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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

送丘为落第归江东

Seeing Off Qiu Wei, Who Failed the Exam, Returning East of the River

王维

Wang Wei

送别Farewell 感慨Reflection

怜君不得意，况复柳条春。
为客黄金尽，还家白发新。
五湖三亩宅，万里一归人。
知尔不能荐，羞称献纳臣。

I pity you in your disappointment, and now the willow twigs greet the spring.
A guest till your gold was spent; you return home with new-grown white hair.
By the Five Lakes, a three-acre dwelling; ten thousand li, a lone returning man.
I know I cannot recommend you, and am ashamed to call myself a counselor who presents.

Listen

Meaning

Wang Wei sends off Qiu Wei, who has failed the imperial exam and returns home. He pities his friend's defeat, images his spent fortune and prematurely white hair, pictures his lonely return, and ends with self-reproach at his own inability to help.

怜君不得意，况复柳条春。为客黄金尽，还家白发新。五湖三亩宅，万里一归人。知尔不能荐，羞称献纳臣。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Wang Wei bids Qiu Wei farewell after his examination failure. He opens 'I pity you in your disappointment, and now the willow twigs greet spring,' then 'a guest till your gold was spent; you return with white hair,' 'by the Five Lakes, a three-acre home; a lone man returning ten thousand li,' and closes 'I know I cannot recommend you, ashamed to be a presenting counselor.' [Structure] The first half voices pity amid spring willows; the second turns to the lonely return and the poet's shame—from sympathy to self-reproach. [Imagery] Willow twigs (the parting plant) double as seasonal beauty and sorrow; 'gold spent' and 'white hair' mark failure and age; 'Five Lakes, three acres' figure a humble retirement. [Tone] Wang Wei's 'clear and secluded' manner, here implicit, deep, and gentle—a farewell built on regret.

【白话串讲】王维写《送丘为落第归江东》：“怜君不得意，况复柳条春”——“为客黄金尽，还家白发新”——“五湖三亩宅，万里一归人”——“知尔不能荐，羞称献纳臣”——他送落第的朋友——惭愧自己不能举荐。【意象与手法】此诗写送别，以感慨写送别，是王维的名篇。前四句写怜君：「怜君不得意，况复柳条春。为客黄金尽，还家白发新」写怜君不得意、况复柳条春——写尽不得意的柳条春；后四句写送归：「五湖三亩宅，万里一归人。知尔不能荐，羞称献纳臣」写五湖三亩宅、万里一归人——写尽万里的一归人。全诗以感慨写送别，写尽不得意的柳条春与万里的一归人，是王维的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写送别，以感慨写送别，是王维的名篇。此诗为王维送丘为落第归江东而作，写其对丘为不遇的怜惜与自责。丘为应试落第，王维送之，此诗写其同情与惭愧。此诗写怜君不得意，况复柳条春；为客黄金尽，还家白发新；五湖三亩宅，万里一归人；知尔不能荐，羞称献纳臣。此诗写怜君：怜君不得意，况复柳条春——写怜君不得意、况复柳条春，写尽不得意的柳条春；为客黄金尽，还家白发新——写为客黄金尽、还家白发新，写尽白发的还家；五湖三亩宅，万里一归人——写五湖三亩宅、万里一归人，写尽万里的一归人；知尔不能荐，羞称献纳臣——写知尔不能荐、羞称献纳臣，写尽献纳臣的羞称。全诗以感慨写送别——那「况复柳条春」写尽不得意的柳条春，「羞称献纳臣」写尽献纳臣的羞称，写尽不得意的柳条春与万里的一归人，是理解王维送别诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「怜君不得意，况复柳条春」写不得意的柳条春；「五湖三亩宅，万里一归人」写万里的一归人；以及全诗以感慨写送别、以自责写送别的手法。

Background

Wang Wei (c. 701–761), styled Mojie, poet-painter of the 'Wang and Meng' pair, called the 'Buddha of Poetry.' This poem sends Qiu Wei, who has failed the imperial examinations, back east of the river. Wang Wei expresses both sympathy for his friend's non-success and shame at his own inability to recommend him (as a court counselor). In Tang society the exam was the road to office; failure meant lost years and a humbled return. The poem turns a personal defeat into a quiet, self-accusing farewell—an important window onto Wang Wei's reflective partings.

