All poems

唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

送郑侍御谪闽中

Seeing Off Censor Zheng Banished to Min

高适

Gao Shi

送别Farewell 劝慰Consolation

谪去君无恨，闽中我旧过。
大都秋雁少，只是夜猿多。
东路云山合，南天瘴疠和。
自当逢雨露，行矣慎风波。

Banished hence, do not bear resentment; I have traveled through Min myself of old.
For the most part autumn wild-geese are few, only the night apes are many.
Eastward the road closes with cloud-wrapped hills; in the southern sky the miasma is mild.
You shall surely meet with imperial favor; go now, and beware the winds and waves.

Listen

Meaning

A five-character regulated verse in which Gao Shi comforts a friend, Censor Zheng, banished to Min (Fujian). He reassures him from his own travel there, describes the southern land's odd sights, and closes with a punning wish for pardon and a warning about official strife. The poem is plain in language yet deep in feeling.

贬谪而去君莫恨，闽中我曾旧游过。大都秋雁少，只是夜猿多。东路云山合，南天瘴疠和。自当逢雨露，行矣慎风波。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The poet tells the banished friend not to resent his fate, for he himself once traveled Min; the land has few autumn geese but many night apes, its eastern road closed by cloud-wrapped hills and its southern miasma mild. You shall surely meet imperial favor, he says—go, and beware the winds and waves. [Structure] The opening couplet comforts, the middle two paint Min, the close wishes and warns—a 'console, describe, advise' shape. [Imagery] 'Few autumn geese, many night apes' sets the south's strange nature against the north's familiar sorrow. [Tone] The language is plain but the care is deep, typical of Gao Shi's 'substantial and feeling' manner.

【白话串讲】高适写《送郑侍御谪闽中》：“谪去君无恨，闽中我旧过”——“大都秋雁少，只是夜猿多”——“东路云山合，南天瘴疠和”——“自当逢雨露，行矣慎风波”——他劝被贬的郑侍御别怨恨，一路小心。【意象与手法】此诗写送别郑侍御谪闽中，以劝慰写别情，是高适的名篇。前两句「谪去君无恨，闽中我旧过」写劝慰——「谪去君无恨」写贬谪去君莫恨，「闽中我旧过」写闽中我曾旧游过；中四句「大都秋雁少，只是夜猿多。东路云山合，南天瘴疠和」写闽中风物——「大都秋雁少」写闽中秋雁少，「只是夜猿多」写只是夜猿多，「东路云山合」写东路云山四合，「南天瘴疠和」写南天瘴疠平和；后两句「自当逢雨露，行矣慎风波」写慰藉与叮嘱——「自当逢雨露」写自当逢雨露（恩泽），「行矣慎风波」写此去慎风波。全诗以劝慰写送别，写尽对谪友的关怀，正是高适「质实」诗风的本领。【情感与主旨】此诗写送别友人郑侍御被贬谪到闽中（今福建一带）。郑侍御因事被贬闽中，高适以此诗送别并劝慰。前两句以「谪去君无恨，闽中我旧过」劝慰——贬谪而去，君莫怨恨，闽中我曾旧游过，以自己旧游的经历劝慰友人不必太恨；中四句写闽中风物：「大都秋雁少，只是夜猿多」写闽中秋雁少而夜猿多，「东路云山合，南天瘴疠和」写东路云山四合、南天瘴疠平和，写闽中的风物与气候——虽有猿啼，然瘴疠平和，尚可居处；后两句「自当逢雨露，行矣慎风波」写慰藉与叮嘱——自当逢雨露（皇帝的恩泽，暗写终会遇赦），此去须慎风波（宦海风波）。全诗以劝慰写送别，以自己旧游的经历劝慰，以「慎风波」叮嘱，写尽对谪友的关怀与慰藉，正是高适「质实」而情深诗风的本领。【名句点睛】常考「谪去君无恨，闽中我旧过」以自己旧游劝慰；「大都秋雁少，只是夜猿多」写闽中风物；「自当逢雨露，行矣慎风波」以「逢雨露」慰藉、以「慎风波」叮嘱；以及全诗以劝慰写送别、语浅情深的手法。

Background

Gao Shi (c. 704–765), styled Dafu, was a leading High-Tang frontier poet. Censor Zheng, a friend, was demoted to Min (roughly today's Fujian); Gao Shi sent this off with comfort. Tang poets often consoled banished friends, and this one does so from experience: Gao Shi had traveled the south and knew Min was not barren. The 'imperial favor' hints a future pardon, and 'winds and waves' puns on both the journey and court intrigue.

