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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

送客入洛

Seeing a Guest Off to Luoyang

张方平

Zhang Fangping

送别Farewell 边塞Frontier 愁思Melancholy 哲理Philosophy

高歌弹铗酒盈钟，壮士何须叹道穷。
客路岁阑天又雪，旗亭醉别气如虹。
骥腾夷路思良御，帆破长波待便风。
今子方为采兰役，未宜去揖紫芝翁。

Loudly singing, strumming my sword, wine brims the cup;
Why should a brave man sigh that the road is exhausted?
On the traveler's road the year ends, the sky adds snow;
Drunk at the pavilion we part, our spirit like a rainbow.
A steed on the even road longs for a good driver;
A sail that breaks the long waves awaits a fair wind.
Now, sir, you are just undertaking the service of gathering orchids;
Not yet should you go and salute the Old Man of Purple Mushrooms.

Listen

Meaning

A heroic farewell: the poet urges the departing guest not to lament life's hardships, but to wait for the right time and achieve merit, rather than retreating into reclusion.

高歌弹铗、酒满金钟，壮士何必叹路穷。客路岁暮天又降雪，旗亭醉别意气如虹。骥马驰于平途而思良御，征帆破长波而待顺风。今君正为采兰之役远行，未宜便去揖紫芝翁而隐。

Appreciation

The poem opens with a forceful, defiant tone: the guest is a 'brave man' who should not sigh over a blocked path. The middle couplets balance vivid departure imagery with philosophical counsel, using the steed and sail as metaphors for awaiting opportunity. The closing couplet advises against premature retirement, contrasting the active duty of 'gathering orchids' with the reclusive 'Old Man of Purple Mushrooms.' The poem is characterized by masculine vigor, antithetical craft, and a rational, encouraging spirit.

【白话串讲】张方平送客入洛阳：“高歌弹铗酒盈钟，壮士何须叹道穷”——壮士何必叹穷。“客路岁阑天又雪，旗亭醉别气如虹”——“今子方为采兰役，未宜去揖紫芝翁”——他劝朋友别急着归隐。【意象与手法】通篇以壮语送别，用弹铗、旗亭、骥、帆等意象，对仗工稳，「气如虹」以虹喻气，豪迈爽利。【情感与主旨】慰勉远行之人，肯定其壮心，劝其乘时立功，不宜早隐，情调昂扬而不衰飒。【名句点睛】「旗亭醉别气如虹」一句，以醉别之景写壮士之气，豪迈淋漓，为全篇精神所聚。

Background

Zhang Fangping served three Song emperors and was deeply familiar with the dilemmas facing scholar-officials. Luoyang, as the Western Capital, was a place of both leisure and waiting for appointment—a liminal space between service and retirement. This poem sends off a friend or junior who is heading to Luoyang for official affairs. The poet reverses traditional 'poor road' laments and 'hermit' tropes to urge the traveler not to retreat, but to seize his moment and act.

张方平集中送别诗甚多，此首送客入洛，当为送某位友人（或幕僚、后辈）赴洛阳就任或行役之作。北宋洛阳为西京，文臣多于此居闲或任职，入洛亦含「就闲」「待时而起」的双重意味。张方平本人历仕三朝，深知士人出处之际的艰难，故送别之作往往不作儿女沾巾之态，而多壮语慰勉，劝人保其壮心、待时而动。诗中「采兰役」用《诗经·小雅·采兰》燕饰之典，指君命所系之职事；「紫芝翁」用「紫芝歌」商山四皓隐居之典，指隐退。一仕一隐，正见宋人出处之间的典型张力。此诗即在此语境中，以昂扬之笔劝客勿遽隐，当乘时有为。洛阳自五代以来即为陪都，宋承之，置西京留守，宫阙苑囿犹存，号为「衣冠渊薮」。士人入洛，或为闲官、或为待阙，往往兼有「退居养望」与「待时而起」的双重意味，故宋人送客入洛，笔下常含出处之辨。此诗劝客「未宜去揖紫芝翁」，正因入洛非真隐之地，而是进可仕、退可守的中间地带，若遽然学商山四皓作「紫芝」之隐，反失其时。又，诗中「壮士何须叹道穷」的「道穷」，兼用《论语》「道之将行也与，命也」与阮籍途穷而哭两义，一则以命自解，一则以穷自警，方平反其意而用之，劝客不以穷自沮。明此数端，方知此诗看似壮语，实是张方平就洛阳之地、客之身份，量身而发的出处箴言。

Art

The poem is a seven-character regulated verse that relies on qi (spirit) rather than ornate diction. The first couplet boldly reverses the allusion of Feng Huan strumming his sword—turning a complaint into a heroic declaration. The second couplet uses cold winter imagery to set off the warm, rainbow-like spirit of the parting. The third couplet introduces philosophical counsel through vivid metaphors of steed and sail. The closing uses paired allusions of official duty and reclusion to conclude. The antithetical couplets are precise and meaningful, forming a complete structure of rise, development, turn, and conclusion.

