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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

次北固山下

Mooring at the Foot of the Northern Hill

王湾

Wang Wan

思乡Homesickness 山水Landscape

客路青山外，行舟绿水前。
潮平两岸阔，风正一帆悬。
海日生残夜，江春入旧年。
乡书何处达，归雁洛阳边。

The traveler's road lies beyond the green hills,
My sailing boat floats before the clear water.
The tide is calm, the riverbanks are wide,
The wind is fair, a single sail hangs high.
The sea sun is born from the lingering night,
The river spring enters the old year.
Where can I send my letters home?
To the returning geese, to Luoyang's side.

Listen

Meaning

The poet describes his journey past green hills and on green waters, with calm tides and a fair wind. He reflects on the passing of time as the sun rises from the night and spring enters the old year. Homesick, he entrusts his letter to the geese flying back to his hometown Luoyang.

旅途在青山之外，行舟在绿水之前。潮水涨平，两岸显得格外开阔；风向正顺，一叶帆高悬江上。海上的旭日生于残夜之中，江边的春意闯入旧年的尽头。家书要往何处投递？请托付北归的大雁，带到洛阳那边。

Appreciation

This poem, written while Wang Wan moored at the foot of North Fort Hill near year's end, blends grand scenery with deep emotion. The third couplet is particularly famous for its philosophical insight into the renewal of time. The final couplet uses the image of geese to convey homesickness with subtlety.

【白话串讲】 “海日生残夜，江春入旧年”——王湾在长江上过夜，残夜未尽，海上日出；旧年未过，江上春来。这一句，让宰相张说都抄下来挂在政事堂。【意象与手法】诗前六句写景，后二句抒情，景中已寓情。首联以对句起，点漂泊之身；颔联「平」「阔」「正」「悬」四字炼净，画出盛唐江行的开阔气象；颈联「生」「入」二字赋予自然以动态，于残夜旧岁中见新生，理趣盎然。【情感与主旨】王湾（生卒年不详），洛阳人，玄宗先天年间进士，曾授荥阳主簿，参与编校典籍，后任洛阳尉。诗人岁末泊舟北固山下，见江阔帆悬、海日江春，既赏壮景，又动乡思，遂成此作。【名句点睛】「海日生残夜，江春入旧年」为千古名句，以「生」「入」写时序更替中的新生之理，曾被玄宗亲笔题于政事堂；「潮平两岸阔，风正一帆悬」的炼字亦是高频考点。

Background

Wang Wan (dates unknown) was a native of Luoyang. He passed the jinshi exam during the Kaiyuan era and served in minor posts. While traveling between Wu and Chu, he moored at the foot of North Fort Hill in Zhenjiang near year's end and was moved to write this poem. It was highly praised by Yin Fan in his 'Heyue Yingling Ji'.

王湾（生卒年不详），洛阳人，唐玄宗先天年间进士，曾授荥阳主簿，参与编校典籍，后任洛阳尉。其诗流传甚少，《全唐诗》仅存十首左右，然《次北固山下》一篇光照唐诗。北固山在今江苏镇江北，下临长江，地势险要，为六朝以来登览名胜。诗人于岁末泊舟山下，时值年关将近，见江阔帆悬、海日江春，既为壮景所动，又生思乡之情，遂成此作。诗中的洛阳为诗人故里，尾联「乡书何处达，归雁洛阳边」正点出思归之意。殷璠《河岳英灵集》特录此诗，且盛赞其颈联，使此诗得以流传千古；据《唐才子传》等记载，宰相张说甚至曾将「海日生残夜，江春入旧年」一联亲手题写于政事堂，令朝中文士以此为楷式，可见此诗在当时即已享有极高的声誉。另据《唐才子传》等记载，此诗原作或题《江南意》，文字与今传本略有出入，而「海日生残夜，江春入旧年」一联一经传出，即获「诗人以来，少有此句」的盛誉，可见其问世之初便已声动朝野，成为盛唐律诗公认的典范。

Art

The first six lines paint scenery, the last two express emotion. The second couplet uses precise words like 'calm', 'wide', 'fair', 'hanging' to depict a broad river view. The third couplet uses the verbs 'born' and 'enters' to animate the natural process of time's renewal. The final couplet alludes to wild geese delivering letters, completing the theme of homesickness.

