唐 Tang · 诗 Poem
灞岸
The Ba Bank
山东今岁点行频，几处冤魂哭虏尘。
灞水桥边倚华表，平时二月有东巡。
By the Ba River bridge I lean on the ornamental pillar;
In peaceful times the second month saw the eastern tour.
Meaning
A seven-character quatrain in which Li Shangyin laments the frequent conscription in Shandong and the wronged souls it costs, then stands by the Ba River bridge and recalls, by contrast, the eastern imperial tours of peaceful times. A historical satire, it is restrained and pointed.
山东今岁点行频，几处冤魂哭虏尘。灞水桥边倚华表，平时二月有东巡。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] In Shandong this year conscription is frequent and wronged souls weep in the barbarian dust; by the Ba River bridge the poet leans on its pillar, and recalls that in peaceful times the second month saw the eastern tour. [Structure] The first couplet states the grievance, the last two lines turn to the place and the lost age—present sorrow against past order. [Imagery] 'Wronged souls weep in the barbarian dust' gives the war its human cost. [Tone] Restrained, cold, satirical.
【白话串讲】 李商隐写《灞岸》：“山东今岁点行频，几处冤魂哭虏尘”——“灞水桥边倚华表，平时二月有东巡”——他写灞岸——几处冤魂哭虏尘。 【意象与手法】 “山东今岁点行频，几处冤魂哭虏尘”写点行频、冤魂哭；“灞水桥边倚华表，平时二月有东巡”以灞水华表写今昔；结以“平时二月有东巡”写盛世之忆。咏史讽喻、沉郁深婉。 【情感与主旨】 李商隐写咏史讽喻之作，写山东点行频仍、冤魂哭虏尘的乱世之悲，以“平时二月有东巡”对照写盛世不再，是李商隐咏史诗中的名篇。 【名句点睛】 常考“山东今岁点行频，几处冤魂哭虏尘”以冤魂哭虏尘写战乱；“灞水桥边倚华表，平时二月有东巡”以灞水华表写今昔。
Background
Li Shangyin (c. 813–c. 858), styled Yishan, was a Late-Tang poet famed for oblique satirical and love verse. 'The Ba Bank' is a historical satire on the Ba River bridge east of Chang'an, a traditional parting spot. The poem decries the endless levies of his day and contrasts them with the orderly eastern tours of earlier reigns, a pointed comment on a troubled age.
《灞岸》为唐代诗人李商隐所作诗。李商隐（约813—约858），字义山，号玉溪生，又号樊南生，怀州河内（今河南沁阳）人，晚唐诗人。此诗写咏史讽喻，为咏灞岸之作。诗中「山东今岁点行频，几处冤魂哭虏尘」写山东今岁点行频，几处冤魂哭虏尘；「灞水桥边倚华表，平时二月有东巡」写灞水桥边倚华表，平时二月有东巡。李商隐此诗以咏史讽喻、平时二月有东巡写其讽喻之情，沉郁讽喻，是李商隐诗中的名篇。此篇《灞岸》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。此篇《灞岸》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。
Art
The art is 'restrained satire, present set against past.' Four lines move from Shandong's frequent levies to wronged souls weeping, then to the poet leaning on the Ba bridge pillar, and close on the eastern tours of peaceful times. The contrast between 'this year's conscription' and 'peaceful times' second-month tour carries the reproach without stating it; the Ba bridge anchors the lament in a real place of parting. Compact and cold, the quatrain hides its edge beneath plain report.
此诗艺术上以「沉郁讽喻、以今写昔」见长。全诗共四句两联，由山东今岁点行频而灞水桥边倚华表。起「山东今岁点行频，几处冤魂哭虏尘」写山东今岁点行频：山东今岁点行频，几处冤魂哭虏尘；结「灞水桥边倚华表，平时二月有东巡」写灞水桥边倚华表：灞水桥边倚华表，平时二月有东巡。全诗以今写昔，由山东今岁点行频而平时二月有东巡，沉郁讽喻，是李商隐诗中的名篇。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。
Allusions
The terms carry court reference. 'Shandong' here means the lands east of the passes, a frequent source of levies. 'Wronged souls weep in the barbarian dust' voices the cost of border war. 'Ba River bridge' is the Chang'an eastern bridge of farewell; 'ornamental pillar' (huabiao) the roadside pillar. 'Eastern tour' cites the emperors' spring eastern progresses in orderly reigns, invoked to mourn their absence now. Li Shangyin folds these into a quiet satire on his own time.
