All poems

唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

端居

Dwelling in Stillness

李商隐

Li Shangyin

思乡homesickness 秋思autumn longing 愁绪melancholy

远书归梦两悠悠，只有空床敌素秋。
阶下青苔与红树，雨中寥落月中愁。

Letters from afar and dreams of home—both drift far beyond my reach; Only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn.
Beneath the steps, green moss and red trees; In the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve.

Listen

Meaning

This quatrain captures a lonely autumn night of homesickness. Letters from afar and dreams of returning home both slip beyond reach, leaving only the empty bed to face the bleak autumn air. Below the steps, green moss and red trees—in the rain they stand forlorn, beneath the moon they seem to grieve. Li Shangyin, then drifting as a distant official, transforms private longing into landscape: the unanswerable letter, the ungranted dream, the solitary bed, and the moss-and-red-tree scene all converge into a quiet, aching melancholy that is among his finest expressions of autumn exile.

远方的书信与归家的梦都悠悠难凭，只有空床独自承受这肃杀的秋气。阶下的青苔与红树，在雨中零落，在月中含愁。

Appreciation

Plain paraphrase: Letters from afar and dreams of home—both drift far beyond my reach; only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn. Beneath the steps, green moss and red trees; in the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve. Imagery and technique: This is a famous homesick poem of Li Shangyin, a five-character quatrain written in solitary, sleepless autumn longing. The first line 'letters from afar and dreams of home—both drift' writes the unreliability of letter and dream; the second 'only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn' writes the lone bed facing autumn; the third 'beneath the steps, green moss and red trees' writes the scene below the steps; the last 'in the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve' writes the melancholy in rain and moon—a famous line through the ages. The whole uses 'letters from afar and dreams of home—both drift' for the groundlessness of homesickness, 'empty bed confronts the pale autumn' for solitary isolation, 'beneath the steps, green moss and red trees' for autumn color, 'in the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve' for utter melancholy. Feeling and theme: Written in the Dazhong era of Emperor Xuazong (c. 847–858), when Li Shangyin was drifting abroad as a subordinate official, far from home. The whole poem writes his autumn-night solitude and homesickness—the 'enemy of the pale autumn' and 'in the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve' are famous lines on melancholy, a masterpiece of Li Shangyin's homesick poetry.

【白话串讲】李商隐写《端居》：“远书归梦两悠悠，只有空床敌素秋”——“阶下青苔与红树，雨中寥落月中愁”——他独居他乡，等不到书信，做不了归梦。【意象与手法】此诗是李商隐写秋夜思乡的五绝（一说七绝误，实为五言绝句），写独居无眠的愁绪，是李商隐思乡诗的名篇。首句「远书归梦两悠悠」写书信与归梦的难凭——那「远书」写远方的书信，「归梦」写归家的梦，那「两悠悠」写二者都悠悠难凭（信不来、梦不成），那「悠悠」写尽渺茫；次句「只有空床敌素秋」写空床独对秋——那「空床」写独居的空床，「敌素秋」写独自承受肃杀的秋气（「敌」写抵对、承受，「素秋」写秋天），那「敌」字写尽独自承受的孤寂；三句「阶下青苔与红树」写阶下的景物——那「青苔」写阶下青苔，「红树」写红树（秋叶变红的树），青苔红树，一青一红，写尽秋色；末句「雨中寥落月中愁」写雨月中的愁绪——那「雨中寥落」写雨中青苔红树的零落，那「月中愁」写月下含愁，那「寥落」「愁」写尽愁绪，是千古名句。全诗以「远书归梦两悠悠」写思乡的无凭，以「空床敌素秋」写独处的孤寂，以「阶下青苔与红树」写秋色，以「雨中寥落月中愁」写尽愁绪，那「敌素秋」「寥落月中愁」都是写愁的名句，是李商隐思乡诗的名篇。【情感与主旨】此诗作于唐宣宗大中年间（约847—858），时李商隐漂泊在外（任幕僚之职），远离家乡。李商隐一生漂泊（早年依令狐楚、王茂元，晚年辗转幕府），常客居异乡。此诗写其秋夜独居、思念家乡的愁绪——那「远书归梦两悠悠」写远方的书信不来、归家的梦不成，那「只有空床敌素秋」写独居空床、独自承受秋气，那「阶下青苔与红树」写阶下的秋色，那「雨中寥落月中愁」写雨月中的愁绪。全诗以「悠悠」「敌」「寥落」「愁」写尽秋夜思乡的愁绪——那远书归梦的渺茫、空床独对秋的孤寂、青苔红树的秋色、雨月中的愁绪，正是羁旅思乡的写照，是李商隐思乡诗的名篇。【名句点睛】常考“远书归梦两悠悠，只有空床敌素秋”写书信归梦难凭、空床独对秋气；“阶下青苔与红树，雨中寥落月中愁”写雨中月中的双重愁绪。

