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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

泊秦淮

Mooring on the Qinhuai River

杜牧

Du Mu

怀古nostalgia 讽喻allegory 忧国concern for country

烟笼寒水月笼沙，夜泊秦淮近酒家。
商女不知亡国恨，隔江犹唱后庭花。

The mist veils the cold stream, and moonlight the sand;
At night I moor at Qinhuai River near the tavern.
The songstress knows not the grief of a lost kingdom,
Still sings “Backyard Flowers” across the river.

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Meaning

The poet describes a night scene on the Qinhuai River, where mist and moonlight create a chilly, hazy atmosphere. He anchors near a tavern and hears a songstress singing the tune “Backyard Flowers,” a song associated with the fall of the Chen dynasty. The poem laments that people in the late Tang dynasty, like the songstress, seem oblivious to the lessons of history, as they indulge in pleasure despite the empire's decline.

迷蒙的烟雾笼罩着寒凉的江水，淡淡的月光洒在沙滩之上；夜色里将船停泊在秦淮河畔，紧挨着那灯火喧阗的酒家。卖唱的歌女哪里懂得亡国的悲恨，隔着江水仍在高唱那首《玉树后庭花》。

Appreciation

The first line uses intertextuality: “mist covers cold water and moonlight covers sand” to paint a desolate, misty night scene on the Qinhuai River, hinting at melancholy. The second line “near the tavern” leads to the entertainment venue. The last two lines contrast the songstress’s ignorance with the listener’s anguish, satirizing the pleasure-seeking courtiers who ignore the national crisis. The poem critiques the ruling class through historical allusion, blending sorrow with sharp satire.

【白话串讲】夜色里的秦淮河，歌女还在唱着《后庭花》。杜牧泊船听见，忍不住反问：你们难道忘了陈后主亡国的教训吗？一首诗，藏着大唐末年的忧虑。【意象与手法】首句「烟笼寒水月笼沙」互文见义，烟与月同笼水沙，以清冷迷蒙之景烘托忧思，不着一「愁」字而愁绪自见；后两句以小见大，借歌女唱亡国之曲，冷峻地讽刺醉生梦死的晚唐权贵，用典不着痕迹而讽意凛然。【情感与主旨】杜牧于唐文宗大和（或开成）年间游金陵，夜泊秦淮河，闻舟中歌女演唱陈后主所作的《玉树后庭花》，借六朝兴亡的旧曲，抒发对当世国势日衰的深切忧虑，是典型的晚唐怀古讽时之作。【名句点睛】常考借古讽今手法：「商女不知亡国恨，隔江犹唱后庭花」表面写歌女，实讽沉醉声色的晚唐权贵，沉痛含蓄，一个「犹」字尤见刺骨。

Background

Du Mu traveled to Jinling (now Nanjing) during the Taihe or Kaicheng era of Emperor Wenzong of Tang. He moored on the Qinhuai River at night and heard a songstress performing “Jade Tree Backyard Flowers,” a song composed by Chen Houzhu (the last ruler of the Chen dynasty). Amidst the decline of the late Tang—marked by warlord separatism, eunuch power, and national decline—the ruling class still indulged in revelry. The poet uses the rise and fall of the Six Dynasties to express concern about the current crisis, a typical nostalgic and satirical late Tang poem.

杜牧（803—852），字牧之，京兆万年（今陕西西安）人，宰相杜佑之孙，晚唐著名诗人，与李商隐并称「小李杜」。唐文宗大和二年（828）进士及第，历任监察御史及黄州、池州、睦州刺史等职，一生忧国忧民而仕途蹉跎。《泊秦淮》作于诗人游历金陵（今江苏南京）期间，大约在大和或开成年间。时值晚唐，藩镇割据、宦官专权、牛李党争，甘露之变后朝局更加昏暗，国势江河日下；而长安、金陵等通都大邑的统治阶层仍沉溺于声色宴乐，醉生梦死。秦淮河是六朝故都金陵最繁华的销金窟，两岸歌楼酒馆、画舫游船彻夜笙歌。诗人夜泊秦淮，闻舟中歌女演唱陈后主所制《玉树后庭花》，触景生情，遂成此绝。全诗二十八字，以六朝（尤其是陈朝）因奢靡荒淫而亡国的历史教训为鉴，暗刺当世，将个人感慨升华为对晚唐命运的忧思，是杜牧咏史讽时诗中最脍炙人口的一篇。诗中所写秦淮夜色，既是诗人亲历的实景，也是六朝兴亡的历史舞台，读此诗者，于迷蒙烟水中自能想见晚唐风雨飘摇的时局。