此诗写送别友人郑侍御被贬谪到闽中（今福建一带），是高适的名篇。高适（约704—765），字达夫，渤海蓨（今河北景县）人，盛唐著名边塞诗人。郑侍御是高适的友人，「侍御」指殿中侍御史等官职，郑侍御因事被贬闽中，高适以此诗送别并劝慰。唐人送别被贬之友，常以劝慰为主，此诗正以劝慰写别情：「谪去君无恨，闽中我旧过」——贬谪而去，君莫怨恨，闽中我曾旧游过，高适早年曾游历南方，对闽中（福建）有所了解，故以自己旧游的经历劝慰友人不必太恨；「大都秋雁少，只是夜猿多」写闽中的风物——闽中偏南，秋雁少而夜猿多（南方多猿）；「东路云山合，南天瘴疠和」写闽中的地理与气候——东行之路云山四合，南方的瘴疠平和（瘴疠本指南方山林湿热之气，此处说「和」，暗写闽中瘴气尚可忍受）；「自当逢雨露，行矣慎风波」写慰藉与叮嘱——自当逢雨露（皇帝的恩泽，暗写终会遇赦回朝），此去须慎风波（宦海的风波）。全诗以劝慰写送别，以自己旧游的经历劝慰，以「慎风波」叮嘱，语浅情深，写尽对谪友的关怀与慰藉，是理解唐人送谪诗与高适诗风的重要篇章。

Art

The art has four moves. First, comfort at the opening: 'do not bear resentment' meets the friend's grievance head-on, 'I have traveled Min' lending it the weight of experience. Second, solace through scene: the middle couplets paint Min—few geese, many apes, cloud-wrapped eastern hills, mild southern miasma—to show the place is livable. Third, a punning wish: 'imperial favor' means both dew and the emperor's grace, hinting at recall. Fourth, a closing warning: 'beware the winds and waves' puns on the voyage and official strife. The first couplet consoles, the middle paints, the close wishes and warns, layer on layer, plain words yet deep feeling. A 'once' draws on the poet's own southern travel to reassure.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以劝慰开篇。首联「谪去君无恨，闽中我旧过」以劝慰开篇——那「君无恨」写劝慰友人莫恨，「我旧过」写自己旧游过闽中，以自己旧游的经历劝慰友人，开篇即见劝慰之意。其二，以风物写宽慰。中四句写闽中风物：「大都秋雁少，只是夜猿多」写闽中雁少猿多，「东路云山合，南天瘴疠和」写东路云山、南天瘴疠——那「夜猿多」写猿啼，「瘴疠和」写瘴气平和，以风物写闽中虽偏远而尚可居处，以宽慰友人。其三，以双关写慰藉。「自当逢雨露」写自当逢雨露——那「雨露」既写自然的雨露，也暗写皇帝的恩泽（雨露之恩），以双关写终会遇赦的慰藉。其四，以叮嘱收束。「行矣慎风波」写此去慎风波——那「慎风波」既写旅途的风波，也暗写宦海的风波，以双关写对友人的叮嘱，以叮嘱收束，情深意切。四重手法，使此诗以劝慰写送别，语浅情深，写尽对谪友的关怀，正是高适「质实」诗风的本领。

Allusions

The diction belongs to the banishment and farewell line. 'Banished' echoes the long tradition of demotion poems (Liu Changqing's 'three years banished, I lodged here'). 'Min' is the Fujian region, 'the eight Min.' 'Autumn geese few' cites the wild-goose as a home-sick sign ('where geese do not reach, to whom shall I send the letter'), stressing the far south. 'Night apes many' evokes the ape-cry of grief ('from Ba's three gorges the ape's three cries wet the robe'). 'Miasma' names the south's damp air of exile (Han Yu's 'gather my bones by the miasma river'). 'Imperial favor' cites the 'dew of grace' topos; 'winds and waves' the risk of the official sea. The whole comforts through these traditional images.

