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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

都下别友人

Farewell to a Friend in the Capital

张方平

Zhang Fangping

送别farewell 交游friendship

海内故人少，市楼新酒醇。
与君聊一醉，公袂此残春。
北道邢台路，东州泗水滨。
相期复何处，京洛旧风尘。

Few are old friends across the land; the market tavern's new wine is rich and mellow.
With you I'll share a passing cup, joining sleeves we part in this fading spring.
Northward lies the Xingtai road; eastward the shore of the Si River.
Where shall we next appoint to meet? In the old capital's dust of the world.

Listen

Meaning

The poet bids a hurried farewell to a longtime friend in the Song capital Bianjing. He laments that true old friends are few, yet treasures this chance reunion over new wine, before they part—the friend north to Xingtai, the poet east to the Si River. The closing line turns the question of their next meeting into a wistful memory of former companionship in the capital's dusty world.

海内故交日少，且喜市楼新酿的酒正醇。与君且共一醉，携手以此残春作别。你北去邢台的古道，我东行泗水之滨。他日相期又在何处，唯有京洛旧日的风尘。

Appreciation

The poem is built on a plain, sincere register that lets deep friendship speak without tears. Its structure moves from lament, to shared cups, to parting roads, to an open question—using parallel place-names and flowing couplets to open space rather than pour out feeling. The restraint and warmth mark it as a fine example of the Song manner of farewell poetry: understated yet substantial.

【白话串讲】张方平在京城送别朋友：“海内故人少，市楼新酒醇”。“与君聊一醉，公袂此残春”——“相期复何处，京洛旧风尘”——他写离别的怅惘。【意象与手法】此诗都下别友，章法以「慨—醉—分—期」为序。起联「故人少」「新酒醇」以慨其稀、以酒写聚；次联「聊一醉」「公袂残春」写即席之醉与即景之别；三联「邢台路」「泗水滨」以南北对写分途；结联「相期何处」「旧风尘」以问收束，归于京洛风尘之忆。通篇以平易语写深交，不着涕泪而别意自远。【情感与主旨】主旨在于写都下与故人匆匆一别，既慨海内故交之稀、相聚之珍，又写南北分途、后会难期之怅，末以「京洛旧风尘」收，暗含对往日交游的怀想与对世路风尘的感慨，是宋人别友诗中平实深厚一路。【名句点睛】「海内故人少，市楼新酒醇」一联最见平实，以故人稀反衬新酒醇、以稀贵写聚珍，是别前起笔的浑成之句。

Background

Zhang Fangping wrote 'Farewell to a Friend in the Capital' on the occasion of a sudden parting with an old acquaintance in Bianjing, the Song capital. In the Northern Song, the capital drew scholars from all quarters, yet among wide acquaintance few qualified as true 'old friends,' hence the opening line 'few are old friends across the land.' The poem likely records a chance meeting and immediate separation—the friend bound north for Xingtai, the poet east for the Si River—leaving little hope of reunion. Amid frequent official transfers, Song courtiers drifted like duckweed, and parting poems often dwell on the rarity of friends and the uncertainty of meeting again. A forthright minister, Fangping knew companions everywhere yet few kindred spirits; this poem captures both the cherishing of scarce friendship and the wistfulness of 'where to meet again.' To read it well, place it in the context of the capital's restless comings and goings, where true friends were hard to find and partings came without warning.

张方平此《都下别友人》，写于汴京（都下）与一位故人匆匆话别之际。北宋汴京为都城，士人四方辐辏，然交游虽广，真可为「故人」者实稀，故方平起笔即云「海内故人少」。此诗当作于其与友人偶聚旋别之时——或友人将赴邢台（北道）、己将之泗水（东州），南北分途，后会难期。北宋中期，士大夫迁转频繁，都下聚散如萍，别诗遂多写「故人稀」「后会难」。方平以直臣立朝，交游遍天下而知音难得，此诗正写这种「故人少」的珍重与「相期何处」的怅惘。读懂此诗，须置之于宋人都下士人聚散无常的交游背景中，方能体会那份平实深厚、不着涕泪的别情。北宋都城士人往来如织，而真故人难遘，方平起笔即慨「故人少」，其都下之别，非泛泛送行，乃知音偶聚旋散之悲，读之可想见当日朋僚聚散之无常与交情之珍。都下朋僚聚散，方平每形诸吟咏，此篇写故人之别，淡而有骨，足见其于交情之珍与世态之慨。

