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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

绝句漫兴九首·其五

Quatrains, Written at Random, Nine Poems: The Fifth

杜甫

Du Fu

春景Spring Scene 感慨Reflection

肠断春江欲尽头，杖藜徐步立芳洲。
颠狂柳絮随风去，轻薄桃花逐水流。

The spring river breaks my heart - it is nearly at its end;
On staff and sandals of hemp I walk slowly, standing on the fragrant islet.
The willow down goes mad and flies off on the wind;
The empty-thin peach blossoms chase the water.

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Meaning

At the end of spring, standing on a flowery islet by the Chengdu river, Du Fu is overcome by the waste of the season. He walks slowly on a stalk of staff, and watches the willow seed-down driving off on the wind and the peach petals swept away downstream. The madness of the willow and the frivolity of the blossoms are his own temperaments projected onto the spring; by the end the flowers and the poet are being carried off by the same water.

肠断春江欲尽头，杖藜徐步立芳洲。颠狂柳絮随风去，轻薄桃花逐水流。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The spring river is about to finish, and that is why it breaks the poet's heart. He goes out in a walking staff and hemp sandals and stands on the islet, and what follows is the view from that one position.
[Structure] The first couplet is the poet and his posture; the second is what the posture reveals. Nothing in the second couplet could happen without the first.
[Imagery] Two plants are given human dispositions: the willow is mad, the peach frivolous. Neither word is a description of a plant, and that is the source of the poem's odd, unsettled quality.
[Technique] The feeling never announces itself in the second couplet. The reader has to infer the poet's age and his sense of his own lightness from the fact that he stands, idly, watching.

【白话串讲】杜甫写《绝句漫兴九首·其五》：“肠断春江欲尽头，杖藜徐步立芳洲”——“颠狂柳絮随风去，轻薄桃花逐水流”——他叹春江将尽——柳絮颠狂、桃花轻薄——他写春暮。【意象与手法】此诗写春景，以感慨写春景，是杜甫的名篇。前二句写临江：「肠断春江欲尽头，杖藜徐步立芳洲」写肠断春江欲尽头、杖藜徐步立芳洲——写尽临江的愁绪；后二句写观花絮：「颠狂柳絮随风去，轻薄桃花逐水流」写颠狂柳絮随风去、轻薄桃花逐水流——写尽花絮的感慨。全诗以感慨写春景，写尽临江的愁绪与花絮的感慨，是杜甫的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写春景，以感慨写春景，是杜甫的名篇。此诗为《绝句漫兴九首》之五。杜甫寓居成都草堂时，春江欲尽（春色将尽），杖藜（拄藜杖）徐步立芳洲，见柳絮颠狂随风、桃花轻薄逐水，遂生春尽之感。此诗写临江：肠断春江欲尽头，杖藜徐步立芳洲——写肠断春江欲尽头、杖藜徐步立芳洲，写尽临江的愁绪；颠狂柳絮随风去，轻薄桃花逐水流——写颠狂柳絮随风去、轻薄桃花逐水流，写尽花絮的感慨。全诗以感慨写春景——那「肠断春江欲尽头」写尽临江的愁绪，「轻薄桃花逐水流」写尽花絮的感慨，写尽临江的愁绪与花絮的感慨，是理解杜甫漫兴诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「肠断春江欲尽头，杖藜徐步立芳洲」写临江的愁绪；「颠狂柳絮随风去，轻薄桃花逐水流」写花絮的感慨；以及全诗以感慨写春景、以拟人写花絮的手法。

Background

Du Fu settled in Chengdu in 760 and lived for four years in a thatched hut by the river, in what is now Qingyang Gong. The Quatrains Written at Random were composed there in 761, when spring was drawing to a close - a group of impromptu verses in which the poet deliberately lowers his tone, writing about walking, idleness and small sights instead of about the state. He was then in his early fifties and permanently unwell, and this poem reads as the season of his own life being spoken of through the season of the year.

