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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

示儿

To My Son

陆游

Lu You

爱国Patriotic 临终Deathbed 悲愤Grief and indignation

死去元知万事空，但悲不见九州同。
王师北定中原日，家祭无忘告乃翁。

Death comes to all, I know all worldly things are vain.
Still I'm aggrieved that the lost land I can't see again.
When the royal army recovers the Central Plain,
Don't forget to tell me in the family sacrifice day.

Listen

Meaning

I have always known that after death all worldly affairs become empty. Yet I am deeply grieved that I cannot see the reunification of the whole land. When the imperial army recovers the Central Plains, do not forget to tell me in the ancestral sacrifice.

我本来就知道，人死之后万事皆成空幻，只是满心悲恨，没能亲眼看见九州大地重归一统。待到朝廷大军北上收复中原的那一天，你们在家祭之时，千万别忘了把这个喜讯，禀告给你们的老父亲。

Appreciation

This is Lu You's final poem written at age eighty-five, just twenty-eight characters, a dying man's last words. The first line says death renders all things empty, seemingly broad-minded; but the second line turns abruptly, focusing solely on the regret of not seeing the unification—he can let go of everything except the broken land. The last two lines instruct his sons to tell him when the royal army recovers the north. No scenic description, pure argumentation, but the contrast between 'all empty' and 'only grief' builds the structure—personal life and death trivial, only national unfinished business is lifelong regret. The closing line 'do not forget to tell your father' in a household tone carries immense weight in plainness.

【白话串讲】这是陆游的绝笔，写给儿子的遗嘱：我死了什么都无所谓，只遗憾没看到国家统一，将来收复中原那天，记得在家祭时告诉我。一个八十五岁老人的最后心愿，让多少后人落泪。【意象与手法】诗仅二十八字，却以极平易语写极深挚情。首句“万事空”先作旷达之铺垫，次句“但悲”二字急转，一空一悲，张力顿生【情感与主旨】《示儿》作于南宋嘉定二年（1209，一作1210）陆游临终前，时年八十五【名句点睛】常考此诗作为临终绝笔所体现的至死不忘恢复的爱国深情，及“万事空”与“但悲”的强烈对比手法

Background

Written on Lu You's deathbed in the second year of Jiading (1209 or 1210) at age eighty-five. The Southern Song was entrenched in Lin'an, hopes of northern expedition dim, the Central Plains lost for over eighty years. Lu You devoted his life to recovering the lost territory, repeatedly sidelined yet unyielding. This poem is his final testament, not in a despondent tone but with hope for light, reflecting his magnanimous spirit.

陆游（一一二五—一二一〇），字务观，号放翁，越州山阴人，南宋最伟大的爱国诗人，存诗近万首，为历代之冠。《示儿》作于南宋嘉定二年（一二〇九，一作一二一〇）陆游临终之前，时年八十五。诗人一生以抗金恢复为志，自青年起即投身军幕，中年入蜀从戎，老而归隐山阴，恢复之念至死不渝。然终其一生，宋金以淮水为界，中原沦陷，九州未一。此诗为其绝笔，以遗嘱形式写给儿子，寻常家语而含家国血泪。就文学传统而言，临终遗言入诗自陶渊明《拟挽歌辞》、临终诗传统已然，至唐人多有绝笔之作；而将以死不忘恢复之志写入家常遗嘱，则陆游独绝。版本上，此诗异文甚少，元知一本作原知（元通原，宋人避嫌名常以元代原），今从通行本元知。乃翁之称亦见宋人口语之风。此诗虽仅二十八字，却凝缩了诗人一生的志向与时代的悲剧，是绝笔诗中分量最重者之一。此诗虽仅四句，却是陆游一生恢复之志的浓缩与总结；较之其九千余首诗作，尤具压卷之意，千载之下读之，犹见老臣未泯之丹心。

Art

Just twenty-eight characters, extremely plain language conveying profound emotion. The first line sets up broad-mindedness with 'all empty,' then 'only grief' sharply turns, creating tension. The last two lines shift from self to nation, from death to life, tying personal wish to national cause. The whole poem reads like an old man's speech, unadorned yet every word heartfelt, the ultimate expression of Lu You's 'grief and indignation making a poet,' and the most moving deathbed poem in Chinese poetry history.

此诗艺术之妙，在于以极平易之语写极深挚之情，于尺幅中见波澜。首句死去元知万事空，先作旷达之语，以万事空铺垫人生虚无；次句但悲不见九州同，以但悲二字急转，由空入悲，一空一悲，张力顿生。前两句以议论起，后两句王师北定中原日，家祭无忘告乃翁，由悲转盼，以未来之想象收束当下之遗憾。章法上，由死前之知，到死前之悲，再到死后之嘱，层层递进，于四句二十八字中完成一生志向的总结。修辞上，空与悲、死与生、不见与北定形成对照，不言恢复之难而言告祭之盼，举重若轻。语言如话，然字字从血泪中出，是放翁绝笔举重若轻的极致，亦见绝句「语愈浅而情愈深」的妙境。起以旷达、承以沉痛、转以期盼，四句之中起承转合俱全；以家常语写家国大事，举重若轻，是绝句语淡情浓最高之体现，亦见其炉火纯青。二十字而包孕一生，诚所谓言有尽而意无穷，绝句之极致者也。

Allusions

'Nine provinces' (九州) originates from the 'Tribute of Yu' in the Book of Documents, referring to the nine regions divided by Yu the Great, later denoting all of China; in the poem it symbolizes a unified nation. 'Royal army' (王师) is a respectful term for the imperial army, tracing back to the Book of Songs. 'Your father' (乃翁) uses '乃' as a respectful second-person pronoun. The poem uses no obscure allusions, but the classic image of 'nine provinces unified' condenses a lifetime's desire for restoration, handling a heavy theme lightly with profound meaning.

