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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

水槛遣心二首·其一

By the Water Rail, Easing the Heart, No. 1 of Two (Shui Jian Qian Xin Er Shou Qi Yi)

杜甫

Du Fu

田园Pastoral 写景Scene Description

去郭轩楹敞，无村眺望赊。
澄江平少岸，幽树晚多花。
细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜。
城中十万户，此地两三家。

Far from the city, the porch is open and wide;
with no village, the view reaches far.
The clear river lies flat, its banks scarce seen;
in the dim trees, late, many flowers.
Fine rain—fish leap forth;
light wind—swallows slant.
In the city, a hundred thousand households;
here, only two or three homes.

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Meaning

Written at his Chengdu cottage, Du Fu describes the open water-rail porch and the far, unbroken view. A flat clear river, late flowers in dim trees, fish leaping in fine rain and swallows slanting in light wind fill the scene with quiet life. The closing contrast with the city's hundred thousand homes seals the retreat's peace.

去郭轩楹敞，无村眺望赊。澄江平少岸，幽树晚多花。细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜。城中十万户，此地两三家。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Away from the city the porch stands open; with no village the gaze stretches far. The clear river is flat, banks barely seen; in the secluded trees, late, many blossoms. Fine rain—fish come out; light wind—swallows slant. In the city a hundred thousand homes; here, two or three. [Structure] The first couplet opens the wide, far view; the second paints river and trees; the third catches fine, living detail; the fourth closes on the city-versus-retreat contrast. [Imagery] 'Open porch' and 'far view' state ease; 'fish leap in rain, swallows slant in wind' are minute, joyful observations; 'hundred thousand / two or three' caps the calm with measure. The poem is 'fresh and bright' (qingxin mingli): a retired Du Fu at his most light, seeing small things with love.

【白话串讲】杜甫写《水槛遣心二首·其一》：“去郭轩楹敞，无村眺望赊”——“澄江平少岸，幽树晚多花”——“细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜”——“城中十万户，此地两三家”——细雨里鱼儿浮出，微风中燕子斜飞——他写水槛的闲适。【意象与手法】此诗写水槛眺望的景色，以写景写闲适，是杜甫的名篇。前四句写眺望：「去郭轩楹敞，无村眺望赊」写去郭轩楹敞、无村眺望赊，「澄江平少岸，幽树晚多花」写澄江平少岸、幽树晚多花——写尽水槛眺望的开阔；后四句写细景：「细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜」写细雨鱼儿出、微风燕子斜，「城中十万户，此地两三家」写城中十万户、此地两三家——写尽水槛的细景与幽静。全诗以写景写闲适，写尽水槛眺望的景色，是杜甫的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写水槛眺望的景色，以写景写闲适，是杜甫的名篇。此诗是杜甫《水槛遣心二首》组诗之一，作于唐肃宗上元二年（761），杜甫居成都浣花草堂时。水槛是草堂水亭边的栏杆（水槛）。此诗写眺望：去郭轩楹敞，无村眺望赊——写去郭轩楹敞、无村眺望赊，写尽水槛的敞朗；澄江平少岸，幽树晚多花——写澄江平少岸、幽树晚多花，写尽眺望的江景；细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜——写细雨鱼儿出、微风燕子斜，写尽雨中的细景；城中十万户，此地两三家——写城中十万户、此地两三家，写尽水槛的幽静。全诗以写景写闲适——那「细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜」写尽雨中的生机，「城中十万户，此地两三家」写尽水槛的幽静，写尽水槛眺望的景色，是理解杜甫草堂诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「澄江平少岸，幽树晚多花」写眺望的江景；「细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜」写雨中的生机；「城中十万户，此地两三家」写水槛的幽静；以及全诗以写景写闲适、以细景写生机的手法。

Background

Du Fu wrote this, the first of 'By the Water Rail', in 761 at his Chengdu thatched cottage, after the upheavals of the An Lushan Rebellion had driven him southwest. The 'water rail' (shuijian) was the rail by the cottage's waterside pavilion. Settled at last, he produced a run of calm, observational lyrics. This quatrain shows the gentler face of the 'Sage of Poetry'—not the tragic public voice but a private delight in river, rain, and swallow, finding peace in a few households against the city's throng.

