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明 Ming · 诗 Poem

咏煤炭

Ode to Coal

于谦

Yu Qian

咏物Chanting Objects 品格Moral Character 奉献Selfless Dedication

凿开混沌得乌金，藏蓄阳和有意深。
爝火燃回春浩浩，洪炉照破夜沉沉。
鼎彝元赖生成力，铁石犹存死后心。
但愿苍生俱饱暖，不辞辛苦出山林。

Cutting open chaos yields black gold, storing warmth with deep intent.
A spark brings back spring's vastness, a furnace breaks night's darkness.
Vessels rely on its generating power, iron and stone retain heart after death.
Only wish all people be warm and fed, not shirking hardship, leave the mountain forest.

Listen

Meaning

The poet praises coal for its hidden warmth and self-sacrifice to benefit all people, symbolizing his own dedication to serving the nation and its people.

凿开混沌的地下得到乌黑的金子般的煤炭，它蕴藏蓄积着温暖的阳气，用意深远。燃起小火便回荡出浩浩春意，投入洪炉就照破沉沉黑夜。鼎彝器皿本依赖它生成的伟力，即便化作铁石也仍存那份死后燃烧的心。只愿天下苍生都能饱暖，它便不辞辛劳走出山林。

Appreciation

Using vivid imagery like 'black gold' and 'warmth of spring', the poet personifies coal, praising its virtue of selfless dedication. The final couplet directly expresses the ambition to serve the people, making it a classic example of 'expressing aspirations through objects'.

【白话串讲】于谦写煤炭：埋在地下，燃烧自己，把温暖和光明带给人间。“但愿苍生俱饱暖，不辞辛苦出山林”——他写的是煤，也是自己的志向。【意象与手法】全诗八句皆咏煤炭而句句关合人臣之德。首联“凿开混沌得乌金”以“乌金”喻煤，状其采掘之艰与价值之贵【情感与主旨】于谦（1398—1457），明中叶名臣，以清正刚直、社稷之功著称。此诗约作于其任职或巡抚时期，借咏煤炭以自明心迹【名句点睛】此诗为明于谦之作，精要赏析详见下方深度赏析。

Background

Yu Qian (1398–1457), a famous official of the mid-Ming dynasty, known for his incorruptibility and uprightness. This poem was likely written during his tenure as a regional inspector, using coal as a metaphor to express his personal ideals. Yu Qian served from the Yongle to Jingtai reigns, after the Tumu Crisis he single-handedly defended Beijing, and his whole life was dedicated to clean governance and caring for the people. The line 'Only wish all people be warm and fed' aligns with his governance philosophy of being a parent to the people, making this a typical work of expressing aspirations through objects.

于谦（一三九八—一四五七），字廷益，号节庵，浙江钱塘人，明代民族英雄、政治家。其《咏煤炭》与《石灰吟》同为托物言志之作，约作于其任职或巡抚时期，借咏煤炭以自明心迹。明代咏物诗承宋人理趣，多借物象写士大夫品格，于谦以社稷重臣身份咏煤，别具经世意味——煤生于地底、燃己济世，恰是其鞠躬尽瘁、以天下为念的写照。此前《石灰吟》写宁碎留白，此诗则写不辞辛苦出山林以暖苍生，一主死节、一主事功，互补成其完整人格。于谦历仕永乐至天顺，正统十四年北京保卫战挽社稷于将倾，平日以清正刚直、体恤民瘼著称。此诗当是其壮年任上、意气风发而忧民未已时的作品，借煤之藏蓄阳和、燃回春浩，表达愿效煤之功、以一身济天下的抱负。其诗不尚艳巧，以煤炭常物写稷臣之德，遂成咏物诗中言事功、言民生的别调，亦见明代台阁—郎署诗由颂圣转向自抒经济之志的取向。

Art

All eight lines chant about coal while subtly referring to the virtues of a minister. The first couplet 'Cutting open chaos yields black gold' uses 'black gold' as a metaphor for coal, depicting the difficulty of mining and its precious value; 'storing warmth' foreshadows the heat. The second couplet describes the function of burning, contrasting 'spring's vastness' with 'night's darkness', warmth versus darkness. The third couplet 'Vessels rely on its generating power, iron and stone retain heart after death' shifts from function to character, personifying exquisitely. The final couplet reveals the theme, transitioning from object to person, expressing aspirations, robust and weighty, without any trace of being forced.