Art

The first line uses intertextuality with two “covers” to create a cold, hazy scene, conveying sorrow without explicit emotion. The second line narrates the location, setting the stage. The last two lines use small details (a songstress singing a lost kingdom’s song) to sharply satirize the decadent aristocracy. The allusion to the Chen dynasty is seamlessly integrated, making the poem a classic example of late Tang nostalgic poetry—subtle yet powerful.

此诗虽仅四句，却将写景、叙事、议论、用典熔于一炉，章法极为谨严。首句「烟笼寒水月笼沙」互文见义，烟与月同笼水沙，以清冷迷蒙之景烘托夜泊氛围，不着一「愁」字而愁绪自见，是典型的「景语即情语」。次句「夜泊秦淮近酒家」以叙事点出地点与人物，「近酒家」三字轻轻一带，已暗逗下文的歌声与酒色，为后两句蓄势。后两句「商女不知亡国恨，隔江犹唱后庭花」是全诗重心：诗人不直斥当权者，只写歌女犹唱亡国之曲，让读者自己读出那层冷峭的讽刺——歌女之「不知」反衬听歌宴乐者之「知而故犯」，以歌女的无知写统治者的麻木，以小见大，用典不着痕迹而讽意凛然。全诗由景入事、由事入讽，含蓄蕴藉、冷峻警策，正体现中国古典诗「温柔敦厚」而又锋芒暗藏的笔法，是晚唐怀古讽时诗中最见功力的典范之作。全诗以「笼」「近」「犹」等字串联，字字有着落、句句有照应，二十八字一气流转，正是杜牧七绝精炼含蓄一格的典范。

Allusions

“Songstress” refers to female entertainers who sing for a living. “Backyard Flowers” is the song “Jade Tree Backyard Flowers” composed by Chen Houzhu (Chen Shubao) of the Southern Chen dynasty. The song was considered a “song of subjugation” because the Chen dynasty fell due to decadence (recorded in Sui Shu: Treatise on Music). Du Mu uses this allusion to criticize the late Tang ruling class, drawing a parallel between the fallen Chen and the present Tang.

「商女」指以歌唱为业的歌女、乐伎，唐人诗中常见。「后庭花」即《玉树后庭花》，为南朝陈后主陈叔宝所制新声。据《隋书·乐志》记载，陈后主沉溺酒色，与狎客、妃嫔自制艳曲，《玉树后庭花》词多绮靡；隋军渡江攻陈之时，宫中犹在演奏此曲，陈朝随即灭亡，故后世以《玉树后庭花》为「亡国之音」的代称。杜牧借歌女唱此旧曲，暗点历史上陈朝因荒淫而亡的教训，以陈鉴唐，是「借古讽今」手法的典型运用。此外，「秦淮」本身即负载着六朝金粉的历史记忆——金陵为六朝故都，秦淮河畔见证过多少王朝的兴亡盛衰，诗人夜泊于此，听旧曲、怀古事、忧当世，历史、现实与未来三层叠合，使短短二十八字具有深厚的历史纵深感。典故与眼前景、心中情化合无迹，正是咏史绝句的上乘境界。此外，「玉树后庭花」典出南朝，而晚唐社会恰与陈朝末年相似——统治者沉溺声色、无视危机，诗人以古讽今，正欲使当世之人闻旧曲而惊心，其用心可谓深且远矣。

Commentary

Qing scholar Shen Deqian in Tangshi Biecai commented: “The songstress knows not the grief of a lost kingdom—this is a satire on the extravagance and dissipation of the time.” In plain words: Du Mu does not directly condemn the rulers but only writes that the songstress still sings the song of a fallen state, letting readers grasp the sharp irony—a classic example of the “gentle and sincere” yet sharp style of Chinese classical poetry.

