「巫山高，高以大。淮水深，难以逝」考查起兴与象征手法，或以「临水远望，泣下沾衣」分析细节描写的感染力，或以「谓之何」的设问考察情感表达。

Background

'Mount Wu Is High' is the sixteenth of the 'Eighteen Songs of the War Drums.' The war-drum songs were martial music, mostly of battle arrays; this piece alone writes mountain-and-river separation and a traveler's homesick return—likely a southwestern folk god-and-love song later taken into the yuefu and changed. Mount Wu is in Ba-Shu, the Huai in the central plain; the far apart places may reflect the suffering of Jing-Yang people conscripted and gone far, never returning. The exact story is lost, yet the 'longing to return' theme is plain.

《巫山高》为汉乐府「铙歌十八曲」第十六曲，属《鼓吹曲辞》，载于郭茂倩《乐府诗集》卷十六。《铙歌》为汉代军乐，本以铙、鼓等乐器演奏，多叙战阵、郊祀之事，然其中部分篇章亦写男女之情与行旅之思，此篇即是。关于此诗的题旨，历来解说纷纭：《乐府解题》谓「言江淮水深，无梁可度，临水远望，思归而已」，主「思归」说；又有人说它是西南民间祀神恋歌，被采入乐府后流变而成。诗中「巫山高，高以大。淮水深，难以逝」分咏巫山、淮水，巫山在巴蜀之地（今重庆巫山县），淮水源出河南、流经安徽入海，地望悬隔，正见行旅之人的辗转漂泊。或谓此诗反映汉世荆扬一带人民被征徭役、远戍不归之苦——汉初高祖、武帝连年用兵，南方百姓远役北方，山川阻隔，思归不得，此诗正是这一社会现实的写照。其本事虽已难确考，然「远道之人心思归」的羁旅思乡主题，一望可知，是汉代乐府中较早抒写羁旅之思的作品。

Art

The poem opens with two three-character couplets, using high mountain and deep water to symbolize the cut-off road home; 'surge and swirl' doubles the water's turning, sound and feeling rocking. The form is built on four-character lines with loose lines inserted, plain as speech. It closes with 'what is to be done' as a question without answer, endless melancholy—most of the 'grieved yet not wounded' grace.

此诗艺术上以「短章写长愁」为特色，古朴质直而情深意远。诗以「巫山高，高以大。淮水深，难以逝」两组三字对起：巫山之高、淮水之深，皆以夸张之笔写其险阻，以山高水深的物象象征归路之绝——山不能逾、水不能渡，思归而不得归，起笔即定下苍茫的基调。「我欲东归，害粱不为」「我集无笠，水何梁汤汤回回」以质直如口语的散句写归途的阻隔：欲归而无桥，停步而无蔽，唯见水势汤汤回旋，无可奈何。「临水远望，泣下沾衣」是全诗情感的高潮，以「远望」的动作与「泣下沾衣」的细节，将思归的悲愁写得具体可感——望而不见故乡，唯有泪下沾衣。「远道之人心思归，谓之何」以设问收束，不答而答，怅惘无尽。全诗以四言为骨，间以散句，句式错落，质直古朴，最得汉乐府「缘事而发」的质朴本色与「哀而不伤」的含蓄之致。且全诗由「巫山高」「淮水深」的物象之阻，写到「我欲东归」的心志之切，再落到「泣下沾衣」的泪痕之悲，层层递进，以最简短的篇幅写出最深厚的情感，正是汉乐府「感于哀乐，缘事而发」的典范。

Allusions

In 'why is there no bridge,' 'hai' is a loan for 'he' (why), 'liang' means bridge; 'I stop with no hat,' 'ji' means stop. These are remnants of old dialect, not later allusions. The whole uses no historical-class allusions, but raises imagery from mountains, rivers, and weather, keeping the war-drum song's original 'sound follows the lasting, law follows the tone' character.

