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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

城东早春

Early Spring in the East of the City

杨巨源

Yang Juyuan

诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀。
若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人。

The poet's clear scene lies in the new spring,
The green willow just yellowing, half not yet even.
If you wait till Shanglin's flowers are brocade,
Out the gate all will be flower-viewers.
Listen

Meaning

The poem praises the subtle beauty of earliest spring — the willow just tinged yellow — over the crowded splendor of full bloom. It implies that true poetic feeling belongs to the fresh, unspoiled moment before the crowds arrive.

诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀。若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The poet's pure scene is in the new spring, when the green willow is only just yellowing, half not yet uniform; if you wait until Shanglin's flowers are like brocade, then out the gate everyone will be a flower-viewer. [Structure] Line 1 states the thesis (the clear scene is in early spring); line 2 manifests it in the willow's faint yellow; lines 3–4 pivot on a conditional — wait for full bloom and the scene is spoiled by the crowd. The contrast between the lone poet and the thronging viewers carries the meaning. [Imagery] The poem's charm is restraint: a single willow, half-yellow, does more than a garden of flowers. The 'Shanglin' allusion lends imperial weight to the contrast between exclusive freshness and public spectacle.

【白话串讲】 杨巨源写《城东早春》：“诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀”——“若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人”——他写早春——绿柳才黄半未匀。 【意象与手法】 “诗家清景在新春”写新春为清景；“绿柳才黄半未匀”以柳才黄写早春；“若待上林花似锦”假设花似锦；结以“出门俱是看花人”写看花人多。清新明丽。 【情感与主旨】 杨巨源写早春之作，写早春“绿柳才黄半未匀”的清新之景，以“出门俱是看花人”写早春的可贵，是写早春的名篇。 【名句点睛】 常考“诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀”以柳才黄写早春；“若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人”以花似锦写早春可贵。

Background

Yang Juyuan (c. 755–c. 832), styled Jing-shan, was a Tang poet from Hedong (modern Yongji, Shanxi). 'Early Spring in the East of the City' is a quatrain on scenery and aspiration (xie jing yan zhi). Its two couplets present the poet's clear scene in the new spring and the half-yellow willow, then the hypothetical Shanglin in full bloom and the crowd of flower-viewers. Widely anthologized, the poem shows Yang's fresh, bright manner and his skill at saying much in little — an enduring model among treatments of early spring.

《城东早春》为唐代诗人杨巨源所作诗。杨巨源（约755—约832），字景山，河中（今山西永济）人，唐代诗人。此诗写景言志，为咏早春之作。诗中「诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀」写诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀；「若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人」写若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人。杨巨源此诗以写景言志、出门俱是看花人写其言志之情，清新明丽，是杨巨源诗中的名篇。此篇《城东早春》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《城东早春》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《城东早春》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 poem excels in 'fresh brightness, writing aspiration through spring.' Four lines move from 'the poet's clear scene in the new spring' to the half-yellow willow to 'if you wait till Shanglin's flowers are brocade.' The opening fixes the poet's eye on the new spring; the second line particularizes it in the willow's first yellow, half-not-yet; the closing couplet imagines the later spectacle and its crowd. The whole writes aspiration through spring: the early, unpeopled moment is prized, the crowded splendor gently deprecated. The method of 'totality through the few' gives tight structure and deep intent within brevity; the imagery is condensed yet the affective tone lingers. The poem is a small masterpiece of the type, showing the poet's perfected craft.

此诗艺术上以「清新明丽、以春写志」见长。全诗共四句，由诗家清景在新春而绿柳才黄半未匀而若待上林花似锦。起「诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀」写诗家清景在新春：诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀；「若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人」写若待上林花似锦：若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人。全诗以春写志，由诗家清景在新春而出门俱是看花人，清新明丽，是杨巨源诗中的名篇。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 lines carry embedded allusions. 'The poet's clear scene in the new spring, the green willow just yellowing' and 'if you wait till Shanglin's flowers are brocade, out the gate all will be flower-viewers' draw on the Shanglin Shanglin canon — Shanglin was the Han imperial park. The poet folds the Shanglin reference in without trace, making the scene-and-aspiration feeling immediate and real; this is the mark of one skilled at fusing allusion. Such usage melds past and present seamlessly, neither flaunting erudition nor sticking rigidly to old readings, and reveals the poet's deep learning and nimble thought. The reader should savor these places to catch the meaning beyond the words.