此诗写春景，以感慨写春景，是杜甫的名篇。杜甫（712—770），字子美，号少陵野老，巩县（今河南巩义）人，唐代诗人，与李白并称「李杜」，被尊为「诗圣」，其诗被称为「诗史」。此诗为《绝句漫兴九首》之五。杜甫寓居成都草堂时，春江欲尽（春色将尽），杖藜（拄藜杖）徐步立芳洲，见柳絮颠狂随风、桃花轻薄逐水，遂生春尽之感。此诗写临江：「肠断春江欲尽头，杖藜徐步立芳洲」写肠断春江欲尽头、杖藜徐步立芳洲——写尽临江的愁绪（肠断春江欲尽头，杖藜徐步立芳洲）；「颠狂柳絮随风去，轻薄桃花逐水流」写颠狂柳絮随风去、轻薄桃花逐水流——写尽花絮的感慨（颠狂柳絮随风去，轻薄桃花逐水流）。全诗以感慨写春景，写尽临江的愁绪与花絮的感慨，是理解杜甫漫兴诗的重要篇章。此诗为《绝句漫兴九首》之五。上元二年（761），杜甫居成都草堂，春尽之时作漫兴九首。杜甫一生忧国伤时，此诗写春江欲尽而肠断，又见柳絮桃花飘零逐水，正是以春尽写身世之感。漫兴者，随意遣兴之意，杜甫以此组诗写草堂春日的心境。

Art

The poem opens with a direct declaration - the river 'breaks my heart' - the most unguarded gesture in a poet known for restraint; then it immediately grounds the grief in a physical act, the slow walk on the islet, so that we watch the grief being walked off rather than simply asserted. The second couplet gives each plant a temper: 'mad' for the willow, 'frivolous' for the peach. Because these are words of human conduct, the plants appear to be behaving badly, and the poet appears to be identifying with them - the wild impatience of youth and the empty uselessness of late middle age, one and the same. The closing couplet also arranges a hidden echo: willow down and peach petals are both light enough to be carried, and what carries them is wind and water, which will not stop until both are gone.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以直抒写愁绪。「肠断春江欲尽头」以直抒写愁绪——那「肠断」写尽春江的肠断，以直抒写尽临江的愁绪。其二，以白描写行止。「杖藜徐步立芳洲」以白描写行止——那「徐步」「立芳洲」写尽徐步的立洲，以白描写尽临江的愁绪。其三，以拟人写柳絮。「颠狂柳絮随风去」以拟人写柳絮——那「颠狂」写尽柳絮的拟人，以拟人写尽柳絮的感慨。其四，以拟人写桃花。「轻薄桃花逐水流」以拟人写桃花——那「轻薄」写尽桃花的拟人，以拟人写尽桃花的感慨。此外，此诗前二句写临江的愁绪，后二句写花絮的感慨，由愁及慨，正是漫兴诗「以景写慨」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以感慨写春景，写尽临江的愁绪与花絮的感慨，是杜甫的代表作。此诗还善于以「肠断春江欲尽头」的「肠断」直起写春尽之痛——那「肠断」写尽春江将尽的断肠，正是春尽而肠断的写照，以直抒写尽临江的愁绪。又善以「杖藜徐步立芳洲」的静态写独临江洲的孤寂——徐步立洲，正见独步芳洲的寂寥，以静态写尽临江的愁绪。

Allusions

'Fragrant islet' comes from the Chu lyrics, where the singer gathers the sweet-smelling herb on a fragrant islet to offer it. The willow down recalls the famous comparison of a sister's wit to willow catkins thrown up by the wind. The peach and running water carry the whole tradition of the peach blossom stream, in which flowers fall all day into the water, a figure that in the Tang is pointed in two opposite directions: the Peach Blossom Stream's search for a hidden realm, and here the plain observation that the blossoms simply follow the current. The word for the water's passing also brings the Confucian remark about the river flowing on night and day.

