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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

沙丘城下寄杜甫

Sent from Beneath the City of Sha Hill, to Du Fu (Shaqiu Cheng Xia Ji Dufu)

李白

Li Bai

怀友Thinking of a Friend

我来竟何事？
高卧沙丘城。
城边有古树，日夕连秋声。
鲁酒不可醉，齐歌空复情。
思君若汶水，浩荡寄南征。

Why ever did I come here?
I lie idle in the city of Sha Hill.
By the wall stands an ancient tree;
from dusk to dusk it joins the autumn sound.
Lu wine cannot make me drunk;
Qi songs, in vain, stir feeling.
My thoughts of you are like the Wen River—
vast and flowing, borne toward your southern journey.

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Meaning

Li Bai, lodged alone at Sha Hill, asks himself why he came and finds only an ancient tree and the autumn wind for company. Wine and song fail to ease his loneliness; his thoughts of Du Fu flow like the Wen River toward the south. The poem is a direct, passionate tribute from one great poet to another.

我来竟何事？高卧沙丘城。城边有古树，日夕连秋声。鲁酒不可醉，齐歌空复情。思君若汶水，浩荡寄南征。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Why did I come? I lie idle at Sha Hill. An old tree stands by the wall, all day joining the autumn sound. Lu wine cannot drunk me; Qi songs stir feeling in vain. My thoughts of you are like the Wen River—vast, flowing toward your journey south. [Structure] The first four lines settle the lonely lodging and its autumnal sound; the last four turn to wine, song, and the river-likened longing. [Imagery] 'Ancient tree' and 'autumn sound' make the place desolate; 'wine cannot drunk, songs in vain' measure the depth of yearning; 'like the Wen River' lifts feeling into flowing, boundless image. The poem's strength is its single-hearted sincerity—Li Bai's 'one-flowing devotion' (yi wang qing shen) given wholly to a friend.

【白话串讲】李白写《沙丘城下寄杜甫》：“我来竟何事？高卧沙丘城”——“城边有古树，日夕连秋声”——“鲁酒不可醉，齐歌空复情”——“思君若汶水，浩荡寄南征”——他思念杜甫——“思君若汶水”——思念像汶水一样浩荡。【意象与手法】此诗写怀友，以思念写怀友，是李白的名篇。前四句写沙丘：「我来竟何事？高卧沙丘城。城边有古树，日夕连秋声」写我来竟何事、高卧沙丘城、城边有古树——写尽沙丘的孤寂；后四句写思念：「鲁酒不可醉，齐歌空复情。思君若汶水，浩荡寄南征」写鲁酒不可醉、思君若汶水、浩荡寄南征——写尽对杜甫的思念。全诗以思念写怀友，写尽沙丘的孤寂与对杜甫的思念，是李白的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写怀友，以思念写怀友，是李白的名篇。此诗写李白客居沙丘城时思念杜甫。李白与杜甫在天宝三年（744）相识于洛阳，同游梁宋、齐鲁，结下深厚友谊；后杜甫西归长安，李白东游，此诗为李白在沙丘（今山东境内）时寄赠杜甫之作。此诗写沙丘：我来竟何事？高卧沙丘城——写我来竟何事、高卧沙丘城，写尽沙丘的孤寂；城边有古树，日夕连秋声——写城边有古树、日夕连秋声，写尽沙丘的秋声；鲁酒不可醉，齐歌空复情——写鲁酒不可醉、齐歌空复情，写尽借酒难销的愁绪；思君若汶水，浩荡寄南征——写思君若汶水、浩荡寄南征，写尽对杜甫的思念。全诗以思念写怀友——那「高卧沙丘城」写尽沙丘的孤寂，「思君若汶水」写尽对杜甫的思念，写尽沙丘的孤寂与对杜甫的思念，是理解李白杜甫交谊的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「鲁酒不可醉，齐歌空复情」写借酒难销的愁绪；「思君若汶水，浩荡寄南征」写对杜甫的思念；以及全诗以思念写怀友、以水喻思的手法。

Background

Li Bai (701–762), courtesy name Taibai, style Qinglian Jushi, is the 'Poet Immortal'. He met Du Fu in Luoyang in 744 and travelled with him through Liang-Song and Qi-Lu, forging a deep bond. After Du Fu went west to Chang'an and Li Bai east, this poem was sent from Sha Hill (in present Shandong) to Du Fu. The 'Wen River' flows near Sha Hill south into the Si, a local stream Li Bai turns into an emblem of his feeling. The work belongs to the famous Li–Du exchange, a high point of Tang friendship poetry.