此诗用典甚少，多以古语方言与起兴传情，正见汉乐府的本色。「巫山」自战国以来即为文学中神女、高唐之地：宋玉《高唐赋》写楚襄王游高唐，梦与巫山神女相会，「旦为朝云，暮为行雨」，巫山遂与云雨、相思相连；此诗以巫山起兴，或即承此传统，暗含巫山云雨、情思阻隔之意。「淮水」为四渎之一，古称淮河，此处以水深难渡写归路之绝，是实写亦是象征。「害粱不为」之「害」通「曷」（何），「粱」指桥梁，「害粱不为」即「何桥不成」，为古语方言的遗留，质直有古趣；「我集无笠」之「集」训止、停，「笠」为遮雨之具，「无笠」写行役之人连斗笠都无的困顿。「汤汤回回」为叠字拟水势，「汤汤」状水之浩荡，「回回」状水之回旋。全篇不用史事类典故，而以山川物候起兴、以古语方言写实，保持了铙歌「声依永、律和声」的歌辞原貌，质朴动人。又「我集无笠」之「集」，《说文》训「群鸟在木上也」，引申为栖止、停留，以鸟栖之语写人行役之困，质朴之中别有意趣，可见汉乐府以平常语写深沉意的语言功力，亦为古汉语训诂学保留了珍贵的语料。

Commentary

The 'Yue Fu Collection' vol. 16 records this with the note: 'Mount Wu is high… says the Jiang-Huai runs deep, no bridge to cross, gazing far by the water, only longing to return.' Shen Deqian's 'Source of Old Poems' values Han yuefu's 'plain lushness'; this short piece writes the whole sorrow of service in a small space, long praised by critics.

此诗为汉乐府铙歌中的名篇，历代多有评论。《乐府诗集》卷十六录此篇并引《乐府解题》：「《巫山高》者，言江淮水深，无梁可度，临水远望，思归而已。」清代沈德潜《古诗源》选录汉乐府，重其「朴茂」之气，此诗以简短篇幅写尽行役之悲，向为论者所称。从文学史角度看，此诗的意义有三：其一，它是现存最早的以「巫山」为题的诗作之一，开后世「巫山」意象（相思、神女、行旅）之先河；其二，它是最早的羁旅思乡诗之一，「临水远望，泣下沾衣」的写法，直接启发了后世「望乡」诗的传统；其三，它以铙歌军乐之体写柔情之思，题材上的错位反见其真。后世王维《送别》「山中相送罢」、李白《静夜思》「举头望明月，低头思故乡」等思乡诗，皆承此「临水远望」的思归母题而来。此诗虽仅数十字，而气象苍茫、情致深婉，为汉代乐府中羁旅思归之作的典范。且此诗以军乐铙歌之体写思归柔情，正见汉代乐府采诗观风、不拘一格的传统，其价值正在于这种体制与内容的张力。

Prosody

Form Han yuefu · Eighteen War-Drum Songs (mixed lines)汉乐府·铙歌十八曲（杂言）

Rhyme Yi, shi, wei, hui, yi, he; yu, wei groups mixed; war-drum rhyme as music dictates以、逝、为、回、衣、何（鱼部、微部等交押），铙歌随乐不拘

Tone pattern Mostly four-character with loose lines; no strict level-oblique四言为主间以散句，不依严整平仄

Reading note Short yet vast in mood; the ancestor of later homesick-travel poems此诗为汉乐府「铙歌十八曲」之一，属杂言体，以四言为骨，间以「我欲东归，害粱不为」「我集无笠，水何梁汤汤回回」等散句，句式错落有致，正合铙歌「声依永、律和声」的歌辞特点。全诗押韵较为自由，「以」「逝」「为」「回」「衣」「何」等字，分属鱼部、微部等韵部交押，随乐而不拘，正见铙歌作为军乐歌辞与乐相配的特点。铙歌本为军乐，多写战阵之盛，此篇独以四言散句写羁旅思归之思，内容与军乐之体形成错位，反见其质朴真率。全诗不依近体平仄，以古朴的节奏写苍茫的情思，短章而气象苍茫，音节长短相间，读来如闻水声、如见远望之人，为汉代乐府中「以质写悲」的典范，也是后世羁旅思归诗之祖。

Line by line

巫山高，高以大。淮水深，难以逝。

The Wu Mountains are high, high and vast. The Huai River is deep; it is hard to cross.