此诗的用语深植于春景与感慨传统。「肠断」令人想到「肠断」写断肠的意象——也令人想到「肠断白蘋洲」（温庭筠）的意象；「春江」令人想到「春江」写春江的意象——也令人想到「春江花月夜」的意象；「杖藜」令人想到「杖藜」写拄杖的意象——也令人想到「杖藜扶我过桥东」（志南）的意象；「芳洲」令人想到「芳洲」写芳洲的意象——也令人想到《楚辞·九歌》「采芳洲兮杜若」的意象；「柳絮」令人想到「柳絮」写柳絮的意象——也令人想到「未若柳絮因风起」（谢道韫）的意象；「逐水流」令人想到「逐水流」写逐流的意象——也令人想到「桃花尽日随流水」（张旭）的意象。全诗化用肠断、春江、杖藜、芳洲、柳絮、逐水流的意象，以感慨写春景，正是杜甫「沉郁」而善写实、承漫兴传统写感慨之本领。「芳洲」典出《楚辞·九歌·湘君》「采芳洲兮杜若，将以遗兮下女」——芳洲为水边芳草之洲，也令人想到「芳洲拾翠暮忘归」（张先）的意象；「逐水流」令人想到「桃花尽日随流水」的意象——也令人想到《论语》「逝者如斯夫，不舍昼夜」的水逝之意。

Commentary

Considered one of the best of the Quatrains Written at Random and the standard Tang treatment of willow down and peach blossoms at the end of spring. Qing readers found it depressed yet softened; modern readers quote the second couplet as an example of personification used for self-indictment rather than for decoration. It is often run beside Du Fu's own Seven of the Quatrains on a Solitary Walk by the River, where the same season is met with anticipation rather than with loss, and against Zhang Xu's Peach Blossom Stream, where falling blossoms lead somewhere.

此诗历来被推为杜甫《绝句漫兴》的名篇，也是唐诗写柳絮桃花与春尽感慨的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以感慨写春景，沉郁宛转」；近人更指出「颠狂柳絮随风去，轻薄桃花逐水流」写花絮的感慨，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以四句的绝句写尽临江的愁绪与花絮的感慨——那肠断，那春江，那欲尽头，那杖藜，那徐步，那立芳洲，那颠狂，那柳絮，那随风去，那轻薄，那桃花，那逐水流，都写尽了杜甫笔下的漫兴其五；那「轻薄桃花逐水流」更以拟人写尽桃花的感慨。此诗与杜甫《江畔独步寻花·其七》（「不是爱花即欲死」）同为写春名篇，一写「嫩叶商量细细开」的期盼（寻花其七），一写「轻薄桃花逐水流」的感慨（漫兴其五）；又与张旭《桃花溪》「桃花尽日随流水」的桃花意象一脉相承，可见唐诗写春尽感慨的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解杜甫漫兴诗的窗口，也是唐诗写柳絮桃花的经典——那逐水流的桃花，穿越千年，仍在诉说着春尽的感慨。

Prosody

Form Poetry - seven-character quatrain (qi-yan jue-ju)诗·七言绝句

Rhyme Level-tone rhyme on the You group - tou (end), zhou (islet), liu (flow) - rhyming on lines two and four throughout.七绝，押「头」「洲」「流」韵（下平十一尤），一韵到底，音节沉郁

Tone pattern The level rhymes held to the final line give a sustained, unhurried cadence, which suits a poet standing still while the season leaves.此诗为七言绝句，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节沉郁，正合感慨的沉郁。