此诗写怀友，以思念写怀友，是李白的名篇。李白（701—762），字太白，号青莲居士，陇西成纪（今甘肃秦安）人，唐代诗人，被尊为「诗仙」。此诗写李白客居沙丘城时思念杜甫。李白与杜甫在天宝三年（744）相识于洛阳，同游梁宋、齐鲁，结下深厚友谊；后杜甫西归长安，李白东游，此诗为李白在沙丘（今山东境内）时寄赠杜甫之作。此诗写沙丘：「我来竟何事？高卧沙丘城」写我来竟何事、高卧沙丘城——写尽沙丘的孤寂（我来竟何事，高卧沙丘城）；「城边有古树，日夕连秋声」写城边有古树、日夕连秋声——写尽沙丘的秋声（城边有古树，日夕连秋声）；「鲁酒不可醉，齐歌空复情」写鲁酒不可醉、齐歌空复情——写尽借酒难销的愁绪（鲁酒不可醉，齐歌空复情）；「思君若汶水，浩荡寄南征」写思君若汶水、浩荡寄南征——写尽对杜甫的思念（思君若汶水，浩荡寄南征）。全诗以思念写怀友，写尽沙丘的孤寂与对杜甫的思念，是理解李白杜甫交谊的重要篇章。

Art

The art runs on four lines. First, opening by question: 'why ever did I come' states self-baffled loneliness at once. Second, scene-for-autumn: 'ancient tree by the wall, all day the autumn sound' renders the place's desolation through image. Third, wine-for-sorrow: 'Lu wine cannot drunk me; Qi songs stir in vain' uses negation to show that neither cup nor song can disperse the longing. Fourth, water-as-likeness: 'my thoughts of you are like the Wen River, vast, flowing south' maps feeling onto a real local stream, making affection concrete and boundless. The poem moves lonely lodging to river-borne devotion—Li Bai's fresh, flowing manner at its most heartfelt.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以问起写孤寂。「我来竟何事」以问起写孤寂——那「竟何事」写尽自问的茫然，以问起写尽沙丘的孤寂。其二，以景写秋声。「城边有古树，日夕连秋声」以景写秋声——那「古树」「秋声」写尽城边的秋色，以景写尽沙丘的萧瑟。其三，以酒写愁绪。「鲁酒不可醉」以酒写愁绪——那「不可醉」写尽借酒难销，以酒写尽思念的愁绪。其四，以水喻思念。「思君若汶水」以水喻思念——那「若汶水」写尽思念的浩荡，以水喻写尽对杜甫的思念。此外，此诗前四句写沙丘的孤寂，后四句写对杜甫的思念，由景及情，正是怀友诗「借景抒情」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以思念写怀友，写尽沙丘的孤寂与对杜甫的思念，是李白的代表作。此诗还善于以「竟何事」的自问写茫然的孤寂——我来沙丘究竟为何事，正是客居无俚的写照，以问起写尽沙丘的孤寂。又善以「不可醉」「空复情」的否定写愁深——鲁酒不可醉，齐歌空复情，正见酒与歌都无法消解思念，以双重否定写尽愁之深、思之切，使末二句的「思君若汶水」更有力量。

Allusions

'Sha Hill city' is Li Bai's Shandong lodging. 'Ancient tree' echoes 'if the tree is thus, how can man endure' (Huan Wen). 'Autumn sound' cites the age-old topos (Ouyang Xiu's 'Autumn Sound'). 'Lu wine' comes from Zhuangzi ('thin Lu wine, Handan besieged')—thin wine that here cannot intoxicate; Li Bai turns the allusion to deepen sorrow. 'Qi songs' are the songs of Qi. 'Wen River' is the stream near Sha Hill flowing south, which Li Bai makes the very measure of his love. He bends these common tokens to a single, passionate end.

