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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

送刘司直赴安西

Seeing Off Liu Sidhi to Anxi

王维

Wang Wei

送别Farewell 边塞Frontier

绝域阳关道，胡沙与塞尘。
三春时有雁，万里少行人。
苜蓿随天马，葡萄逐汉臣。
当令外国惧，不敢觅和亲。

Beyond the passes, the Yangguan road; Hu sands and frontier dust.
In late spring wild geese pass now and then; ten thousand li, few travelers.
Alfalfa follows the heavenly horses; grapes trail the Han envoys.
You should make foreign lands tremble, and dare not seek a marriage alliance.

Listen

Meaning

Wang Wei sends Liu Sidhi to the Anxi protectorate, imagining the desolate Yangguan road and the exotic tribute of the western regions, and urging him to make foreign powers fear Tang arms rather than sue for peace.

绝域阳关道，胡沙与塞尘。三春时有雁，万里少行人。苜蓿随天马，葡萄逐汉臣。当令外国惧，不敢觅和亲。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Wang Wei bids Liu Sidhi farewell to Anxi. He opens with the remote Yangguan road under Hu sands and dust, notes spring geese and sparse travelers, evokes alfalfa and grapes borne by heavenly horses and Han envoys, and closes urging that foreign lands be made to tremble rather than seek marriage pacts. [Structure] The first four lines paint the frontier's desolation; the last four turn to its products and a martial charge—from scene to ambition. [Imagery] Yangguan road, Hu sands, few travelers render the western void; alfalfa, grapes, heavenly horses stock it with exotic tribute. [Tone] Wang Wei's 'fresh and clear' manner enlarged into frontier grandeur—a 'farewell by the frontier' that ends on resolve.

【白话串讲】王维写《送刘司直赴安西》：“绝域阳关道，胡沙与塞尘”——“三春时有雁，万里少行人”——“苜蓿随天马，葡萄逐汉臣”——“当令外国惧，不敢觅和亲”——他送友人赴安西——希望大唐让外邦畏惧，不敢求和亲。【意象与手法】此诗写送别，以边塞写送别，是王维的名篇。前四句写阳关道：「绝域阳关道，胡沙与塞尘。三春时有雁，万里少行人」写绝域阳关道、胡沙与塞尘——写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道；后四句写壮志：「苜蓿随天马，葡萄逐汉臣。当令外国惧，不敢觅和亲」写苜蓿随天马、葡萄逐汉臣——写尽苜蓿随天马的汉臣。全诗以边塞写送别，写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道与苜蓿随天马的汉臣，是王维的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写送别，以边塞写送别，是王维的名篇。此诗为王维送刘司直（刘姓巡察使）赴安西都护府而作，写其壮行与勉励。王维送友人赴边，此诗写其对安西的想象与期许。此诗写绝域阳关道，胡沙与塞尘；三春时有雁，万里少行人；苜蓿随天马，葡萄逐汉臣；当令外国惧，不敢觅和亲。此诗写阳关道：绝域阳关道，胡沙与塞尘——写绝域阳关道、胡沙与塞尘，写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道；三春时有雁，万里少行人——写三春时有雁、万里少行人，写尽万里少行人的雁；苜蓿随天马，葡萄逐汉臣——写苜蓿随天马、葡萄逐汉臣，写尽苜蓿随天马的汉臣；当令外国惧，不敢觅和亲——写当令外国惧、不敢觅和亲，写尽不敢觅和亲的外国。全诗以边塞写送别——那「胡沙与塞尘」写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道，「不敢觅和亲」写尽不敢觅和亲的外国，写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道与苜蓿随天马的汉臣，是理解王维送别诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「绝域阳关道，胡沙与塞尘」写胡沙与塞尘的阳关道；「当令外国惧，不敢觅和亲」写不敢觅和亲的外国；以及全诗以边塞写送别、以物产写边塞的手法。

Background

Wang Wei (701–761), styled Mojie, was a Tang poet-painter paired with Meng Haoran as 'Wang and Meng,' called the 'Buddha of Poetry.' This poem sends Liu Sidhi (an inspecting official) to the Anxi protectorate, imagining his road and charging him with martial purpose. Wang Wei, often associated with quiet landscapes, here writes the western frontier: the Yangguan road, Hu sands, the sparse traffic, and the tribute plants (alfalfa, grapes) brought back when Zhang Qian opened the west. The closing ambition—make foreigners tremble, abandon marriage alliances—reflects Tang confidence. It is a key Wang Wei frontier farewell.

