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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

人日寄杜二拾遗

On Renri, Sent to Du the Second, Reminder-in-Waiting (Renri Ji Du Er Shiyi)

高适

Gao Shi

怀人Thinking of a Friend 感慨Reflection / Lament

人日题诗寄草堂，遥怜故人思故乡。
柳条弄色不忍见，梅花满枝空断肠。
身在远藩无所预，心怀百忧复千虑。
今年人日空相忆，明年人日知何处。
一卧东山三十春，岂知书剑老风尘。
龙钟还忝二千石，愧尔东西南北人。

On Renri I write a poem to send to your thatched cottage;
from afar I pity my old friend, thinking of his homeland.
Willow branches flaunt their colour, too sad to bear;
plum blossoms fill the boughs, in vain they wrench the heart.
My body is in a distant fief, with no part to play;
my heart holds a hundred griefs and a thousand cares.
This Renri we can only think of each other in vain;
next Renri, who knows where I shall be?
I have lain on the Eastern Mountain thirty springs;
how could I know my books and sword would age in dust and wind?
Tottering, I am yet ashamed to hold my two-thousand-bushel post;
I am ashamed before you, a man wandered east, west, south, north.

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Meaning

Written on Renri (the seventh day of the first month) to his friend Du Fu, the poem voices absence and care. Gao Shi, stationed far off, envies Du Fu's old friendship and homeland longing, and laments his own stalled life. It is a tender meditation on friendship, exile, and the uncertainty of where one will be next year.

人日题诗寄草堂，遥怜故人思故乡。柳条弄色不忍见，梅花满枝空断肠。身在远藩无所预，心怀百忧复千虑。今年人日空相忆，明年人日知何处。一卧东山三十春，岂知书剑老风尘。龙钟还忝二千石，愧尔东西南北人。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] On Renri Gao Shi sends a poem to Du Fu's cottage, pitying from afar his friend's homesickness. Willow colour and full plum boughs only wound the heart. He is posted in a distant fief with no role, his breast full of cares. This Renri they think of each other vainly; next Renri, who knows where? He has hidden on the Eastern Mountain thirty years; who expected his talents to age in dust? Old and tottering, he is ashamed of his high post before his wandering friend. [Structure] Opening sends the greeting; middle turns to scene and separation; close widens to life's uncertainty and self-reproach. [Imagery] 'Willow flaunts colour' against 'plum wrenches the heart' uses spring joy to deepen sorrow . The 'hundred griefs, thousand cares' and 'east, west, south, north' widen the private ache to a shared condition. The poem's worth is its plain sincerity—rare, unadorned warmth between two great poets.

【白话串讲】高适写《人日寄杜二拾遗》：“人日题诗寄草堂，遥怜故人思故乡”——“柳条弄色不忍见，梅花满枝空断肠”——“今年人日空相忆，明年人日知何处”——“一卧东山三十春，岂知书剑老风尘”——他寄诗给杜甫。【意象与手法】此诗写人日寄诗怀杜，以佳节怀人写身世感慨，是高适的名篇。前四句写寄诗怀人：「人日题诗寄草堂」写人日题诗寄草堂（杜甫在成都草堂），「遥怜故人思故乡」写遥怜故人思故乡，「柳条弄色不忍见」写柳条弄色不忍见，「梅花满枝空断肠」写梅花满枝空断肠；中四句写身世感慨：「身在远藩无所预」写身在远藩无所参预，「心怀百忧复千虑」写心怀百忧千虑，「今年人日空相忆」写今年人日空相忆，「明年人日知何处」写明年人日知在何处；后四句写身世之叹：「一卧东山三十春」写一卧东山三十春，「岂知书剑老风尘」写岂知书剑老于风尘，「龙钟还忝二千石」写龙钟还忝二千石，「愧尔东西南北人」写愧对尔东西南北之人。全诗以人日怀人写身世感慨，正是高适「质实」诗风的本领。【情感与主旨】此诗作于唐肃宗上元二年（761）人日（正月初七），高适时任蜀州刺史，寄诗给在成都草堂的杜甫。杜甫字子美，曾任左拾遗，故称「杜二拾遗」。人日是正月初七，古人有登高、思人之俗。此诗写人日寄诗怀杜：人日题诗寄到草堂，遥怜故人（杜甫）思故乡；柳条弄色不忍见，梅花满枝空断肠；身在远藩（蜀州远离朝廷）无所参预，心怀百忧千虑；今年人日空相忆，明年人日知在何处；一卧东山三十春（用谢安隐居东山之典，写自己隐居多年），岂知书剑老于风尘；龙钟还忝二千石（刺史的俸禄），愧对东西南北漂泊之人（杜甫）。全诗以人日怀人写身世感慨——那遥怜故人的思念，那柳条梅花的断肠，那远藩百忧的无奈，那人日相忆的感慨，那书剑老风尘的悲叹，那愧对故人的谦卑，都写尽了高适对杜甫的深情与身世的感慨。此诗是高适晚年的名篇，杜甫读后曾作诗相和。【名句点睛】常考「今年人日空相忆，明年人日知何处」写人生漂泊的感慨；「柳条弄色不忍见，梅花满枝空断肠」写逢春思友的断肠；「一卧东山三十春，岂知书剑老风尘」用谢安东山之典写身世；「愧尔东西南北人」写对杜甫的深情与谦卑；以及全诗以人日怀人写身世感慨的手法。