诗前六句写景，后二句抒情，景中已寓情，是盛唐五律中情景交融的典范。首联「客路青山外，行舟绿水前」以工整对句起笔，「客路」二字已暗伏漂泊与乡思之脉，青山绿水之间，一个「外」字写旅途之遥远，一个「前」字写舟行之不息。颔联「潮平两岸阔，风正一帆悬」写江行开阔，「平」「阔」「正」「悬」四字炼净，潮水涨平则两岸愈显其阔，风向正顺则一帆自然高悬，字字相生，画出盛唐江行的开阔气象。颈联「海日生残夜，江春入旧年」以「生」「入」二字将自然之理与时光之替写得奔腾而出，于残夜旧岁之中见新生春意，是名动千古的警句。尾联「乡书何处达，归雁洛阳边」以归雁传书收束乡思，由壮景转入深情，浑成蕴藉，全诗章法由景入情、由阔入细，一气流转。全诗最可注意者，在以「阔」写「思」：颔联「两岸阔」以空间之阔写行旅之畅，颈联以时序之新写年光之替，尾联却以「乡书何处达」的怅惘收束，阔大之景与悠长之思相生相济，正是盛唐律诗「气象浑成、骨力遒劲」的典范。

Allusions

'Returning geese' alludes to Su Wu's story in Han history where geese carried letters. It also echoes the 'Book of Songs' and Xue Daoheng's poem. The 'sea sun' and 'river spring' lines, though not hard allusions, subtly invoke the idea of renewal from the 'Book of Changes'.

诗中用典隐而不露。「归雁」用《汉书·苏武传》雁足传书的典故，苏武被匈奴扣留十九年，汉使假称天子射得鸿雁、足系帛书，方使苏武得归，后世遂以雁足传书喻书信往还；此处兼取《诗经·小雅》「鸿雁于飞」的意象及隋代薛道衡「人归落雁后，思发在花前」之意，托北归之雁寄家书于洛阳。「海日」「江春」虽非硬典，然「残夜」「旧年」点出岁暮时序，以「生」「入」赋予动态，暗合《周易》「生生之谓易」的更新之理，使寻常江景具备哲理深度。全诗用典皆融化于自然景物之中，不露斧凿痕迹，正见盛唐律诗用事「如水中著盐，但存盐味」的高妙境界。此外，「客路」「行舟」二语暗合《古诗十九首》「客行虽云乐，不如早旋归」的游子传统，然诗人以壮景写乡愁，化悲为豪，一洗游子诗的悲苦情调；「海日」「江春」又暗用《礼记·月令》岁时更迭之义，将「岁末思归」的常情提升为「吐故纳新」的哲理，正见盛唐诗人于承袭传统中自出机杼的气度。

Commentary

Yin Fan praised the third couplet as unmatched by any poet before. Emperor Xuanzong wrote it on his government hall. Hu Yinglin admired the second couplet as supremely beautiful. The poem is celebrated as a perfect example of High Tang's natural grandeur and philosophical insight.

此诗历代评价极高。殷璠《河岳英灵集》评曰：「『海日生残夜，江春入旧年』，诗人以来，少有此句」，以为自汉魏以来罕见如此精警之句；据载唐玄宗亦曾亲笔题写此联于政事堂，示为楷式，足见其在当世的影响。明人胡应麟《诗薮》谓「『潮平两岸阔，风正一帆悬』形容景物，妙绝千古」，将颔联与颈联并推为写景绝唱。清人王夫之《姜斋诗话》亦赞此诗「以小景传大景之神」。近人誉其为盛唐律诗中「浑然天成、理趣兼备」的代表作。全诗以二十字写尽江行所见、所感、所思，壮阔中有哲理，哲理中含乡愁，是理解盛唐气象与士人心态的绝佳文本，历来为各类选本与教材所必录。另据载，清代诗论家沈德潜《唐诗别裁》亦录此诗，评其「江中日早，客冬归思」，以为写冬日江行的早与归思的切最为传神；今之各类选本与中学教材无不收录，可见其作为盛唐五律典范的经典地位历久不衰，影响及于后世无数行旅诗。

Prosody

Form Five-character regulated verse五言律诗

Rhyme Pingshui rhyme: lower level first rhyme (qian, xuan, nian, bian)前、悬、年、边，属平水韵下平一先韵，首句不入韵

Tone pattern Oblique-tone pattern with first line not rhymed仄起首句不入韵式，中二联对仗工稳，平仄合律

Reading note A famous High Tang five-character regulated verse, especially admired for its third couplet.此诗为五言律诗，八句四联，首句不入韵，押下平一先韵，韵脚「前」「悬」「年」「边」皆为平声，音韵响亮悠长，与江行开阔的意境相谐。平仄上为仄起首句不入韵式，中二联「潮平两岸阔，风正一帆悬」「海日生残夜，江春入旧年」对仗精工，颔联写景工整，颈联则于对仗中见流动之气，打破了律诗对仗易板滞的弊病。全诗章法严谨，首联点题写行踪，颔联写近景，颈联写远景兼及时序，尾联抒情收束，起承转合分明。此诗虽为羁旅行役之作，却气象阔大，毫无悲愁之态，正体现盛唐律诗「气骨兼备」的时代特征，殷璠《河岳英灵集》特录之，玄宗亲题颈联于政事堂，可见其格律之精、声情之美在当世已获公认。

Line by line

客路青山外，行舟绿水前

The traveler's road lies beyond the green hills, suggesting a journey far from home.