诗中「诗家清景在新春绿柳才黄半未匀」「若待上林花似锦出门俱是看花人」等语，皆含典故故实。「诗家清景在新春绿柳才黄半未匀」写诗家清景在新春绿柳才黄半未匀；「若待上林花似锦出门俱是看花人」用上林之典（上林为汉宫苑名），写若待上林花似锦出门俱是看花人。诗人以上林之典入诗，不着痕迹，而把写景言志之情写得真切可感，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

This 'Early Spring in the East of the City' is Yang Juyuan's scenic-and-aspirational piece, writing the poet's clear scene, the half-yellow willow, and the crowd of flower-viewers with fresh brightness. It opens with 'the poet's clear scene in the new spring, the green willow just yellowing' — using the Shanglin allusion — and closes with 'if you wait till Shanglin's flowers are brocade, out the gate all will be flower-viewers,' where the crowd of viewers carries the aspiration. The whole is fresh and bright, spring writing aspiration, a famous piece in Yang's oeuvre. Overall, feeling is true, scene apt, principle deep, the three fused without seam, so that infinite meaning lodges in few words and the poem bears endless rereading. Its reserved suggestiveness embodies the classical Chinese ideal of saying much through little, words ending yet meaning inexhaustible.

这首《城东早春》，是杨巨源写写景言志之作，写诗家清景在新春、绿柳才黄半未匀、出门俱是看花人之情，清新明丽。起「诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀」——诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀。写诗家清景在新春：诗家清景在新春、绿柳才黄半未匀——清景在新春、才黄半未匀；「若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人」——若待上林（用上林之典）花似锦，出门俱是看花人。写若待上林花似锦：若待上林花似锦、出门俱是看花人——上林花似锦、俱是看花人。这「若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人」，是全诗之结：以出门俱是看花人写其言志。全诗清新明丽，以春写志，正是杨巨源诗中的名篇。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

Form Poem (heptasyllabic quatrain, qijue)诗（七言绝句）
Rhyme A heptasyllabic quatrain of four lines in two couplets. It rhymes in the level tone: chun, yun, ren belong to the Zhen–Wen rhyme group. The form follows the quatrain, with regular syntax and a music that rises and falls with feeling, well matched to the fresh, bright scenery-and-aspiration, and showing the natural fit of the quatrain to writing aspiration.此诗为七言绝句，共四句，两句一联。押平声韵：「春」「匀」「人」押真文部韵。诗体依绝句而定，句式整齐，音节随情起伏，正与写写景言志的清新明丽相称，也见其以绝句写言志的自然。
Tone pattern In syntax, 'the poet's clear scene in the new spring, the green willow just yellowing' sounds clear and elegant; 'if you wait till Shanglin's flowers are brocade, out the gate all will be flower-viewers' sounds bright and brisk. The whole music rises and falls with feeling, from elegant to brisk, exactly the quatrain's 'reserved' wonder — read it like scenery-and-aspiration, like 'out the gate all will be flower-viewers,' fresh and moving.句式上，「诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀」写诗家清景在新春，音节清雅；「若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人」写若待上林花似锦，音节明快。全诗音节随情起伏，由清雅而明快，正合绝句「含蓄」之妙，读来如写景言志、出门俱是看花人之音，清新而动人。
Reading note This is a heptasyllabic quatrain, a famous scenic-and-aspirational piece by Yang Juyuan. Its artistic character is 'fresh brightness, writing aspiration through spring': 'the poet's clear scene in the new spring, the green willow just yellowing' and 'if you wait till Shanglin's flowers are brocade, out the gate all will be flower-viewers.' Especially fine is the first couplet's capture of early-spring beauty, while the second uses the Shanglin allusion — a model of Yang's 'fresh brightness,' often collected in anthologies. The poem's vocal affective power comes from matching sound-rhyme to feeling and rhythm to mood; the length of syllables and the rise-fall of level-oblique tones are all of a piece with the meaning — a glimpse of the beauty and craft of Chinese classical prosody.此诗为七言绝句，是杨巨源写写景言志之作，也是其诗中的名篇。全诗的艺术特色在于「清新明丽、以春写志」：「诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀」写诗家清景在新春、「若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人」写若待上林花似锦。全诗清新明丽，以春写志。尤为精妙者，是「诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀」写尽早春之美；而「若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人」用上林之典，正是杨巨源诗「清新明丽」的典范，为历代选本所常收。《城东早春》一诗之所以读来声情并茂，正在于诗人以声韵配合情思、以节奏烘托意境，音节之长短、平仄之起伏，皆与诗意相为表里，此亦可见中国古典诗歌声律之美与匠心之工。

Line by line

诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀。

The poet's clear scene lies in the new spring, / The green willow just yellowing, half not yet even.

诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀。

The poet's fair scene lies in the earliest spring; the green willows are just yellow, half not yet even.

首二句写诗家清景在新春，起笔即见其景。「诗家清景在新春」写诗家清景在新春，「诗家清景」写诗家清景、「在新春」写在新春；「绿柳才黄半未匀」写绿柳才黄半未匀，「绿柳才黄」写绿柳才黄、「半未匀」写半未匀。两句一写诗家清景在新春、一写绿柳才黄半未匀，以诗家清景在新春写清景在新春、以绿柳才黄半未匀写才黄未匀，写尽诗家清景在新春、绿柳才黄半未匀之情。以春起兴，清新而明丽，是「以春起兴」的妙笔。

The opening two lines write the poet's fair scene lies in the earliest spring, the scene at once. The poet's fair scene writes the poet's clear sight; lies in the earliest spring points the season. The green willows are just yellow, half not yet even writes the willow buds' uneven yellow. The two lines, one writing the poet's fair scene in earliest spring, one writing the willows just yellow and half uneven, write to the full the feeling of the early spring's fair scene and the uneven yellow. Rising through spring, fresh and bright, the fine brush of rising through spring.

若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人。

If you wait till Shanglin's flowers are brocade, / Out the gate all will be flower-viewers.

若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人。

Wait till the Shanglin Park flowers are a brocade, and out the gate all are flower-watchers.

尾二句写若待上林花似锦，是全诗立意的落点。「若待上林花似锦」用上林之典写若待上林花似锦，「若待上林」写若待上林、「花似锦」写花似锦；「出门俱是看花人」写出门俱是看花人，「出门俱是」写出门俱是、「看花人」写看花人。两句一写若待上林花似锦、一写出门俱是看花人，以若待上林花似锦写上林花锦、以出门俱是看花人写俱是看花人，写尽若待上林花似锦、出门俱是看花人之情。以春写志，清新而明丽，是全诗最动人处，也是「以春写志」的点睛之笔。

The closing two lines write wait till the Shanglin Park flowers are a brocade, the landing of the whole's bent. It uses the Shanglin Park allusion; the words wait till the Shanglin write the later time, flowers a brocade write the full bloom. Out the gate all are flower-watchers writes the throng. The two lines, one writing the park's brocade flowers, one writing all are flower-watchers, write to the full the feeling of waiting for the brocade bloom and the crowd at the gate. Writing the will through spring, fresh and bright, the most moving place of the whole and the eye-dotting brush.

Study

Word focus

清景 'Clear scene' (qing jing) is the key phrase writing the state of the pure scene. 'The poet's clear scene in the new spring' places the word 'clear scene,' writing the pure scene — placing 'clear scene' writes the poet's clear scene in the new spring, showing the scene's clarity. Two characters exhaust the state of the clear scene, a wonderful 'writing scene through the word.' The single use of 'clear scene' brings the whole poem to life, bound up with its affective tone, exactly showing the poet's refinement in word-choice and his unique craft. The reader who savors such places will perceive his power lodged in plainness and his wonder in the ordinary. 「清景」写诗家清景在新春，是写清景之态的关键。「诗家清景在新春」着一「清景」，写清景——着一「清景」，写诗家清景在新春，见其景之清。两字写尽清景之态，是「以词写景」的妙笔。「清景」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
新春 'New spring' (xin chun) is the key phrase writing the state of the new spring. 'The poet's clear scene in the new spring' places the word 'new spring,' writing the new spring — placing 'new spring' writes the poet's clear scene in the new spring, showing the spring's newness. Two characters exhaust the state of the new spring, a pointed 'writing spring through the word.' The single use of 'new spring' brings the whole poem to life, bound up with its affective tone, exactly showing the poet's refinement in word-choice and his unique craft. 「新春」写诗家清景在新春，是写新春之态的关键。「诗家清景在新春」着一「新春」，写新春——着一「新春」，写诗家清景在新春，见其春之新。两字写尽新春之态，是「以词写春」的点睛之词。「新春」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
才黄 'Just yellowing' (cai huang) is the key phrase writing the state of the just-yellow. 'The green willow just yellowing, half not yet even' places the word 'just yellowing,' writing the just-yellow — placing 'just yellowing' writes the green willow just yellowing, showing the willow's just-yellow. Two characters exhaust the state of the just-yellow, a pointed 'writing yellow through the word.' The single use of 'just yellowing' brings the whole poem to life, bound up with its affective tone, exactly showing the poet's refinement in word-choice and his unique craft. 「才黄」写绿柳才黄半未匀，是写才黄之态的关键。「绿柳才黄半未匀」着一「才黄」，写才黄——着一「才黄」，写绿柳才黄半未匀，见其柳之才黄。两字写尽才黄之态，是「以词写黄」的点睛之词。「才黄」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
看花人 'Flower-viewer' (kan hua ren) is the key phrase writing the state of the flower-viewing people. 'Out the gate all will be flower-viewers' places the word 'flower-viewer,' writing the flower-viewers — placing 'flower-viewer' writes out the gate all will be flower-viewers, showing people viewing flowers. Three characters exhaust the state of the flower-viewers, a pointed 'writing people through the word.' The single use of 'flower-viewer' brings the whole poem to life, bound up with its affective tone, exactly showing the poet's refinement in word-choice and his unique craft. 「看花人」写出门俱是看花人，是写看花人之态的关键。「出门俱是看花人」着一「看花人」，写看花人——着一「看花人」，写出门俱是看花人，见其人之看花。三字写尽看花人之态，是「以词写人」的点睛之词。「看花人」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。