此诗写送别，以感慨写送别，是王维的名篇。王维（约701—761），字摩诘，号摩诘居士，河东蒲州（今山西永济）人，唐代诗人、画家，与孟浩然并称「王孟」，被尊为「诗佛」。此诗为王维送丘为落第归江东而作，写其对丘为不遇的怜惜与自责。丘为应试落第，王维送之，此诗写其同情与惭愧。此诗写怜君不得意，况复柳条春；为客黄金尽，还家白发新；五湖三亩宅，万里一归人；知尔不能荐，羞称献纳臣。此诗写怜君：「怜君不得意，况复柳条春」写怜君不得意、况复柳条春——写尽不得意的柳条春（怜君不得意，况复柳条春）；「为客黄金尽，还家白发新」写为客黄金尽、还家白发新——写尽白发的还家（为客黄金尽，还家白发新）；「五湖三亩宅，万里一归人」写五湖三亩宅、万里一归人——写尽万里的一归人（五湖三亩宅，万里一归人）；「知尔不能荐，羞称献纳臣」写知尔不能荐、羞称献纳臣——写尽献纳臣的羞称（知尔不能荐，羞称献纳臣）。全诗以感慨写送别，写尽不得意的柳条春与万里的一归人，是理解王维送别诗的重要篇章。

Art

Four devices. First, direct feeling for pity: 'I pity you in your disappointment' states sympathy, deepened by 'now the willow twigs greet spring'—parting willows against failure. Second, antithesis for the return: 'a guest till your gold was spent; you return home with new white hair' pairs spent fortune with added age. Third, contrast for wealth and poverty: 'by the Five Lakes, a three-acre dwelling; ten thousand li, a lone returning man' sets a tiny home against a vast distance. Fourth, self-reproach for the farewell: 'I know I cannot recommend you, ashamed to call myself a counselor' ends on the poet's guilt. The poem moves from pity to shame; its word 'moreover' and 'cannot' bind feeling to conscience—Wang Wei's 'implicit and gentle' art.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以直抒写怜君。「怜君不得意」以直抒写怜君——那「况复柳条春」写尽柳条的春，以直抒写尽不得意的柳条春。其二，以对仗写归途。「为客黄金尽」以对仗写归途——那「还家白发新」写尽还家的白发，以对仗写尽白发的还家。其三，以对照写贫富。「五湖三亩宅」以对照写贫富——那「万里一归人」写尽万里的一归人，以对照写尽万里的一归人。其四，以自责写送别。「羞称献纳臣」以自责写送别——那「知尔不能荐」写尽不能荐的知尔，以自责写尽献纳臣的羞称。此外，此诗前四句写不得意的柳条春，后四句写万里的一归人，由怜及愧，正是送别诗「以愧写别」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以感慨写送别，写尽不得意的柳条春与万里的一归人，是王维的代表作。此诗还善于以「况复柳条春」的「柳条春」写柳条之春——那「况复」写尽况且复又的层进，正是以柳写别，以「柳条春」写尽不得意的柳条春。又善以「知尔不能荐」的「不能荐」写荐贤之不能——知尔不能荐，正见不能荐贤的写照，以「不能荐」写尽献纳臣的羞称。

Allusions

The language sits in farewell and reflection. 'Disappointment' recalls Li Bai's 'life in this world is never as one wishes.' 'Willow twigs' evoke the parting-willow custom ('every willow broken, every flower flown'). 'Gold spent' recalls Su Qin's 'coat ragged, gold exhausted' (the impoverished traveler). 'White hair new' evokes Li Bai's 'white hair three thousand zhang.' 'Five Lakes' recalls Fan Li drifting the lakes, a retirement image; 'three-acre dwelling' the humble home. Wang Wei thus remakes disappointment, willow, spent gold, white hair, Five Lakes, and three acres into a 'clear, plain' farewell of reflection—his manner of white description carrying quiet grief.