此诗虽为七律，却以气胜而不以辞丽胜。首联「高歌弹铗酒盈钟，壮士何须叹道穷」劈空而起，用冯谖弹铗之典反其意而用之——冯谖弹铗是怨不知己，此处壮士弹铗是高歌恃才，故紧接「何须叹道穷」以振起，立意已别于寻常叹穷之作。颔联「客路岁阑天又雪，旗亭醉别气如虹」以景衬情，雪天旗亭、醉中作别，而「气如虹」三字将离愁翻作豪情，意象疏朗。颈联「骥腾夷路思良御，帆破长波待便风」以骥、帆为比，言虽得坦途、遇长波，仍须良御、便风，暗劝客善借时机，对仗精切而理致深长。尾联点题收束。通篇以壮语运对仗，气脉畅达，是宋人「以意胜」送别诗的一例。细按章法，四联各有其职：首联破题，以反用弹铗之典立「壮别」之旨；颔联写景，以雪天旗亭之冷写醉别之热，是「以冷衬热」；颈联转议，以骥、帆二喻劝客待时，是「以物喻理」；尾联合题，以采兰、紫芝的仕隐对照收束，是「以典作结」。四联一破、一写、一转、一收，起承转合井然。其对仗尤可称者，在颔联「客路岁阑天又雪」对「旗亭醉别气如虹」：上句以客路、岁阑、天雪三事铺开行役之艰，下句以旗亭、醉别、气虹三事振起别离之豪，一抑一扬、一冷一热，张力顿生；颈联「骥腾夷路」对「帆破长波」，「思良御」对「待便风」，以动对动、以实对实，理致深长而不板。此等对仗，非徒字面之工，而在情理之相生。

Allusions

The poem draws on several allusions: 'strumming the sword' (Feng Huan's complaint to Mengchangjun, here reversed into heroic confidence); 'the road is exhausted' (Confucius on fate and Ruan Ji's weeping at the end of the road); 'flag pavilion' (wine shops, recall the famous 'flag pavilion painting the wall' story); 'gathering orchids' (from the Book of Songs, meaning official duties or serving one's parents); and the 'Old Man of Purple Mushrooms' (the Four Whiteheads of Shangshan, symbols of reclusion). By reversing the negative or reclusive meanings of these allusions, the poet turns traditional sorrow into positive, timely action.

一、弹铗：冯谖为孟尝君门客，弹铗而歌「长铗归来乎」，初为怨不遇，此诗反用其意，写壮士弹铗高歌、不以穷为叹，转怨为豪。二、道穷：《论语》「道之将行也与，命也；道之将废也与，命也」，又阮籍途穷之叹，此处言壮士不当效途穷之悲。三、旗亭：市楼酒肆，汉唐诗中多指饯别之地，如王之涣旗亭画壁故事，此处写醉别场景。四、采兰：《诗·小雅》有采兰之咏，后用以称君命所委的职事、或为养亲之仕，此指客所赴之役。五、紫芝翁：商山四皓隐居时歌「晔晔紫芝，可以疗饥」，紫芝翁即指隐者，尾联劝客未宜便作此翁，勿遽隐。诸典皆熟而不滥，服务于「壮行勿隐」之旨。诸典之中，反用、正用兼施，最见剪裁。冯谖弹铗，本写门客之怨，此诗反用为壮士之高歌恃才，一转而为豪；阮籍途穷，本写士之绝望，此诗以「何须」二字抹去其悲，再转而为壮；紫芝翁（商山四皓）本为高隐之典范，此诗却劝客「未宜」遽学，三转而为「待时」。一诗而三反用，皆把传统中偏于消极、避世的典故，翻作积极、有为的壮语，正是宋人「翻案」手法的娴熟运用。又，「旗亭」一典，暗带王之涣、王昌龄、高适「旗亭画壁」的风流韵事，用以写饯别，于豪迈外别添一层才士相期的雅趣；「采兰」出《诗·小雅》，本咏孝养，此借指君命之役，使「劝仕」有了「移孝作忠」的伦理底色。诸典环环相扣，共同托起「壮行勿隐」的主旨。

Commentary

This poem exemplifies the 'heroic farewell' subgenre in Zhang Fangping's work. Compared to his other farewell poems, such as 'Seeing Shi Manqing Off to the Capital,' it shares a spirit of encouraging timely success. But unlike his poem to Su Shi, which allows for retreat in a leisurely post, this poem insists on not retiring prematurely because the guest still has official duties. This contrast reveals Zhang's situational approach to advising friends. The poem balances Tang-style boldness with Song-dynasty rationality, making it a fine example of how Song scholar-officials transformed parting sentiments into philosophical counsel.

