All poems

唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

送沈子福之江东

Seeing Off Shen Zifu to Jiangdong

王维

Wang Wei

送别Farewell 相思Longing

杨柳渡头行客稀，罟师荡桨向临圻。
惟有相思似春色，江南江北送君归。

At the willow ferry few travelers remain; the boatman plies his oar toward Linqi.
Nothing but my longing is like the spring's colors, sending you home south and north of the river.

Listen

Meaning

At a quiet willow ferry the boatman rows the friend toward Linqi; the poet says only his longing is like spring itself, following the friend home on both banks. The simile turns a small parting into a vast, gentle accompaniment.

杨柳渡头行客稀，罟师荡桨向临圻。惟有相思似春色，江南江北送君归。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Few travelers at the willow ferry; the boatman rows to Linqi; only my longing is like spring, seeing you home north and south of the river. [Structure] Front couplet the real ferry scene; back couplet the metaphor of longing as spring. [Imagery] 'Willow ferry' sets the parting place; 'few travelers' stresses the lone send-off. The bold turn is 'longing like spring colors' spread over 'south and north of the river' - longing given the breadth of the season, an 'absurd yet apt' stroke.

【白话串讲】王维写《送沈子福之江东》：“杨柳渡头行客稀，罟师荡桨向临圻”——“惟有相思似春色，江南江北送君归”——他说我的相思像春色，江南江北一路送你——他写送别。【意象与手法】此诗写送别，以相思比春色，是王维的名篇。前二句写送别：「杨柳渡头行客稀，罟师荡桨向临圻」写杨柳渡头行客稀、罟师荡桨向临圻——写尽渡头送别的冷清；后二句写相思：「惟有相思似春色，江南江北送君归」写惟有相思似春色、江南江北送君归——写尽相思的绵长。全诗以相思比春色，写尽送别的深情与相思的绵长，是王维的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写送别，以相思比春色，是王维的名篇。沈子福，王维友人；江东，长江下游南岸一带。此诗写送沈子福归江东。此诗写送别：杨柳渡头行客稀，罟师荡桨向临圻——写杨柳渡头行客稀、罟师荡桨向临圻，写尽渡头送别的冷清；惟有相思似春色，江南江北送君归——写惟有相思似春色、江南江北送君归，写尽相思的绵长。全诗以相思比春色——那「杨柳渡头行客稀」写尽渡头送别的冷清，「江南江北送君归」写尽相思的绵长，写尽送别的深情与相思的绵长，是理解王维送别诗的重要篇章。还需联系盛唐送别诗的传统来看：盛唐送别多写壮阔之境（如「孤帆远影碧空尽」），王维此诗却以「杨柳渡头行客稀」的冷清起笔，将送别写得含蓄内敛，而「江南江北送君归」又赋予相思以弥天盖地的广度，正是盛唐送别诗由雄壮转含蓄的缩影。此诗与《送元二使安西》同为王维送别名篇，一写「西出阳关无故人」的苍凉，一写「江南江北送君归」的绵长，可见王维送别诗一刚一柔的两副笔墨。【名句点睛】常考「杨柳渡头行客稀，罟师荡桨向临圻」写渡头送别的冷清；「惟有相思似春色，江南江北送君归」写相思的绵长；以及全诗以相思比春色、以比喻写相思的手法。

Background

Wang Wei (701-761), the 'Poet Buddha' of Tang landscape poetry. Shen Zifu, a friend of little record, was going to Jiangdong (the south bank of the lower Yangzi); the poem was written one spring at a ferry. In his later half-recluse years Wang Wei's farewells show deep feeling beneath plainness. Rather than wine or clasped hands, he images his love as spring suffusing the whole river - elevating an ordinary ferry parting into a lasting memory of friendship, characteristically indirect yet tender.