巫山高高，高而且大。淮水深深，难以涉渡。

The Wu Mountains are high, high and massive. The Huai River is deep, and hard to cross.

「巫山高，高以大。淮水深，难以逝」为全诗起笔，两组三字对起，定下苍茫的基调。「巫山高，高以大」写山：「高」字直起，继以「高以大」补充——不仅高，而且大，山势的巍峨连绵写尽，令人望而生畏；「淮水深，难以逝」写水：「深」字直下，继以「难以逝」点破——水太深，难以渡过。「逝」训往、渡，「难以逝」即难以渡过，正是「临水远望」而不得渡的根源。两句一写山、一写水，一高深、一阻绝，以山高水深的物象象征归路之绝——山不可逾、水不可渡，家在何方？思归之念与归路之绝的冲突，起笔即已确立。此起兴兼用象征，古朴雄浑，是汉乐府「缘事而发、起兴抒情」的典型笔法。

The barriers. The Wu Mountains are high, high and vast; the Huai River is deep, and hard to cross. The mountain and river are the doubled barrier: the way home is blocked both above and below. To have described high mountains and a deep river would be scenery; the high and vast Wu Mountains and the deep Huai that cannot be crossed are the scenery.

我欲东归，害粱不为？

I want to go home eastward—why is there no bridge?

我想要向东归家，却因风浪阻隔不能成行。

I want to return eastward—why is there no bridge to cross on?

「我欲东归，害粱不为」为全诗第二层，由写景转入抒情，直写思归之心。「我欲东归」四字直截了当——我想向东归家，一个「欲」字写出归心之切，一个「东」字点明故乡在东方（行役之人身处西陲，故乡在东）；「害粱不为」写归而不得——「害」通「曷」（何），「粱」指桥梁，「害粱不为」即「何桥不成」，为什么没有桥可以渡水？此句以反问写无奈：不是不想归，是桥不成、水难渡，归路被山川阻绝。两句一问一叹，将思归的迫切与归路的阻绝并置，矛盾之中见悲哀。此句以质直如口语的散句写实，句式上打破前两句的整齐，正合情感的激荡，是汉乐府「以文写质、不事雕琢」的本色。

The desire. I want to go home eastward—why is there no bridge? The eastward home (the traveler is far to the west) and the missing bridge are the blocked route. The question is the lament. To have said he wanted to go home but could not cross would be a statement; the wanting eastward-return and the why-no-bridge question are the statement.

临水远望，泣下沾衣。

By the waterside I gaze far; my tears fall and wet my robe.

临水远望，泪下沾湿了衣裳。

Standing by the water, I gaze into the distance; my tears fall and wet my clothes.

「临水远望，泣下沾衣」为全诗情感的高潮，八字写尽思归之悲。「临水」点明立足之处——面对滔滔淮水，归路被阻；「远望」写眺望之态——望着水的尽头，望着故乡的方向，望而不见；「泣下沾衣」写泪落之状——泪水夺眶而出，沾湿了衣襟。「远望」是动作，「泣下沾衣」是结果，由望到泣，情感层层推进：望是盼，泣是绝望，盼而不得，唯有泪下。「沾衣」二字写泪之多、悲之深——不是潸然泪下，而是沾湿衣襟，可见悲恸之甚。此句以细节写情，不着一个「愁」字、一个「悲」字，而思归的悲愁尽在「远望」「泣下」之间，含蓄而沉痛，是汉乐府以动作细节传情达意的典范，也是「望乡」母题的开山之作。

The weeping. Standing by the water, I gaze into the distance; my tears fall and wet my clothes. The waterside gaze (home lies across the uncrossable river) and the wet robe are the traveler's grief. To have said he wept by the river would be a detail; the waterside far-gaze and the tears wetting the robe are the detail.