旅途在青山之外，行舟在绿水之前。

The road of travel lies beyond the green hills; my boat sails on before the green water.

首联以工整对句起笔，写旅途中的舟行之景。「客路」二字是全诗的关键词，点明诗人漂泊他乡的身份，已暗伏思乡之情；「青山外」写旅途之遥远，一个「外」字将视线引向远方，「绿水前」写舟行之不息，一个「前」字写出江水长流、舟行无尽的动态。山青水绿本是悦目之色，却因「客」字的点染而染上羁旅之色。两句对仗精工而不板滞，由远及近、由山及水，层次分明，为全诗奠定开阔而略带苍茫的基调，同时也为尾联的思乡之情埋下伏笔，起笔即见章法之妙。

The opening couplet starts with a wrought parallel, writing the boat on the road. The two words the road of travel are the key word of the whole, pointing the poet's drifting identity, already secretly holding homesickness. Beyond the green hills writes the road's distance, the single word beyond drawing the gaze to the far; before the green water writes the boat's unceasing going, the single word before writing the river's long flow and the boat's endless motion. The green hills and green water are originally pleasing hues, yet through the coloring of the word travel they take on the traveler's color. The two lines are a wrought parallel yet not stiff, from far to near, from hill to water, the layers clear, fixing the whole's broad and faintly desolate key, and secretly laying a ground for the tail couplet's homesickness, the opening at once showing the structure's beauty.

潮平两岸阔，风正一帆悬

The boat moves before the clear water, indicating a voyage on the river.

潮水涨平，两岸显得格外开阔；风向正顺，一叶帆高悬江上。

The tide is level, the two banks broad; the wind is fair, one sail hangs high.

颔联是写江行景色的名句，妙在炼字。「平」「阔」「正」「悬」四字，一字一景又字字相生：潮水涨平，水面与岸齐平，两岸便显得格外开阔；风向正顺，不偏不倚，船帆便自然高悬。四字之间构成因果呼应，写景极具逻辑张力。更妙的是，此联以小景传大景之神，一叶孤帆的「悬」与两岸的「阔」形成对比，愈见江天之空阔，也暗含诗人行舟顺遂、心境的舒展。宋人洪迈《容斋随笔》曾引此联为「形容景物，妙绝千古」的典范，其炼字之精、画面之阔、气象之盛，正是盛唐诗歌雄浑开阔风格的生动体现。

The jaw couplet is the famous line of the river scenery, the beauty in word-polishing. The four words level, broad, fair, and hanging, one word one scenery yet every word breeding the next: the tide leveled, the water even with the banks, the two banks appearing broad; the wind fair and even, not biased, the sail naturally hanging. The four words form cause and effect, writing scenery with great logical tension. The beauty further lies in this couplet conveying the spirit of the great scene through a small one: the lone sail's hanging set against the broad banks, the more showing the void expanse of river and sky, and secretly holding the poet's smooth sailing and his expanded mood. Hong Mai's Rongzhai Essays once cited this couplet as the model of describing scenery peerless through the ages; its polished words, broad picture, and grand air are exactly the vivid showing of the high Tang's vigorous open style.

海日生残夜，江春入旧年

The tide is calm, so the riverbanks appear wide, showing a broad and peaceful scene.

海上的旭日生于残夜之中，江边的春意闯入旧年的尽头。

Over the sea the sun is born in the waning night; by the river spring enters the old year.

颈联为全诗之眼，是千古传诵的名句。妙在「生」「入」二字：不说「日出」而说「日生」，仿佛残夜孕育了海日，日是从夜中生长出来的；不说「春来」而说「春入」，仿佛春意主动闯入旧年，将新旧时序的交替写得奔腾而出。诗人于岁末泊舟，正当旧年将尽、新年将始之时，此联正是这一特定时刻的传神写照：残夜将尽而旭日已生，旧年将逝而春意已入，在衰败中见新生、于陈迹中见活力，既写自然之理，又寓人生哲理，寄寓着对未来的乐观信念。因此联理趣兼备、气势雄健，唐玄宗才将其题于政事堂，作为文士作诗的楷式。

The neck couplet is the eye of the whole, a famous line through the ages. The beauty lies in the two words born and enters: not saying the sun rises but the sun is born, as if the waning night conceived the sea sun, the sun growing out of the night; not saying spring comes but spring enters, as if spring of itself breaks into the old year, writing the turn of old and new seasons as bursting forth. The poet moored at the year's end, exactly when the old year is ending and the new beginning, this couplet is the spirit-portrait of that moment: the waning night nearly done yet the sun already born, the old year nearly gone yet spring already entered, seeing new life in decay and vigor in the old traces, at once writing the principle of nature and lodging the philosophy of life, holding the optimistic belief in the future. Because this couplet unites reason and charm and is of vigorous force, Emperor Xuanzong had it inscribed in the Hall of Government, as the model for scholars' verse.