此诗写送别，以相思比春色，是王维的名篇。王维（701—761），字摩诘，河东蒲州（今山西永济）人，唐代伟大的山水田园诗人，人称「诗佛」。沈子福是王维友人，生平不详；江东指长江下游南岸。此诗写送沈子福归江东，时当春日，渡头送别。「杨柳渡头行客稀，罟师荡桨向临圻」写杨柳渡头行客稀、罟师荡桨向临圻——写尽渡头送别的冷清（杨柳渡头行客稀少，罟师荡桨驶向临圻）；「惟有相思似春色，江南江北送君归」写惟有相思似春色、江南江北送君归——写尽相思的绵长（只有相思似春色，江南江北送君归）。全诗以相思比春色，写尽送别的深情与相思的绵长，是理解王维送别诗的重要篇章。还应从王维与友人的交谊看此诗：王维晚年半官半隐，其送别之作每于淡远中见深情。沈子福其人虽史传无考，但由「罟师荡桨向临圻」可见此行是乘舟南下，经长江入江东；诗人于渡头目送，直至船影渐远，遂生「江南江北送君归」之想。此诗将一次寻常的渡头送别，升华为对友情的永恒追忆，正是王维「淡而有味」的过人处——不写饯别之酒、不写执手之泣，只写相思如春色弥漫，可见其抒情之含蓄而深挚。

Art

The art works on four planes. First, scene as parting: 'willow ferry, few travelers' and 'boatman rows to Linqi' set the lonely send-off - willows being the parting tree, the sparse crowd meaning the poet alone sees him off. Second, metaphor as longing: 'longing like spring colors' figures love as the season. Third, space as depth: 'south and north of the river' spreads that love wide. Fourth, absurdity as devotion: comparing longing to spring seems unreasonable yet holds true feeling. Front lines are real, back lines metaphorical - scene into feeling, the standard 'parting from the scene' form. The phrase 'south and north' is especially artful: Jiangdong lies south of the river, yet the poet says longing covers both banks, so love is not one road but fills the whole land - spatial breadth for emotional depth, the very model of 'absurd yet wonderful.'

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以写景写送别。「杨柳渡头行客稀，罟师荡桨向临圻」以写景写送别——那「杨柳渡头」「行客稀」写尽渡头的冷清，以写景写尽送别的时分。尤须玩味「杨柳渡头」与「行客稀」的对照——杨柳本是依依惜别之物，而渡头行客稀少，正见送行者仅诗人一人，愈显离别的孤寂；「罟师荡桨向临圻」以「向临圻」点出去程，船向水岸远去，正是「渐行渐远」的实景，为后二句「送君归」张本。其二，以比喻写相思。「惟有相思似春色」以比喻写相思——那「似春色」写尽相思如春色，以比喻写尽相思的绵长。其三，以空间写深情。「江南江北送君归」以空间写深情——那「江南江北」写尽江南江北，以空间写尽相思的广泛。其四，以无理写痴情。全诗以相思比春色，看似无理而实含深情，以无理写尽相思的痴情。此外，此诗前二句写渡头送别的实景，后二句写相思的比喻，由实入虚，正是送别诗「即景抒情」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以相思比春色，写尽送别的深情与相思的绵长，是王维的代表作。

Allusions

The language rests on farewell and willow. 'Willow ferry' echoes 'in those days I went, willows supple' (Shi Jing, 'Cai Wei') and Wang Wei's own line. 'Boatman' recalls the fisher-father image. 'Linqi' is a waterside bank. 'Longing like spring' nods to 'spring colors trouble sleep' (Wang Anshi). 'South and north of the river' is a spatial contrast. The poem blends willow, spring, and river-banks into a metaphor of longing, Wang Wei's plain-natural, metaphor-loving, farewell-minded hand. The four characters 'south and north' show craft: love beyond one road, filling the land - breadth for depth.