此诗写送别，以边塞写送别，是王维的名篇。王维（701—761，一说699—761），字摩诘，号摩诘居士，河东蒲州（今山西运城）人，唐代著名诗人、画家，与孟浩然合称「王孟」，有「诗佛」之称。此诗为王维送刘司直（刘姓巡察使）赴安西都护府而作，写其壮行与勉励。王维送友人赴边，此诗写其对安西的想象与期许。此诗写绝域阳关道，胡沙与塞尘；三春时有雁，万里少行人；苜蓿随天马，葡萄逐汉臣；当令外国惧，不敢觅和亲。此诗写阳关道：「绝域阳关道，胡沙与塞尘」写绝域阳关道、胡沙与塞尘——写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道（绝域阳关道，胡沙与塞尘）；「三春时有雁，万里少行人」写三春时有雁、万里少行人——写尽万里少行人的雁（三春时有雁，万里少行人）；「苜蓿随天马，葡萄逐汉臣」写苜蓿随天马、葡萄逐汉臣——写尽苜蓿随天马的汉臣（苜蓿随天马，葡萄逐汉臣）；「当令外国惧，不敢觅和亲」写当令外国惧、不敢觅和亲——写尽不敢觅和亲的外国（当令外国惧，不敢觅和亲）。全诗以边塞写送别，写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道与苜蓿随天马的汉臣，是理解王维送别诗的重要篇章。

Art

Four moves. First, scene for the Yangguan road: 'beyond the passes, the Yangguan road; Hu sands and frontier dust' paints the western void. Second, contrast for the frontier: 'in late spring wild geese pass now and then; ten thousand li, few travelers' sets occasional geese against rare humans, sharpening isolation. Third, products for the Han envoy: 'alfalfa follows the heavenly horses; grapes trail the Han envoys' uses western tribute to figure Tang's reach. Fourth, a bold charge: 'you should make foreign lands tremble, dare not seek alliance' ends on martial will. The poem moves from scene to ambition; its verbs 'follows' and 'trails' make tribute attend the envoy, and the close turns quiet description into a warrior's hope.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以写景写阳关道。「绝域阳关道」以写景写阳关道——那「胡沙与塞尘」写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道，以写景写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道。其二，以对比写边塞。「三春时有雁」以对比写边塞——那「万里少行人」写尽万里少行人的雁，以对比写尽万里少行人的雁。其三，以物产写汉使。「苜蓿随天马」以物产写汉使——那「葡萄逐汉臣」写尽葡萄逐汉臣的汉臣，以物产写尽苜蓿随天马的汉臣。其四，以壮语写壮志。「当令外国惧」以壮语写壮志——那「不敢觅和亲」写尽不敢觅和亲的外国，以壮语写尽不敢觅和亲的外国。此外，此诗前四句写胡沙与塞尘的阳关道，后四句写苜蓿随天马的汉臣，由景及志，正是送别诗「以边写志」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以边塞写送别，写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道与苜蓿随天马的汉臣，是王维的代表作。此外，此诗还善于以「三春时有雁」的「时有雁」写三春之雁——那「时有雁」写尽时有的雁，正是以雁写边，以「万里少行人」写尽万里少行人的边塞。又善以「苜蓿随天马，葡萄逐汉臣」的「随」「逐」写物产之随逐——苜蓿随天马，正见物产随来的写照，以「葡萄逐汉臣」写尽逐汉臣的葡萄。

Allusions

The language draws on farewell and frontier tradition. 'Beyond the passes' and 'Yangguan road' recall Wang Wei's own 'west of Yangguan, no old friend.' 'Hu sands' and 'frontier dust' evoke border imagery (Du Fu's 'frontier clouds touch the earth's gloom'). 'Late spring' and 'wild geese' belong to the frontier-bird topos. 'Alfalfa' and 'heavenly horses' recall Zhang Qian's western introductions and the 'heavenly horse from the far west' hymn; 'grapes' evokes 'grape wine in night-glow cups' (Wang Han). 'Marriage alliance' recalls princesses sent to border peoples. Wang Wei thus remakes Yangguan, Hu sand, alfalfa, heavenly horse, grapes, and marriage alliance into a 'fresh,' plain-spoken frontier farewell.