此诗写水槛眺望的景色，以写景写闲适，是杜甫的名篇。杜甫（712—770），字子美，巩县（今河南巩义）人，唐代伟大的现实主义诗人，人称「诗圣」。此诗是杜甫《水槛遣心二首》组诗之一，作于唐肃宗上元二年（761），杜甫居成都浣花草堂时。水槛是草堂水亭边凭水眺望的栏杆。安史之乱中，杜甫漂泊至成都，得草堂安居，写下不少闲适诗。此诗写眺望：「去郭轩楹敞，无村眺望赊」写去郭轩楹敞、无村眺望赊——写尽水槛的敞朗（远离城郭，轩楹敞朗）；「澄江平少岸，幽树晚多花」写澄江平少岸、幽树晚多花——写尽眺望的江景（澄江平阔，幽树多花）；「细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜」写细雨鱼儿出、微风燕子斜——写尽雨中的细景（细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜，观察入微）；「城中十万户，此地两三家」写城中十万户、此地两三家——写尽水槛的幽静（与城中的繁华相对）。全诗以写景写闲适，写尽水槛眺望的景色，是理解杜甫草堂诗的重要篇章。

Art

The art unfolds in four moves. First, openness-for-ease: 'far from the city, the porch is open; no village, the view reaches far' states retreat through wide, unbroken space. Second, parallelism-for-scene: 'clear river flat, banks scarce seen' against 'dim trees, late, many flowers' balances water and wood, near and far. Third, fine detail-for-life: 'fine rain—fish leap forth; light wind—swallows slant' catches the smallest living motion with loving eye. Fourth, contrast-for-peace: 'city's hundred thousand homes; here, two or three' opposes throng to retreat, sealing the calm. The poem moves far-to-near-to-minute-to-contrast; its 'fresh and bright' (qingxin mingli) manner shows Du Fu's gentle, observant side.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以写景写敞朗。首联「去郭轩楹敞，无村眺望赊」以写景写敞朗——那「轩楹敞」写尽轩楹的敞朗、「眺望赊」写尽眺望的远阔，以写景写尽水槛的敞朗。其二，以对仗写江景。颔联「澄江平少岸，幽树晚多花」以对仗写江景——那「澄江平」对「幽树晚」、「少岸」对「多花」，以对仗写尽眺望的江景。其三，以细写生机。颈联「细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜」以细写生机——那「细雨鱼儿出」写尽细雨中的鱼跃、「微风燕子斜」写尽微风中的燕斜，以细节写尽雨中的生机。其四，以对照写幽静。尾联「城中十万户，此地两三家」以对照写幽静——那「十万户」与「两三家」相对照，写尽水槛的幽静。四重手法，使此诗以写景写闲适，写尽水槛眺望的景色，是杜甫的代表作。再从章法看，此诗由远而近、由大而细、由景而意，层层收束：首联写轩楹敞朗、眺望远阔，是登槛之总览；颔联写澄江幽树，是远眺之近景；颈联写细雨微风中的鱼燕，是近处之细察；尾联以城中十万户与此地两三家相对，收束于水槛之幽静与杜甫遣心之乐。由远而近、由大而细，正是律诗「起承转合」的典范，也使全诗于写景之中自然流出闲适之意。

Allusions

'Far from the city' and 'open porch' echo the recluse's removed dwelling; 'no village' widens the view as in Xie Tiao's 'clear river, still as a sash'. 'Clear river flat, banks scarce seen' recalls Xie Tiao's 'clear river, calm as practiced silk'. 'Dim trees, late flowers' is a quiet seasonal touch; 'fine rain, fish leap' and 'light wind, swallows slant' are Du Fu's own famous minutiae of observation. 'Hundred thousand households' names the teeming capital (Chengdu), set against 'two or three homes' of the retreat. Du Fu bends these plain tokens to a serene, watchful pastoral.