诗中意象与用字多有所本而能化俗为雅。九州本于《尚书·禹贡》以大禹治水分天下为九州之说，后泛指中国；同谓统一，不见九州同即未见国家重归一统，凝缩陆游一生恢复之念。王师出《诗经·大雅·常武》「王师啴啴」及历代以王师称朝廷军队之习，北定中原写收复失地，中原本指黄河中下游，此处代沦陷区。家祭承古代宗法社会祭祖之礼，示儿以家祭嘱告，既合遗嘱体裁，亦见宋人重祭祀之家风。乃翁为宋人口语，指「你们的父亲」，语近俚俗而情极恳切。元知之元通原，避宋始祖赵玄朗嫌名（玄改为元），是宋人文献常见用字习惯。全诗用典不着痕迹，化雅入俗，是大家化境。其以家常语承载家国大事，正是「圣人无常心，以百姓心为心」式的至诚流露。九州、王师、中原、凤池等词，皆根植于《尚书》《诗经》以来之华夏正统观念；用典于无形，使个人遗嘱升格为民族集体之记忆与呼唤。

Commentary

Lu You's deathbed poem, his lifelong desire for restoration unchanged to the end. Qing dynasty critic He Shang in Notes on Poetry from the Wine Boat said it 'writes straight from the heart, grief and anger overflowing beyond words.' Modern scholar Liang Qichao praised Lu You as 'an eternal man among men, one Fangweng.' This poem is the final stroke of his patriotic poetic soul, sorrowful yet bright. Twenty-eight characters amount to a grand eulogy for restoration.

此诗向来被誉为中国古代爱国诗的绝唱，亦陆游诗歌精神的集中体现。自南宋以来，评者多以「悲愤」「至诚」目之，清人赵翼《瓯北诗话》称放翁诗「言恢复者十之五六」，而此绝笔尤为其志之总结。近世因民族危机，此诗更被反复诵读，成为爱国主义教育的经典篇目，入选各级各类教材，传播之广罕有其匹。在经典地位上，它与杜甫「剑外忽传收蓟北」之喜、陆游自身《十一月四日风雨大作》「铁马冰河入梦来」之壮并峙，而独以临终遗嘱之体裁写恢复之志，将个人生死与家国命运打成一片。临终犹盼王师北定，千载而下，读之犹令人扼腕奋起。学者论陆诗，每首推此二十八字为压卷，良有以也。自南宋迄今，此诗屡于国步艰危时被诵起，成为凝聚民族精神之文本；其经典地位已超越文学本身，而深入文化认同与历史记忆之层面。它已不单是一首诗，更成为一种文化符号，承载着我民族的家国情怀与坚韧心魂。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (仄起首句入韵)诗（七言绝句）

Rhyme Rhymes: 空, 同, 翁 (level tone, rhyme group one of the upper level tones)押平声冬钟韵，同、翁同属东钟部（平水韵上平一东），一韵到底，声情沉稳恳切。

Tone pattern Regulated verse with deflected tone starting pattern; first line '死去元知万事空' deflected-level pattern; last two lines directly express in testament tone.七言绝句，首句死去元知万事空仄仄平平仄仄平，次句但悲不见九州同仄平仄仄仄平平，平仄合律，第三、四句亦协，属标准的仄起入韵体。

Reading note Deathbed poem, contrasting 'grief of not seeing' against 'all empty,' plain as speech yet patriotic sentiment weighs a thousand pounds; it is the crowning final piece of Southern Song patriotic poetry.《示儿》为七言绝句，体虽短小而包蕴极厚。章法上，前两句由议论起，一空一悲形成转折；后两句由嘱盼收，由死前之悲转入死后之望。押韵上，同、翁同属平声一东韵，一韵到底，声情沉稳而恳切，与遗嘱之庄重相协。平仄方面，首句仄仄平平仄仄平，次句仄平仄仄仄平平，合仄起入韵正格，第三句王师北定中原日平仄为平平仄仄平平仄，第四句家祭无忘告乃翁平仄仄仄平平仄仄平平，虽「北」「告」为入声、末句微拗，然一气呵成，不以格律害意。整体以绝句式短韵促写临终长情，是以声调助悲恸的典范，亦见放翁晚年诗律之老成。其韵稳而情沉，声与志俱远。

Line by line

死去元知万事空，但悲不见九州同。

I knew death empties all things, yet I'm grieved not to see the nine provinces reunited.