此诗的用语深植于送别与谪宦的传统。「谪去」令人想到「谪」写贬谪的意象——「三年谪宦此栖迟」（刘长卿《长沙过贾谊宅》），也令人想到「左迁」的贬谪传统；「君无恨」令人想到「无恨」写劝慰的意象，也令人想到「莫道桑榆晚」的慰藉；「闽中」令人想到「闽」写福建的意象，也令人想到「八闽」的地域传统；「我旧过」令人想到「旧游」写旧日游历的意象，也令人想到「曾经沧海」的阅历；「秋雁少」令人想到「雁」写思乡的意象——「雁不到，书成谁与」，闽中偏南，秋雁少，写尽南方边远；「夜猿多」令人想到「猿啼」写哀愁的意象——「巴东三峡巫峡长，猿鸣三声泪沾裳」（《水经注》），也令人想到「两岸猿声啼不住」（李白《早发白帝城》）的猿声；「云山合」令人想到「云山」写远路的意象——「云山万重」，也令人想到「千山万水」的阻隔；「瘴疠和」令人想到「瘴疠」写南方湿热之气的意象——「瘴江」写贬谪之地的意象（韩愈「好收吾骨瘴江边」），也令人想到「瘴疠之地」的贬谪意象，此处说「和」写瘴气平和，以宽慰友人；「逢雨露」令人想到「雨露」写恩泽的意象——「雨露之恩」，也令人想到「皇恩浩荡」的典故，更令人想到「雷霆雨露，皆是君恩」的臣子心态；「慎风波」令人想到「风波」写宦海风险的意象——「江湖多风波」，也令人想到「风波恶」的宦海，更令人想到「行路难」的仕途。全诗化用贬谪、猿啼、瘴疠、雨露、风波的传统意象，以劝慰写送别，正是高适「质实」而善用双关、承谪宦送别传统写劝慰的本领。

Commentary

Long ranked among Gao Shi's finest and a model Tang poem for seeing off the banished, it is praised as 'consoling through plain words yet deep in feeling.' Modern readers note 'you shall surely meet imperial favor, go and beware the winds and waves' for its punning wish and warning. Its worth is condensing, in forty characters, the comfort, the experience, the few geese and many apes, the cloud hills and mild miasma, the favor and the warning into one care. It stands beside Gao Shi's 'Farewell to Dong Da' and Wang Changling's 'Seeing Off Wei Er' as a Tang leave-taking that binds scene and feeling.

此诗历来被推为高适的名篇，也是唐人送谪诗的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以劝慰写送别，语浅情深」；近人更指出「自当逢雨露，行矣慎风波」以双关写慰藉与叮嘱，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以四十字的短章写尽对谪友的关怀——那「君无恨」的劝慰，那「我旧过」的阅历，那秋雁少、夜猿多的风物，那云山合、瘴疠和的气候，那逢雨露的慰藉，那慎风波的叮嘱，都写尽了高适对谪友的深情；那「自当逢雨露，行矣慎风波」更以双关写尽慰藉与叮嘱。此诗与高适的《别董大》（「莫愁前路无知己」）同为送别劝慰的名篇，一写送别远行，一写送别谪宦；又与王昌龄《送魏二》（「忆君遥在潇湘月」）同为送别友人远行的名篇，可见唐人送别诗既写景又写情的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解唐人送谪诗与高适诗风的窗口，也是中国诗写送别劝慰的经典——那「慎风波」的叮嘱，穿越千年，仍在诉说着对远行友人的关怀。

Prosody

Form Five-character regulated verse (wu lu)诗·五言律诗

Rhyme Rhymes on guo, duo, he, bo (Level Ge category), one rhyme sustained, with a long, gentle sound fitting consolation.押平声歌韵（过、多、和、波），一韵到底，平韵悠长，正合劝慰的悠长

Tone pattern A five-character regulated verse, eight lines in four couplets, the middle pair neatly antithetical; even opening, calm rhythm, feeling within plainness.此诗为五言律诗，八句四联，中二联对仗工整。全诗仄起平收，节奏从容，于平易中见情深。