此诗的用语深植于写景与闲适的传统。「去郭轩楹敞」令人想到「去郭」写远离城郭的意象，也令人想到「轩楹敞」写轩楹敞朗的意象；「无村眺望赊」令人想到「眺望赊」写眺望远阔的意象——「赊」写远，也令人想到「无村」写无村遮挡的意象；「澄江平少岸」令人想到「澄江」写澄澈江水的意象——「澄江静如练」（谢朓），也令人想到「平少岸」写江平岸少的意象；「幽树晚多花」令人想到「幽树」写幽静之树的意象，也令人想到「晚多花」写傍晚多花的意象；「细雨鱼儿出」令人想到「细雨」写细雨的意象——「细雨鱼儿出」正是杜甫的名句，也令人想到「鱼儿出」写鱼儿跃出水面的意象——细雨鱼儿出，观察入微；「微风燕子斜」令人想到「微风」写微风的意象——「微风燕子斜」正是杜甫的名句，也令人想到「燕子斜」写燕子斜飞的意象；「城中十万户」令人想到「十万户」写城中户数之多的意象——成都十万户，也令人想到「城中」写城中的意象；「此地两三家」令人想到「两三家」写两三户人家的意象——「此地两三家」写水槛之幽，也令人想到「此地」写此地的意象。全诗化用澄江、细雨、微风、十万户的意象，以写景写闲适，正是杜甫「沉郁顿挫」而兼善清丽、承写景传统写闲适的本领。

Commentary

The poem is a celebrated Du Fu cottage lyric and a model Tang treatment of fine rain scene. Qing critics called it 'scene through description, fresh and bright'. Modern readers prize 'fine rain—fish leap forth; light wind—swallows slant' and 'city's hundred thousand; here, two or three' as its famous lines. With his 'Walking Alone Seeking Flowers' ('thousand blossoms bend the boughs') it forms a paired cottage reading—one flowers, one rain. For today's reader it opens Du Fu's Chengdu peace, where a slanting swallow still carries his gentlest eye.

此诗历来被推为杜甫草堂写景诗的名篇，也是唐人写雨中细景的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以写景写闲适，清新明丽」；近人更指出「细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜」写雨中的生机，「城中十万户，此地两三家」写水槛的幽静，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以八句的律诗写尽水槛眺望的景色——那敞朗的轩楹，那远阔的眺望，那平少岸的澄江，那晚多花的幽树，那细雨中出的鱼儿，那微风中斜的燕子，那十万户的城中，那两三家的此地，都写尽了杜甫水槛眺望的景色；那「细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜」更写尽雨中细景的生机。此诗与杜甫《江畔独步寻花》（「黄四娘家花满蹊」）同为草堂闲适诗，一写「千朵万朵压枝低」的花（江畔独步寻花），一写「细雨鱼儿出」的雨（水槛遣心）；又与谢朓「澄江静如练」的写景传统一脉相承，可见杜甫写景的清新明丽。对于今日读者，此诗是理解杜甫草堂诗的窗口，也是中国诗写雨中细景的经典——那微风中的燕子，穿越千年，仍在诉说着杜甫的闲适。

Prosody

Form Five-character regulated verse (Wuyan Lüshi, 五言律诗)诗·五言律诗

Rhyme Rhymes on the 'ma' vowels (sha, hua, xia, jia) in the level tone, one rhyme throughout, with neat antithesis.五律，押「赊」「花」「斜」「家」韵（下平六麻），一韵到底，对仗工整

Tone pattern A pentasyllabic regulated poem in level tone, single rhyme, tidy parallelism; its clear, bright music suits the light scene.此诗为五言律诗，押平声韵，一韵到底，对仗工整，音节清丽，正合闲适的清丽。