Background

Gao Shi (c. 704–765) was a High-Tang poet famed for frontier and friendship verse. This poem dates to 761 (Renri) when he was prefect of Shuzhou, and he sent it to Du Fu, then at his Chengdu cottage. Du Fu, once Reminder-in-Waiting (Shiyi), is 'Du the Second'. The two had wandered the Liang-Song region in youth and met again in Shu. On the festival of Renri—a day for climbing and remembering—Gao Shi reflects on separation, his powerless post, and his long, unfulfilled retirement, closing with humble shame before his wandering friend.

此诗作于唐肃宗上元二年（761）人日（正月初七），高适时任蜀州刺史，寄诗给在成都草堂的杜甫。杜甫字子美，曾任左拾遗，故称「杜二拾遗」。人日是正月初七，古人有登高、思人之俗。高适与杜甫是挚友，二人早年曾同游梁宋，晚年又同在蜀地——杜甫在成都草堂，高适在蜀州（今四川崇州）任刺史。此诗写人日寄诗怀杜：「人日题诗寄草堂」写人日题诗寄到杜甫的草堂；「遥怜故人思故乡」写遥怜故人思故乡；「柳条弄色不忍见，梅花满枝空断肠」写逢春的柳条、梅花，却令人断肠——高适思友，杜甫思乡；「身在远藩无所预，心怀百忧复千虑」写身居蜀州远离朝廷，无所参预，心怀百忧千虑；「今年人日空相忆，明年人日知何处」写今年人日只能空相忆，明年人日谁知在何处，写人生漂泊；「一卧东山三十春，岂知书剑老风尘」用谢安隐居东山之典，写自己隐居多年、书剑老于风尘；「龙钟还忝二千石，愧尔东西南北人」写自己龙钟老迈还忝居刺史之位，愧对东西南北漂泊的故人（杜甫）。全诗以人日怀人写身世感慨，是理解高适与杜甫交谊及盛唐文人身世感慨的重要篇章。

Art

The art works on four lines. First, festival-as-occasion: 'on Renri I send a poem' opens with the holiday itself as the prompt for remembrance. Second, joy-scene-for-sorrow: 'willow flaunts colour, too sad to bear; plum fills the boughs, in vain they wrench the heart' uses bright spring to deepen grief . Third, question-for-reflection: 'this Renri we think in vain; next Renri, who knows where' opposes this year and next to voice life's drift. Fourth, allusion-for-self: 'thirty springs on the Eastern Mountain' cites Xie An's hermitage, and 'ashamed before you, a wanderer' turns modesty into deep feeling. The poem moves occasion-to-scene-to-life, its plainness the very token of sincerity.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以佳节写怀人。起句「人日题诗寄草堂」写人日题诗寄草堂——那人日写佳节，「题诗寄草堂」写寄诗给杜甫，以人日佳节写怀人，佳节思友，情意深长。其二，以春景写断肠。「柳条弄色不忍见，梅花满枝空断肠」写逢春的柳条、梅花——那「柳条弄色」「梅花满枝」写尽春色，「不忍见」「空断肠」写尽逢春思友的断肠，以乐景写哀情。其三，以设问写感慨。「今年人日空相忆，明年人日知何处」以「今年」「明年」的对照写人生漂泊——那「空相忆」写今年只能空忆，「知何处」写明年不知何处，以设问写尽人生漂泊的感慨。其四，以用典写身世。「一卧东山三十春」用谢安隐居东山之典写自己隐居多年，「龙钟还忝二千石，愧尔东西南北人」写身居刺史而愧对漂泊故人，以用典写身世，以谦卑写深情。四重手法，使此诗以人日怀人写身世感慨，正是高适「质实」诗风的本领。

Allusions

'Renri' (seventh of the first month) was a day for climbing and remembering friends. 'Thatched cottage' names Du Fu's Chengdu hut; 'willow colour' and 'plum full' are spring emblems of parting and message (cf. Lu Kai's 'pluck a plum for the man at Longtou'). 'Hundred griefs, thousand cares' echoes the idiom of boundless worry. 'Eastern Mountain thirty springs' cites Xie An, who hid at Dongshan before rising to power—here Gao Shi's long retirement. 'Two-thousand-bushel' names a prefect's salary; 'east, west, south, north' pictures rootless wandering. Gao Shi bends these to a letter of friendship.