诗中「山东今岁点行频几处冤魂哭虏尘」「灞水桥边倚华表平时二月有东巡」等语，皆含典故故实。「山东今岁点行频几处冤魂哭虏尘」写山东今岁点行频几处冤魂哭虏尘；「灞水桥边倚华表平时二月有东巡」用灞水之典（灞水在长安东，写东巡），写灞水桥边倚华表平时二月有东巡。诗人以灞水、华表之典入诗，不着痕迹，而把咏史讽喻之情写得真切可感，是善于熔铸典故的体现。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。
Commentary
A Late-Tang satirical quatrain, 'The Ba Bank' opens with Shandong's frequent conscription and wronged souls in the dust, then leans on the Ba bridge pillar and recalls the eastern tours of peaceful times. Restrained and cold, it turns present sorrow against a lost order. As a brief historical satire it shows Li Shangyin's oblique, pointed hand within the small quatrain form.
这首《灞岸》，是李商隐写咏史讽喻之作，写山东今岁点行频、灞水桥边倚华表、平时二月有东巡之情，沉郁讽喻。起「山东今岁点行频，几处冤魂哭虏尘」——山东今岁点行频，几处冤魂哭虏尘。写山东今岁点行频：山东今岁点行频、几处冤魂哭虏尘——点行频、哭虏尘；结「灞水桥边倚华表，平时二月有东巡」——灞水桥边倚华表，平时二月有东巡。写灞水桥边倚华表：灞水桥边倚华表、平时二月有东巡——倚华表、有东巡。这「灞水桥边倚华表，平时二月有东巡」，是全诗之结：以平时二月有东巡写其讽喻。全诗沉郁讽喻，以今写昔，正是李商隐诗中的名篇。综观全诗，情真、景切、理深，三者浑融无迹，故能于短短数语之中寄无限深意，令人百读不厌。其含蓄蕴藉之处，正是中国古典诗歌以少总多、言有尽而意无穷的美学精神的生动体现。综观全诗，情真、景切、理深，三者浑融无迹，故能于短短数语之中寄无限深意，令人百读不厌。其含蓄蕴藉之处，正是中国古典诗歌以少总多、言有尽而意无穷的美学精神的生动体现。
Prosody
Line by line
山东今岁点行频，几处冤魂哭虏尘。
In Shandong this year the conscription is frequent; in several places wronged souls weep in the barbarian dust.
山东今岁点行频，几处冤魂哭虏尘。
East of the mountains this year, conscriptions are frequent; in how many places do wronged souls weep in the barbarian dust?
起句写山东今岁点行频，起笔即见其频。「山东今岁点行频」写山东今岁点行频，「山东今岁」写山东今岁、「点行频」写点行频；「几处冤魂哭虏尘」写几处冤魂哭虏尘，「几处冤魂」写几处冤魂、「哭虏尘」写哭虏尘。一句写山东今岁点行频几处冤魂哭虏尘，以山东今岁点行频写点行频、以几处冤魂哭虏尘写哭虏尘，写尽山东今岁点行频、几处冤魂哭虏尘之情。以行起兴，沉郁而讽喻，是「以行起兴」的妙笔。
The opening line writes that east of the mountains this year conscriptions are frequent, the frequency at once apparent. The words east of the mountains this year point to the region and the time, and conscriptions are frequent write the repeated drafting; in how many places do wronged souls weep in the barbarian dust writes the grieving ghosts in the border dust. The line writes to the full the feeling of the year's repeated conscription and the wronged souls' weeping, rising through the matter of the levy, melancholy and satirical, the fine brush of rising through the levy.