清代沈德潜《唐诗别裁》评此诗曰：「商女不知亡国恨，盖借以讥剌当时之荒淫也。」此评一针见血地指出「不知」二字背后的讽刺锋芒——表面写歌女无知，实则讥刺那些沉醉声色的权贵明知亡国之危却依然寻欢作乐。此诗在杜牧咏史诗中占有重要地位，与其《江南春》《过华清宫绝句》等同为借古讽今的名篇：《江南春》以「南朝四百八十寺，多少楼台烟雨中」寄慨，《过华清宫》以「一骑红尘妃子笑」刺奢，此诗以「隔江犹唱后庭花」刺世，一含蓄一冷峭，各极其妙。从艺术价值看，此诗以二十八字写尽历史沧桑与时代忧患，将「以小见大」「含蓄蕴藉」的古典美学发挥到极致，历来为选家必录、读者必诵。时至今日，「后庭花」仍是奢靡误国的文化符号，此诗的警示意义依然深远，千载之下读之，犹闻秦淮河上那一声冷峭的歌。此诗入选历代选本与教材，影响深远，其借古讽今的手法，亦为后世咏史诗提供了经典的范式。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (qijue)七言绝句（平起首句入韵）

Rhyme Level-tone initial rhyme with first line rhyming, using the Xiaping Liuma rhyme group (sha, jia, hua).押平水韵下平六麻韵（沙、家、花），首句入韵，一韵到底。

Tone pattern First line: 平平平平仄仄平; second line: 仄仄平平仄仄平; third line: 平仄仄平平仄仄; fourth line: 仄平平仄仄平平.首句「烟笼寒水月笼沙」平平平仄仄平平，次句「夜泊秦淮近酒家」仄仄平平仄仄平，三句「商女不知亡国恨」平仄仄平平仄仄，末句「隔江犹唱后庭花」仄平平仄仄平平，大体合于七绝平起首句入韵之式，第三字等可平可仄处多有变通，音节流转圆熟。

Reading note The first line uses intertextuality; the ending alludes to Chen Houzhu's 'Jade Tree Backyard Flowers' to satirize late Tang rulers, a famous nostalgic-satirical masterpiece.此诗为七言绝句，属近体诗中最短小的体裁，二十八字而章法谨严、气韵浑成。平起首句入韵式，首句「烟笼寒水月笼沙」即入韵，一韵到底，读来声调圆转流利；押下平六麻韵，「沙、家、花」皆开口度较大的阳声韵，音色开阔明亮，与秦淮夜色的迷蒙形成微妙的反差——声调越是流丽，讽意越是冷峭，这是以声写情的妙处。绝句体制虽短，但此诗起承转合俱全：首句写景起兴，次句叙事承转，三句议论转深，末句用典作结，二十八字如一幅泼墨小品，尺幅之内有千里之势。杜牧七绝向以精炼含蓄著称，此诗正是其代表，吟诵之间，烟水迷蒙之景、沉痛冷峭之讽，俱在眼前；「商女不知亡国恨，隔江犹唱后庭花」一联更成为后世讽喻诗不断追摹的经典句法。

Line by line

烟笼寒水月笼沙，夜泊秦淮近酒家。

Mist covers the cold water and moonlight covers the sand; at night I anchor on the Qinhuai River near a tavern. The intertextuality of the two 'covers' paints a hazy, chilly scene; 'near the tavern' hints at the entertainment venue, setting up the satire.

迷蒙的烟雾笼罩着寒凉的江水，淡淡的月光洒在沙滩之上；夜色里将船停泊在秦淮河畔，紧挨着那灯火喧阗的酒家。

Mist veils the cold water, moon veils the sand; at night I moor on the Qinhuai, near the wineshop.