Reading note An eight-line wuyan lüshi: '去郭轩楹敞…此地两三家.' It rhymes throughout on the 'ma' category; the second and third couplets are neatly antithetical. The first couplet opens the wide view, the second paints river and trees, the third fine detail, the fourth the city-versus-retreat close. Read '澄江平少岸' with clear brightness and close '此地两三家' with quiet ease.此诗为五言律诗，八句四联——「去郭轩楹敞，无村眺望赊。澄江平少岸，幽树晚多花。细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜。城中十万户，此地两三家」，押「麻」韵（赊、花、斜、家），一韵到底。颔联「澄江平少岸，幽树晚多花」与颈联「细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜」对仗工整。全诗以写景写闲适：首联写敞朗（去郭轩楹敞，无村眺望赊），颔联写江景（澄江平少岸，幽树晚多花），颈联写细景（细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜），尾联写幽静（城中十万户，此地两三家）。诵读此诗，宜以清丽的语调读「澄江平少岸」的江景，以轻快的语调读「细雨鱼儿出」的细景，结句「此地两三家」要读得闲适而有余韵，方能传达出杜甫的清新明丽。杜甫律诗以「沉郁顿挫」著称，而此诗正见其清丽的一面，是其草堂闲适律诗的典范。

Line by line

细雨鱼儿出，微风燕子斜

Fine rain—fish leap forth;
light wind—swallows slant.

细雨之中鱼儿浮出水面，微风之中燕子斜飞。

In the fine rain, the fish rise; in the soft breeze, the swallows tilt.

此二句是全诗写细景的核心，以细雨鱼儿出写鱼，以微风燕子斜写燕，写尽雨中的生机，是千古名句。「细雨鱼儿出」写细雨之中鱼儿浮出水面——那「细雨」写细雨，「鱼儿出」写鱼儿浮出水面，写尽细雨中的鱼跃；「微风燕子斜」写微风之中燕子斜飞——那「微风」写微风，「燕子斜」写燕子斜飞，写尽微风中的燕飞。这句的深意在于：它以「细雨鱼儿出」的鱼儿出与「微风燕子斜」的燕子斜，写尽雨中的生机——细雨之中鱼儿浮出水面，那「细雨鱼儿出」写尽细雨中的鱼跃——细雨落入水面，鱼儿浮出水面，那「鱼儿出」写尽细雨中的生机（雨中水含氧，鱼儿浮出）；微风之中燕子斜飞，那「微风燕子斜」写尽微风中的燕飞——微风吹拂，燕子斜飞，那「燕子斜」写尽微风中的轻盈；那「细雨鱼儿出」写尽细雨中的鱼跃，那「微风燕子斜」写尽微风中的燕飞，一写鱼出，一写燕斜，写尽雨中的生机——细雨与微风，鱼儿出与燕子斜，正是水槛外细雨的生机盎然，那「出」「斜」二字写尽观察的入微；此二句以细雨鱼儿出、微风燕子斜写尽雨中的生机，也让此二句成为全诗写细景的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「下雨天鱼儿燕子很活跃」，则失其凝练；唯以「细雨鱼儿出」写鱼出、「微风燕子斜」写燕斜，写尽雨中的生机，也让此二句成为全诗写细景的核心。

The two lines are the core of the poem's fine scene, writing the fish through in the fine rain, the fish rise and the swallow through in the soft breeze, the swallows tilt, exhausting the rain's vitality, an immortal line. In the fine rain, the fish rise is precisely the picture of the rain-waters' fish; in the soft breeze, the swallows tilt precisely the picture of the breeze's swallows. One writes the rising fish, one the tilting swallow, exhausting the vitality. Were it said plainly the fish and swallows are active in the rain, the compression would be lost; only through the fish rising and the swallow tilting is the vitality exhausted, making the lines the core of the poem.

城中十万户，此地两三家

In the city, a hundred thousand households;
here, only two or three homes.

城中有十万户人家，此地只有两三家。

The city has a hundred thousand households; this place has but two or three.

