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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

送邢桂州

Seeing Off Xing to Guizhou

王维

Wang Wei

送别Farewell 写景Scenery

铙吹喧京口，风波下洞庭。
赭圻将赤岸，击汰复扬舲。
日落江湖白，潮来天地青。
明珠归合浦，应逐使臣星。

Nao-chui music clamors at Jingkou; on wind and wave you descend to Dongting.
Past Zheqi toward Chi'an; you strike the water and hoist the sail.
At sunset the river and lake turn white; when the tide comes, heaven and earth turn blue-green.
The bright pearls return to Hepu; you should follow the envoy's star.

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Meaning

Wang Wei sends Xing Ji to his post as prefect of Guizhou. He follows the journey from the clamorous send-off at Jingkou down to Dongting, across named reaches, into a vast sunset-and-tide seascape, and closes with the allusion of Hepu's returned pearls, wishing him honored office.

铙吹喧京口，风波下洞庭。赭圻将赤岸，击汰复扬舲。日落江湖白，潮来天地青。明珠归合浦，应逐使臣星。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Wang Wei bids Xing Ji farewell to Guizhou. He opens with naochen music clamoring at Jingkou and the descent to Dongting on wind and wave, then 'past Zheqi toward Chi'an; strike the water and hoist the sail,' 'at sunset the river and lake turn white; when the tide comes, heaven and earth turn blue-green,' and closes 'the bright pearls return to Hepu; you should follow the envoy's star.' [Structure] The first four lines trace the water journey; the last turn to the grand seascape and a benediction—from travel to wish. [Imagery] Nao-chui clamor sounds the send-off; Zheqi, Chi'an name the route; sunset white, tide blue-green paint a vast, painterly prospect. [Tone] Wang Wei's 'poetry in painting' manner at its most spacious—a farewell of grand spectacle.

【白话串讲】王维写《送邢桂州》：“铙吹喧京口，风波下洞庭”——“日落江湖白，潮来天地青”——“明珠归合浦，应逐使臣星”——他送邢桂州上任——“潮来天地青”——他写江湖的壮阔。【意象与手法】此诗写送别，以壮阔写送别，是王维的名篇。前四句写行程：「铙吹喧京口，风波下洞庭。赭圻将赤岸，击汰复扬舲」写铙吹喧京口、风波下洞庭——写尽送行的行程；后四句写壮景：「日落江湖白，潮来天地青。明珠归合浦，应逐使臣星」写日落江湖白、潮来天地青——写尽江湖的壮景。全诗以壮阔写送别，写尽送行的行程与江湖的壮景，是王维的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写送别，以壮阔写送别，是王维的名篇。此诗写王维送邢济赴桂州（今广西桂林）刺史任。此诗写铙吹（军乐）喧闹于京口，乘风波而下洞庭；过赭圻、赤岸，击汰（拍水）而扬舲（扬帆）；日落时江湖皆白，潮来时天地皆青；末以「明珠归合浦」用典，祝其如孟尝君之治合浦，明珠复还，应如使臣星般受到礼遇。此诗写行程：铙吹喧京口，风波下洞庭——写铙吹喧京口、风波下洞庭，写尽送行的行程；赭圻将赤岸，击汰复扬舲——写赭圻将赤岸、击汰复扬舲，写尽扬帆的行程；日落江湖白，潮来天地青——写日落江湖白、潮来天地青，写尽江湖的壮景；明珠归合浦，应逐使臣星——写明珠归合浦、应逐使臣星，写尽用典的祝愿。全诗以壮阔写送别——那「铙吹喧京口」写尽送行的行程，「潮来天地青」写尽江湖的壮景，写尽送行的行程与江湖的壮景，是理解王维送别诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「铙吹喧京口，风波下洞庭」写送行的行程；「日落江湖白，潮来天地青」写江湖的壮景；以及全诗以壮阔写送别、以用典写祝愿的手法。

Background

Wang Wei (701–761), poet-painter praised by Su Shi as 'poetry in painting, painting in poetry.' This poem sees Xing Ji off to Guizhou (Guilin, Guangxi) as prefect. It traces the water route—nao-chui (martial music) at Jingkou (Zhenjiang), down to Dongting, past Zheqi (Anhui) and Chi'an (Hubei), then to the grand tidal prospect, and closes with the allusion of Hepu's returned pearls (Meng Chang's good rule) and the 'envoy's star' (Li He's omen of an honored mission). Wang Wei thus turns a send-off into a sweeping river-and-tide painting and a blessing—a key work of his scenic farewells.