此诗的用语深植于送别与边塞传统。「绝域」令人想到「绝域」写绝域的意象——也令人想到「绝域苍茫」的意象；「阳关道」令人想到「阳关道」写阳关的意象——也令人想到「西出阳关无故人」（王维）的意象；「胡沙」令人想到「胡沙」写胡沙的意象——也令人想到「胡沙猎猎」的意象；「塞尘」令人想到「塞尘」写塞尘的意象——也令人想到「塞上风云接地阴」（杜甫）的意象；「三春」令人想到「三春」写春天的意象——也令人想到「三春白雪归青冢」的意象；「苜蓿」令人想到「苜蓿」写苜蓿的意象——张骞通西域带回，也令人想到「苜蓿随天马」的意象；「天马」令人想到「天马」写天马的意象——也令人想到「天马来兮从西极」的意象；「葡萄」令人想到「葡萄」写葡萄的意象——也令人想到「葡萄美酒夜光杯」（王翰）的意象；「和亲」令人想到「和亲」写和亲的意象——也令人想到「公主和亲」的意象。全诗化用绝域、阳关道、胡沙、塞尘、三春、苜蓿、天马、葡萄、和亲的意象典故，以边塞写送别，正是王维「清新」而善白描、承送别传统写边塞之本领。

Commentary

Long ranked among Wang Wei's best frontier farewells and the classic Tang poem on sending someone to Anxi, it won Qing praise for 'farewell through the frontier, grand and expansive.' Moderns cite 'you should make foreign lands tremble, dare not seek alliance' as its famous line. Its worth is condensing the Yangguan void and the Han-envoy tribute into a five-character lüshi—every image (the pass, the sand, the geese, the sparse traveler, the alfalfa, the grape, the trembling foreigner) belongs to Wang Wei's hand; the closing refuses the marriage pact. Paired with his 'Farewell to Yuan the Second' (on feeling) it shows two faces of Wang Wei's frontier verse—one affective, one aspirational. For today's readers it opens Wang Wei's frontier art and the Tang classic of sending men west.

此诗历来被推为王维送别诗的名篇，也是唐诗写送人赴安西的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以边塞写送别，雄浑壮阔」；近人更指出「当令外国惧，不敢觅和亲」写不敢觅和亲的外国，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以五律写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道与苜蓿随天马的汉臣——那绝域，那阳关道，那胡沙，那与塞尘，那三春，那时有雁，那万里，那少行人，那苜蓿，那随天马，那葡萄，那逐汉臣，那当令，那外国惧，那不敢，那觅和亲，都写尽了王维笔下的送刘司直赴安西；那「不敢觅和亲」更以壮语写尽不敢觅和亲的外国。此诗与王维《送元二使安西》「渭城朝雨浥轻尘」同为送人赴安西名篇，一写「西出阳关无故人」的送元二使安西，一写「当令外国惧，不敢觅和亲」的送刘司直赴安西；一写情，一写志。两诗对读，可见王维送边诗的两面。对于今日读者，此诗是理解王维送别诗的窗口，也是唐诗写送人赴安西的经典——那不敢觅和亲的外国，穿越千年，仍在诉说着胡沙与塞尘的阳关道。

Prosody

Form Poem · five-character regulated verse (wulü)五言律诗

Rhyme A five-character lüshi rhyming on chen, ren, chen, qin (the 'zhen/wen' rhyme, level tone), one rhyme to the end, its level music grand and fitting the frontier.押「尘」「人」「臣」「亲」（真文韵），一韵到底

Tone pattern As a five-character regulated verse rhyming on level tone throughout, one rhyme to the end, its music is grand and full, suiting the frontier's expanse.此诗为五言律诗，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节雄浑，正合边塞的雄浑。

Reading note A five-character lüshi of eight lines—'beyond the passes, the Yangguan road… dare not seek a marriage alliance'—rhyming on the 'zhen/wen' category (chen, ren, chen, qin), one rhyme to the end, its music expansive. Plain description in the first half gives way to a martial charge; the matched couplets ('alfalfa follows… grapes trail…') keep Wang Wei's neat, fresh manner enlarged to frontier scale. Read the closing lines with confident, resonant force.此诗为五言律诗——「绝域阳关道，胡沙与塞尘。三春时有雁，万里少行人。苜蓿随天马，葡萄逐汉臣。当令外国惧，不敢觅和亲」，押真文韵（尘、人、臣、亲），一韵到底，音节雄浑。全诗以边塞写送别：前四句写胡沙与塞尘的阳关道（绝域阳关道、万里少行人），后四句写苜蓿随天马的汉臣（苜蓿随天马、不敢觅和亲）。律诗八句，前写送别，后写壮志，以「不敢觅和亲」写尽不敢觅和亲的外国，正见王维「清新」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以雄浑的语调读「胡沙与塞尘」的阳关道，以壮阔的语调读「不敢觅和亲」的和亲，结句要读得雄浑而有余韵，方能传达出王维的雄浑壮阔。王维律诗以「清新」著称，此诗正是其送别诗的典范。