此诗的用语深植于送别与杨柳的传统。「杨柳渡头」令人想到「杨柳」写杨柳的意象——「杨柳渡头行客稀」正是王维的名句，也令人想到「杨柳依依」的送别传统——《诗经·采薇》「昔我往矣，杨柳依依」；「罟师」令人想到「罟师」写渔夫的意象——「罟师荡桨向临圻」正是王维的名句，也令人想到「渔父」的意象；「临圻」令人想到「临圻」写水岸的意象——「临圻」即临水之岸，也令人想到「圻」写岸边曲处的意象；「相思似春色」令人想到「春色」写春色的意象——「惟有相思似春色」正是王维的名句，也令人想到「春色恼人眠不得」（王安石）的春色意象；「江南江北」令人想到「江南江北」写江南江北的意象——「江南江北送君归」正是王维的名句，也令人想到「江南江北」的空间对照。全诗化用杨柳、春色、江南江北的意象，以相思比春色，正是王维「平淡自然」而善比喻、承送别传统写相思的本领。又「江南江北」四字尤见匠心：江东在长江之南，而诗人偏说「江南江北」送君归，正见相思不限于江东一路，而是随春色弥漫于大江南北——以空间之广写相思之深，正是「无理而妙」的典范。

Commentary

Long a Wang Wei farewell classic, it won the Qing note 'longing like spring, natural and deep,' and modern praise for the spring simile as its line. Its worth is four lines holding the ferry's loneliness and love's breadth - the willows, the sparse travelers, the rowing boatman, the spring-like longing, the two banks. Set beside Li Bai's 'To Wang Lun' (depth of feeling) and Wang Wei's own 'Yuan the Second' (the cup), it shows his farewell from a softer side. For today it opens Wang Wei's farewell manner and China's classic of parting - the spring-like longing still speaks across ages.

此诗历来被推为王维送别诗的名篇，也是唐人送别诗的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以相思比春色，天然深挚」；近人更指出「惟有相思似春色，江南江北送君归」以春色比相思，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以四句的绝句写尽送别的深情与相思的绵长——那杨柳渡头，那稀少的行客，那荡桨的罟师，那临圻，那如春色的相思，那江南江北，都写尽了王维笔下的送别；那「江南江北送君归」更以空间写尽相思的广泛。此诗与李白《赠汪伦》（「桃花潭水深千尺」）同为送别名篇，一写「不及汪伦送我情」的深（赠汪伦），一写「江南江北送君归」的广（送沈子福之江东）；又与王维《送元二使安西》（「劝君更尽一杯酒」）同为送别名篇，一写「西出阳关无故人」的劝酒（送元二），一写「惟有相思似春色」的相思（送沈子福）。对于今日读者，此诗是理解王维送别诗的窗口，也是中国诗送别的经典——那如春色的相思，穿越千年，仍在诉说着送别的深情。

Prosody

Form Poem - seven-character quatrain (qijue)诗·七言绝句

Rhyme Seven-character quatrain, rhyming qi/gui (upper level, Wei category), one rhyme throughout, fluent in sound.七绝，押「圻」「归」韵（上平五微），一韵到底，音节流畅

Tone pattern A seven-character quatrain, level-tone rhyme throughout, fluent, fitting the easy flow of parting.此诗为七言绝句，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节流畅，正合送别的流畅。

Reading note A seven-character quatrain, four lines: 'willow ferry, few travelers; boatman rows to Linqi. Nothing but longing like spring; south and north send you home,' rhyming Wei (qi/gui) throughout, fluent. Front the ferry loneliness, back the longing's breadth, the 'south and north' line spreading love wide - Wang Wei's plain-natural manner. Read the ferry smoothly, the longing deeply with an echo - his 'painting in poem' farewell model.此诗为七言绝句，四句——「杨柳渡头行客稀，罟师荡桨向临圻。惟有相思似春色，江南江北送君归」，押「微」韵（圻、归），一韵到底，音节流畅。全诗以相思比春色：前二句写渡头送别的冷清（杨柳渡头行客稀，罟师荡桨向临圻），后二句写相思的绵长（惟有相思似春色，江南江北送君归）。四句短章，前写送别，后写相思，以「江南江北送君归」写尽相思的绵长，正见王维「平淡自然」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以流畅的语调读「杨柳渡头行客稀」的送别，以深情的语调读「江南江北送君归」的相思，结句要读得悠远而有余韵，方能传达出王维的平淡自然。王维绝句以「诗中有画」著称，此诗正是其送别绝句的典范。

Line by line

惟有相思似春色，江南江北送君归

Nothing but my longing is like the spring's colors, sending you home south and north of the river.