此诗的用语深植于怀友与思念的传统。「沙丘城」令人想到「沙丘城」写居所的意象——沙丘为今山东汶上一带，也令人想到「沙丘」写李白的居处；「古树」令人想到「古树」写古树的意象——也令人想到「树犹如此，人何以堪」（桓温）的意象；「秋声」令人想到「秋声」写秋声的意象——欧阳修《秋声赋》写秋声，也令人想到「无边落木萧萧下」（杜甫）的意象；「鲁酒」令人想到「鲁酒」写酒的意象——《庄子》「鲁酒薄而邯郸围」，鲁酒为薄酒之典，也令人想到「鲁酒不可醉」的意象；「齐歌」令人想到「齐歌」写齐地歌谣的意象——也令人想到「齐讴」的意象；「汶水」令人想到「汶水」写汶水的意象——汶水流经沙丘南去，也令人想到「汶水汤汤」的意象。全诗化用古树、秋声、鲁酒、齐歌、汶水的意象，以思念写怀友，正是李白「清新俊逸」而善写情、承怀友传统写思念的本领。「鲁酒」出自《庄子·胠箧》「鲁酒薄而邯郸围」——鲁酒本为薄酒，李白以「鲁酒不可醉」写酒薄而愁深，正用此典而翻出新意：酒愈薄愈不能醉，愁愈深愈难排遣。又「汶水」为流经沙丘（今山东汶上）之水，南流入泗水，李白以汶水之浩荡写思念之绵长，正见其以眼前实景入诗的本领。

Commentary

The poem is celebrated as a Li Bai friendship masterpiece and a central document of the Li–Du bond. Qing critics called it 'friendship through remembrance, one-flowing devotion'. Modern readers prize 'my thoughts of you are like the Wen River' as its famous line. With Du Fu's 'Recalling Li Bai in Spring' ('north of Wei, spring trees') and 'Thinking of Li Bai at the Sky's End' it forms a paired exchange—Li by the river, Du by the capital. For today's reader it opens the warmth of the greatest Tang friendship, where a stream still carries one poet's love to another.

此诗历来被推为李白怀友诗的名篇，也是写李杜交谊的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以思念写怀友，一往情深」；近人更指出「思君若汶水，浩荡寄南征」写对杜甫的思念，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以八句的五言古诗写尽沙丘的孤寂与对杜甫的思念——那沙丘城，那古树，那秋声，那鲁酒，那齐歌，那汶水，那南征，都写尽了李白笔下的沙丘；那「思君若汶水」更以水喻写尽对杜甫的思念。此诗与杜甫《春日忆李白》（「渭北春天树」）、《天末怀李白》同为李杜互赠名篇，一写「思君若汶水」的沙丘（李白寄杜甫），一写「江东日暮云」的长安（杜甫忆李白）；又以汶水喻相思，与李白《赠汪伦》「桃花潭水深千尺」的以水喻情一脉相承，可见李白以水写情的本领。对于今日读者，此诗是理解李杜交谊的窗口，也是中国诗写怀友的经典——那浩荡的汶水，穿越千年，仍在诉说着对杜甫的思念。

Prosody

Form Five-character ancient-style poem (Wuyan Gushi, 五言古诗)诗·五言古诗

Rhyme Ancient-style verse, even lines rhyme on the 'geng' vowels (cheng, sheng, qing, zheng), flowing throughout.古体诗，偶句押韵（城、声、情、征，下平八庚），音节流转

Tone pattern A pentasyllabic ancient-style poem, even-line rhyme in level tone; its flowing music suits the streaming devotion.此诗为五言古诗，押平声韵，音节流转，正合思念的流转。