此诗的用语深植于送别与感慨传统。「不得意」令人想到「不得意」写不得志的意象——也令人想到「人生在世不称意」（李白）的意象；「柳条春」令人想到「柳条春」写春柳的意象——古人折柳送别，也令人想到「柳条折尽花飞尽」的意象；「黄金尽」令人想到「黄金尽」写盘缠用尽的意象——苏秦「裘敝金尽」，也令人想到「季子裘敝」的意象；「白发新」令人想到「白发新」写新添白发的意象——也令人想到「白发三千丈」（李白）的意象；「五湖」令人想到「五湖」写五湖的意象——范蠡泛五湖，也令人想到「五湖烟水」的意象；「三亩宅」令人想到「三亩宅」写三亩宅的意象——也令人想到「三亩之宅」的意象。全诗化用不得意、柳条春、黄金尽、白发新、五湖、三亩宅的意象典故，以感慨写送别，正是王维「清幽」而善白描、承送别传统写感慨之本领。「黄金尽」令人想到「黄金尽」写盘缠用尽的意象——也令人想到「裘敝金尽」的意象；「三亩宅」令人想到「三亩宅」写三亩宅的意象——也令人想到「三亩之宅」的意象，以三亩写归隐。

Commentary

Long ranked among Wang Wei's finest reflective farewells and the classic Tang poem on seeing off an examination failure, it won Qing praise for 'farewell through reflection, implicit and deep.' Moderns cite 'a guest till your gold was spent; you return home with white hair' as its famous line. Its worth is condensing disappointment and a lonely return into a five-character lüshi—every image (pity, willow, spent gold, white hair, Five Lakes, lone man, shame) belongs to Wang Wei's gentle hand; the self-reproach closes with conscience. Paired with his 'Farewell to Yuan the Second' (a cup of wine) it shows two modes of Wang Wei parting—one westward, one eastward in defeat. For today's readers it opens Wang Wei's reflective verse and the Tang classic of consoling failure.

此诗历来被推为王维送别诗的名篇，也是唐诗写落第送别的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以感慨写送别，含蓄深婉」；近人更指出「为客黄金尽，还家白发新」写白发的还家，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以八句的五律写尽不得意的柳条春与万里的一归人——那怜君，那不得意，那况复，那柳条春，那为客，那黄金尽，那还家，那白发新，那五湖，那三亩宅，那万里，那一归人，那知尔，那不能荐，那羞称，那献纳臣，都写尽了王维笔下的送丘为落第归江东；那「羞称献纳臣」更以自责写尽献纳臣的羞称。此诗与王维《送元二使安西》「渭城朝雨浥轻尘」同为送别名篇，一写「劝君更尽一杯酒」的元二（送元二使安西），一写「知尔不能荐」的丘为（送丘为落第归江东）；一写西出阳关，一写落第归东。两诗对读，可见王维送别诗的两种境界。对于今日读者，此诗是理解王维送别诗的窗口，也是唐诗写落第送别的经典——那万里的一归人，穿越千年，仍在诉说着献纳臣的羞称。

Prosody

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

Rhyme A five-character lüshi rhyming on chun, xin, ren, chen (the 'zhen' rhyme, level tone), one rhyme to the end, its level music implicit and suiting the reflective mood.五律，押「春」「新」「人」「臣」韵（上平十一真），一韵到底，音节含蓄

Tone pattern As a five-character regulated verse rhyming on level tone throughout, one rhyme to the end, its music is implicit and gentle, fitting the poem's quiet reflection.此诗为五言律诗，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节含蓄，正合感慨的含蓄。

Reading note A five-character lüshi of eight lines—'I pity you in your disappointment… ashamed to call myself a counselor'—rhyming on the 'zhen' category (chun, xin, ren, chen), one rhyme to the end, its music restrained. The first half voices pity amid spring willows; the second turns to lonely return and the poet's shame. Neat antitheses ('gold spent' / 'white hair,' 'Five Lakes' / 'ten thousand li') keep Wang Wei's clear, secluded manner; read the close on shame with quiet, self-accusing softness.此诗为五言律诗，八句——「怜君不得意，况复柳条春。为客黄金尽，还家白发新。五湖三亩宅，万里一归人。知尔不能荐，羞称献纳臣」，押「真」韵（春、新、人、臣），一韵到底，音节含蓄。全诗以感慨写送别：前四句写不得意的柳条春（怜君不得意、还家白发新），后四句写万里的一归人（五湖三亩宅、羞称献纳臣）。八句短章，前写怜君，后写自责，以「羞称献纳臣」写尽献纳臣的羞称，正见王维「清幽」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以含蓄的语调读「怜君不得意」的送别，以惭愧的语调读「羞称献纳臣」的自责，结句要读得含蓄而有余韵，方能传达出王维的含蓄深婉。王维律诗以「清幽」著称，此诗正是其送别诗的典范。

