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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

送贺宾客归越

Seeing Off Guest Minister He on His Return to Yue

李白

Li Bai

送别Farewell 典故Allusion

镜湖流水漾清波，狂客归舟逸兴多。
山阴道士如相见，应写黄庭换白鹅。

Mirror Lake's flowing water ripples with clear waves; the Mad Guest's homebound boat brims with untrammeled delight.
If the mountain-yin Daoist should meet you, you should copy the Huangting and trade it for white geese.

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Meaning

This light farewell honors He Zhizhang, who is retiring to his native Yue (Shaoxing). Li Bai pictures his friend's joyful homeward voyage on Mirror Lake and, through the allusion of Wang Xizhi copying the Huangting Scripture for a goose, imagines his elegant pastime on arrival.

镜湖流水漾清波，狂客归舟逸兴多。山阴道士如相见，应写黄庭换白鹅。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Li Bai sends off He Zhizhang, the 'Guest Minister' retiring to Yue. He opens with Mirror Lake's clear ripples and the 'Mad Guest's' boat full of ease, then imagines that, should a mountain-yin Daoist appear, He will copy the Huangting and exchange it for white geese. [Structure] The first couplet sketches the homeward scene and mood; the second turns to a playful hypothetical, moving from sight to literary allusion. [Imagery] Mirror Lake and clear waves give a bright, southern watercolor; 'Mad Guest' (He's own style-name) captures his wild, liberated air. [Tone] The poem is quintessential Li Bai—floating, natural, fond. Its brevity and one happy allusion make a retirement feel like a return to freedom rather than a loss.

【白话串讲】李白写《送贺宾客归越》：“镜湖流水漾清波，狂客归舟逸兴多”——“山阴道士如相见，应写黄庭换白鹅”——他送贺知章归越——说他会像王羲之一样用黄庭经换白鹅——他写对贺老的祝福。【意象与手法】此诗写送别，以用典写送别，是李白的名篇。前二句写归舟：「镜湖流水漾清波，狂客归舟逸兴多」写镜湖流水漾清波、狂客归舟逸兴多——写尽归舟的逸兴；后二句写换鹅：「山阴道士如相见，应写黄庭换白鹅」写山阴道士如相见、应写黄庭换白鹅——写尽换鹅的雅事。全诗以用典写送别，写尽归舟的逸兴与换鹅的雅事，是李白的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写送别，以用典写送别，是李白的名篇。此诗写送贺知章（字季真，自号四明狂客，曾任秘书监、太子宾客）归越州（今浙江绍兴）。天宝三载（744），贺知章告老还乡，李白作此诗送之。贺知章为越州人，归乡必经镜湖（今浙江绍兴鉴湖）；又山阴有道士养鹅，王羲之曾书《黄庭经》换鹅，贺知章善书，故李白以王羲之换鹅之典写其归乡的雅兴。此诗写归舟：镜湖流水漾清波，狂客归舟逸兴多——写镜湖流水漾清波、狂客归舟逸兴多，写尽归舟的逸兴；山阴道士如相见，应写黄庭换白鹅——写山阴道士如相见、应写黄庭换白鹅，写尽换鹅的雅事。全诗以用典写送别——那「狂客归舟逸兴多」写尽归舟的逸兴，「应写黄庭换白鹅」写尽换鹅的雅事，写尽归舟的逸兴与换鹅的雅事，是理解李白送别诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「镜湖流水漾清波，狂客归舟逸兴多」写归舟的逸兴；「应写黄庭换白鹅」写换鹅的雅事；以及全诗以用典写送别、以贺监归乡写雅兴的手法。

Background

Li Bai (701–762), styled Tai Bai, was a Tang poet hailed as the 'Immortal of Poetry.' This poem sends off He Zhizhang (styled Ji Zhen, self-titled 'Mad Guest of Siming,' formerly Secretary Director and Guest Minister), returning to Yuezhou (Shaoxing) in 744 after retirement. He, a Yue native, would pass Mirror Lake; and since a Shanyin Daoist kept geese and Wang Xizhi once copied the Huangting for one, Li Bai uses that exchange to praise He's calligraphy and elegant taste. The poem turns a bureaucratic retirement into a homecoming of delight—an important window onto Li Bai's farewell art.