Reading note Twenty-eight characters in the standard quatrain form. The rhyme words are 'end', 'islet' and 'flow', so the poem rhymes on things that run out. The couplet is the formal centre: two parallel clauses of seven characters each, one on the river, one on the islet. Read the first line sharply, so that the grief is not softened, and the last line slowly, letting 'flow' carry the whole poem away.此诗为七言绝句，四句——「肠断春江欲尽头，杖藜徐步立芳洲。颠狂柳絮随风去，轻薄桃花逐水流」，押「尤」韵（头、洲、流），一韵到底，音节沉郁。全诗以感慨写春景：前二句写临江的愁绪（肠断春江欲尽头、杖藜徐步立芳洲），后二句写花絮的感慨（颠狂柳絮随风去、轻薄桃花逐水流）。四句短章，前写临江，后写感慨，以「轻薄桃花逐水流」写尽花絮的感慨，正见杜甫「沉郁」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以沉郁的语调读「肠断春江欲尽头」的愁绪，以宛转的语调读「轻薄桃花逐水流」的感慨，结句要读得沉郁而有余韵，方能传达出杜甫的沉郁宛转。杜甫绝句以「沉郁」著称，此诗正是其漫兴诗的典范。

Line by line

颠狂柳絮随风去，轻薄桃花逐水流

The willow down goes mad and flies off on the wind; the empty-thin peach blossoms chase the water.

颠狂柳絮随风去，轻薄桃花逐水流。

Mad, the willow catkins go with the wind; frivolous, the peach blossoms drift with the stream.

此二句是全诗写感慨的核心，以颠狂柳絮随风去写随风去，以轻薄桃花逐水流写逐水流，写尽花絮的感慨，是千古名句。「颠狂柳絮随风去」写颠狂柳絮随风去——那「颠狂柳絮」写颠狂柳絮，「随风去」写随风去，写尽柳絮的随风；「轻薄桃花逐水流」写轻薄桃花逐水流——那「轻薄桃花」写轻薄桃花，「逐水流」写逐水流，写尽桃花的逐流。这句的深意在于：它以「颠狂柳絮随风去」的随风与「轻薄桃花逐水流」的逐流，写尽花絮的感慨——颠狂柳絮随风去，那「颠狂柳絮随风去」写尽柳絮的随风——颠狂柳絮，正是柳絮纷飞的写照，那「随风去」写尽柳絮的颠狂；轻薄桃花逐水流，那「轻薄桃花逐水流」写尽桃花的逐流——轻薄桃花，正是桃花飘落的写照，那「逐水流」写尽桃花的轻薄；那「颠狂柳絮随风去」写尽柳絮的随风，那「轻薄桃花逐水流」写尽桃花的逐流，一写柳絮，一写桃花，写尽花絮的感慨——柳絮随风而桃花逐水，正是春尽飘零的写照；此二句以柳絮、桃花写尽花絮的感慨，也让此二句成为全诗写感慨的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「柳絮和桃花都飘走了」，则失其拟人；唯以「颠狂柳絮随风去」写随风去、「轻薄桃花逐水流」写逐水流，写尽花絮的感慨，也让此二句成为全诗写感慨的核心。

The blossoms. Mad, the willow catkins go with the wind; frivolous, the peach blossoms drift with the stream. The mad catkins and frivolous peach blossoms are Du Fu's scorn for the fickle. To have described the blowing blossoms would be scenery; the mad-willow-catkins-going-with-the-wind against the frivolous-peach-blossoms-drifting-with-the-stream is the scenery.

肠断春江欲尽头，杖藜徐步立芳洲

The spring river breaks my heart - it is nearly at its end; on staff and sandals of hemp I walk slowly, standing on the fragrant islet.

肠断春江欲尽头，杖藜徐步立芳洲。

Heartbroken, at the spring river's verge; leaning on my staff, I walk slowly and stand on the fragrant islet.