Line by line

为客黄金尽，还家白发新

A guest till your gold was spent; you return home with new-grown white hair.

为客黄金尽，还家白发新。

As a sojourner, your gold is spent; returning home, your white hairs are new.

此二句是全诗写归途的核心，以为客黄金尽写黄金尽，以还家白发新写白发新，写尽白发的还家，是千古名句。「为客黄金尽」写为客黄金尽——那「为客」写为客，「黄金尽」写黄金尽，写尽为客的黄金尽；「还家白发新」写还家白发新——那「还家」写还家，「白发新」写白发新，写尽还家的白发。这句的深意在于：它以「为客黄金尽」的黄金尽与「还家白发新」的白发新，写尽白发的还家——为客黄金尽，那「为客黄金尽」写尽为客的黄金尽——为客黄金尽，正是客中金尽的写照，那「黄金尽」写尽白发的还家；还家白发新，那「还家白发新」写尽还家的白发——还家白发新，正是归家发白的写照，那「白发新」写尽白发的还家；那「为客黄金尽」写尽为客的黄金尽，那「还家白发新」写尽还家的白发，一写为客，一写还家，写尽白发的还家——客中金尽而归家发白，正是落第的写照；此二句以为客、还家写尽白发的还家，也为下文的五湖作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写归途的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「客居他乡盘缠用尽，回到家中新添白发」，则失其含蓄；唯以「为客黄金尽」写黄金尽、「还家白发新」写白发新，写尽白发的还家，也让此二句成为全诗写归途的核心。

These two lines are the core of the whole's writing the homeward road, using as a sojourner, your gold is spent for the spent gold and returning home, your white hairs are new for the new white hairs, writing to the full the homecoming of white hairs, the famous line of a thousand ages. As a sojourner, your gold is spent writes the gold spent in the strange land; returning home, your white hairs are new writes the white hairs on returning. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the spent gold of as a sojourner, your gold is spent and the new white hairs of returning home, your white hairs are new to write to the full the homecoming of white hairs - the gold spent as a guest and the white hairs on returning, exactly the picture of having failed the examination. One writing being a guest, one writing returning home, writing to the full the homecoming of white hairs. These two lines write to the full the homecoming of white hairs through being a guest and returning home, lay a ground for the later five lakes, and make them the core of the whole's homeward road and a famous line of a thousand ages. If one instead directly said your money is spent in the strange land, and new white hairs have grown on your return, one would lose the reserve; only writing the spent gold through as a sojourner, your gold is spent and the new white hairs through returning home, your white hairs are new, writing to the full the homecoming of white hairs, makes these two lines the core of the whole's homeward road.

五湖三亩宅，万里一归人

By the Five Lakes, a three-acre dwelling; ten thousand li, a lone returning man.

五湖三亩宅，万里一归人。

Three mu of dwelling by the five lakes; one man returning from ten thousand li.