乡书何处达，归雁洛阳边

The wind is fair, so a single sail hangs high, implying smooth sailing.

家书要往何处投递？请托北归的大雁，带到洛阳那边。

Where shall my homeward letter reach? By the returning geese, off toward Luoyang.

尾联由壮景转入乡思，是全诗情感的落点。前六句写江行之景，至此陡然一问「乡书何处达」，将郁结于胸的思乡之情直白道出；「归雁」二字承上文「海日」「江春」的时序意象而来，北归的大雁正点出诗人南行而思北归的处境，用《汉书·苏武传》雁足传书的典故，托雁寄书，情致宛然。一个「何处」写出家书难寄的怅惘，一个「归」字反衬诗人有家难归的无奈。全诗以壮阔之景起，以深挚之情收，景与情、理与思浑然一体，正见盛唐律诗情景交融、含蓄蕴藉的至高境界。

The tail couplet turns from the grand scenery to homesickness, the landing of the whole's feeling. The first six lines write the river scenery, until here the abrupt question where shall my homeward letter reach? directly uttering the long-gathering homesickness. The two words returning geese follow the time-images of the sea sun and river spring above, the north-returning geese pointing the poet's going south yet longing to return north, using the Han Shu's Su Zhuan allusion of the letter tied to the goose's foot, entrusting the letter to the goose, the feeling winding. The single word where writes the homesickness of the letter's hard sending; the single word returning sets off the poet's helplessness of having a home yet not returning. The whole opens in the grand scenery and closes in the deep feeling, scenery and feeling, reason and thought fused, exactly showing the high Tang regulated verse's highest realm of the fusion of feeling and scenery and reserved pregnancy.

Study

Word focus

生 born (personification of the sun) 「海日生残夜」之「生」字，是全诗最见功力的炼字。不说「日出」而说「日生」，将海日写成自残夜中生长出来的生命，赋予自然以主动之力、生生不息之意。「残夜」本是黑暗将尽之时，而海日恰于此时涌现，光明由黑暗孕育而生，这个「生」字便包含了时序更替的哲理：新生的事物总是孕育于旧事物的衰败之中。与下句「江春入旧年」的「入」字相对，一「生」一「入」，将自然界的四季更迭、昼夜交替写得生机勃勃。后世论者多以「生」「入」二字为全诗筋骨，以为有此二字，则残夜、旧年皆活，全诗亦由写景升华为哲理，正见炼一字而境界全出的功夫。

入 enters (dynamic movement of spring) 「江春入旧年」之「入」字，与上句「生」字相对成趣，写出春意抢先而至的灵动。春天本是季节更替的自然现象，诗人却以「入」字赋予其主动性，仿佛春意是主动闯入旧年之门的客人，不等旧年过完便急着到来。这个「入」字将时序交替的界线模糊化，写出新旧交替之际那种万物萌动、春意暗生的微妙状态。若换作「来」「到」则流于平直，唯有「入」字，既写出春意由外而入的动态过程，又暗含诗人对新春的期盼。与「海日生残夜」合成一联，一「生」一「入」交相辉映，将自然的更新之理写得奔腾而出，成为千古传诵的名句，其炼字之妙，正在于以一字写活一种境界。

悬 hangs (upright and steady in the wind) 「风正一帆悬」之「悬」字，状帆之端直高挂，与「风正」二字呼应，江行畅达之态如见。帆本以风为力，「风正」则帆不受偏斜之力，「悬」字便写出帆在正风中笔直高挂、饱满舒张的状态。若换作「挂」「扬」则失之平板，「悬」字最见风帆凌空、船行平顺的动态美感。更妙在「一」帆之「悬」与「两岸」之「阔」构成大小对照，孤帆之小愈显江天之阔，画面疏朗而气象宏大。此字与「平」「阔」「正」三字共同构成颔联的炼字系统，四字各写一景又相生相济，写出了盛唐江行顺遂开阔的典型画面，也暗含诗人旅途顺遂、心境舒展的情态，历来为论者所称道。