Background

This is a famous poem of Li Shangyin's autumn-night homesickness, written in the Dazhong era of Emperor Xuazong (c. 847–858), when he was drifting abroad, far from home. Li Shangyin (c. 813–858), styled Yishan, named Yuxi Sheng, was a native of Huizhou's Henei (present Qinyang, Henan), a renowned late-Tang poet, paired with Du Mu as the 'Lesser Li and Du.' His official life was bumpy (early favored by Linghu Chu, later entered Wang Maoyuan's staff and married his daughter, caught in the Niu-Li factional strife), drifting among various regional governments, often sojourning away from home. This poem writes his autumn-night solitude and longing for home. 'Letters from afar and dreams of home—both drift' writes that letters from afar and dreams of returning home both slip beyond reach; 'only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn' writes that only the empty bed alone withstands the bleak autumn air—'empty bed' the lone bed, 'confront' (di) to face, withstand, 'pale autumn' (su qiu) the autumn (the ancients matched the four seasons with the five elements; autumn belongs to metal, its color white, hence 'pale autumn'). 'Beneath the steps, green moss and red trees'—'green moss' grows below the steps (long untrodden, hence moss), 'red trees' the trees whose leaves turn red in autumn. 'In the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve'—'forlorn' (liao luo) desolate, 'moon they grieve' grieving under the moon. The whole uses 'drift,' 'confront,' 'forlorn,' 'grieve' to exhaust the autumn-night homesick melancholy, a masterpiece of Li Shangyin's homesick poetry.

此诗是李商隐写秋夜思乡的名篇，作于唐宣宗大中年间（约847—858），时李商隐漂泊在外，远离家乡。李商隐（约813—858），字义山，号玉谿生，怀州河内（今河南沁阳）人，晚唐著名诗人，与杜牧并称「小李杜」。他一生仕途坎坷（早年受知于令狐楚，后入王茂元幕并娶其女，陷入牛李党争的漩涡），漂泊辗转于各地幕府，常客居异乡。此诗写其秋夜独居、思念家乡。诗中「远书归梦两悠悠」写远方的书信与归家的梦都悠悠难凭——「远书」写远方的书信，「归梦」写归家的梦，「悠悠」写渺茫无凭（信不来、梦不成）；「只有空床敌素秋」写只有空床独自承受肃杀的秋气——「空床」写独居的空床，「敌」写抵对、承受（独自与秋气相抗），「素秋」写秋天（古人以五行配四时，秋属金，其色白，故称素秋）；「阶下青苔与红树」写阶下的青苔与红树——「青苔」写阶下青苔（久无人迹，故生青苔），「红树」写秋叶变红的树；「雨中寥落月中愁」写青苔红树在雨中零落、在月中含愁——「寥落」写零落、冷落，「月中愁」写月下含愁。全诗以「悠悠」「敌」「寥落」「愁」写尽秋夜思乡的愁绪，是李商隐思乡诗的名篇。