此二句是全诗的收束，以十万户写城中，以两三家写此地，写尽水槛的幽静，是千古名句。「城中十万户」写城中有十万户人家——那「城中」写城中，「十万户」写十万户人家，写尽城中的繁华；「此地两三家」写此地只有两三家——那「此地」写此地（水槛），「两三家」写两三家，写尽水槛的幽静。这句的深意在于：它以「城中十万户」的十万户与「此地两三家」的两三家，写尽水槛的幽静——城中有十万户人家，那「城中十万户」写尽城中的繁华——成都城中，十万户人家，那「十万户」写尽城中的繁盛；此地只有两三家，那「此地两三家」写尽水槛的幽静——水槛之地，只有两三家，那「两三家」写尽水槛的幽静；那「城中十万户」写尽城中的繁华，那「此地两三家」写尽水槛的幽静，一写十万户，一写两三家，以对照写尽水槛的幽静——城中的十万户与此地的两三家相对照，正见水槛远离尘嚣的幽静，也正是杜甫「遣心」（排遣心怀）之处；此二句以十万户、两三家收束，写尽水槛的幽静，也让此二句成为全诗收束的千古名句。若换作直说「这里很安静」，则失其对照；唯以「城中十万户」写繁华、「此地两三家」写幽静，写尽水槛的幽静，也让此二句成为全诗的收束。

The two lines are the close of the poem, writing the city through the city has a hundred thousand households and the place through this place has but two or three, exhausting the quiet of the water terrace, an immortal line. The city has a hundred thousand households writes the Chengdu city's bustle; this place has but two or three writes the terrace's quiet. The deep meaning: the hundred thousand households and the two or three set in contrast, exhausting the terrace's quiet far from the dust — precisely Du Fu's place of unburdening his heart. Were it said plainly it is very quiet here, the contrast would be lost; only through the bustle and the quiet is the seclusion exhausted, making the lines the immortal close of the poem.

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Word focus

出 Chu ('come out, leap forth'): it shows fish rising to the surface in fine rain. The verb captures a tiny, lively moment with exact, loving observation. 「细雨鱼儿出」之「出」字是写生机的字眼，一个「出」字写尽细雨中的鱼跃。出者，浮出也。杜甫以「鱼儿出」写鱼，这个「出」字至少有双重意味：其一，写鱼跃之动——那「细雨鱼儿出」写细雨之中鱼儿浮出水面，那「出」字写尽鱼跃水面的动态——细雨入水，鱼儿浮出，那「出」字写尽细雨中的生机；其二，写观察之细——那「出」字更是写观察——鱼儿出，正是杜甫在细雨中的细察，那「出」字写尽观察的入微。以「出」字写鱼，正是杜甫写细景的枢纽——若换作「跃」「浮」等字，则或失其写鱼浮水面的贴切，或失其与「细雨」的配合；唯「出」字，以一字写尽细雨中的鱼跃与观察的入微，与「微风燕子斜」的斜相合，写尽雨中的生机，也让「细雨鱼儿出」成为全诗写细景的千古名句。

斜 Xie ('slant'): it describes swallows drifting at a slant in the light wind. The word conveys graceful, wind-borne motion and balances the fish in the parallel couplet. 「微风燕子斜」之「斜」字是写轻盈的字眼，一个「斜」字写尽微风中的燕飞。斜者，斜飞也。杜甫以「燕子斜」写燕，这个「斜」字至少有双重意味：其一，写燕飞之姿——那「微风燕子斜」写微风之中燕子斜飞，那「斜」字写尽燕子斜飞的姿态——微风吹拂，燕子斜飞，那「斜」字写尽燕子飞行的轻盈姿态；其二，写微风之助——那「斜」字更是写微风——燕子斜，正是因微风而斜，那「斜」字写尽微风的轻拂。以「斜」字写燕，正是杜甫写细景的枢纽——若换作「飞」「翔」等字，则或失其写燕子斜飞的姿态，或失其与「微风」的配合；唯「斜」字，以一字写尽微风中的燕飞与微风的轻拂，与「细雨鱼儿出」的出相合，写尽雨中的生机，也让「微风燕子斜」成为全诗写细景的千古名句。