Art

This is a five-character regulated verse of eight lines governed by the line of a capital farewell, plain in structure yet deep in feeling. The opening couplet sets gathering against scarcity—old friends few, new wine mellow—turning rarity into treasure; the second writes the impromptu drink and the parting in fading spring; the third opposes north and east as diverging roads; the closing asks where they'll meet, ending in memory of the capital's old dust. Throughout, plain language conveys profound friendship, with flowing and place-name couplets that carry the farewell far without a tear—a model of the Song 'understated yet substantial' farewell.

此诗五言律格，四联八句，以都下别友为线，章法平易而深厚。「海内故人少，市楼新酒醇」起联以慨写聚，故人日稀、新酒正醇，以稀贵写聚珍，浑成自然；「与君聊一醉，公袂此残春」次联写即席之醉与即景之别，「聊一醉」见随缘，「公袂」写携手，残春设境，别意暗生；「北道邢台路，东州泗水滨」三联以南北对写分途，邢台在北、泗水在东，空间顿开，去住之判分明；「相期复何处，京洛旧风尘」结联以问收束，后会无期、唯忆京洛旧尘，怅惘不尽。通篇以平易语写深交，多用流水对与地名对，不着涕泪而别意自远，是宋人别友诗「平实深厚」一路的佳作，亦见方平疏畅诗风的本色。起以故人少、新酒醇对写聚之珍，中写一醉公袂、南北分途，结以相期何处、旧尘收束，平易中见深厚；多用流水对、地名对，不着力而自工，是宋人别诗平实一路的当行。其流水对如「一醉公袂分南北」，地名对如「邢台泗水」，皆不着力而自工，平易深厚，最是宋人别诗当行本色。

Allusions

The place-names and terms are all grounded. 'Across the land' (hainei) comes from Mencius, meaning 'all under heaven,' as in Wang Bo's 'within the seas are bosom friends'; Fangping inverts it to stress how rare such friends are. 'Market tower' (shilou) denotes a tavern, a Han institution later used for gathering and drinking; 'new wine mellow' fits a parting cup. 'Joining sleeves' (gongmei) means clasping hands, as ancients parted 'hand in hand' or 'with sleeves parting.' 'Xingtai' (Xing prefecture) and 'Si River' (from the Yu Gong) mark the friends' real north and east destinations. 'Capital and Luoyang' (jingluo) originally meant Luoyang, later any capital's dusty world; Fangping closes with it, hinting at former friendship in Bianjing. Allusions are exact, showing the Song habit of concrete, factual reference.

诗中地名与语汇皆有来历。「海内」出《孟子》「海内之地」，泛指天下，王勃「海内存知己」即用此；方平以「海内故人少」翻其意，写知己之稀。「市楼」本指市中酒楼，汉有「市楼」之设，唐宋诗词多以市楼写聚饮（如「市楼酒美」）；「新酒醇」写新酿之浓，切合别前小饮。「公袂」谓拱手携手，袂为衣袖，古人送别每「携手」「分袂」，方平以「公袂」写依依。「邢台」本邢州，在宋属河北西路，北道要冲；「泗水」出《禹贡》，在宋属京东，东州名川，二地分指南北去处。「京洛」本指洛阳（因曾为京都），后泛指都城风尘，方平以「京洛旧风尘」收束，暗指汴京往日交游之尘。诸名皆切实，见宋人别诗征实之习。海内翻王勃之语，市楼取汉世之制，邢台泗水皆实指地望，京洛泛指都下风尘，方平使事用典皆切送别之实，不务瑰奇，而情以实出，正见宋诗征实之长处。诗中王勃市楼邢台泗水京洛诸典，皆切送别之实，方平使事用典不务瑰奇，而情以实出，正见宋诗征实之长与炼典之慎。

Commentary

Though an ordinary farewell, the poem shows Fangping's understated depth. Tang farewells are lush and lingering—Wang Wei's 'drink another cup,' Li Qi's 'wanderer sings a parting song'; Fangping instead writes 'few old friends, new wine mellow,' treasuring the gathering in plain words, carrying the parting far without tears. This 'winning by plainness and substance' matches the Song taste for distance and real affection. The Qing anthology Song Poems in Manuscript calls Fangping 'clear and brisk'; his plainness here is pure craft. The close—'where to meet, old capital dust'—asks and remembers, going deeper than a flat 'no meeting.' A blunt minister known for honesty, he could still write so warmly, revealing his devoted friendship.