此诗在张方平送别诗中属「壮别」一格，与其多首送人赴阙、赴郡之作（如《送石曼卿赴阙》「功名本不与人期」、《送冀州李太傅》「谁道长城远，今观出上都」）气脉相通，皆劝人乘时立名、勿以困穷自沮。将本篇与《送苏学士钱塘监郡》「湖山胜处即为归」「且作阮公离是非」并观，可见张方平送别态度随对象而变：对欲隐者劝其仕、对赴闲郡者劝其适意，并非一味求进，而是因人之势而导之。宋人论张方平文「典雅」，诗则少专评，然此类壮别小诗最见其性情中「慷慨知兵、善谈天下事」的一面。其接受虽不广，却为研究北宋士大夫送别诗中「壮语慰勉」传统提供了真切样例，与唐诗「西出阳关」的凄婉一脉形成对照。将此诗置于宋人送别诗的谱系中看，其「壮别」一格实有渊源可寻：唐人边塞送别已多慷慨之音，如高适「莫愁前路无知己」的豪迈，然其豪多寄于边塞风物与功名之想；宋人壮别，则更重「出处」之辨与「待时」之智，是把唐人豪情内化为士大夫的出处哲学。方平此诗正居其间，既有「气如虹」的唐人式豪情，又有「思良御」「待便风」「未宜去揖紫芝翁」的宋人式理性，兼收并蓄。要之，此诗的价值，在于以七律的严整体格，承载宋人「壮而不疏、豪而有法」的送别理想；其劝客「乘时勿隐」，既是对友人的慰勉，亦是张方平自身出处观的诗化自白，与「紫芝」之隐、「采兰」之仕的对举，恰构成北宋士大夫精神世界中「仕隐张力」的微缩标本。

Prosody

Form Seven-character Regulated Verse (七言律诗)七言律诗

Rhyme Level-tone 'zhong' rhyme (钟, 穷, 虹, 风, 翁), one rhyme throughout; the open, sonorous rhyme suits the heroic mood.押平声钟韵（钟、穷、虹、风、翁），一韵到底，韵部开敞响亮，与壮别豪情相称，读来声气酣畅。

Tone pattern Standard tonal pattern of seven-character regulated verse; middle couplets are antithetical and tonally matched.七律正格，首联「仄平平仄仄平平，仄仄平平仄仄平」，中二联对仗，「客路岁阑天又雪，旗亭醉别气如虹」「骥腾夷路思良御，帆破长波待便风」平仄相俪、句式工稳。

Reading note The choice of a broad, resonant rhyme-class (钟韵) avoids a plaintive sound and matches the spirit of 'why sigh over a blocked road.' The second couplet's 'spirit like a rainbow' closes on a resounding level tone, while the third couplet's 'steed' and 'sail' images slow the pace with philosophical deliberation. Overall, the prosody follows the normal regulated-verse pattern, with a slight momentary deflection in the first line that adds rugged energy.此诗音韵服务于「壮别」而非「伤别」的基调，故择平声钟部宽韵，收音开阔、不宜凄切，正合「何须叹道穷」的昂藏之气。颔联「气如虹」以平声收韵，且「虹」字响亮，如裂帛收束上半之豪；颈联骥、帆二句以「御」「风」为眼，平仄交替中见规谏的沉着，与首联的奔放形成节奏上的张弛。全诗基本依七律正格，仅首句「高歌弹铗」平仄微拗而气势不堕，反添疏宕。对仗上中二联皆工，尤以「客路」对「旗亭」、「骥腾」对「帆破」空间转换自然。整体声情是：起联奔放、颔联豪畅、颈联沉实、尾联收束，声律随情志起伏而转，是宋人壮别诗「以气驭律」的寻常而稳妥的一例，与唐人《渭城曲》的婉转离声恰成两类。再就声情看，钟韵诸字「钟、穷、虹、风、翁」皆开口洪音，而「虹」「风」二字尤为响亮，使全诗在豪迈中不失流走之势，正合「壮别」之旨。

Line by line

高歌弹铗酒盈钟，壮士何须叹道穷。

Singing loudly and strumming the sword-hilt, with the wine-cup full—the hero's opening gesture is one of self-confidence, not complaint.