此二句是全诗写愁绪的核心，以肠断春江欲尽头写欲尽头，以杖藜徐步立芳洲写立芳洲，写尽临江的愁绪，是千古名句。「肠断春江欲尽头」写肠断春江欲尽头——那「肠断春江」写肠断春江，「欲尽头」写欲尽头，写尽春江的肠断；「杖藜徐步立芳洲」写杖藜徐步立芳洲——那「杖藜徐步」写杖藜徐步，「立芳洲」写立芳洲，写尽徐步的立洲。这句的深意在于：它以「肠断春江欲尽头」的欲尽头与「杖藜徐步立芳洲」的立芳洲，写尽临江的愁绪——肠断春江欲尽头，那「肠断春江欲尽头」写尽春江的肠断——肠断春江，正是春尽而肠断的写照，那「欲尽头」写尽临江的愁绪；杖藜徐步立芳洲，那「杖藜徐步立芳洲」写尽徐步的立洲——杖藜徐步，正是扶杖缓行的写照，那「立芳洲」写尽临江的愁绪；那「肠断春江欲尽头」写尽春江的肠断，那「杖藜徐步立芳洲」写尽徐步的立洲，一写肠断，一写徐步，写尽临江的愁绪——肠断春江而徐步芳洲，正是独临春江的写照；此二句以春江、芳洲写尽临江的愁绪，也为下文的柳絮作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写愁绪的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「春天要过去了，我拄着拐杖站在江边很伤感」，则失其意象；唯以「肠断春江欲尽头」写欲尽头、「杖藜徐步立芳洲」写立芳洲，写尽临江的愁绪，也让此二句成为全诗写愁绪的核心。

The islet. Heartbroken, at the spring river's verge; leaning on my staff, I walk slowly and stand on the fragrant islet. The heartbroken river's end and the slow walking on the staff are the old man's grief. To have described the old man by the river would be a scene; the heartbroken-at-the-spring-river's-verge against the staff-slow-walking-standing-on-the-fragrant-islet is the scene.

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颠狂 'Mad, unruly' - dian kuang; here transferred from human conduct to the willow seed-down, which behaves as if it cannot be still. 「颠狂柳絮随风去」之「颠狂」是写柳絮的关键词，一个「颠狂」写尽柳絮的拟人。颠狂者，颠沛狂放、飞舞不定也。杜甫以「颠狂柳絮随风去」写柳絮，这个「颠狂」至少有双重意味：其一，写絮之颠狂——那「颠狂柳絮随风去」写颠狂柳絮随风去，那「颠狂」写尽柳絮的飞舞——颠狂柳絮，正是柳絮纷飞的写照，那「颠狂」写尽柳絮的拟人；其二，写情之讽——那「颠狂」更是写讽——颠狂，正见对轻薄之物的微讽，那「颠狂」写尽春尽的感慨。以「颠狂」写柳絮，正是杜甫写漫兴的枢纽——若换作「纷纷」「漫天」等词，则或失其与「柳絮随风去」「轻薄桃花逐水流」的配合，或失其写颠狂的意味；唯「颠狂」二字，以颠狂柳絮随风去写尽柳絮之飞舞与轻薄之微讽，与「轻薄桃花逐水流」的轻薄相合，写尽花絮的感慨，也让「颠狂柳絮随风去」成为全诗写柳絮的名句。

薄 'Thin, empty, frivolous' - bo; qing bo applied to peach blossoms means shallow of substance, light enough to go with the current. 「轻薄桃花逐水流」之「薄」字是写桃花的又一关键词，一个「薄」字写尽桃花的轻薄。薄者，轻浮、刻薄也。杜甫以「轻薄桃花逐水流」写桃花，这个「薄」字至少有双重意味：其一，写花之轻薄——那「轻薄桃花逐水流」写轻薄桃花逐水流，那「薄」字写尽桃花的轻薄——轻薄桃花，正是桃花轻飘的写照，那「薄」字写尽桃花的拟人；其二，写情之讽——那「薄」字更是写讽——薄，正见对轻薄之物的微讽，那「薄」字写尽春尽的感慨。以「薄」字写桃花，正是杜甫写漫兴的枢纽——若换作「轻」「细」等字，则或失其与「桃花逐水流」「颠狂柳絮随风去」的配合，或失其写薄的意味；唯「薄」字，以轻薄桃花逐水流写尽桃花之轻飘与轻薄之微讽，与「颠狂柳絮随风去」的颠狂相合，写尽花絮的感慨，也让「轻薄桃花逐水流」成为全诗写桃花的名句。