Reading note An eight-line wuyan gushi: '我来竟何事…浩荡寄南征.' Even lines rhyme on the 'geng' category (城, 声, 情, 征), with a flowing cadence. The first four lines settle lonely lodging, the last four turn to wine, song, and river-borne longing. Read '高卧沙丘城' with idle drift and close '思君若汶水' with one-flowing devotion.此诗为五言古诗，八句——「我来竟何事？高卧沙丘城。城边有古树，日夕连秋声。鲁酒不可醉，齐歌空复情。思君若汶水，浩荡寄南征」，偶句押「庚」韵（城、声、情、征），音节流转。全诗以思念写怀友：前四句写沙丘的孤寂（我来竟何事、城边有古树），后四句写对杜甫的思念（鲁酒不可醉、思君若汶水）。八句短章，前写孤寂，后写思念，以「思君若汶水」写尽对杜甫的思念，正见李白「清新俊逸」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以流转的语调读「高卧沙丘城」的孤寂，以一往情深的语调读「思君若汶水」的思念，结句要读得流转而有余韵，方能传达出李白的一往情深。李白古诗以「飘逸豪放」著称，此诗正是其怀友古诗的典范。

Line by line

思君若汶水，浩荡寄南征

My thoughts of you are like the Wen River—
vast and flowing, borne toward your southern journey.

思君若汶水，浩荡寄南征。

My thoughts of you are like the Wen River, vast and rolling, committed to the southward journey.

此二句是全诗写思念的核心，以思君若汶水写汶水，以浩荡寄南征写思念，写尽对杜甫的思念，是千古名句。「思君若汶水」写思君若汶水——那「思君」写思君，「若汶水」写若汶水，写尽思念的如汶水；「浩荡寄南征」写浩荡寄南征——那「浩荡」写浩荡，「寄南征」写寄南征，写尽思念的浩荡。这句的深意在于：它以「思君若汶水」的汶水与「浩荡寄南征」的思念，写尽对杜甫的思念——思君若汶水，那「思君若汶水」写尽思念的如汶水——思念你如汶水长流，正是以水喻思的写照，那「若汶水」写尽思念的浩荡；浩荡寄南征，那「浩荡寄南征」写尽思念的浩荡——浩荡的思念，寄向南行的流水，正是托水传情的写照，那「寄南征」写尽思念的寄托；那「思君若汶水」写尽思念的如汶水，那「浩荡寄南征」写尽思念的浩荡，一写水，一写思，写尽对杜甫的思念——思念如汶水而托水南征，正是怀友的深情；此二句以汶水、思念写尽对杜甫的思念，也让此二句成为全诗写思念的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「我很想你」，则失其浩荡；唯以「思君若汶水」写汶水、「浩荡寄南征」写思念，写尽对杜甫的思念，也让此二句成为全诗写思念的核心。

The two lines are the core of the poem's longing, writing the Wen River through my thoughts of you are like the Wen River and the southern commitment through vast and rolling, committed to the southward journey, exhausting the longing for Du Fu, an immortal line. My thoughts of you are like the Wen River is precisely the picture of the water-for-thought metaphor; vast and rolling, committed to the southward journey precisely the picture of the feeling entrusted to the water. One writes the water, one the longing, exhausting the longing for Du Fu. Were it said plainly I miss you greatly, the breadth would be lost; only through the Wen River and the southern journey is the longing exhausted, making the lines the core of the poem.

鲁酒不可醉，齐歌空复情

Lu wine cannot make me drunk;
Qi songs, in vain, stir feeling.

鲁酒不可醉，齐歌空复情。

The Lu wine will not make me drunk; the Qi songs stir feeling, all in vain.