Art

The art of this poem may be read on four levels. First, writing groundlessness with 'drift' (youyou): the first line 'letters from afar and dreams of home—both drift' uses 'drift' for the faintness of letter and dream—those most longed-for things are 'both drift' (letter not come, dream not made), the 'drift' exhausting the faintness and the loss of homesickness. Second, writing isolation with 'confront' (di): the second line 'only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn' uses 'confront' for the empty bed alone withstanding the autumn air—'only the empty bed' the solitude of dwelling alone (no companion, only the empty bed), 'confronts the pale autumn' alone against the autumn air ('confront' to face, withstand), the character 'confront' exhausting the solitude of withstanding alone and the bleakness of autumn. Third, writing autumn color with color: the third line 'beneath the steps, green moss and red trees' uses 'green moss' and 'red trees' for autumn color—the contrast of 'green' and 'red' exhausting the bleak autumn below the steps, covertly writing long untrodden (green moss) and deep autumn red leaves (red trees). Fourth, writing melancholy with 'forlorn' and 'grieve': the last line 'in the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve' uses 'forlorn' and 'grieve' to exhaust the melancholy—'in the rain they are forlorn' the moss and red trees forlorn in rain, 'moon they grieve' their grieving under the moon, scene writing feeling, a famous line through the ages. These four devices advance layer by layer, making this five-quatrain exhaust the autumn-night homesick melancholy, precisely Li Shangyin's gift of 'writing feeling through scene.'

此诗的艺术特色可从四个层面解析。其一，以「悠悠」写无凭。首句「远书归梦两悠悠」以「悠悠」写书信与归梦的渺茫——那「远书」「归梦」本是最盼之物，却「两悠悠」（信不来、梦不成），那「悠悠」写尽渺茫无凭，也写尽思乡的失落。其二，以「敌」写孤寂。次句「只有空床敌素秋」以「敌」字写空床独自承受秋气——那「只有空床」写独居的空寂（无人相伴，只有空床），那「敌素秋」写独自与秋气相抗（「敌」写抵对、承受），「敌」字写尽独自承受的孤寂与秋气的肃杀。其三，以色彩写秋色。三句「阶下青苔与红树」以「青苔」「红树」写秋色——那「青」与「红」的对照，写尽阶下秋色的凄清，也暗写久无人迹（青苔）与秋深叶红（红树）。其四，以「寥落」「愁」写愁绪。末句「雨中寥落月中愁」以「寥落」「愁」写尽愁绪——那「雨中寥落」写青苔红树在雨中的零落，那「月中愁」写它们在月下的含愁，以景写情，是千古名句。四重手法层层递进，使这首五绝写尽秋夜思乡的愁绪，正是李商隐「以景写情」的本领。

Allusions

The diction of this poem is rooted in the traditions of homesickness and the autumn night. 'Letters from afar and dreams of home—both drift'—'letters from afar' evokes Du Fu's 'In spring war flames link the three months; a home letter is worth ten thousand in gold' and 'A letter-slip from afar' from the Nineteen Old Poems; 'dreams of home' evokes Cen Shen's 'Looking east to my old garden, the road is long; two sleeves trembling, tears not dry' and Wen Tingyun's 'thinking of the Du Ling dream, ducks and geese fill the returning pond'; 'drift' evokes 'Old my black collar, my heart drifts long' from the Shijing. 'Only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn'—'empty bed' evokes 'the empty bed, lying hearing the south window rain' and 'the wanderer goes not home, the empty bed hard to keep alone'; 'pale autumn' evokes the allusion (Liang Yuan Di's 'Compendium': 'autumn is called pale autumn') and Liu Yuxi's 'since olden times autumn is sad and lone.' 'Beneath the steps, green moss and red trees'—'green moss' evokes Liu Yuxi's 'moss marks green above the steps, grass hue blue into the blind' (long untrodden, hence moss), 'red trees' evokes Du Mu's 'frost leaves redder than February's flowers.' 'In the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve'—'in the rain' evokes Li Shangyin's own 'the Ba Mountains night rain pools the autumn pond,' 'moon they grieve' evokes Wang Jian's 'this night the moon bright all gaze, who knows where the autumn thought falls.' The whole transforms the Shijing, Du Fu, Liu Yuxi, and Wang Jian's images of homesickness and autumn night, writing melancholy through scene—precisely Li Shangyin's gift of 'writing feeling through scene.'