此二句是全诗写送归的核心，以五湖三亩宅写三亩宅，以万里一归人写一归人，写尽万里的一归人，是千古名句。「五湖三亩宅」写五湖三亩宅——那「五湖」写五湖，「三亩宅」写三亩宅，写尽五湖的三亩宅；「万里一归人」写万里一归人——那「万里」写万里，「一归人」写一归人，写尽万里的一归人。这句的深意在于：它以「五湖三亩宅」的三亩宅与「万里一归人」的一归人，写尽万里的一归人——五湖三亩宅，那「五湖三亩宅」写尽五湖的三亩宅——五湖三亩宅，正是湖滨三亩的写照，那「三亩宅」写尽万里的一归人；万里一归人，那「万里一归人」写尽万里的一归人——万里一归人，正是万里独归的写照，那「一归人」写尽万里的一归人；那「五湖三亩宅」写尽五湖的三亩宅，那「万里一归人」写尽万里的一归人，一写五湖，一写万里，写尽万里的一归人——五湖三亩而万里独归，正是落第的写照；此二句以五湖、万里写尽万里的一归人，也为下文的献纳作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写送归的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「五湖边有三亩住宅，万里之外独自归去一人」，则失其对照；唯以「五湖三亩宅」写三亩宅、「万里一归人」写一归人，写尽万里的一归人，也让此二句成为全诗写送归的核心。

These two lines are the core of the whole's writing the seeing home, using three mu of dwelling by the five lakes for the dwelling and one man returning from ten thousand li for the returning man, writing to the full the one returning from ten thousand li, the famous line of a thousand ages. Three mu of dwelling by the five lakes writes the small dwelling by the lake; one man returning from ten thousand li writes the lone return from ten thousand li. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the dwelling of three mu of dwelling by the five lakes and the returning man of one man returning from ten thousand li to write to the full the one returning from ten thousand li - three mu by the five lakes and the lone return from ten thousand li, exactly the picture of having failed. One writing the five lakes, one writing ten thousand li, writing to the full the one returning from ten thousand li. These two lines write to the full the one returning from ten thousand li through the five lakes and ten thousand li, lay a ground for the later offering, and make them the core of the whole's seeing home and a famous line of a thousand ages. If one instead directly said three mu of dwelling by the five lakes, and one man returning alone from ten thousand li away, one would lose the contrast; only writing the dwelling through three mu of dwelling by the five lakes and the returning man through one man returning from ten thousand li, writing to the full the one returning from ten thousand li, makes these two lines the core of the whole's seeing home.

Study

Word focus

怜 'Lian' (pity, sympathize) in 'I pity you in your disappointment.' It opens the poem with the poet's compassion for his friend's failure, the keynote of its gentle, reflective feeling. 「怜君不得意」之「怜」字是写送别关键词，一个「怜」字写尽不得意的柳条春。怜者，怜惜、同情也。王维以「怜君不得意」写送别，这个「怜」字至少有双重意味：其一，写君之怜——那「怜君不得意」写怜君不得意，那「怜」字写尽不得意的柳条春——怜君，正是怜惜友人的写照，那「怜」字写尽不得意的柳条春；其二，写情之深——那「怜」字更是写深——怜，正见对友失意的深情，那「怜」字写尽王维的感慨。以「怜」字写送别，正是王维写感慨的枢纽——若换作「惜」「哀」等字，则或失其与「怜君」「不得意」的配合，或失其写怜的意味；唯「怜」字，以怜君不得意写尽君之怜惜与失意之深情，与「况复柳条春」的柳条相合，写尽不得意的柳条春，也让「怜君不得意」成为全诗写送别的名句。

羞 'Xiu' (ashamed) in 'ashamed to call myself a counselor who presents.' It marks the poet's self-reproach at being unable to recommend his friend, closing the farewell with guilty conscience. 「羞称献纳臣」之「羞」字是写自责关键词，一个「羞」字写尽献纳臣的羞称。羞者，羞愧、惭愧也。王维以「羞称献纳臣」写自责，这个「羞」字至少有双重意味：其一，写称之羞——那「羞称献纳臣」写羞称献纳臣，那「羞」字写尽献纳臣的羞称——羞称，正是羞于自称的写照，那「羞」字写尽献纳臣的羞称；其二，写心之愧——那「羞」字更是写愧——羞，正见不能荐贤的惭愧，那「羞」字写尽王维的自责。以「羞」字写自责，正是王维写送别的枢纽——若换作「愧」「惭」等字，则或失其与「羞称」「献纳臣」的配合，或失其写羞的意味；唯「羞」字，以羞称献纳臣写尽献纳之羞称与荐贤之惭愧，与「知尔不能荐」的知尔相合，写尽献纳臣的羞称，也让「羞称献纳臣」成为全诗写自责的名句。