首句「烟笼寒水月笼沙」是全诗写景的奠基之笔：两个「笼」字互文见义，烟与月同时笼罩着寒水与沙滩，将迷蒙的雾气、清冷的月色、寒凉的江水、寂静的沙滩交织成一幅朦胧凄冷的秦淮夜色图，「寒」字既写时令水气之寒，亦暗透诗人心境之凉。次句「夜泊秦淮近酒家」由景入事，点明夜泊的地点是秦淮河畔、位置紧邻酒家，「近酒家」三字看似客观交代，实则别有深意——正因为「近酒家」，才有下文隔江传来的歌声，才有「商女唱后庭花」的讽喻契机。两句一写景一叙事，景中已伏讽意，为后两句的冷峭讽刺铺足了气氛，章法上步步蓄势、无一闲笔，迷蒙之景中已经暗暗潜伏着全诗沉痛的讽刺锋芒。

The opening line, mist veils the cold water, moon veils the sand, is the foundation of the whole's scenery: the two words veils share meaning by cross-reference, mist and moon at once veiling the cold water and the sand, weaving the hazy mist, the cold moonlight, the chill river, and the silent shore into a dim desolate Qinhuai night picture; the word cold at once writes the season's chill and secretly the poet's heart's cool. The second line, at night I moor on the Qinhuai, near the wineshop, turns from scenery to event, pointing out the mooring place by the Qinhuai and the position next to the wineshop; the three words near the wineshop seem objective, yet really carry deep meaning - precisely because near the wineshop, there comes the song across the river below, and the satirical occasion of the singing girl singing The Flowers of the Rear Court. The two lines, one writing scenery one narrating, the satire already hidden within, spreading the atmosphere for the cold sharp satire of the last two, the structure gathering force step by step without a loose brush, and within the hazy scenery the poem's painful satirical edge already latent.

商女不知亡国恨，隔江犹唱后庭花。

The songstress does not know the grief of a lost kingdom; across the river she still sings 'Backyard Flowers.' The word 'knows not' ironically targets the listeners (the rulers) who do know but still indulge; 'still' emphasizes the ongoing revelry even in crisis.

卖唱的歌女哪里懂得亡国的悲恨，隔着江水仍在高唱那首《玉树后庭花》。

The singing girl knows not the grief of a fallen kingdom; across the river she still sings The Flowers of the Rear Court.

此二句为全诗的讽喻核心，千百年来脍炙人口。「商女不知亡国恨」表面写歌女不懂亡国之恨，实则锋芒暗指另一层——歌女唱曲不过是谋生，真正该为亡国负咎的是那些沉溺酒色的听客与统治者；以歌女之「不知」，反衬当权者之「知而故犯」，讽刺既深且曲。「隔江犹唱后庭花」中一个「犹」字最见功力：它写出歌未止、醉未醒、乐未终的当下状态，于晚唐危局之中尤显刺目——江山风雨飘摇，而秦淮河上依然夜夜笙歌。诗人不着一字直斥，只把「亡国恨」与「后庭花」并置，让读者自悟陈朝覆辙正可能在当世重演，含蓄沉痛、讽意凛然，是「借古讽今」手法的千古范例，也是晚唐七绝含蓄沉警一格的巅峰。

These two lines are the satirical core of the whole, beloved for a thousand years. The singing girl knows not the grief of a fallen kingdom, on the surface writing that the girl does not understand, yet the edge secretly points to another layer - the girl sings for a living, and those truly to blame for the fallen kingdom are the wine-and-wine-drowned listeners and rulers; using the girl's not knowing to set off the rulers' knowing and yet doing, the satire at once deep and winding. In across the river she still sings The Flowers of the Rear Court, the single word still is most masterful: it writes the present state of the song not ended, the drunken not awake, the revel not over, especially glaring within the late Tang peril - the realm rocking in wind and rain, yet on the Qinhuai the flutes and lutes still sound night after night. The poet writes not a word of direct condemnation, only setting the grief of the fallen kingdom beside The Flowers of the Rear Court, letting the reader himself perceive that Chen's downfall may be repeated in the present age, reserved and painful, the satire stern, the thousand-age model of using antiquity to mock the present, and the peak of the late Tang quatrain's reserved and stern style.