Related Reading

山园小梅 Small Plum in the Mountain Garden 林逋 · 同写早春清雅、以景言志，一写疏影横斜水清浅暗香浮动月黄昏、一写诗家清景在新春绿柳才黄半未匀，皆于早春之中见清雅 Both write early-spring clarity and aspiration through scene; one through plum, one through willow

Lin Bu's 'Small Plum in the Mountain Garden' — 'sparse shadows slant across clear shallows, faint fragrance floats at dusk under the moon' — writes the plum's clarity and aspiration, a supreme Song object-poem. Yang Juyuan's 'Early Spring in the East of the City' writes 'the poet's clear scene in the new spring, the green willow just yellowing' and 'out the gate all will be flower-viewers.' Both write early-spring clarity and aspiration through scene: one through the plum's sparse shadows and faint fragrance, the other through the early-spring willow. One is Lin Bu's detached elegance, one Yang's bright clarity — read together they show two ways of writing 'early-spring clarity.'

林逋《山园小梅》「疏影横斜水清浅，暗香浮动月黄昏」，写梅之清雅、言志，是宋诗咏物的绝唱；杨巨源《城东早春》则以「诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀」「若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人」写清景在新春、俱是看花人。两诗同写早春清雅、以景言志：一写疏影横斜水清浅暗香浮动月黄昏、以梅写清雅，一写诗家清景在新春绿柳才黄半未匀、以早春写言志；一为林逋之清逸、一为杨巨源之明丽，并读正可见诗写「早春清雅」的两种笔法，皆于早春之中见清雅。

 浣溪沙·一曲新词酒一杯 Huanxi Sha (A new song, a cup of wine) 晏殊 · 同写感怀惜时、无可奈何，一写无可奈何花落去、一写若待上林花似锦出门俱是看花人，皆于感怀之中见惜时 Both write reflective cherishing of the moment; one through helplessness, one through the flower-viewer

Yan Shu's 'Huanxi Sha' — 'helplessly the flowers fall, / vaguely familiar the swallows return' — writes reflection and cherishing of time, a famous Song lyric. Yang Juyuan's 'Early Spring' writes 'if you wait till Shanglin's flowers are brocade, out the gate all will be flower-viewers' and 'the poet's clear scene in the new spring.' Both write reflection and cherishing: one through falling flowers and returning swallows, the other through flower-viewers and the new-spring scene. One is Yan Shu's warm restraint, one Yang's bright clarity — read together they show two ways of writing 'reflection and cherishing.'

晏殊《浣溪沙·一曲新词酒一杯》「无可奈何花落去，似曾相识燕归来」，写感怀惜时，是宋词小令的名篇；杨巨源《城东早春》则以「若待上林花似锦，出门俱是看花人」「诗家清景在新春，绿柳才黄半未匀」写上林花似锦、清景在新春。两诗同写感怀惜时、无可奈何：一写无可奈何花落去、以花落燕归写惜时，一写若待上林花似锦出门俱是看花人、以看花人写惜春；一为晏殊之温润、一为杨巨源之明丽，并读正可见诗写「感怀惜时」的两种笔法，皆于感怀之中见惜时。