此二句是全诗写愁绪的核心，以鲁酒不可醉写鲁酒，以齐歌空复情写齐歌，写尽借酒难销的愁绪，是千古名句。「鲁酒不可醉」写鲁酒不可醉——那「鲁酒」写鲁酒，「不可醉」写不可醉，写尽借酒难销的愁绪；「齐歌空复情」写齐歌空复情——那「齐歌」写齐歌，「空复情」写空复情，写尽歌声的空叹。这句的深意在于：它以「鲁酒不可醉」的鲁酒与「齐歌空复情」的齐歌，写尽借酒难销的愁绪——鲁酒不可醉，那「鲁酒不可醉」写尽借酒难销的愁绪——鲁酒虽饮，不可沉醉，正是愁深难遣的写照，那「不可醉」写尽思念的愁绪；齐歌空复情，那「齐歌空复情」写尽歌声的空叹——齐歌虽闻，空自生情，正是歌而无益的写照，那「空复情」写尽思念的愁绪；那「鲁酒不可醉」写尽借酒难销的愁绪，那「齐歌空复情」写尽歌声的空叹，一写酒，一写歌，写尽借酒难销的愁绪——酒不可醉而歌空生情，正是思念难遣的写照；此二句以鲁酒、齐歌写尽借酒难销的愁绪，也为后二句的思念作铺垫，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「我喝不醉很烦」，则失其雅致；唯以「鲁酒不可醉」写鲁酒、「齐歌空复情」写齐歌，写尽借酒难销的愁绪，也让此二句成为全诗写愁绪的核心。

The two lines are the core of the poem's sorrow, writing the Lu wine through the Lu wine will not make me drunk and the Qi song through the Qi songs stir feeling, all in vain, exhausting the sorrow the wine cannot dispel, an immortal line. The Lu wine will not make me drunk is precisely the picture of the deep grief the wine cannot cure; the Qi songs stir feeling, all in vain precisely the picture of the song's uselessness. One writes the wine, one the song, exhausting the sorrow. Were it said plainly I can't get drunk and I am annoyed, the elegance would be lost; only through the Lu wine and the Qi song is the wine-cured sorrow exhausted, preparing the two lines of longing below and making the lines the core of the poem.

Study

Word focus

空 Kong ('in vain, empty'): it means the Qi songs stir feeling to no avail. The word marks that even song cannot reach the friend, deepening the loneliness. 「齐歌空复情」之「空」字是写愁绪的关键词，一个「空」字写尽歌声的空叹。空者，徒然、白白也。李白以「齐歌空复情」写愁绪，这个「空」字至少有双重意味：其一，写歌之空——那「齐歌空复情」写齐歌空复情，那「空」字写尽歌声的徒然——齐歌虽闻，空自生情，正是歌而无益的写照，那「空」字写尽思念的愁绪；其二，写情之虚——那「空」字更是写虚——空复情，正见情思的落空，那「空」字写尽怀友的怅惘。以「空」字写愁绪，正是李白写思念的枢纽——若换作「徒」「白」等字，则或失其与「齐歌」「复情」的配合，或失其写空的意味；唯「空」字，以齐歌空复情写尽歌声的徒然与情思的落空，与「鲁酒不可醉」的不可醉相合，写尽借酒难销的愁绪，也让「齐歌空复情」成为全诗写愁绪的名句。

浩荡 Haodang ('vast, surging'): it describes the Wen River's boundless flow. The word makes the poet's affection as wide and unceasing as the stream. 「浩荡寄南征」之「浩荡」是写思念的关键词，一个「浩荡」写尽思念的绵长。浩荡者，水势盛大、绵延无尽也。李白以「浩荡寄南征」写思念，这个「浩荡」至少有双重意味：其一，写水之势——那「浩荡寄南征」写浩荡寄南征，那「浩荡」写尽汶水的盛大——浩荡汶水，南流而去，正是水势的写照，那「浩荡」写尽思念的绵长；其二，写思之深——那「浩荡」更是写深——浩荡，正见思念之深厚，那「浩荡」写尽对杜甫的思念。以「浩荡」写思念，正是李白写怀友的枢纽——若换作「绵长」「滚滚」等词，则或失其与「寄南征」的配合，或失其写浩荡的意味；唯「浩荡」二字，以浩荡寄南征写尽汶水的盛大与思念的深厚，与「思君若汶水」的若汶水相合，写尽对杜甫的思念，也让「浩荡寄南征」成为全诗写思念的名句。