Study

Word focus

笼（两用） Two instances of 籠 (lóng): to cover/envelop, used intertextually to create a misty scene. 「烟笼寒水月笼沙」一句连用两个「笼」字，是全句的诗眼。烟与月本是两种不同的事物——烟是迷蒙的水气，月是清冷的银光，但一个「笼」字将二者统一起来：烟雾笼罩着寒水，月光笼罩着沙滩，烟月交笼、水沙迷蒙，写出秦淮夜色的凄冷朦胧。两「笼」互文见义，不是说烟只笼水、月只笼沙，而是烟与月共同笼罩着水与沙，物象交错、意境浑融。妙在「笼」字还赋予静态的景物以笼罩、包裹的动态感，仿佛整个秦淮河都被一层寒烟冷月包裹起来，愁绪也在这包裹中悄然滋生。一字两用而意境全出，是炼字而兼炼意的典范，景语即情语，为全诗奠定了凄迷冷峻的基调，也使秦淮夜色的迷蒙成为晚唐时局的绝妙象征。

不知 A phrase meaning 'does not know,' used ironically to highlight the ignorance of the songstress and, by extension, the rulers' willful blindness. 「商女不知亡国恨」之「不知」是全诗讽刺的机枢。从字面看，它写歌女的无知——卖唱的歌女不懂什么叫亡国之恨，只管唱曲谋生；但诗人的矛头并不在歌女，而在那些听得入迷的达官贵人。歌女「不知」尚可原谅，听歌的权贵明明知道六朝亡国的教训，却依然沉溺声色、醉生梦死，这才是真正可悲可讽的。以「不知」写歌女，正是为了反衬统治者的「知而故犯」，讽意落在不言之中，比直斥更为沉痛、更有力量，也更符合中国古典诗「温柔敦厚」的诗教传统。同时，「不知」二字也为末句「犹唱」作了铺垫：正因为「不知」，所以才「犹唱」，两字呼应、层层逼进，把晚唐危局中醉梦不醒的悲哀写得入木三分。

犹 An adverb meaning 'still,' emphasizing the persistent indulgence in pleasure despite national danger. 「隔江犹唱后庭花」之「犹」字是全诗最见功力的副词，一字而境界全出。「犹」者，仍然、还在也，它写的是「现在进行时」——隔着江水，歌声还在传来，宴乐还在继续，醉梦还未醒来。这个字有双重意味：其一是时间的延续，六朝亡国已久，而亡国之音竟又在当世响起，历史仿佛重演，令人惊心；其二是状态的麻木，国势已危如累卵，而歌照唱、酒照喝，「犹」字刺目的正是这种对危机无动于衷的麻木不仁。与「不知」呼应，一个写无知、一个写不改，将讽刺层层加深。一字之微，而忧愤之深、讽意之冷，尽在其中，是晚唐炼字艺术中「一字千钧」的典范，千载之下，这一声「犹唱」仍如警钟长鸣。

后庭花 A proper noun, 'Backyard Flowers,' the song of Chen Houzhu, symbolic of a subjugated kingdom. 「后庭花」即《玉树后庭花》，是南朝陈后主陈叔宝所制的艳曲，史称「亡国之音」。据《隋书·乐志》等记载，陈后主沉溺声色、自创新声，隋军攻陈之际宫中犹奏此曲，陈朝旋即灭亡，此曲遂成为荒淫误国的文化符号。杜牧在此处以「后庭花」作结，用典精当而自然：歌女所唱的正是这支亡国之曲，而诗人心中所忧的正是当世重蹈陈朝覆辙的可能——以陈鉴唐、借古讽今。典故与眼前实景（秦淮歌声）合一，不着痕迹而讽意凛然；「后庭花」三字也因此成为全诗的点睛之笔，千百年来一提此诗，便知其中沉痛的讽喻，此三字早已超越单纯的曲名，成为「奢靡误国」的永恒警示。

泊秦淮