此诗写送别，以用典写送别，是李白的名篇。李白（701—762），字太白，号青莲居士，祖籍陇西成纪（今甘肃秦安），生于碎叶（今吉尔吉斯斯坦托克马克），唐代诗人，与杜甫并称「李杜」，被誉为「诗仙」。此诗写送贺知章（字季真，自号四明狂客，曾任秘书监、太子宾客）归越州（今浙江绍兴）。天宝三载（744），贺知章告老还乡，李白作此诗送之。贺知章为越州人，归乡必经镜湖（今浙江绍兴鉴湖）；又山阴有道士养鹅，王羲之曾书《黄庭经》换鹅，贺知章善书，故李白以王羲之换鹅之典写其归乡的雅兴。此诗写归舟：「镜湖流水漾清波，狂客归舟逸兴多」写镜湖流水漾清波、狂客归舟逸兴多——写尽归舟的逸兴（镜湖流水漾清波，狂客归舟逸兴多）；「山阴道士如相见，应写黄庭换白鹅」写山阴道士如相见、应写黄庭换白鹅——写尽换鹅的雅事（山阴道士如相见，应写黄庭换白鹅）。全诗以用典写送别，写尽归舟的逸兴与换鹅的雅事，是理解李白送别诗的重要篇章。

Art

Four devices shape it. First, scene-language for the road home: 'Mirror Lake's flowing water ripples with clear waves' renders the lake's brightness and the traveler's ease. Second, a byname that performs character: 'Mad Guest' uses He's self-style to convey his wild freedom. Third, allusion for elegance: 'you should copy the Huangting and trade it for white geese' cites Wang Xizhi's scripture-for-goose exchange, lifting the leave-taking into a learned jest. Fourth, imagination for homecoming: 'if the mountain-yin Daoist should meet you' projects He's future delight. The first two lines give the boat's ease, the last two the goose-episode; from scene to allusion it is a 'farewell by allusion.' The single word 'Mirror' (the famous Yue lake) and the address 'Mad Guest' bind place to person with witty economy.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以景语写归途。「镜湖流水漾清波」以景语写归途——那「流水漾清波」写尽镜湖的波光，以景语写尽归舟的逸兴。其二，以称谓写狂客。「狂客归舟逸兴多」以称谓写狂客——那「狂客」用贺知章自号四明狂客写其狂逸，以称谓写尽归舟的逸兴。其三，以用典写雅事。「应写黄庭换白鹅」以用典写雅事——那「黄庭换白鹅」用王羲之写经换鹅之典，以用典写尽换鹅的雅事。其四，以想象写归兴。「山阴道士如相见」以想象写归兴——那「如相见」写尽想象的归兴，以想象写尽归乡的雅致。此外，此诗前二句写归舟的逸兴，后二句写换鹅的雅事，由景及典，正是送别诗「以典写雅」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以用典写送别，写尽归舟的逸兴与换鹅的雅事，是李白的代表作。此诗还善于以「镜湖流水漾清波」的镜湖写贺监归乡之景——那「镜湖」是越州名胜，以镜湖写归乡，正是以地写人的巧妙，以景语写尽归舟的逸兴。又善以「狂客归舟逸兴多」的称谓写贺监之风度——狂客，正用贺知章自号，以称谓写尽贺监的狂逸。

Allusions

The language draws on farewell and allusive tradition. 'Mirror Lake' evokes the Jian Lake at Shaoxing; 'Mad Guest' recalls He Zhizhang's self-title and the 'Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup.' 'Untrammeled delight' recalls Li Bai's own 'our hearts brim with soaring thoughts.' 'Mountain-yin Daoist' comes from the Jin shu (Wang Xizhi's biography): a Shanyin Daoist kept geese, and Wang copied the Huangting for them. 'Huangting' is the Daoist classic, tied to the 'scripture for geese' tale. Li Bai thus remakes Mirror Lake, Mad Guest, untrammeled delight, the Daoist, and the goose-exchange into a farewell of pure elegance—his 'bold and free' manner using allusion to carry good cheer.