此诗的用语深植于怀人与身世感慨的传统。「人日」令人想到正月初七人日的习俗——古人有登高、思人之俗，也令人想到「人日」作为思人的节令意象；「草堂」令人想到杜甫在成都的浣花草堂，也令人想到「草堂」作为隐逸居所的意象；「柳条弄色」令人想到「柳色」写春色的意象，也令人想到「羌笛何须怨杨柳」的折柳传统——柳条弄色，正是思人思乡之时；「梅花满枝」令人想到「梅」作为春信的意象，也令人想到「折梅逢驿使，寄与陇头人」（陆凯）的寄梅怀人传统；「空断肠」令人想到「断肠」写极度的哀愁，也令人想到「断肠人在天涯」的羁旅；「远藩」令人想到「藩」写地方州郡的意象，也令人想到「身在江湖，心存魏阙」的远藩心态；「百忧复千虑」令人想到「百忧」写忧愁之多，也令人想到「先天下之忧而忧」的忧思；「今年人日」「明年人日」令人想到「今夕何夕」的时光感慨，也令人想到「年年岁岁花相似，岁岁年年人不同」（刘希夷《代悲白头翁》）的岁岁年年之叹；「一卧东山三十春」用谢安隐居东山（今浙江上虞）之典——谢安早年隐居东山，屡征不起，后出仕为相，令人想到「东山再起」的典故，也令人想到高适早年隐居梁宋、晚岁出仕的历程；「书剑老风尘」令人想到「书剑」写文武之才的意象（「仗剑去国，辞亲远游」），也令人想到「风尘」写漂泊与官场；「龙钟」令人想到「龙钟」写老态（「龙钟老态」），也令人想到「莫道桑榆晚」的老迈；「二千石」令人想到汉代刺史俸禄二千石，代指刺史之职；「东西南北人」令人想到「东西南北之人」写四处漂泊者（《礼记》「东西南北之人也」），也令人想到杜甫漂泊西南的身世。全诗化用人日、折梅、谢安东山、书剑风尘、东西南北人的传统意象与典故，以人日怀人写身世感慨，正是高适「质实」而善用典的本领。

Commentary

The poem is ranked a masterpiece of Gao Shi and a model Tang friendship poem. Qing critics praised it as 'remembering a friend on Renri, feeling true and words sincere'. Modern readers single out 'this Renri we think in vain; next Renri, who knows where' as its famous line. It famously prompted Du Fu's reply 'In Reply to the Late Gao of Shuzhou on Renri', a celebrated exchange of the poets' bond. For today's reader it opens a window onto the Gao–Du friendship and the High-Tang scholar's sense of exile and uncertainty.

此诗历来被推为高适的名篇，也是唐人寄友怀人诗的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以人日怀人，情真语挚」；近人更指出「今年人日空相忆，明年人日知何处」写人生漂泊，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以八句的长歌写尽人日怀人的深情与身世的感慨——那寄到草堂的诗，那遥怜的故人，那不忍见的柳条，那空断肠的梅花，那远藩的百忧，那人日相忆的感慨，那书剑老风尘的悲叹，那愧对故人的谦卑，都写尽了高适对杜甫的深情与身世之感；那「明年人日知何处」更写尽人生漂泊的感慨。此诗与杜甫的《追酬故高蜀州人日见寄》唱和，是唐代诗人交谊的佳话；又与杜甫《梦李白》等怀人名篇一脉相承，可见唐人怀人的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解高适与杜甫交谊及盛唐文人身世感慨的窗口，也是中国诗写人日怀人的经典——那人日相忆的深情，穿越千年，仍在诉说着两位大诗人之间的真挚情谊。

Prosody

Form Seven-character ancient-style poem (Qiyan Gushi, 七言古诗)诗·七言古诗

Rhyme Seven-syllable old-style verse that shifts rhyme every two lines (tang/xiang, jian/chang, yu/lü, yi/chu, chun/chen, shi/ren).七言古体，转韵（堂/乡、见/肠、预/虑、忆/处、春/尘、石/人），随情转韵