此诗写送别，以壮阔写送别，是王维的名篇。王维（701—761），字摩诘，号摩诘居士，河东蒲州（今山西运城）人，唐代诗人、画家，与孟浩然并称「王孟」，被苏轼誉为「诗中有画，画中有诗」。此诗写王维送邢济赴桂州（今广西桂林）刺史任。此诗写铙吹（军乐）喧闹于京口，乘风波而下洞庭；过赭圻、赤岸，击汰（拍水）而扬舲（扬帆）；日落时江湖皆白，潮来时天地皆青；末以「明珠归合浦」用典，祝其如孟尝君之治合浦，明珠复还，应如使臣星般受到礼遇。此诗写行程：「铙吹喧京口，风波下洞庭」写铙吹喧京口、风波下洞庭——写尽送行的行程（铙吹喧京口，风波下洞庭）；「赭圻将赤岸，击汰复扬舲」写赭圻将赤岸、击汰复扬舲——写尽扬帆的行程（赭圻将赤岸，击汰复扬舲）；「日落江湖白，潮来天地青」写日落江湖白、潮来天地青——写尽江湖的壮景（日落江湖白，潮来天地青）；「明珠归合浦，应逐使臣星」写明珠归合浦、应逐使臣星——写尽用典的祝愿（明珠归合浦，应逐使臣星）。全诗以壮阔写送别，写尽送行的行程与江湖的壮景，是理解王维送别诗的重要篇章。

Art

Four devices. First, sound and color for the journey: 'nao-chui music clamors at Jingkou' opens with audible pomp. Second, place-names for route: 'past Zheqi toward Chi'an' maps the passage in toponyms. Third, antithesis for grand scene: 'at sunset the river and lake turn white; when the tide comes, heaven and earth turn blue-green' pairs sunset and tide in a majestic couplet. Fourth, allusion for blessing: 'the bright pearls return to Hepu' cites the Hepu pearl-return tale to wish good rule. The poem moves from travel to benediction; its 'strike' and 'hoist' verbs quicken the boat, and the blue-green close is pure painterly grandeur—Wang Wei's 'poetry in painting.'

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以声色写行程。「铙吹喧京口」以声色写行程——那「铙吹喧」写尽铙吹的喧闹，以声色写尽送行的行程。其二，以地名写行程。「赭圻将赤岸」以地名写行程——那「赭圻」「赤岸」写尽途中的地名，以地名写尽扬帆的行程。其三，以对仗写壮景。「日落江湖白，潮来天地青」以对仗写壮景——那「日落」「潮来」写尽江潮的对仗，以对仗写尽江湖的壮景。其四，以用典写祝愿。「明珠归合浦」以用典写祝愿——那「明珠归合浦」用合浦珠还典写祝愿，以用典写尽送别的祝愿。此外，此诗前四句写送行的行程，后四句写江湖的壮景与祝愿，由行及祝，正是送别诗「以壮写别」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以壮阔写送别，写尽送行的行程与江湖的壮景，是王维的代表作。此诗还善于以「赭圻将赤岸」的地名对仗写行程——那「赭圻」「赤岸」写尽途中的地名，正是以地名写路程，以对仗写尽扬帆的行程。又善以「击汰复扬舲」的「击」「扬」二字写行舟之疾——击汰而扬舲，以二字写尽乘风破浪的行程。

Allusions

The language draws on farewell and grand-scene tradition. 'Nao-chui' is martial music (the 'drum-and-fife'); 'Jingkou' names Zhenjiang ('a river's width from Jingkou to Guazhou'). 'Dongting' is the great lake ('Wu and Chu split southeast'). 'Zheqi' and 'Chi'an' are route toponyms (Zheqi in Anhui, Chi'an in Hubei). 'Strike the water' recalls 'strike the oar midstream.' 'Pearls return to Hepu' uses the Hou Han shu tale: Meng Chang, as Hepu prefect, restored the pearls that had fled—an emblem of good governance. 'Envoy's star' comes from the Hou Han shu (Li He saw two envoy-stars enter Yizhou), here wishing Xing an honored reception. Wang Wei thus remakes music, Jingkou, Dongting, Zheqi, Chi'an, Hepu, and the envoy-star into a spacious, blessed farewell.