只有相思似春色，江南江北都送君归。

Only my longing is like the spring color; south and north of the river, it sees you home.

此二句是全诗写相思的核心，以相思似春色写比喻，以江南江北写空间，写尽相思的绵长，是千古名句。「惟有相思似春色」写只有相思似春色——那「惟有」写只有，「相思似春色」写相思像春色，写尽相思的比喻；「江南江北送君归」写江南江北都送君归——那「江南江北」写江南江北，「送君归」写送君归去，写尽相思的空间。这句的深意在于：它以「惟有相思似春色」的比喻与「江南江北送君归」的空间，写尽相思的绵长——只有相思似春色，那「惟有相思似春色」写尽相思的比喻——相思如春色，正见相思的广大无边，那「似春色」写尽相思的绵长；江南江北都送君归，那「江南江北送君归」写尽相思的空间——江南江北，处处春色，正是相思无处不在，那「送君归」写尽相思的伴随；那「惟有相思似春色」写尽相思的比喻，那「江南江北送君归」写尽相思的空间，一写比喻，一写空间，写尽相思的绵长——相思似春色而江南江北，正是无处不相思；此二句以比喻、空间写尽相思的绵长，也让此二句成为全诗写相思的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「我很想念你」，则失其深婉；唯以「惟有相思似春色」写比喻、「江南江北送君归」写空间，写尽相思的绵长，也让此二句成为全诗写相思的核心。

These two lines are the core of the whole's writing longing, using the meta-phor of longing like spring color and the space of south and north of the river to write to the full the length of longing, the famous line of a thousand ages. The words only my longing is like the spring color write the meta-phor; south and north of the river, it sees you home write the space. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the meta-phor of only my longing is like the spring color and the space of south and north of the river, it sees you home to write to the full the length of longing - only my longing is like the spring color, longing like the spring color, exactly showing the boundlessness of longing, the like the spring color writes to the full the length of longing; south and north of the river, it sees you home, south and north of the river, the spring color everywhere, exactly longing everywhere, the sees you home writes to the full the accompaniment of longing. One writing the meta-phor, one writing the space, writing to the full the length of longing - longing like the spring color, and south and north of the river, exactly longing nowhere absent. These two lines write to the full the length of longing through meta-phor and space, and make them the core of the whole's longing and a famous line of a thousand ages. If one instead directly said I miss you very much, one would lose the deep tenderness; only writing the meta-phor through only my longing is like the spring color and the space through south and north of the river, it sees you home, writing to the full the length of longing, makes these two lines the core of the whole's longing.

杨柳渡头行客稀，罟师荡桨向临圻

At the willow ferry few travelers remain; the boatman plies his oar toward Linqi.

杨柳渡头行客稀少，罟师荡桨驶向临圻。

At the willow-lined ferry, travelers are few; the fisherman plies his oars toward Linqi.

此二句是全诗写送别的核心，以杨柳渡头写地点，以罟师荡桨写别船，写尽渡头送别的冷清，是千古名句。「杨柳渡头行客稀」写杨柳渡头行客稀少——那「杨柳渡头」写杨柳渡头，「行客稀」写行客稀少，写尽渡头的冷清；「罟师荡桨向临圻」写罟师荡桨驶向临圻——那「罟师荡桨」写渔夫荡桨，「向临圻」写驶向临圻，写尽别船的去程。这句的深意在于：它以「杨柳渡头行客稀」的冷清与「罟师荡桨向临圻」的去船，写尽渡头送别的冷清——杨柳渡头行客稀少，那「杨柳渡头行客稀」写尽渡头的冷清——杨柳依依的渡头，行客稀少，正是送别时的寂寥，那「行客稀」写尽渡头的冷清；罟师荡桨驶向临圻，那「罟师荡桨向临圻」写尽别船的去程——罟师荡桨，船向临圻而去，正是友人乘船离去的实景，那「向临圻」写尽别船的去程；那「杨柳渡头行客稀」写尽渡头的冷清，那「罟师荡桨向临圻」写尽别船的去程，一写地点，一写去船，写尽渡头送别的冷清——行客稀少而船将远去，正是送别时的寂寥；此二句以地点、去船写尽渡头送别的冷清，也为后二句的相思作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写送别的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「在渡口送你坐船走」，则失其画面；唯以「杨柳渡头行客稀」写冷清、「罟师荡桨向临圻」写去船，写尽渡头送别的冷清，也让此二句成为全诗写送别的核心。