高歌弹铗酒满金钟，壮士何须叹路穷。

Singing loud, I strike the sword's tang, the wine cup brimming; why should a strong man sigh that the road has run out?

首联为全篇定调，以反用典故的豪语开篇。「弹铗」本冯谖怨不遇之典，此处壮士却「高歌」弹铗、酒「盈钟」在前，显是恃才而歌、非怨而叹；故下句「何须叹道穷」顺势振起，直斥途穷之悲为多余。这一反一正，立刻将送别诗从传统的伤离叹穷中拔出，换作昂扬壮色。张方平身为三朝老臣，深谙士人困顿之常，却偏以「何须」二字斩钉截铁，既慰客亦自明其处世态度——穷达有命，壮心不可销。两句以七言直叙，不假雕饰而气势自出，已预示后文「气如虹」的豪宕，是宋人「以意为主、不为浮哀」送别观的典型起手。

The opening couplet fixes the poem's key, rising on a bold reversal of an allusion. Striking the sword's tang is originally Feng Xuan's complaint of not being recognized; here the strong man strikes it while singing loud, with a brimming wine cup before him, clearly singing on his talent, not sighing in resentment. Hence the second line rises in turn: why should a strong man sigh that the road has run out? directly rejecting the grief of the road's end as superfluous. This reversal and affirmation at once lifts the farewell poem out of the traditional grief of parting and the lament for the road, replacing it with an uplifted, bold color. Fangping, a minister of three reigns, knew well the common lot of scholars in hardship, yet he closes with the two words why should, at once comforting the guest and stating his own attitude - fortune's rise and fall are fated, but the stout heart cannot be spent. The two lines narrate straight in seven characters, no ornament, the air rising of itself, already foreshadowing the later spirit like a rainbow - the typical Song opening of a farewell view that prizes meaning over vain grief.

客路岁阑天又雪，旗亭醉别气如虹。

A brave man need not sigh that the road of life has come to an end; this line flips conventional despair into determined resolve.

旗亭醉别，意气如长虹。

The traveler's road at year's end, and snow again in the sky; parting drunk at the wine pavilion, our spirit is like a rainbow.

此句为全诗警策，以醉别之景写壮士之气，堪称一篇精神所聚。「旗亭」点饯别之地，「醉别」写情态，本易落入感伤，诗人却以「气如虹」三字陡转——虹为天际长弧，以喻人之意气贯天、不可屈抑，意象阔大而不纤弱。雪天岁暮、客路方启，而别者醉中意气如此，正与首联「何须叹道穷」呼应，将离愁彻底翻作豪情。炼字上「虹」字设色鲜亮，与「雪」「旗」之冷色形成冷暖对照，章法上此句为颔联之眼，下启颈联骥、帆之喻。一句而兼情景、照应、转折三用，是宋人壮别诗中难得的爽利之笔。

This line is the poem's alert stroke, writing the strong man's spirit in the scene of a drunken farewell, the gathering of the piece's spirit. The wine pavilion names the place of the farewell; parting drunk writes the mood, which easily falls into sentiment, yet the poet turns abruptly with the three words spirit like a rainbow - a rainbow is the long arc across the sky, used to write the will piercing heaven, unyielding, the image broad not frail. Snowy day, year's end, the road just opening, yet the parting man's drunken spirit is so, echoing the opening's why should a strong man sigh, turning the parting feeling entirely into boldness. In worked diction the word rainbow sets a bright color, forming a warm-cold contrast with the cold colors of snow and pavilion; structurally this line is the eye of the jaw couplet, opening the neck couplet's metaphors of steed and sail. One line carrying scene, echo and turn, a rare crisp stroke in the Song bold-farewell poem.

骥腾夷路思良御，帆破长波待便风。

On the traveler's road, as the year draws to a close, the sky adds yet more snow—harsh circumstances heighten the challenge of departure.

骥驰坦途而思良御，帆破长波而待顺风。

The thoroughbred gallops the level road, thinking of a fine driver; the sail bursts the long waves, waiting for a favoring wind.