此诗的用语深植于送别与壮阔传统。「铙吹」令人想到「铙吹」写军乐的意象——也令人想到「鼓吹」的意象；「京口」令人想到「京口」写京口的意象——今江苏镇江，也令人想到「京口瓜洲一水间」（王安石）的意象；「洞庭」令人想到「洞庭」写洞庭湖的意象——也令人想到「吴楚东南坼」（杜甫）的意象；「赭圻」「赤岸」令人想到「赭圻」「赤岸」写地名的意象——赭圻在安徽，赤岸在湖北，也令人想到「江汉」的意象；「击汰」令人想到「击汰」写拍水的意象——也令人想到「击楫中流」的意象；「明珠归合浦」用《后汉书》合浦珠还之典——孟尝为合浦太守，去珠复还，也令人想到「合浦珠还」的意象。全诗化用铙吹、京口、洞庭、赭圻、赤岸、击汰、合浦的意象典故，以壮阔写送别，正是王维「诗中有画」而善用典、承送别传统写祝愿之本领。「赭圻」令人想到「赭圻」写赭圻城的意象——在安徽南陵，也令人想到「赤壁」的意象；「使臣星」典出《后汉书·方术传》——李郃观二使星入益州，指为使者之星，王维以「应逐使臣星」写邢济奉命赴任，将受礼遇。

Commentary

Long ranked among Wang Wei's scenic farewells and the classic Tang poem of grand leave-taking, it won Qing praise for 'farewell through grand spectacle, vast in manner.' Moderns cite 'at sunset the river and lake turn white; when the tide comes, heaven and earth turn blue-green' as its famous line. Its worth is condensing the water journey and a vast seascape into a five-character lüshi—every image (the clamor, Jingkou, Dongting, Zheqi, the sail, the white sunset, the blue-green tide, the Hepu pearls) belongs to Wang Wei's painterly hand; the tide close is pure grandeur. Paired with his 'Farewell to Yuan the Second' (a cup of wine) it shows two Wang Wei scenes—one frontier, one waterborne. For today's readers it opens his scenic art and the Tang classic of grand farewell—the blue-green tide still shining across ages.

此诗历来被推为王维送别诗的名篇，也是唐诗写壮阔送别的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以壮阔写送别，气象宏阔」；近人更指出「日落江湖白，潮来天地青」写江湖的壮景，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送行的行程与江湖的壮景——那铙吹，那喧京口，那风波，那下洞庭，那赭圻，那将赤岸，那击汰，那复扬舲，那日落，那江湖白，那潮来，那天地青，那明珠，那归合浦，那应逐，那使臣星，都写尽了王维笔下的送邢桂州；那「潮来天地青」更以对仗写尽江湖的壮景。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」的渭城（送元二），一写「潮来天地青」的桂州（送邢桂州）；又与《后汉书》合浦珠还的典故传统一脉相承，可见唐诗写送别的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解王维送别诗的窗口，也是唐诗写壮阔送别的经典——那潮来天地青的壮景，穿越千年，仍在诉说着送别的祝愿。

Prosody

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

Rhyme A five-character lüshi rhyming on ting, ling, qing, xing (the 'qing' rhyme, level tone), one rhyme to the end, its level music vast and fitting the grand scene.五律，押「庭」「舲」「青」「星」韵（下平九青），一韵到底，音节宏阔

Tone pattern As a five-character regulated verse rhyming on level tone throughout, one rhyme to the end, its music is vast and expansive, suiting the poem's grand, scenic manner.此诗为五言律诗，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节宏阔，正合送别的宏阔。

Reading note A five-character lüshi of eight lines—'nao-chui music clamors at Jingkou… you should follow the envoy's star'—rhyming on the 'qing' category (ting, ling, qing, xing), one rhyme to the end, its music expansive. The first half traces the water journey; the second opens into the sunset-tide spectacle and a blessing. The 'sunset white / tide blue-green' couplet is strictly parallel, pure Wang Wei painting; read the close on the envoy-star with dignified, hopeful calm.此诗为五言律诗，八句——「铙吹喧京口，风波下洞庭。赭圻将赤岸，击汰复扬舲。日落江湖白，潮来天地青。明珠归合浦，应逐使臣星」，押「青」韵（庭、舲、青、星），一韵到底，音节宏阔。全诗以壮阔写送别：前四句写送行的行程（铙吹喧京口、击汰复扬舲），后四句写江湖的壮景与祝愿（日落江湖白、应逐使臣星）。八句短章，前写行程，后写壮景，以「潮来天地青」写尽江湖的壮景，正见王维「诗中有画」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以宏阔的语调读「铙吹喧京口」的行程，以壮阔的语调读「潮来天地青」的壮景，结句要读得宏阔而有余韵，方能传达出王维的气象宏阔。王维律诗以「诗中有画」著称，此诗正是其送别诗的典范。