These two lines are the core of the whole's writing parting, using the willow-lined ferry for the place and the fisherman plying his oars for the departing boat, writing to the full the coldness of the ferry parting, the famous line of a thousand ages. At the willow-lined ferry, travelers are few writes the ferry's coldness; the fisherman plies his oars toward Linqi writes the departing boat's journey. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the coldness of at the willow-lined ferry, travelers are few and the departing boat of the fisherman plies his oars toward Linqi to write to the full the coldness of the ferry parting - at the willow-lined ferry, travelers are few, the ferry of drooping willows, the travelers few, exactly the loneliness at parting; the fisherman plies his oars toward Linqi, the boat toward Linqi, exactly the real scenery of the friend's departure by boat. One writing the place, one writing the departing boat, writing to the full the coldness of the ferry parting - the travelers few and the boat about to go far, exactly the loneliness at parting. These two lines write to the full the coldness of the ferry parting through place and departing boat, lay a ground for the later longing, and make them the core of the whole's parting and a famous line of a thousand ages. If one instead directly said I saw you off at the ferry to your boat, one would lose the picture; only writing the coldness through at the willow-lined ferry, travelers are few and the departing boat through the fisherman plies his oars toward Linqi, writing to the full the coldness of the ferry parting, makes these two lines the core of the whole's parting.

Study

Word focus

杨柳 Willow - the traditional parting tree (yang liu punning liu, 'stay'). In 'willow ferry, few travelers,' it names the farewell place and its old custom, and with 'few travelers' stresses the poet's lone, quiet send-off. 「杨柳渡头行客稀」之「杨柳」是写送别的关键词，一个「杨柳」写尽送别的传统。杨柳者，柳树也，古人有折柳赠别之俗。王维以「杨柳渡头行客稀」写渡头，这个「杨柳」至少有双重意味：其一，写送别之俗——那「杨柳渡头行客稀」写杨柳渡头行客稀少，那「杨柳」写尽送别的传统——柳与「留」谐音，折柳赠别正是古俗，那「杨柳」写尽送别的依依；其二，写别景之美——那「杨柳」更是写景——杨柳依依，正是渡头的春景，那「杨柳」写尽渡头景色的美好。以「杨柳」写渡头，正是王维写送别的枢纽——若换作「垂柳」「绿柳」等词，则或失其写折柳赠别的传统，或失其与「渡头」的配合；唯「杨柳」二字，以杨柳渡头行客稀写尽送别的传统与渡头景色的美好，与「惟有相思似春色」的春色相合，写尽送别的深情，也让「杨柳渡头行客稀」成为全诗写送别的名句。

惟有 Nothing but / only. In 'nothing but my longing is like spring,' 'wei you' singles out longing as the one thing akin to spring, stressing both its uniqueness as companion and its vastness, matching the 'south and north' breadth. 「惟有相思似春色」之「惟有」是写相思的关键词，一个「惟有」写尽相思的独在。惟有者，只有也。王维以「惟有相思似春色」写相思，这个「惟有」至少有双重意味：其一，写相思之独——那「惟有相思似春色」写只有相思似春色，那「惟有」写尽相思的独在——送别之时，唯有相思相伴，那「惟有」写尽相思的专一；其二，写相思之广——那「惟有」更是写广——唯有相思如春色般广大，那「惟有」写尽相思的广大。以「惟有」写相思，正是王维写深情的枢纽——若换作「只有」「唯余」等词，则或失其与「似春色」的配合，或失其写惟有的意味；唯「惟有」二字，以惟有相思似春色写尽相思的独在与广大，与「江南江北送君归」的江南江北相合，写尽相思的绵长，也让「惟有相思似春色」成为全诗写相思的名句。