Tone pattern An ancient-style heptasyllabic poem, two lines per rhyme that turns with the feeling; its grave, roaming music suits the lament.此诗为七言古诗，八句，两句一韵转韵，音节沉郁，正合感慨的沉郁。

Reading note An eight-couplet qiyan gushi that changes rhyme pair by pair—'堂/乡, 见/肠, 预/虑, 忆/处, 春/尘, 石/人'. The first four lines send the greeting and paint spring sorrow; the middle turns to separation and care; the last four widen to life's drift and humble shame. Read '遥怜故人思故乡' with warmth and '明年人日知何处' with grave uncertainty.此诗为七言古诗，八句，两句一韵转韵——「寄草堂」的「堂」与「思故乡」的「乡」，「不忍见」的「见」与「空断肠」的「肠」，「无所预」的「预」与「复千虑」的「虑」，「空相忆」的「忆」与「知何处」的「处」，「三十春」的「春」与「老风尘」的「尘」，「二千石」的「石」与「南北人」的「人」，随情转韵，音节沉郁。全诗以人日怀人写身世：前四句写怀人（人日题诗寄草堂，遥怜故人思故乡；柳条弄色不忍见，梅花满枝空断肠），中两句写身世（身在远藩无所预，心怀百忧复千虑），后四句写感慨（今年人日空相忆，明年人日知何处；一卧东山三十春，岂知书剑老风尘；龙钟还忝二千石，愧尔东西南北人）。全诗以七言的沉郁节奏，写怀人与身世，直抒胸臆。诵读此诗，宜以深情的语调读「遥怜故人思故乡」的怀人，以沉郁的语调读「明年人日知何处」的感慨，结句「愧尔东西南北人」要读得谦卑而有余韵，方能传达出高适对杜甫的深情与身世感慨。高适古体以「质实沉郁」著称，此诗正是其怀人古体的典范。

Line by line

今年人日空相忆，明年人日知何处

This Renri we can only think of each other in vain;
next Renri, who knows where I shall be?

今年人日只能空相忆，明年人日谁知身在何处。

This year, on the Human Day, we can only remember each other in vain; next year's Human Day, who knows where I shall be?

此联是全诗写感慨的核心，以「今年」「明年」的对照写人生漂泊，是千古名句。「今年人日空相忆」写今年人日只能空相忆——那「今年人日」写今年的人日佳节，「空相忆」写只能空自相忆，写尽今年只能遥忆故人而不得相聚；「明年人日知何处」写明年人日谁知身在何处——那「明年人日」写明年的人日，「知何处」以反问写谁知身在何处，写尽人生漂泊、聚散难期。这句的深意在于：它以「今年人日」与「明年人日」的对照，写尽人生漂泊的感慨——今年的人日，只能空自相忆故人，不能相聚；明年的人日，谁知又身在何处？那「空相忆」写尽今年不得相聚的无奈，那「知何处」以反问写尽明年聚散难期的漂泊；年年人日，年年漂泊，今年的空忆与明年的难期，正写尽盛唐乱世中人生漂泊、身不由己的感慨——高适在蜀州，杜甫在成都草堂，两地相思而不得相聚，明年更不知身在何处，那「今年」「明年」的对照写尽时光的流逝与人生的漂泊。若换作直说「我们聚少离多」，则失其深沉；唯以「今年人日空相忆」写无奈、「明年人日知何处」的反问写漂泊，写尽人生漂泊的感慨，也让此联成为全诗的名句。

The couplet is the core of the poem's meditation, writing the wandering life through the contrast of this year and next year, an immortal line. This year, on the Human Day, we can only remember each other in vain writes this year's Human Day festival and the empty remembering; next year's Human Day, who knows where I shall be? writes next year's Human Day and the rhetorical question of where. The deep meaning: the contrast of this year and next year exhausts the wandering of life — this year's Human Day, empty remembering, no meeting; next year's, who knows where? The empty remembering writes the helplessness of this year's non-meeting; who knows where? writes the drifting of next year's uncertain reunion. Year after year the Human Day, year after year the drifting — Gao Shi in Shuzhou and Du Fu in the thatched hall at Chengdu, two places longing and no meeting, next year's whereabouts unknown; the contrast writes the flowing time and the drifting life in the troubled age of the High Tang. Were it said plainly we are often apart, the depth would be lost; only through the empty remembering and the rhetorical question of where is the wandering exhausted, making the couplet the famous line of the poem.

柳条弄色不忍见，梅花满枝空断肠

Willow branches flaunt their colour, too sad to bear;
plum blossoms fill the boughs, in vain they wrench the heart.