Reading note Eight lines in four couplets: opening comforts (banished, I have traveled Min), second paints scene (few geese, many apes), third the climate (cloud hills, mild miasma), close wishes and warns (favor, winds and waves). Rhymes on the Ge category (guo, duo, he, bo) without shift; the middle pair antithetical. Read the opening with calm reassurance, the close with deep feeling.此诗为五言律诗，八句四联：首联写劝慰（谪去君无恨，闽中我旧过），颔联写风物（大都秋雁少，只是夜猿多），颈联写气候（东路云山合，南天瘴疠和），尾联写慰藉叮嘱（自当逢雨露，行矣慎风波）。押平声歌韵，韵脚「过、多、和、波」一韵到底，平韵悠长，正合劝慰的悠长。中二联对仗工整：「大都秋雁少，只是夜猿多」以秋雁、夜猿相对，少、多相对，工整而自然；「东路云山合，南天瘴疠和」以东路、南天相对，云山合、瘴疠和相对，以方位与气候写闽中。全诗以五言的从容节奏，写送别劝慰——首联劝慰，中二联写闽中风物气候，尾联慰藉叮嘱，层层推进，语浅情深。诵读此诗，宜以从容的语调读「谪去君无恨」的劝慰，以平和的语调读闽中风物，尾联「自当逢雨露，行矣慎风波」要读得情深而有余韵，方能传达出高适对谪友的关怀。高适五律以「质实情深」著称，此诗正是其送谪五律的典范。

Line by line

谪去君无恨，闽中我旧过

Banished hence, do not bear resentment; I have traveled through Min myself of old.

贬谪而去君莫怨恨，闽中我曾旧游过。

Go into exile, and bear no grievance; Minzhong is a place I once knew.

此联是全诗的劝慰开篇，以自己旧游的经历劝慰友人。「谪去君无恨」写贬谪而去君莫怨恨——那「谪去」写被贬而去，「君无恨」写君莫怨恨，以劝慰写尽对友人的宽慰；「闽中我旧过」写闽中我曾旧游过——那「闽中」写被贬之地福建，「我旧过」写我曾旧游过，以自己旧游的经历写闽中并非不可居。这句的深意在于：它以「谪去君无恨」的劝慰与「闽中我旧过」的阅历，写尽对谪友的关怀——贬谪而去，君莫怨恨，那「无恨」写尽劝慰的深情；闽中我曾旧游过，那「我旧过」写尽自己旧游闽中的阅历——高适曾游历南方，对闽中有所了解，故以亲历劝慰友人：闽中我曾去过，并非荒凉不可居之地，何必怨恨？那「谪去君无恨」写尽对友人怨愤的宽解，那「闽中我旧过」写尽以阅历劝慰的深情，一劝一慰，写尽高适对谪友的关怀——既劝友人莫恨，又以亲历为友人宽心，正是送谪诗劝慰的开篇。若换作直说「别难过」，则失其亲切；唯以「谪去君无恨」的劝慰、「闽中我旧过」的阅历写关怀，写尽对谪友的深情，也让此联成为全诗劝慰的开篇。

This couplet opens the whole's consolation, comforting the friend through the poet's own past journey. Go into exile, and bear no grievance writes the consolation to the demoted friend. Minzhong is a place I once knew writes that the poet has himself traveled there. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the comfort of go into exile, and bear no grievance and the experience of Minzhong is a place I once knew to write to the full the care for the exiled friend - demoted and going, bear no grievance, the no grievance writes the depth of consolation. Gao Shi himself traveled the south and knew Minzhong, hence comforts the friend through personal experience: I have been to Minzhong, it is not a desolate place unfit to dwell, why grieve? The go into exile, and bear no grievance writes the relief from the friend's indignation, and Minzhong is a place I once knew writes the depth of comforting through experience. One exhortation one comfort, writing to the full Gao Shi's care for the exiled friend - both urging no grievance and easing the friend through personal witness, exactly the opening of the exile-send-off poem's consolation. If one instead directly said don't be sad, one would lose the warmth; only writing care through the comfort of go into exile, and bear no grievance and the experience of Minzhong is a place I once knew, writing to the full the deep feeling for the exiled friend, makes this couplet the opening of the whole's consolation.

自当逢雨露，行矣慎风波

You shall surely meet with imperial favor; go now, and beware the winds and waves.

自当会逢雨露之恩，此去须慎风波。

Of course you will meet the rain of grace; go now, and beware the stormy waves.