我本来就知道，人死之后万事皆成空幻，只是满心悲恨，没能亲眼看见九州大地重归一统。

I have always known that after death all things are empty; only this grief remains — not seeing the Nine Provinces united.

此句为全诗起笔，亦一生志事的凝缩。死去元知万事空先以旷达语铺垫，写人死则万事皆空之常理；次句但悲不见九州同以但悲二字急转，由空入悲，将全幅重量压在九州未同一事上。一空一悲，反差中见出诗人临终所系念者非个人生死，唯国家之未能统一。元知二字写出此理之早已通透，更显但悲之沉挚——明知万事空，却独悲此一端，是超越生死之执，亦是至死不渝之志。二十八字中，起句愈旷达，次句愈沉痛，张力十足，是绝句转捩的典范。

This line is the poem's opening, and a whole life's cause in distillation. I-have-always-known-that-after-death-all-things-are-empty first sets the groundwork in the detached tone, writing the common truth of death and all things' emptiness; the next line only-this-grief-remains-the-Nine-Provinces-united's but-grief two words' sudden turn, from emptiness to grief, pressing the full weight onto the one matter of the un-united land. One emptiness one grief, the contrast seeing that the dying poet's clinging is not the personal life-or-death, only the country's un-unification. The always-known two words writing this truth's long-understanding, the but-grief's depth the clearer — knowing full well all things empty, and yet grieving only this one end, the clinging that transcends life and death, and the vow unbroken to the last breath. Within twenty-eight characters, the opening the more detached, the next line the more grief-stricken, the tension full, the quatrain turn's model.

王师北定中原日，家祭无忘告乃翁。

On the day the royal army recovers the Central Plains, at family sacrifice do not forget to tell your father.

待到朝廷大军北上收复中原的那一天，你们在家祭之时，千万别忘了把这个喜讯，禀告给你们的老父亲。

On the day the royal army recovers the Central Plains, at your family sacrifice, do not forget to tell your old father.

此句为全诗收束，亦绝笔最动人之处。诗人不写死后之哀，而写死后之盼——盼王师北定中原，盼子孙于家祭时以捷报告慰乃翁。这一想象既是对恢复信念的至死坚持，亦是对当朝未能恢复的无声控诉：生前未见，唯寄望于死后。乃翁以口语自称，恳切如家常，而所托者乃国之大事，举重若轻，反更具撼人力。结句将个人遗嘱升华为民族之盼，千载之下，每逢家国多事，读之犹令人热血沸涌。其语虽俚，其志极壮，是爱国诗的不朽收束。

This line is the poem's close, and the dying words' most moving place. The poet not writing the after-death grief, and yet the after-death hope — hoping the royal army's northward recovery of the Central Plains, hoping the sons at the family sacrifice bring the good news to comfort the old father. This imagining at once the recovery-vow's unbroken insistence, and the silent accusation of the court's failure to recover: the pre-death not seen, only entrusting to the after-death. The old-father in the colloquial self-address, earnest like household speech, and yet the entrusted affair the country's great matter, the heavy-held-light the more the soul-striking force. The close elevating the personal testament into the nation's hope, through the ages, whenever the country in turmoil, reading it still makes the blood boil. Its words though vernacular, its will the most stirring, the patriotic poem's immortal close.

Study

Word focus

空 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 空字是首句立骨之字，写人死之后万事皆归虚无的常理。诗人以元知万事空作旷达铺垫，看似超脱，实则为次句但悲蓄势——正因明知万事皆空，却独独放不下九州未同，空字的反衬之力方显。一个空字，把个人生死的虚无与家国未统的实在拉开，使悲有了重量。它亦是全诗情感逻辑的起点：由空入悲、由悲转盼，空字统领前三字的从容，恰衬后三字但悲的沉痛。作为绝笔开篇，空字以最朴素的哲理托起最炽热的执念，是放翁炼虚字如炼实字的范例。

但 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 但字是首联转捩之眼。死去元知万事空本是全然放下之语，但悲二字以一但字急转，将全幅情感收束于不见九州同一端。但者，唯也、只也，写诗人临终所悲者别无他事，唯国家未统一而已。这个转折词以极小之字担极大之重，使前文之空与后文之悲形成强烈张力。它亦见出陆游一生志向的纯粹：万事可空，唯恢复不可空。但字在绝句转句中最为吃紧，此处用得斩钉截铁，是放翁炼虚字如炼实字的范例，亦见其至死不变之忱。

乃翁 your father 乃翁即「你们的父亲」，是宋人口语中长者自称之辞，语近俚俗而情极恳切。诗人以临终遗嘱呼儿子为乃翁，既合遗嘱体裁之亲切，又以家常口吻说家国大事，举重若轻。一个乃翁，把恢弘的恢复之志收束为父亲对子孙的叮咛，使宏大叙事落地为骨肉亲情，反更具撼人力。它亦暗含诗人以未竟之志相托后代的殷殷之意，是绝笔诗中「托孤」于国之奇笔，俗中见雅，淡中见血，是陆诗以家常语写至诚的极致。

示儿