此诗的用语深植于送别与用典传统。「镜湖」令人想到「镜湖」写鉴湖的意象——在今浙江绍兴，也令人想到「镜湖流水」的意象；「狂客」令人想到贺知章自号「四明狂客」——也令人想到「饮中八仙」的意象；「逸兴」令人想到「逸兴」写雅兴的意象——也令人想到「俱怀逸兴壮思飞」（李白）的意象；「山阴道士」令人想到「山阴道士」典出《晋书·王羲之传》——山阴道士养鹅，王羲之写《黄庭经》换之；「黄庭」令人想到「黄庭」写《黄庭经》的意象——道教经典，也令人想到「写经换鹅」的意象。全诗化用镜湖、狂客、逸兴、山阴道士、黄庭换白鹅的意象典故，以用典写送别，正是李白「豪放」而善用典、承送别传统写雅兴之本领。「换白鹅」典出《晋书·王羲之传》——王羲之爱鹅，山阴道士养一鹅善鸣，羲之求市，道士云为写《道德经》（一说《黄庭经》）当举群相赠，羲之欣然写毕，笼鹅而归；「贺知章」为越州人，善草隶，李白以羲之写经换鹅之典赞其书法。

Commentary

Long ranked among Li Bai's best farewells and the classic Tang poem on He Zhizhang's return, it drew high praise: Qing critics called it 'farewell through allusion, floating and natural,' and moderns cite 'you should copy the Huangting and trade it for white geese' as its famous line. Its value is condensing homecoming ease and the goose-tale into four lines—every image (lake, wave, Mad Guest, Daoist, scripture, goose) belongs to Li Bai's playful hand; the goose line turns allusion into delight. Paired with his 'To Wang Lun' (on deep friendship) and in the lineage of Wang Bo's 'Farewell to Du the Prefect,' it shows the range of Tang leave-taking. For today's readers it opens Li Bai's farewells and the classic of a minister's happy return.

此诗历来被推为李白送别诗的名篇，也是唐诗写贺知章归乡的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以用典写送别，飘逸自然」；近人更指出「应写黄庭换白鹅」写换鹅的雅事，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归舟的逸兴与换鹅的雅事——那镜湖，那流水，那漾清波，那狂客，那归舟，那逸兴多，那山阴，那道士，那如相见，那应写，那黄庭，那换白鹅，都写尽了李白笔下的送贺宾客归越；那「应写黄庭换白鹅」更以用典写尽换鹅的雅事。此诗与李白《赠汪伦》（「李白乘舟将欲行」）同为送别名篇，一写「桃花潭水深千尺」的汪伦（赠汪伦），一写「应写黄庭换白鹅」的贺监（送贺宾客归越）；又与王勃《送杜少府之任蜀州》的送别传统一脉相承，可见中国诗写送别的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解李白送别诗的窗口，也是唐诗写贺知章的经典——那归舟上的逸兴，穿越千年，仍在诉说着送别的雅致。

Prosody

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

Rhyme A seven-character jueju rhyming on bo, duo, e (the 'ge' rhyme, lower level tone 5), one rhyme throughout, bright and easy in music.七绝，押「波」「多」「鹅」韵（下平五歌），一韵到底，音节飘逸

Tone pattern As a seven-character quatrain it uses level-tone rhyme to the end; its bright, airy music matches the poem's playful ease.此诗为七言绝句，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节飘逸，正合送别的飘逸。

Reading note A seven-character quatrain of four lines—'Mirror Lake's flowing water ripples with clear waves… you should copy the Huangting and trade it for white geese'—rhyming on the 'ge' category (bo, duo, e), one rhyme to the end, light in music. The first couplet paints the homeward boat's ease; the second turns to the goose-exchange allusion. In four short lines it writes farewell through allusion, its bright, floating tone typical of Li Bai; read the closing line with playful fondness to catch the poet's ease.此诗为七言绝句，四句——「镜湖流水漾清波，狂客归舟逸兴多。山阴道士如相见，应写黄庭换白鹅」，押「歌」韵（波、多、鹅），一韵到底，音节飘逸。全诗以用典写送别：前二句写归舟的逸兴（镜湖流水漾清波、狂客归舟逸兴多），后二句写换鹅的雅事（山阴道士如相见、应写黄庭换白鹅）。四句短章，前写归舟，后写换鹅，以「应写黄庭换白鹅」写尽换鹅的雅事，正见李白「豪放」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以飘逸的语调读「狂客归舟逸兴多」的逸兴，以明快的语调读「应写黄庭换白鹅」的雅事，结句要读得飘逸而有余韵，方能传达出李白的飘逸自然。李白绝句以「飘逸」著称，此诗正是其送别诗的典范。

Line by line

山阴道士如相见，应写黄庭换白鹅

If the mountain-yin Daoist should meet you, you should copy the Huangting and trade it for white geese.