远道之人心思归，谓之何！

The far traveler's heart longs for home—what can be done about it?

远行在外的游子思念归乡，又能拿它怎么办呢！

The far traveler's heart thinks of home—what can be done about it!

「远道之人心思归，谓之何」为全诗结句，以设问收束，怅惘无尽。「远道之人」点明主人公身份——远行在外、羁旅天涯的行役之人；「心思归」直写其心——心中思念故乡，归心似箭；「谓之何」以设问作结——又能把它（归思）怎么办呢！此问不答而答：什么也办不了，归不得、回不去，唯有临水兴叹。此设问之妙有三：其一，以问写绝望，「谓之何」三字将无可奈何的心境写尽——明知归不得，偏又思归切，此情此景，能奈之何；其二，以问结情，全诗由巫山淮水起，历「欲东归」「泣下沾衣」，至此以一问收束，情感如流水般奔涌而出又戛然而止，余韵悠长；其三，以问开篇于后世，此「谓之何」的无奈之叹，开后世「奈何」式诗问之先河，为羁旅诗确立了「以问写愁」的抒情范式。

The final question. The far traveler's heart thinks of home—what can be done about it? The question has no answer: the longing and the impossibility are both total. To have said what can be done would be a question; the far traveler's homesickness and the what-can-be-done are the question.

Study

Word focus

汤汤回回 Doubled characters write the Huai's surging, whirling rush; sound and feeling born together, setting off the lost hope of the homeward road. 「水何梁汤汤回回」之「汤汤回回」，为全诗拟水势的叠字，声情相生。「汤汤」状水势浩大，《诗经·卫风·氓》「淇水汤汤」已用之，写水之汹涌澎湃；「回回」状水之回旋，《楚辞》「水回回以漂激」类句写水之盘旋湍急。二字叠用，将淮水的浩荡与回旋写尽：水势汤汤，奔流不息；水波回回，漩涡层叠。此叠字之妙有三：其一，以声写水，叠字音节绵长起伏，读来如闻水声汤汤、如见水波回回，声情相生；其二，以水写愁，水势的浩荡回旋正是行役之人归心受阻、愁绪盘桓的象征——水愈险，归愈难，愁愈深；其三，以叠字写古，叠字为《诗经》以来民歌的惯用手法，汉乐府承之，「汤汤回回」质直古朴，正见乐府民歌的本色。二字写水，实为写愁，是全诗炼字传神的代表。

害 Loan for 'he' (why); 'why is there no bridge' means 'why is there no bridge'—old speech kept, plain yet with ancient charm. 「害粱不为」之「害」字，为古语方言的遗留，质直有古趣。「害」通「曷」，意为「何」，是先秦汉语的疑问代词，《诗经》「害浣害否」（《周南·葛覃》）即用「害」表「何」。此处「害粱不为」即「何桥不成」——为什么没有桥可以渡水？此字之妙有三：其一，存古语之真，汉乐府铙歌多存先秦古语，「害」字的运用正是其「声依永、律和声」古辞原貌的遗留，为古汉语研究保留了珍贵语料；其二，写时代之朴，以「害」字入诗，质直古朴，不事雕琢，正见汉代民歌语言的本色；其三，传情感之切，「害粱不为」以反问写归路之绝——连桥都没有，叫我如何东归？此问之中，思归之切与无奈之深并见。一字之古，恰成此诗「朴茂」风格的点睛之笔，是汉乐府语言魅力的独特体现。

巫山高