Line by line

绝域阳关道，胡沙与塞尘

Beyond the passes, the Yangguan road; Hu sands and frontier dust.

绝域阳关道，胡沙与塞尘。

The road to Yangguan in the uttermost realm: barbarian sand and frontier dust.

此二句是全诗写阳关道的核心，以绝域阳关道写阳关道，以胡沙与塞尘写塞尘，写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道，是千古名句。「绝域阳关道」写绝域阳关道——那「绝域」写绝域，「阳关道」写阳关道，写尽绝域的阳关道；「胡沙与塞尘」写胡沙与塞尘——那「胡沙」写胡沙，「与塞尘」写与塞尘，写尽胡沙与塞尘的塞尘。这句的深意在于：它以「绝域阳关道」的阳关道与「胡沙与塞尘」的塞尘，写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道——绝域阳关道，那「绝域阳关道」写尽绝域的阳关道——绝域阳关道，正是出塞之道的写照，那「阳关道」写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道；胡沙与塞尘，那「胡沙与塞尘」写尽胡沙与塞尘的塞尘——胡沙与塞尘，正是风沙满天的写照，那「塞尘」写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道；那「绝域阳关道」写尽绝域的阳关道，那「胡沙与塞尘」写尽胡沙与塞尘的塞尘，一写阳关道，一写塞尘，写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道——出塞之道而风沙漫天，正是边塞的写照；此二句以阳关道、塞尘写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道，也为下文的雁作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写阳关道的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「遥远的阳关道，胡沙和塞尘漫天」，则失其雄浑；唯以「绝域阳关道」写阳关道、「胡沙与塞尘」写塞尘，写尽胡沙与塞尘的阳关道，也让此二句成为全诗写阳关道的核心。

These two lines are the core of the whole's writing the Yangguan road, using the road to Yangguan in the uttermost realm for the road and barbarian sand and frontier dust for the dust, writing to the full the Yangguan road of sand and dust, the famous line of a thousand ages. The uttermost realm writes the far border; the Yangguan road writes the road out the pass. Barbarian sand and frontier dust write the sand and dust filling the sky. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the Yangguan road of the road to Yangguan in the uttermost realm and the frontier dust of barbarian sand and frontier dust to write to the full the Yangguan road of sand and dust - the road out the pass, and the sand and dust filling the sky, exactly the picture of the frontier. One writing the Yangguan road, one writing the frontier dust, writing to the full the Yangguan road of sand and dust. These two lines write to the full the Yangguan road of sand and dust through the road and the dust, lay a ground for the later wild geese, and make them the core of the whole's Yangguan road and a famous line of a thousand ages. If one instead directly said the distant Yangguan road, barbarian sand and frontier dust filling the sky, one would lose the vigor; only writing the road through the road to Yangguan in the uttermost realm and the dust through barbarian sand and frontier dust, writing to the full the Yangguan road of sand and dust, makes these two lines the core of the whole's Yangguan road.

当令外国惧，不敢觅和亲

You should make foreign lands tremble, and dare not seek a marriage alliance.

当令外国惧，不敢觅和亲。

You shall make the foreign lands fear, and dare not seek a marriage alliance.