颈联承「气如虹」而来，由豪情转入劝勉之理，是诗中最为沉着的一联。「骥腾夷路」写良马驰于平坦大道，喻客之行途顺遂；「思良御」则提醒：即便坦途，仍须良御者驾驭，暗劝客善自持守、借势而行。「帆破长波待便风」同理，征帆欲破巨浪，终待顺风之助，喻建功须遇时机。二句以骥、帆为比，对仗精切，理致深长，将首联的壮语落实为具体的处世之诫——壮心须配以识时与自控。置于送别语境，这比空言「勉哉」更有分量，亦见张方平作为长者、谋国者的务实眼光，使全诗豪而不疏、壮而有法。

The neck couplet follows spirit like a rainbow, moving from boldness to the reason of encouragement, the most steady couplet in the poem. The thoroughbred gallops the level road writes the fine horse racing on the flat highway, metaphor for the smooth road of the guest's journey; thinking of a fine driver then reminds: even on a level road, a fine driver is needed, secretly urging the guest to govern himself well and ride the occasion. The sail bursts the long waves, waiting for a favoring wind follows the same logic: the traveling sail, to burst the great waves, finally waits for the help of a favoring wind, metaphor that building merit requires meeting its time. The two lines use steed and sail as analogies, the parallel precise, the reason deep, grounding the opening's bold words into a concrete precept for living - a stout heart must be paired with knowing the time and self-control. Placed in a farewell context, this carries more weight than empty exhortation, and shows Fangping's practical eye as an elder and a statesman, making the whole poem bold without being loose, vigorous yet with method.

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Word focus

虹 A key expression in this poem; read it with the Chinese note below. 「虹」字在「旗亭醉别气如虹」中作比喻本体，以天际长弧喻离人之意气。其炼字之妙，首在设色与气象：雪天旗亭本属冷色清景，着一「虹」字顿生暖亮阔大之象，离愁于是翻为豪情。次在音声，「虹」为平声东韵，与「钟」「穷」「风」「翁」同部，读来响亮悠长，正宜承载「气」之绵延。又「气如虹」化用成语而自然，不露堆垛，较之「气冲斗牛」更为疏朗。一字居句尾而为韵脚，既押韵又立骨，使全联精神凝聚于此。张方平以台阁之笔写壮别，能于「虹」字见胸次，足证其诗非尽典重，亦有爽利一路。

御 A key expression in this poem; read it with the Chinese note below. 「御」在「骥腾夷路思良御」中作名词，指驭手、御者。此字看似平常，却是颈联理致的关键：骥虽良、路虽夷，仍「思」良御，暗喻人才得势仍须善自驾驭、待贤主而骋。炼字之巧在反用「骥不称其力称其德」的传统——这里强调的不是骥之能，而是「御」之重要，把送别慰勉落到「识时、自控」的实处。对句「便风」与之相对，一御一风，皆外部条件，章法对称。且「御」为去声遇韵，置于平仄交替的第五字，使句式「仄平平仄仄」顿挫有致。一字而兼喻理、对仗、调声之用，是宋人「以意炼字」的细例证。

铗 A key expression in this poem; read it with the Chinese note below. 「铗」在首句「高歌弹铗酒盈钟」中指剑柄，典出冯谖弹铗。张方平于此反用其意：冯谖弹铗是怨主不知、求鱼求车；此处壮士弹铗却是「高歌」、酒「盈钟」，是恃才而歌而非怨穷。一字之反用，奠定全篇「壮别不叹穷」的基调。「铗」本冷硬之物，配「高歌」「酒盈钟」的温热场面，刚柔相济，既见侠气又见酒兴。且「铗」为入声叶韵之字（此处不与韵脚同部，仅作句中实字），读音短促清锐，恰如剑鸣，与「高歌」之声相映。以「铗」起篇，先声夺人，使读者未读下句已感其豪，是用典炼字兼到的起手法。

钟 A key expression in this poem; read it with the Chinese note below. 「钟」在「高歌弹铗酒盈钟」中指古代盛酒之器，与「酒盈」相连，写饯别之际酒满金钟、豪饮高歌之状。此字是首联壮别场景的物象支点：弹铗、高歌、酒盈钟，三个动作层层递出，而「钟」以实器收束视觉，使豪情落于可触之景。炼字之妙在「盈」与「钟」呼应——酒既盈则饮兴酣，恰衬「何须叹道穷」的昂藏；且「钟」为平声钟韵，与全诗韵脚同部，读来响亮，与壮别需要的酣畅声情相称。更深层看，钟本礼乐之器，移用于旗亭醉别，显出宋人壮别不以凄婉为尚、而以饮馔之热写意气之豪的特殊格调，一字而兼写物、写态、押韵三用。