山阴道士如相见，应写黄庭换白鹅。

If the Taoist priest of Mount Yin should meet you, you would write the Huangting again to trade for white geese.

此二句是全诗写雅事的关键，以山阴道士如相见写如相见，以应写黄庭换白鹅写换白鹅，写尽换鹅的雅事，是千古名句。「山阴道士如相见」写山阴道士如相见——那「山阴道士」写山阴道士，「如相见」写如相见，写尽相见的天士；「应写黄庭换白鹅」写应写黄庭换白鹅——那「应写黄庭」写应写黄庭，「换白鹅」写换白鹅，写尽黄庭的换鹅。这句的深意在于：它以「山阴道士如相见」的相见与「应写黄庭换白鹅」的换白鹅，写尽换鹅的雅事——山阴道士如相见，那「山阴道士如相见」写尽相见的道士——山阴道士，正是山阴之地的道士，那「如相见」写尽想象的归兴；应写黄庭换白鹅，那「应写黄庭换白鹅」写尽黄庭的换鹅——应写黄庭，正是以经换鹅的写照，那「换白鹅」写尽换鹅的雅事；那「山阴道士如相见」写尽相见的道士，那「应写黄庭换白鹅」写尽黄庭的换鹅，一写道士，一写换鹅，写尽换鹅的雅事——如见道士而当写经换鹅，正是贺监归乡的雅兴；此二句以相见、换鹅写尽换鹅的雅事，也让此二句成为全诗写雅事的关键与千古名句。若换作直说「回到老家还会有雅兴写字换鹅吧」，则失其典趣；唯以「山阴道士如相见」写如相见、「应写黄庭换白鹅」写换白鹅，写尽换鹅的雅事，也让此二句成为全诗写雅事的关键。

These two lines are the key of the whole's writing the elegant affair, using if the Taoist priest of Mount Yin should meet you for the meeting and you would write the Huangting again to trade for white geese for the trading of geese, writing to the full the elegant affair of trading geese, the famous line of a thousand ages. The Taoist priest of Mount Yin writes the priest of the Mount Yin region; should meet you writes the imagined homecoming delight. You would write the Huangting again writes writing the scripture; to trade for white geese writes the trading of geese, using Wang Xizhi's allusion. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the meeting of if the Taoist priest of Mount Yin should meet you and the trading of white geese of you would write the Huangting again to trade for white geese to write to the full the elegant affair - as if meeting the priest one would write the scripture to trade for geese, exactly the elegant delight of Director He's returning home. One writing the priest, one writing the trading of geese, writing to the full the elegant affair. These two lines write to the full the elegant affair of trading geese through meeting and trading, and make them the key of the whole's elegant affair and a famous line of a thousand ages. If one instead directly said back home you will still have the fancy to write and trade for geese, one would lose the allusive charm; only writing should meet you through if the Taoist priest of Mount Yin should meet you and the trading of white geese through you would write the Huangting again to trade for white geese, writing to the full the elegant affair of trading geese, makes these two lines the key of the whole's elegant affair.

镜湖流水漾清波，狂客归舟逸兴多

Mirror Lake's flowing water ripples with clear waves; the Mad Guest's homebound boat brims with untrammeled delight.

镜湖流水漾清波，狂客归舟逸兴多。

The flowing waters of Mirror Lake ripple in clear waves; the wild guest's homeward boat holds a boundless leisure.

此二句是全诗写归舟的核心，以镜湖流水漾清波写清波，以狂客归舟逸兴多写逸兴，写尽归舟的逸兴，是千古名句。「镜湖流水漾清波」写镜湖流水漾清波——那「镜湖流水」写镜湖流水，「漾清波」写漾清波，写尽镜湖的清波；「狂客归舟逸兴多」写狂客归舟逸兴多——那「狂客归舟」写狂客归舟，「逸兴多」写逸兴多，写尽归舟的逸兴。这句的深意在于：它以「镜湖流水漾清波」的清波与「狂客归舟逸兴多」的逸兴，写尽归舟的逸兴——镜湖流水漾清波，那「镜湖流水漾清波」写尽镜湖的清波——镜湖流水，正是归乡所经的写照，那「漾清波」写尽归途的明丽；狂客归舟逸兴多，那「狂客归舟逸兴多」写尽归舟的逸兴——狂客归舟，正是贺监乘舟的写照，那「逸兴多」写尽归舟的逸兴；那「镜湖流水漾清波」写尽镜湖的清波，那「狂客归舟逸兴多」写尽归舟的逸兴，一写清波，一写逸兴，写尽归舟的逸兴——镜湖漾波而狂客归舟，正是归乡逸兴的写照；此二句以清波、逸兴写尽归舟的逸兴，也为下文的换鹅作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写归舟的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「贺知章坐船回老家，心情很好」，则失其飘逸；唯以「镜湖流水漾清波」写清波、「狂客归舟逸兴多」写逸兴，写尽归舟的逸兴，也让此二句成为全诗写归舟的核心。