灞水桥边倚华表，
By the Ba River bridge I lean on the ornamental pillar;
灞水桥边倚华表，
By the Ba River bridge leans the ornamental pillar,
此句写灞水桥边倚华表，是全诗写灞水之态的关键。「灞水桥边」用灞水之典写灞水桥边，「灞水」写灞水、「桥边」写桥边；「倚华表」写倚华表，「倚」写倚、「华表」写华表。一句写灞水桥边倚华表，以灞水桥边写桥边、以倚华表写华表，写尽灞水桥边倚华表之情。以水写古，沉郁而讽喻，是「以水写古」的点睛之笔。此句以寥寥数语写尽深意，情韵兼胜，正是全诗点睛之笔。其于字句之间暗藏波澜，于平易之中寄寓曲折，尤当反复涵泳，方能得其三昧。
This line writes by the Ba River bridge leans the ornamental pillar, the key of the whole's writing the posture of the Ba River. The words by the Ba River bridge use the allusion of the Ba River; leans the ornamental pillar writes the stone pillar by the bridge. The line writes to the full the feeling of leaning by the Ba River bridge, writing antiquity through the river, melancholy and satirical, the eye-dotting brush of writing antiquity through water. This line writes deep meaning in a few words, feeling and rhyme both excellent, exactly the eye of the whole; within the words it hides the undercurrents, lodging the winding within the plain, the more to be savored again and again.
平时二月有东巡。
In peaceful times the second month saw the eastern tour.
平时二月有东巡。
In the old days, the second month brought the eastern progress.
结句写平时二月有东巡，是全诗立意的落点。「平时二月」写平时二月，「平时」写平时、「二月」写二月；「有东巡」写有东巡，「有」写有、「东巡」写东巡。一句写平时二月有东巡，以平时二月写二月、以有东巡写东巡，写尽平时二月有东巡之情。以巡写情，沉郁而讽喻，是全诗最动人处，也是「以巡写情」的点睛之笔。此句以寥寥数语写尽深意，情韵兼胜，正是全诗点睛之笔。其于字句之间暗藏波澜，于平易之中寄寓曲折，尤当反复涵泳，方能得其三昧。
The closing line writes that in the old days, the second month brought the eastern progress, the landing of the whole's bent. The words in the old days point to the peaceful era, the second month to the season, and brought the eastern progress to the imperial progress east. The line writes to the full the feeling of the old second-month progress, writing feeling through the progress, melancholy and satirical, the most moving place of the whole and the eye-dotting brush of writing feeling through the progress. This line writes deep meaning in a few words, feeling and rhyme both excellent, exactly the eye of the whole; within the words it hides the undercurrents, lodging the winding within the plain, the more to be savored again and again.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Su Shi's 'Water Song' ('men have their grieving and joining, the moon its clouding and clearing') broods with open ease; this poem satirizes with cold restraint. Together they show brooding in two keys.
苏轼《水调歌头·明月几时有》「人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全」，写感怀讽喻、沉郁旷达，是宋词长调的名篇；李商隐《灞岸》则以「灞水桥边倚华表，平时二月有东巡」「山东今岁点行频，几处冤魂哭虏尘」写倚华表、哭虏尘。两诗同写感怀讽喻、沉郁旷达：一写人有悲欢离合、以悲欢写离合，一写灞水桥边倚华表平时二月有东巡、以灞水写讽喻；一为苏轼之旷达、一为李商隐之沉郁，并读正可见诗写「感怀讽喻」的两种笔法，皆于感怀之中见讽喻。
八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天 Tune: Eight Beats of Ganzhou — On the Misty Evening Rain 柳永 · 同写桥边凝望、沉郁清丽，一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、一写山东今岁点行频几处冤魂哭虏尘，皆于桥边之中见凝望 Both gaze from a bridge: one clear, one on the bank.Liu Yong's 'Eight Beats of Ganzhou' ('on the misty evening rain washing the river sky') gazes with clear grace; this poem leans on the Ba bridge with cold satire. Together they show bridge-gazing in two manners.
柳永《八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天》「对潇潇暮雨洒江天，一番洗清秋」，写桥边凝望、沉郁清丽，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；李商隐《灞岸》则以「山东今岁点行频，几处冤魂哭虏尘」「灞水桥边倚华表」写哭虏尘、倚华表。两诗同写桥边凝望、沉郁清丽：一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、以暮雨写清秋，一写山东今岁点行频几处冤魂哭虏尘、以点行写讽喻；一为柳永之清丽、一为李商隐之沉郁，并读正可见诗写「桥边凝望」的两种笔法，皆于桥边之中见凝望。