柳条弄色不忍看，梅花满枝空自断肠。

The willow branches show their new color — I cannot bear to look; plum blossoms cover the boughs, and my heart breaks for nothing.

此联写逢春思友的断肠，以乐景写哀情。「柳条弄色不忍见」写柳条弄色不忍看——那「柳条弄色」写柳条在春风中吐露新色，「不忍见」写不忍看，写尽逢春而不忍看柳；「梅花满枝空断肠」写梅花满枝空自断肠——那「梅花满枝」写梅花开满枝头，「空断肠」写空自断肠，写尽见梅而断肠。这句的深意在于：它以「柳条弄色」「梅花满枝」的乐景与「不忍见」「空断肠」的哀情，写尽逢春思友的断肠——新春到来，柳条弄色，梅花满枝，本是赏心悦目的春色；然诗人逢春而思友，那柳条、梅花都勾起了对故人的思念，那「不忍见」写尽见柳而思别的不忍，那「空断肠」写尽见梅而思友的断肠；以乐景写哀情，春色愈美，愁思愈深——那柳条是折柳送别的象征，那梅花是折梅寄友的象征，逢春而见柳见梅，更添对故人的思念；那「不忍见」「空断肠」写尽逢春思友的深情，也暗写与杜甫同是漂泊他乡、不得相聚的无奈。若换作直说「春天很想你」，则失其含蓄；唯以「柳条弄色」「梅花满枝」的乐景写春、「不忍见」「空断肠」的哀情写思，以乐景写哀情写尽逢春思友的断肠，也让此联成为全诗最见深情的妙笔。

The couplet writes the heartbreak of missing a friend at spring's coming, writing grief through a joyous scene. The willow branches show their new color — I cannot bear to look writes the willow's spring color and the unbearable gaze; plum blossoms cover the boughs, and my heart breaks for nothing writes the plum on the boughs and the vain heartbreak. The deep meaning: through the joyous scene of the willow's color and the plum on the boughs and the grief of the unbearable gaze and the heartbreak, the spring longing for the friend is exhausted — new spring, the willow in new color, the plum covering the boughs, a delightful spring scene; yet the poet, at spring's coming, thinks of the friend, and the willow and plum both stir the longing. The willow is the symbol of the parting-branch, the plum of the sending-blossoms; at spring's coming to see the willow and plum adds to the longing. Writing grief through a joyous scene, the fairer the spring the deeper the sorrow. Were it said plainly in spring I miss you greatly, the restraint would be lost; only through the joyous scene and the grief is the heartbreak exhausted, making the couplet the most feeling brush of the poem.

Study

Word focus

空 Kong ('in vain, empty'): it means the friends can only remember each other to no purpose. It marks the helpless distance of separation and deepens the Renri grief. 「今年人日空相忆」之「空」字是写无奈的关键字，一个「空」字写尽遥忆不得相聚的无奈。空者，白白地、徒然地也。高适以「空相忆」写人日怀人，这个「空」字至少有双重意味：其一，写相忆之枉——那「空相忆」写只能空自相忆，那「空」字写尽今年人日只能遥忆故人而不得相聚的无奈；其二，写相聚之难——那「空」字更是写现实——空相忆，正因不得相聚，那「空」字写尽人生漂泊、聚散难期的无奈。以「空」字写无奈，正是高适写感慨的枢纽——若换作「只」「独」等字，则或失其徒然的意味，或失其与「明年人日知何处」的呼应；唯「空」字，以一字写尽空自相忆的无奈，与「明年人日知何处」的漂泊相合，写尽人生漂泊的感慨，也让「今年人日空相忆」成为全诗的名句。

知 Zhi ('know'): it opens the question of where one will be next year. The word turns a private ache into a wider meditation on life's uncertainty. 「明年人日知何处」之「知」字是写漂泊的关键字，一个「知」字写尽人生漂泊、聚散难期。知者，知道、知晓也，此处以反问写「谁知」。高适以「知何处」写明年，这个「知」字至少有双重意味：其一，写难期之问——那「知何处」写谁知身在何处，那「知」字以反问写明年人日身在何处不可知，写尽人生漂泊、聚散难期；其二，写身不由己——那「知」字更是写身不由己——明年身在何处，连自己也不知道，那「知」字写尽乱世中身不由己的漂泊。以「知」字写漂泊，正是高适收束感慨的枢纽——若换作「在」「往」等字，则或失其反问的深婉，或失其与「今年人日空相忆」的对照；唯「知」字，以一字写尽明年人日身在何处不可知的反问，与「空相忆」相合，写尽人生漂泊的感慨，也让「明年人日知何处」成为全诗的名句。