此诗虽为寻常别作，却颇可见方平别友诗之平实深厚。唐人别诗多深情绵邈，如王维「劝君更尽一杯酒」、李颀「朝闻游子唱离歌」；方平此诗则写「海内故人少，市楼新酒醇」，以故人稀反衬聚珍，以平易语写深交，不着涕泪而别意自远。这种「以平实深厚胜」的取向，正合宋人别诗「尚淡远、重交情之实」的趣味。清人《宋诗钞》称方平「疏畅明快」，此诗平易处最见功夫。其结「相期复何处，京洛旧风尘」，以问收束、以旧尘怀想，比直说「后会无期」更深一层——风尘虽旧，交情长新。方平以直臣名世，而诗能作此平实语，正见其性情中厚于交游的一面。此篇可视为北宋都下别友诗的代表，于研究宋人交游诗颇有价值。唐人别诗深情绵邈，方平此作以平实深厚胜，不写涕泪而别意自远；结以旧风尘怀想，风尘虽旧而交情长新，此种淡而弥永之致，最是宋调别友诗的可贵处。通篇淡而弥永，不写涕泪而别意自远，正宋调别友诗可贵之处，风尘虽旧而交情长新。

Prosody

Form Five-character regulated verse (lüshi)五言律诗

Rhyme Sustained in the level-tone Zhen rhyme; rhyme words chun, chun, bin, chen carry through one rhyme to the end, clear and bright.通押平声真韵，入韵字为醇、春、滨、尘，一韵到底，四联短制，真谆辙清越。

Tone pattern Follows the standard five-character lüshi level-oblique pattern; the middle two couplets are neatly antithetical.五言律诗依律调平仄，中二联「与君聊一醉，公袂此残春」「北道邢台路，东州泗水滨」对仗工整，平仄相侔。

Reading note This is a five-character regulated verse whose tone is clear and bright while its feeling is plain and substantial. The Zhen rhyme belongs to the open-mouth third grade of the Zhen group; its fine, liquid vowel is clear and far-carrying, best suited to the cherishing of friendship and the wistful uncertainty of a later meeting. Fangping casts the whole poem in Zhen—opening 'mellow' (chun), continuing 'spring' (chun), turning 'shore' (bin), closing 'dust' (chen)—four rhymes in sequence, even and pure in breath, read like one consoling a friend in warm tones, fitting his Song style that values distance and real affection. The middle couplets are paired: 'with you' versus 'joining sleeves' as pronoun against pronoun, 'north road' versus 'east prefecture' as place against place—neat yet expansive. A short lüshi must never sound rushed; this poem uses Zhen's clarity to sustain the parting feeling, with the opening 'few friends' and closing 'old dust' answering each other in sound and sentiment. Song minor poems prize resonance; here the rhyme is narrow but the meaning long—Zhen's clarity is precisely its stylistic outward form. The clear Zhen rhyme sounds like a warm, friendly consolation, answering the lament of old friends' gathering and parting; four even rhymes, unhurried in meaning; in a five-character octave writing farewell, one who attains this rhyme's clarity shows natural warmth.此诗五言律格，音韵清越而情致平实。真韵属臻摄开口三等，元音细润、音色清越，最宜写别友的珍重与后会难期的怅惘。方平以真韵笼全篇，起「醇」、承「春」、转「滨」、合「尘」，四韵相承，声气匀净，读来如慰友者语带温厚，恰与其尚淡远、重交情之实的宋调相称。中二联对仗，「与君」对「公袂」以人称对，「北道」对「东州」以地名对，工稳而旷远。律诗短章最忌气促，此诗以真韵的清越托住别情，首尾「故人少」之珍与「旧风尘」之忆，声情相应。宋人小诗重味，此篇韵窄而意长，真韵之清正是其体格外显。真韵清越，声如慰友温厚，与故人聚散之慨相发，四韵匀净而意不迫，五律短章写别情，得此韵之清者自见温醇。

Line by line

海内故人少，市楼新酒醇。

Old friends across the land are few, yet happily the market tavern's new brew is rich and mellow.