此诗艺术在八句皆咏煤炭而句句关合人臣之德，章法由采掘到处藏、由燃用到成器、由死后到济世，层层递进。首联凿开混沌得乌金，藏蓄阳和有意深写采煤之艰与蓄暖之深，乌金设喻、阳和写德；颔联爝火燃回春浩浩，洪炉照破夜沉沉以爝火对洪炉、春浩浩对夜沉沉，写煤之小用回春、大用破暗，对仗精工而气象开廓；颈联鼎彝元赖生成力，铁石犹存死后心由用转质，写煤化鼎彝之勋与死后犹燃之心，死后心三字奇警；尾联但愿苍生俱饱暖，不辞辛苦出山林直抒襟抱，以但愿、不辞示主动奉献，收束全篇。全诗以物性（采煤、蓄阳、燃烧、成器）步步比附人格（采掘之劳、蕴德之深、济世之功、殉道之心、泽民之志），物我交融而不即不离。修辞多对比与对偶，炼字如混沌、阳和、死后心皆见匠心，是七言律诗中托物言志、以物写臣节的典范。综而言之，《咏煤炭》正是以如此艺术匠心，于尺幅之间见千里之势，言有尽而意无穷，足见作者驾驭语言、熔铸意境之深厚功力，故能历久而不失其动人之处。

Allusions

'Chaos' comes from the Zhuangzi, referring to the primordial state, here meaning the undeveloped underground seam. 'Yanghe' originally means the warm air of spring (as in the Records of the Grand Historian, 'Yanghe awakens hibernating insects'), metaphorically representing the heat stored in coal. 'Dingyi' are ancient ritual vessels, symbols of state law and achievements, implying that coal helps cast vessels, a metaphor for assisting the state. 'Heart after death' transforms the imagery of 'iron-hearted' and 'loyal heart', also taking the spirit of Wen Tianxiang's 'keeping a loyal heart in the annals', expressing loyalty even unto death.

乌金以金喻煤，状其色黑而贵，本矿冶俗语，诗人提炼为雅喻，示煤虽埋地底而价值如金。混沌用《庄子·应帝王》倏忽凿七窍而混沌死及盘古开天之典，此指未开辟的地层，凿开混沌写采煤之艰，亦暗喻拨乱反正、开启光明之功。阳和本指温暖阳气，谢灵运《登池上楼》景昃鸣禽集，水木湛清华以阳和写春温，此指煤所蓄地火之暖，亦喻仁政之温。爝火本《庄子·逍遥游》日月出矣而爝火不息，指小火，此处写煤之一燃便回春浩浩，以小见大。鼎彝为古代礼器，鼎彝元赖生成力写煤冶铸之功，暗喻人臣佐成国之重器。铁石犹存死后心化用铁石心肠之常语而翻出新意，谓煤化铁石仍怀燃烧济世之心。苍生本《尚书》百姓、黎民，不辞辛苦出山林则本杜甫大庇天下寒士俱欢颜的民胞物与之怀。典故多化于常语，是托物诗以物写臣、以常语写深慨之例。观《咏煤炭》用典使事之妙，正在于不泥于古而能化用无痕，信手拈来皆成佳境，既增诗境之厚重，又不失自然浑成之趣，非徒摭拾故实以炫博者也。

Commentary

The Ming History Biography of Yu Qian says he was 'strict in speech and appearance, upright in discussion', and his poetry is like the man. Modern critics say Yu Qian's chant poems are 'unadorned but have lofty style'. Reading it together with his 'Ode to Lime' ('keeping pure in the world') reveals his consistent ambition of 'writing oneself through objects, expressing ambition through death', later generations often call them the 'Two Odes'.

此诗与《石灰吟》并称于谦双璧，向为托物言志、言事功言民生的名篇。清代沈德潜《明诗别裁集》录于谦诗，推其清正；近世教材多将二诗并提，考点常聚于乌金设喻、死后心奇警及但愿苍生俱饱暖，不辞辛苦出山林的济世主旨与名句默写。其传播之广，尤在尾联二句，成为中国人表达为官一任、泽被苍生的经典语码，常与杜甫大庇天下寒士、范仲淹先忧后乐并提。论者谓《石灰吟》写死节之烈，《咏煤炭》写事功之勤，二诗互补见其完人——一宁碎以留清白，一不辞以暖苍生，皆以身许国。今人读之，既能见明代社稷之臣的经济抱负与民本情怀，亦可见咏物诗由体物到言志、由清高到经世的拓展。其以常物（煤）写重德，语朴而意厚，足为台阁郎署诗自抒经济之志的代表，亦为后世清官文化的精神资源。由古及今，评骘《咏煤炭》者代不乏人，或赏其辞章，或味其情志，虽各有侧重而皆许为名篇，其艺术生命之活跃、在文学史上地位之重要，于此可见一斑。

Prosody

Form Seven-character regulated verse七言律诗（咏物言志诗，明诗）

Rhyme Level tone, Qin rhyme (jin, shen, chen, xin, lin)押平水韵下平十二侵韵，韵脚为深、沉、心、林（深、沉、心、林同属侵韵）。首句入韵，一韵到底。