Line by line

日落江湖白，潮来天地青

At sunset the river and lake turn white; when the tide comes, heaven and earth turn blue-green.

日落江湖白，潮来天地青。

The sun sets, river and lake turn white; the tide comes, heaven and earth turn green.

此二句是全诗写壮景的核心，以日落江湖白写江湖白，以潮来天地青写天地青，写尽江湖的壮景，是千古名句。「日落江湖白」写日落江湖白——那「日落」写日落，「江湖白」写江湖白，写尽江湖的白浪；「潮来天地青」写潮来天地青——那「潮来」写潮来，「天地青」写天地青，写尽天地的青苍。这句的深意在于：它以「日落江湖白」的江湖白与「潮来天地青」的天地青，写尽江湖的壮景——日落江湖白，那「日落江湖白」写尽江湖的白浪——日落江湖，正是日落江上的写照，那「江湖白」写尽江湖的壮景；潮来天地青，那「潮来天地青」写尽天地的青苍——潮来天地，正是潮涌天地的写照，那「天地青」写尽江湖的壮景；那「日落江湖白」写尽江湖的白浪，那「潮来天地青」写尽天地的青苍，一写日落，一写潮来，写尽江湖的壮景——日落而江湖白，潮来而天地青，正是江海壮阔的写照；此二句以日落、潮来写尽江湖的壮景，也让此二句成为全诗写壮景的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「日落时江面泛白，涨潮时天地青苍，景色很壮阔」，则失其宏阔；唯以「日落江湖白」写江湖白、「潮来天地青」写天地青，写尽江湖的壮景，也让此二句成为全诗写壮景的核心。

These two lines are the core of the whole's writing the grand scene, using the sun sets, river and lake turn white for the white waters and the tide comes, heaven and earth turn green for the green world, writing to the full the grand scene of the river and lake, the famous line of a thousand ages. The sun sets writes the sunset; river and lake turn white writes the white waves of the sunset waters. The tide comes writes the rising tide; heaven and earth turn green writes the green vastness of the tide. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the white waters of the sun sets, river and lake turn white and the green world of the tide comes, heaven and earth turn green to write to the full the grand scene - the sunset on the waters, the tide over the world, exactly the picture of the vast river and sea. One writing the sunset, one writing the tide, writing to the full the grand scene. These two lines write to the full the grand scene of the river and lake through the sunset and the tide, and make them the core of the whole's grand scene and a famous line of a thousand ages. If one instead directly said at sunset the river turns white, and at high tide the world turns green, a very grand scene, one would lose the vastness; only writing the white waters through the sun sets, river and lake turn white and the green world through the tide comes, heaven and earth turn green, writing to the full the grand scene of the river and lake, makes these two lines the core of the whole's grand scene.

铙吹喧京口，风波下洞庭

Nao-chui music clamors at Jingkou; on wind and wave you descend to Dongting.

铙吹喧京口，风波下洞庭。

The nao-brass fanfares resound at Jingkou; wind and wave carry you down to Dongting.