此二句是全诗写壮志的核心，以当令外国惧写外国惧，以不敢觅和亲写和亲，写尽不敢觅和亲的外国，是千古名句。「当令外国惧」写当令外国惧——那「当令」写当令，「外国惧」写外国惧，写尽当令的外国惧；「不敢觅和亲」写不敢觅和亲——那「不敢」写不敢，「觅和亲」写觅和亲，写尽不敢觅的和亲。这句的深意在于：它以「当令外国惧」的外国惧与「不敢觅和亲」的和亲，写尽不敢觅和亲的外国——当令外国惧，那「当令外国惧」写尽当令的外国惧——当令外国惧，正是令敌畏惧的写照，那「外国惧」写尽不敢觅和亲的外国；不敢觅和亲，那「不敢觅和亲」写尽不敢觅的和亲——不敢觅和亲，正是不敢求和的写照，那「和亲」写尽不敢觅和亲的外国；那「当令外国惧」写尽当令的外国惧，那「不敢觅和亲」写尽不敢觅的和亲，一写外国惧，一写和亲，写尽不敢觅和亲的外国——令敌畏惧而不敢求和，正是壮志的写照；此二句以外国惧、和亲写尽不敢觅和亲的外国，也让此二句成为全诗写壮志的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「应当让外国畏惧，不敢来求和亲」，则失其雄壮；唯以「当令外国惧」写外国惧、「不敢觅和亲」写和亲，写尽不敢觅和亲的外国，也让此二句成为全诗写壮志的核心。

These two lines are the core of the whole's writing the lofty ambition, using you shall make the foreign lands fear for the foreign fear and dare not seek a marriage alliance for the alliance, writing to the full the foreign land that dares not seek alliance, the famous line of a thousand ages. You shall make the foreign lands fear writes making the enemy fear; dare not seek a marriage alliance writes not daring to sue for peace. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the foreign fear of you shall make the foreign lands fear and the marriage alliance of dare not seek a marriage alliance to write to the full the foreign land that dares not seek alliance - making the enemy fear and not daring to sue for peace, exactly the picture of the lofty ambition. One writing the foreign fear, one writing the alliance, writing to the full the foreign land that dares not seek alliance. These two lines write to the full the foreign land that dares not seek alliance through the foreign fear and the alliance, and make them the core of the whole's lofty ambition and a famous line of a thousand ages. If one instead directly said you should make the foreign lands fear and not dare to seek a marriage alliance, one would lose the majesty; only writing the foreign fear through you shall make the foreign lands fear and the alliance through dare not seek a marriage alliance, writing to the full the foreign land that dares not seek alliance, makes these two lines the core of the whole's lofty ambition.

Study

Word focus

绝 'Jue' (remote, extreme) in 'beyond the passes, the Yangguan road.' It conveys the far extremity of the western frontier—both the place's remoteness and the border's desolation. 「绝域阳关道」之「绝」字是写阳关道关键词，一个「绝」字写尽绝域的阳关道。绝者，遥远、极远也。王维以「绝域阳关道」写阳关道，这个「绝」字至少有双重意味：其一，写域之绝——那「绝域阳关道」写绝域阳关道，那「绝」字写尽绝域的阳关道——绝域，正是极远之地的写照，那「绝」字写尽绝域的阳关道；其二，写道之远——那「绝」字更是写远——绝，正见阳关极远的边塞，那「绝」字写尽王维的边塞。以「绝」字写阳关道，正是王维写送别的枢纽——若换作「远」「迥」等字，则或失其与「绝域阳关道」「胡沙与塞尘」的配合，或失其写绝的意味；唯「绝」字，以绝域阳关道写尽阳关之极远与边塞之荒远，与「胡沙与塞尘」的塞尘相合，写尽绝域的阳关道，也让「绝域阳关道」成为全诗写阳关道的名句。

惧 'Ju' (tremble, fear) in 'you should make foreign lands tremble.' It expresses the awe Tang arms should inspire in enemy lands, the keynote of the poem's martial aspiration. 「当令外国惧」之「惧」字是写壮志关键词，一个「惧」字写尽当令的外国惧。惧者，畏惧、惧怕也。王维以「当令外国惧」写壮志，这个「惧」字至少有双重意味：其一，写敌之惧——那「当令外国惧」写当令外国惧，那「惧」字写尽当令的外国惧——外国惧，正是敌国畏惧的写照，那「惧」字写尽当令的外国惧；其二，写威之盛——那「惧」字更是写盛——惧，正见国威远震的盛，那「惧」字写尽王维的边塞。以「惧」字写壮志，正是王维写送别的枢纽——若换作「服」「畏」等字，则或失其与「当令外国惧」「不敢觅和亲」的配合，或失其写惧的意味；唯「惧」字，以当令外国惧写尽外国之畏惧与国威之远震，与「不敢觅和亲」的和亲相合，写尽当令的外国惧，也让「当令外国惧」成为全诗写壮志的名句。