Tone pattern First couplet breaks the subject, second couplet vividly describes function (spark vs furnace), third couplet uses vessels vs iron and stone, final couplet directly expresses the heart.七言律诗平起首句入韵式：凿开混沌得乌金（仄平仄仄仄平平），藏蓄阳和有意深（平仄平平仄仄平）；爝火燃回春浩浩（仄仄平平平仄仄），洪炉照破夜沉沉（平平仄仄仄平平）；鼎彝元赖生成力（仄平平仄平平仄），铁石犹存死后心（仄仄平平仄仄平）；但愿苍生俱饱暖（仄仄平平平仄仄），不辞辛苦出山林（仄平平仄仄平平）。中二联对仗精严，平仄合律。

Reading note Yu Qian uses coal to compare himself, chanting the object to express aspirations, personifying throughout. 'Only wish all people be warm and fed' together with 'I am not afraid of being crushed to dust' (Ode to Lime) shows his spirit of helping the world.此诗虽为七律常格，却以物我交融、章法递进胜。其声律之妙在四联如波澜推进：首联叙事兴象（凿开混沌、藏蓄阳和），颔联以爝火洪炉、春浩浩夜沉沉的工对写气象开廓，颈联鼎彝铁石、生成力死后心由用转质、奇警沉着，尾联以但愿不辞的散句直抒，由律之整饬转情之奔泻。押侵韵闭口呼幽深，与蓄德、藏心、济世的深稳声情相称；而春浩浩、夜沉沉以叠字破闭口之郁，声情顿开。中二联对仗工而气脉流贯，死后心以奇警振起，不辞辛苦以磊落收束。七律八句皆咏煤而句句关臣节，起承转合完整，物性层层比附人格，诚托物言志、以物写臣节的典范，足为明代言事功、言民生咏物诗的代表。

Line by line

凿开混沌得乌金，藏蓄阳和有意深。

Cutting open the chaotic earth yields black gold; it stores sunny warmth with deep intention.

凿开混沌的地下得到乌黑的金子般的煤炭，它蕴藏蓄积着温暖的阳气，用意深远。

Chiseled from chaos, the black gold is won; it stores the genial warmth with deep intent.

首联写采煤之艰与蓄德之深，是全诗立象之基。凿开混沌得乌金以混沌喻未辟之地层，凿开写采掘之艰，乌金以金喻煤、状其色黑而贵，示煤虽埋地底而价值如金；藏蓄阳和有意深写煤蕴地火之暖、蓄仁政之温，有意深三字示其蓄德非偶然而用意深远。此联表面咏煤，实已双关人臣：凿开混沌如拨乱反正、开启光明，藏蓄阳和如涵养德性、待时而济。乌金之贵与阳和之温对举，由形及神，为后文燃回春浩、暖苍生张本。意脉由物的采掘储蓄转到人的蕴德才具，物我初交而不即不离，起手便见托物言志的浑成，是七言咏物律诗叙事兼兴的稳键开篇。

The black gold. Chiseled from chaos, the black gold is won; it stores the genial warmth with deep intent. The chiseled-from-chaos black gold and the stored genial warmth are the opening. To have stored the warmth with deep intent would be a storing; the chiseled-from-chaos-the-black-gold-is-won-it-stores-the-genial-warmth-with-deep-intent is the storing.

爝火燃回春浩浩，洪炉照破夜沉沉。

A spark ignites, returning vast spring; a giant furnace shatters the deep night.

燃起小火便回荡出浩浩春意，投入洪炉就照破沉沉黑夜。

Its torch-fire burns back the vastness of spring; the great furnace pierces the deeps of night.

颔联写煤之用，以爝火对洪炉、春浩浩对夜沉沉，对仗精工而气象开廓。爝火本《庄子》小火，此处写煤之一燃便回荡浩浩春温，以小见大；洪炉照破夜沉沉写煤入巨炉、焰破长夜，示其大用破暗、济世光明。春浩浩与夜沉沉以叠字状暖意之广与暗夜之深，反差强烈，煤之功于是凸显。此联由首联的藏蓄转到发用，物性（燃烧）与人臣之事功（回春、破暗）交融：煤燃己以暖人，正如臣燃己以济世。对偶中动静、大小、明晦交错，声情朗畅，是全诗最见气象的对句，亦为尾联苍生饱暖作铺垫——能回春破夜者，方能暖天下，章法由用转效，脉络井然。

The furnace. Its torch-fire burns back the vastness of spring; the great furnace pierces the deeps of night. The torch that burns back spring and the furnace that pierces the night are the use. To have pierced the night would be a piercing; the its-torch-fire-burns-back-the-vastness-of-spring-the-great-furnace-pierces-the-deeps-of-night is the piercing.

鼎彝元赖生成力，铁石犹存死后心。

Vessels rely on its transformative power; even iron and stone retain a heart after death.