海内故交日少，且喜市楼新酿的酒正醇。

Old friends within the seas are few; at the market wine-booth the new brew is mellow.

起联以慨写聚，是全诗别前起笔。上句「海内故人少」翻王勃「海内存知己」之意，写天下知己日稀，一「少」字见珍重；下句「市楼新酒醇」以市楼新酿之醇写即聚之欢，以稀贵写聚珍。二句一慨一欢，以故人之稀反衬新酒之醇、以聚之难得写别之将临。此联之妙，在不写离愁先写聚珍——正因故人少，此聚方珍；正因聚珍，别方难。更可味者，「市楼」二字落于市井，不事雅饰，见宋人别诗之平实。起手即立「稀—珍」之反差，为后文「相期何处」的怅惘张本，是别前浑成之笔。

The opening writes the gathering in a sigh, the brush before the farewell. The first, old friends within the seas are few, reverses Wang Bo's within the seas lie those who know me, writing that those who understand me under heaven grow rare day by day; the single word few shows the treasuring. The second, at the market wine-booth the new brew is mellow, writes the joy of the present gathering in the mellow new brew of the market booth, writing the precious gathering in the rarity. The two lines, one sigh one joy, use the rarity of old friends to set off the mellow new wine, and the rarity of the gathering to write the coming parting. The couplet's beauty lies in not writing the grief of parting but first writing the preciousness of the gathering - precisely because old friends are few, this gathering is precious; precisely because the gathering is precious, the parting is hard. What is more to taste is that the words market booth fall in the marketplace, no elegant adornment, showing the plainness of Song farewell poems. The opening at once establishes the contrast of rare and precious, laying a ground for the later wistfulness of where shall we meet, the unforced brush before parting.

北道邢台路，东州泗水滨。

You go north by the Xingtai road; I travel east to the shore of the Si River.

你北去邢台的古道，我东行泗水之滨。

North, the road to Xingtai; east, the banks of the Si River.

此联以南北对写分途，是全诗空间展开之处。上句「北道邢台路」写友人北去邢州古道，下句「东州泗水滨」写己将东之泗水之滨，一北一东，去住判然。二句以地名对地名，邢台、泗水皆实指，空间顿开，把一场都下之别的去向写得具体可感。此联之重，在把抽象的「别」化为具体的「路」与「滨」——不止是心别，更是途分。更可味者，「北道」对「东州」、以「路」对「滨」，工稳而旷远，宋人别诗好用地名对，正见其征实之习。中二联处于由「醉」转入「期」的枢纽，以空间之远衬后会之难，章法映带。

This couplet writes the parting ways in the north and south, the place where the poem's space opens. The first, north, the road to Xingtai, writes the friend going north on the old road to Xingzhou. The second, east, the banks of the Si River, writes oneself going east to the banks of the Si; one north one east, going and staying clearly divided. The two lines pair place names with place names; Xingtai and Si River both point to real places, the space at once opening, writing the destination of this capital farewell concretely. The couplet's weight lies in turning the abstract parting into the concrete road and banks - not only a parting of hearts, but a dividing of ways. What is more to taste is that the northern road paired with the eastern region, road paired with banks, is steady yet far-reaching; Song farewell poems loved to pair place names, exactly showing their habit of the concrete. The middle two couplets stand at the hinge from drunkenness to expectation, setting the difficulty of a future meeting against the distance of space, the structure interwoven.

相期复何处，京洛旧风尘。

Where shall we agree to meet again? Only in the old capital's familiar dust of the world.

他日相期又在何处，唯有京洛旧日的风尘。

Where shall we meet again? Only the old dust of the capital and Luo.