此联是全诗的慰藉与叮嘱，以双关写雨露与风波，是千古名句。「自当逢雨露」写自当会逢雨露之恩——那「自当」写自然会，「逢雨露」写逢雨露，以双关写终会逢皇帝的恩泽（雨露之恩）；「行矣慎风波」写此去须慎风波——那「行矣」写此去吧，「慎风波」写慎风波，以双关写须慎宦海的风波。这句的深意在于：它以「自当逢雨露」的慰藉与「行矣慎风波」的叮嘱，写尽对谪友的关怀——自当会逢雨露，那「雨露」既写自然的雨露，也暗写皇帝的恩泽，写尽对友人终会遇赦、重获恩泽的慰藉；此去须慎风波，那「风波」既写旅途的风波，也暗写宦海的风波，写尽对友人此去谨慎的叮嘱；「逢雨露」与「慎风波」的对照，写尽慰藉与叮嘱的双重关怀——既劝友人坚信终会逢恩泽，又叮嘱友人谨防宦海风波，一慰一嘱，语浅情深；那「自当」写尽对未来的信心，那「慎」字写尽对宦海的清醒，正写尽高适对谪友的深情与洞明世事的智慧。若换作直说「你会好起来的，要小心」，则失其双关；唯以「逢雨露」的双关写慰藉、「慎风波」的双关写叮嘱，写尽对谪友的关怀，也让此联成为全诗慰藉与叮嘱的千古名句。

This couplet is the comfort and exhortation of the whole, using double meanings for the rain of grace and the stormy waves, the famous line of a thousand ages. Of course you will meet the rain of grace writes that he will of course meet the emperor's grace (rain and dew as a double meaning). Go now, and beware the stormy waves writes the exhortation to beware the waves of official life. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the comfort of of course you will meet the rain of grace and the exhortation of go now, and beware the stormy waves to write to the full the care for the exiled friend - the rain and dew at once mean the natural rain and the emperor's grace, writing the comfort that the friend will at last meet pardon and grace; the stormy waves at once mean the road's waves and the official sea's waves, writing the exhortation to caution on this journey. The contrast of meet the rain of grace and beware the stormy waves writes the double care of comfort and warning - both urging the friend to believe he will meet grace, and warning him to beware the official waves, one comfort one caution, the words plain the feeling deep. The of course writes the confidence in the future, and the beware writes the sober eye on official life, exactly writing to the full Gao Shi's deep feeling for the exiled friend and the wisdom of knowing the world. If one instead directly said you will get better, and be careful, one would lose the double meaning; only writing comfort through the double meaning of meet the rain of grace and exhortation through the double meaning of beware the stormy waves, writing to the full the care for the exiled friend, makes this couplet the famous line of a thousand ages of the whole's comfort and exhortation.

Study

Word focus

无恨 The phrase 'do not bear resentment' opens the consolation; it meets the friend's grievance and urges detachment, the poem's comforting core. 「谪去君无恨」之「无恨」是写劝慰的关键词，一个「无恨」写尽对谪友的宽慰。无恨者，不要怨恨也。高适以「君无恨」劝慰友人，这个「无恨」至少有双重意味：其一，写宽慰之语——那「君无恨」写君莫怨恨，那「无恨」以劝慰写尽对友人怨愤的宽解；其二，写豁达之劝——那「无恨」更是写豁达——贬谪而去，不必怨恨，那「无恨」写尽劝友人豁达处之的深意。以「无恨」写劝慰，正是高适开篇的枢纽——若换作「莫怨」「休恨」等词，则或失其与「谪去」的对照，或失其凝练；唯「无恨」二字，以劝慰写尽对谪友怨愤的宽解与豁达的劝勉，与「闽中我旧过」的阅历相合，写尽对谪友的关怀，也让「谪去君无恨」成为全诗劝慰的开篇。

慎 The word 'beware' in 'beware the winds and waves' closes with a warning; it puns on the voyage and the official sea, one character of clear-eyed care. 「行矣慎风波」之「慎」字是写叮嘱的关键字，一个「慎」字写尽对宦海风波的清醒。慎者，谨慎、小心也。高适以「慎风波」叮嘱友人，这个「慎」字至少有双重意味：其一，写旅途之慎——那「慎风波」写此去慎风波，那「慎」字写尽对友人旅途的叮嘱；其二，写宦海之慎——那「慎」字更是写宦海——风波既指旅途的风波，也暗指宦海的风险，那「慎」字写尽对友人宦海沉浮的清醒叮嘱。以「慎」字写叮嘱，正是高适收束全诗的枢纽——若换作「防」「避」等字，则或失其与「风波」的配合，或失其凝练；唯「慎」字，以一字写尽对旅途与宦海风波的谨慎叮嘱，与「自当逢雨露」的慰藉相合，写尽对谪友的关怀，也让「行矣慎风波」成为全诗叮嘱的千古名句。