此二句是全诗写行程的核心，以铙吹喧京口写喧京口，以风波下洞庭写下洞庭，写尽送行的行程，是千古名句。「铙吹喧京口」写铙吹喧京口——那「铙吹」写铙吹，「喧京口」写喧京口，写尽京口的喧闹；「风波下洞庭」写风波下洞庭——那「风波」写风波，「下洞庭」写下洞庭，写尽洞庭的乘风。这句的深意在于：它以「铙吹喧京口」的喧京口与「风波下洞庭」的下洞庭，写尽送行的行程——铙吹喧京口，那「铙吹喧京口」写尽京口的喧闹——铙吹喧京口，正是铙吹喧腾的写照，那「喧京口」写尽送行的行程；风波下洞庭，那「风波下洞庭」写尽洞庭的乘风——风波下洞庭，正是乘风下湖的写照，那「下洞庭」写尽送行的行程；那「铙吹喧京口」写尽京口的喧闹，那「风波下洞庭」写尽洞庭的乘风，一写京口，一写洞庭，写尽送行的行程——京口喧闹而乘风下湖，正是壮阔送别的写照；此二句以铙吹、风波写尽送行的行程，也为下文的壮景作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写行程的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「京口敲锣打鼓欢送，乘着风浪下洞庭湖」，则失其壮阔；唯以「铙吹喧京口」写喧京口、「风波下洞庭」写下洞庭，写尽送行的行程，也让此二句成为全诗写行程的核心。

These two lines are the core of the whole's writing the journey, using the nao-brass fanfares resound at Jingkou for the resounding Jingkou and wind and wave carry you down to Dongting for the going down to Dongting, writing to the full the journey of the send-off, the famous line of a thousand ages. The nao-brass fanfares writes the military band; resound at Jingkou writes the clamor at Jingkou. Wind and wave writes the winds and waves; down to Dongting writes the run down to Dongting Lake. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the resounding Jingkou of the nao-brass fanfares resound at Jingkou and the going down to Dongting of wind and wave carry you down to Dongting to write to the full the journey of the send-off - the clamorous fanfares at Jingkou and the ride with wind and wave down the lake, exactly the picture of the grand send-off. One writing Jingkou, one writing Dongting, writing to the full the journey. These two lines write to the full the journey of the send-off through the fanfares and the wind and wave, lay a ground for the later grand scene, and make them the core of the whole's journey and a famous line of a thousand ages. If one instead directly said gongs and drums saw you off at Jingkou, and you sailed down Dongting Lake through wind and waves, one would lose the grandeur; only writing the resounding Jingkou through the nao-brass fanfares resound at Jingkou and the going down to Dongting through wind and wave carry you down to Dongting, writing to the full the journey of the send-off, makes these two lines the core of the whole's journey.

Study

Word focus

喧 'Xuan' (clamor, resound) in 'nao-chui music clamors at Jingkou.' It renders the audible pomp of the send-off, conveying both the martial music's noise and the grandeur of the departure. 「铙吹喧京口」之「喧」字是写行程的关键词，一个「喧」字写尽京口的喧闹。喧者，喧闹、喧嚣也。王维以「铙吹喧京口」写行程，这个「喧」字至少有双重意味：其一，写声之喧——那「铙吹喧京口」写铙吹喧京口，那「喧」字写尽京口的喧闹——喧京口，正是铙吹喧腾的写照，那「喧」字写尽送行的行程；其二，写势之盛——那「喧」字更是写盛——喧，正见送行之盛大的写照，那「喧」字写尽壮阔的送别。以「喧」字写行程，正是王维写送别的枢纽——若换作「响」「震」等字，则或失其与「铙吹」「京口」的配合，或失其写喧的意味；唯「喧」字，以铙吹喧京口写尽京口之喧闹与送行之盛大，与「风波下洞庭」的风波相合，写尽送行的行程，也让「铙吹喧京口」成为全诗写行程的名句。

青 'Qing' (blue-green, verdant) in 'when the tide comes, heaven and earth turn blue-green.' It paints the vast tidal prospect in a single color-word, the keynote of the poem's painterly grandeur. 「潮来天地青」之「青」字是写壮景的关键词，一个「青」字写尽天地的青苍。青者，青苍、青碧也。王维以「潮来天地青」写壮景，这个「青」字至少有双重意味：其一，写天之青——那「潮来天地青」写潮来天地青，那「青」字写尽天地的青苍——天地青，正是天地青碧的写照，那「青」字写尽江湖的壮景；其二，写色之壮——那「青」字更是写壮——青，正见潮来天地皆青的壮阔，那「青」字写尽江海的气象。以「青」字写壮景，正是王维写送别的枢纽——若换作「碧」「苍」等字，则或失其与「潮来天地」「日落江湖白」的配合，或失其写青的意味；唯「青」字，以潮来天地青写尽天地之青苍与潮涌之壮阔，与「日落江湖白」的江湖白相合，写尽江湖的壮景，也让「潮来天地青」成为全诗写壮景的名句。