These two lines are the core of the whole's writing the homeward boat, using the clear waves of the flowing waters of Mirror Lake ripple in clear waves and the leisure of the wild guest's homeward boat holds a boundless leisure, writing to the full the leisure of the homeward boat, the famous line of a thousand ages. The flowing waters of Mirror Lake writes the waters of Mirror Lake, the homecoming route; ripple in clear waves writes the brightness of the homeward journey. The wild guest's homeward boat writes Director He's boat; holds a boundless leisure writes the abundance of the homeward delight. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the clear waves of the flowing waters of Mirror Lake ripple in clear waves and the leisure of the wild guest's homeward boat holds a boundless leisure to write to the full the leisure of the homeward boat - Mirror Lake rippling and the wild guest's homeward boat, exactly the picture of the homecoming delight. One writing clear waves, one writing leisure, writing to the full the leisure of the homeward boat. These two lines write to the full the leisure of the homeward boat through clear waves and leisure, lay a ground for the later trading of geese, and make them the core of the whole's homeward boat and a famous line of a thousand ages. If one instead directly said He Zhizhang took a boat home and felt very well, one would lose the ease; only writing clear waves through the flowing waters of Mirror Lake ripple in clear waves and leisure through the wild guest's homeward boat holds a boundless leisure, writing to the full the leisure of the homeward boat, makes these two lines the core of the whole's homeward boat.

Study

Word focus

逸 'Yi' (untrammeled, free) in 'the Mad Guest's homebound boat brims with untrammeled delight.' It conveys both the ease of the journey and the wild freedom of He's character—the keynote of the poem's celebratory mood. 「狂客归舟逸兴多」之「逸」字是写雅兴的关键词，一个「逸」字写尽归舟的逸兴。逸者，超逸、闲逸也。李白以「狂客归舟逸兴多」写雅兴，这个「逸」字至少有双重意味：其一，写兴之逸——那「狂客归舟逸兴多」写狂客归舟逸兴多，那「逸」字写尽归舟的逸兴——逸兴多，正是超逸之兴的写照，那「逸」字写尽归途的雅致；其二，写人之逸——那「逸」字更是写逸——逸，正见狂客的超逸，那「逸」字写尽贺监的风度。以「逸」字写雅兴，正是李白写送别的枢纽——若换作「雅」「闲」等字，则或失其与「狂客归舟」「逸兴多」的配合，或失其写逸的意味；唯「逸」字，以狂客归舟逸兴多写尽归舟之逸兴与狂客之超逸，与「镜湖流水漾清波」的清波相合，写尽归舟的逸兴，也让「狂客归舟逸兴多」成为全诗写雅兴的名句。

应 'Ying' (should, would) in 'you should copy the Huangting and trade it for white geese.' It marks a playful conjecture about He's future, expressing the poet's confident affection and fond expectation. 「应写黄庭换白鹅」之「应」字是写想象的关键词，一个「应」字写尽想象的归兴。应者，应当、料想也。李白以「应写黄庭换白鹅」写想象，这个「应」字至少有双重意味：其一，写事之应——那「应写黄庭换白鹅」写应写黄庭换白鹅，那「应」字写尽想象的归兴——应写黄庭，正是料其必写的写照，那「应」字写尽换鹅的雅事；其二，写情之笃——那「应」字更是写笃——应，正见对贺监的推重，那「应」字写尽送别的深情。以「应」字写想象，正是李白写送别的枢纽——若换作「当」「会」等字，则或失其与「山阴道士如相见」「写黄庭换白鹅」的配合，或失其写应的意味；唯「应」字，以应写黄庭换白鹅写尽归兴之料想与推重之深情，与「狂客归舟逸兴多」的逸兴相合，写尽换鹅的雅事，也让「应写黄庭换白鹅」成为全诗写想象的名句。