鼎彝器皿本依赖它生成的伟力，即便化作铁石也仍存那份死后燃烧的心。

The ritual vessels rely on its creating power; even as iron and stone, it keeps its posthumous heart.

颈联由用转质，写煤之成器与死后之心，是全诗最奇警处。鼎彝元赖生成力写煤冶铸礼器之功，暗喻人臣佐成国之重器，元赖二字示根本所系；铁石犹存死后心化用铁石心肠常语而翻出新意——煤既焚化、虽成铁石，犹怀燃烧济世之心，死后心三字奇警绝伦，将物之焚尽与人之殉道打成一片。此联由外在事功（鼎彝）深入内在精神（死后心），物我界限全消：煤粉身以成器、死犹存心，正如臣鞠躬尽瘁、死而后已。死后心既承上联燃烧之象，又启尾联不辞辛苦之志，是由物性到人格的升华枢纽，炼字之巧、立意之深，足为托物诗以常语写奇情的范例。

The posthumous heart. The ritual vessels rely on its creating power; even as iron and stone, it keeps its posthumous heart. The vessels made from it and the posthumous heart it keeps even in ash are the self-sacrifice. To have kept the posthumous heart would be a heart; the ritual-vessels-rely-on-its-creating-power-even-as-iron-and-stone-it-keeps-its-posthumous-heart is the heart.

但愿苍生俱饱暖，不辞辛苦出山林。

Only wish all people are fed and warm; it does not avoid hardship, leaving the mountain forest.

只愿天下苍生都能饱暖，它便不辞辛劳走出山林。

Only may the common people all be warm and fed; it does not shrink from the toil of leaving the hills.

尾联直抒襟抱，收束全篇，是于谦民本情怀的总宣。但愿苍生俱饱暖以苍生为念，本杜甫大庇天下寒士与范仲淹先忧后乐之怀，将前面所有物象（乌金、阳和、爝火、鼎彝、死后心）收束为一个利他的终极目的；不辞辛苦出山林以不辞示主动奉献、出山林写煤离地赴用，亦喻臣离隐入世、以身许国。此联由托物转为明志，物（煤）与人（臣）彻底合一：煤不辞出山以暖天下，臣不辞劳瘁以济苍生。全诗八句层层铺垫，至此水到渠成，磊落光明。二句遂成中国人表达为官泽民、以身许国的经典语码，与《石灰吟》要留清白在人间互为表里——一宁碎留白、一不辞济世，同见完人气象，是托物言志诗以物写臣、以常语写深衷的巅峰。

The people. Only may the common people all be warm and fed; it does not shrink from the toil of leaving the hills. The may-the-people-be-warm-and-fed and the no-toil-shrinking are Yu Qian's close. To have wished the people warm and fed would be a wish; the only-may-the-common-people-all-be-warm-and-fed-it-does-not-shrink-from-the-toil-of-leaving-the-hills is the wish.

Study

Word focus

乌金 Black gold (a metaphor for coal, also implying preciousness). 乌金是首联诗眼，以金喻煤，状其色黑（乌）而价值贵（金），本是矿冶俗语，经于谦提炼为雅喻。其妙在以反差设喻：煤埋地底、貌不惊人，却如金之贵，暗喻贤才虽处卑位而德能可贵，亦喻臣之价值不在外表而在济世之功。凿开混沌得乌金，将采煤之艰（凿开混沌）与得宝之喜（得乌金）并写，乌金遂成全诗价值锚点。此词既写物性（煤之珍贵），更写人格（臣之贵重），物我初交而不即不离。乌金之设喻，使常物（煤）获得崇高的象征重量，与尾联苍生饱暖呼应——金贵者正用以暖苍生。一词以俗为雅、以常物写重德，是托物诗炼字双关的范例，亦见明代咏物诗言事功、言民生的别调取向。

死后心 Heart after death (the coal's spirit to sacrifice even after being burned). 死后心是颈联奇警之笔，化用铁石心肠常语而翻出新意：煤既焚化、虽化为铁石，犹存那份死后燃烧、济世不己的心。死后二字极沉痛——既写物之焚尽成灰，亦喻臣之鞠躬尽瘁、死而后已；心字则赋予无知情物以坚贞意志，将煤的燃烧升华为精神的殉道。此词由外在事功（鼎彝生成力）深入内在精神，物我彻底交融：煤粉身以成器、死犹存心，正如志士以身许国、殁而不已。死后心既承颔联燃烧之象，又启尾联不辞辛苦之志，是由物性到人格的升华枢纽。炼字奇警而意脉深长，遂成托物诗以常语写奇情、以物写臣节的最凝练表达，亦与《石灰吟》粉骨碎身浑不怕同一宁碎不屈的骨力。

咏煤炭