结联以问收束，是全诗情感落点。上句「相期复何处」以平淡一问写后会之难期，问而不答，留白不尽；下句「京洛旧风尘」以「京洛」旧日风尘收束，暗指汴京往日交游之尘，把「何处相期」的答案，含蓄落于「旧日同游之地」。二句将前面所有故人稀、新酒醇、一醉、分途的铺写，收束为一问一忆，章法由放转收。此联之妙，在以「旧风尘」代「旧交游」，不言情而情自深——风尘虽旧，交情长新，较直说「忆旧游」更富余味。方平以直臣立朝，交游遍天下而知音稀，此处最见其厚于交游。全篇不着涕泪，而别意自远，此联收得最是宋调。

The closing gathers in a question, the landing of the poem's feeling. The first, where shall we meet again? writes the difficulty of expecting a future meeting in a plain question, asking without answering, leaving blank and unending. The second, only the old dust of the capital and Luo, closes with the old dust of the capital and Luo, secretly pointing to the dust of the former associations in Bianjing, landing the answer to where shall we meet implicitly on the place of former shared wanderings. The two lines gather all the preceding spread of few old friends, mellow new wine, one drunkenness, and parting ways into one question and one memory, the structure turning from release to gathering. The couplet's beauty lies in using the old dust to stand for the old associations, writing the feeling deep without speaking of it - the dust is old, yet the friendship is ever new, more full of aftertone than directly saying I recall our old wanderings. Fangping stood in court as an upright minister, his associations spread under heaven yet his understanding friends few; here most shows his depth in friendship. The whole poem carries no tears, yet the meaning of parting is of itself far; this couplet closes most in the Song tone.

Study

Word focus

故人少 'Old friends are few'—the poetic eye of the poem, setting its emotional key on the rarity of true friendship rather than on the parting itself. 「海内故人少」之「故人少」，是写交情的诗眼，亦全诗情感基调。故人者，旧交知己也；少者，稀也。方平以此三字起笔，不写别而先写稀，把一场都下之别的重量，落在「知己难得」上。此词之重，在翻王勃「海内存知己」——唐人言知己之在，宋人言知己之稀，正见时代交游之感的不同：唐尚阔达、宋重珍密。与下句「新酒醇」呼应：故人少，故聚珍；醇酒当前，更惜将别。一词而定全篇「稀—珍—别」的脉络，后文「相期何处」的怅，皆自此「少」字流出。宋诗尚淡，此「故人少」以常语写至情，最见省净。

公袂 'Joining sleeves'—clasping hands or linking sleeves at parting, here showing the warm, unhurried closeness of two friends sharing the fading spring. 「与君聊一醉，公袂此残春」之「公袂」，是写别态的诗眼。公袂本指拱手、携手（袂为衣袖），古人送别每「携手」「分袂」，方平以「公袂」写与友人依依携手、共对此残春。此词之妙，在把「别」写得不凄切而温厚——不是掩泣分袂，而是公袂同醉，见宋人别诗之平实深厚。与「聊一醉」呼应：醉以遣兴、袂以写依，一暂一久、一聚一别，张力全出。更可味者，「残春」设境，春残如聚短，暗逗别意而不说破。一词而勾出别前温厚之态，亦方平性情厚于交游的流露。结联「相期何处」正由此「公袂」之依一转而为怅，章法映带。

风尘 'Dust of the world'—the dusty travails of former capital life, used to evoke past companionship without stating feeling directly. 「京洛旧风尘」之「风尘」，是结联收束的诗眼，亦全诗怀想之象。风尘本指行旅之苦与世俗之扰，京洛（汴京）旧风尘，即往日都下交游的尘影。方平以此收束「相期复何处」之问，含蓄落于「旧日同游之地」——后会虽难期，旧尘长可忆。此词之重，在以「尘」代「交游」，不言情而情自深：风尘虽旧，交情长新，较直说「忆旧游」更富余味。与起联「故人少」呼应：故人稀而旧尘在，稀者难聚、尘者长存。更可味者，「旧」字吃紧，示往日之珍；「京洛」点都下，收束都下之别。一词而立全诗怀交之旨，是结句最得体之法。