此诗的用语深植于思乡与秋夜传统。「远书归梦两悠悠」写书信归梦的渺茫——那「远书」令人想到「烽火连三月，家书抵万金」（杜甫《春望》）的家书意象，也令人想到「客从远方来，遗我一书札」（《古诗十九首·客从远方来》）的远书意象；那「归梦」令人想到「故园东望路漫漫，双袖龙钟泪不干」（岑参《逢入京使》）的思归意象，也令人想到「因思杜陵梦，凫雁满回塘」（温庭筠《商山早行》）的归梦意象；那「悠悠」令人想到「青青子衿，悠悠我心」（《诗经·郑风·子衿》）的「悠悠」意象；「只有空床敌素秋」写空床对秋——那「空床」令人想到「空床卧听南窗雨」（《古诗十九首·青青河畔草》「荡子行不归，空床难独守」）的空床意象，那「素秋」令人想到「素秋」的典故（梁元帝《纂要》：「秋曰素秋」，古人以秋属金、色白，故称素秋），也令人想到「自古逢秋悲寂寥」（刘禹锡《秋词》）的悲秋传统；「阶下青苔与红树」写青苔红树——那「青苔」令人想到「苔痕上阶绿，草色入帘青」（刘禹锡《陋室铭》）的青苔意象（阶下生苔，写久无人迹），那「红树」令人想到「霜叶红于二月花」（杜牧《山行》）的红叶意象；「雨中寥落月中愁」写雨月含愁——那「雨中」令人想到「巴山夜雨涨秋池」（李商隐《夜雨寄北》）的夜雨意象，那「月中愁」令人想到「今夜月明人尽望，不知秋思落谁家」（王建《十五夜望月》）的月夜秋思意象。全诗化用《诗经》、杜甫、刘禹锡、王建等思乡与秋夜的意象，以写景写愁，正是李商隐「以景写情」的本领。

Commentary

This poem has long been ranked a masterpiece of Li Shangyin's homesick poetry and a classic of Chinese verse on autumn-night melancholy. Critics through the ages have prized it highly: a Qing critic called it 'writing feeling through scene, desolate and poignant to the bone'; modern scholars note that 'only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn' and 'in the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve' are famous lines on melancholy, the character 'confront' (di) exhausting the solitude of withstanding the autumn air alone. Its special value in literary history lies in this: in twenty characters it exhausts the autumn-night homesick melancholy—'letters from afar and dreams of home—both drift' writes letter not come, dream not made ('both drift' exhausting the faintness); 'only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn' writes dwelling alone, withstanding the autumn air ('confront' exhausting the solitude of withstanding alone); 'beneath the steps, green moss and red trees' writes the autumn color below the steps (green moss, red trees, one green one red); 'in the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve' writes the moss and red trees forlorn in rain, grieving under the moon (scene writing feeling, exhausting the melancholy). The characters 'confront' in 'confronts the pale autumn' and 'grieve' in 'moon they grieve' are both models of character-forging. This poem is a portrait of Li Shangyin's drifting life—the faintness of 'letters and dreams,' the solitude of 'empty bed and autumn,' precisely the melancholy of a sojourner's homesickness. Together with 'A Note on a Rainy Night to the North' ('you ask my return date, not yet decided') it is a masterpiece of his homesick, wife-addressed poetry—one writes the uncertain return of 'Ba Mountains night rain,' the other the autumn-night solitude of 'empty bed and pale autumn'; and with 'The Jeweled Zither' ('this feeling might have been remembered') it represents his desolate, poignant style. For today's readers it is a window onto Li Shangyin's sojourner melancholy and a classic of Chinese poetry's autumn-night homesickness.

此诗历来被推为李商隐思乡诗的名篇，也是中国诗歌写秋夜愁绪的经典。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以景写情，凄婉入骨」；近人更指出「只有空床敌素秋」「雨中寥落月中愁」是写愁的名句，一个「敌」字写尽独自承受秋气的孤寂。在文学史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以二十字写尽秋夜思乡的愁绪——那「远书归梦两悠悠」写书信不来、归梦不成（「两悠悠」写尽渺茫无凭），那「只有空床敌素秋」写独居空床、独自承受秋气（「敌」字写尽独自承受的孤寂），那「阶下青苔与红树」写阶下的秋色（青苔红树，一青一红），那「雨中寥落月中愁」写青苔红树在雨中零落、在月中含愁（以景写情，写尽愁绪）；那「敌素秋」的「敌」字、「寥落月中愁」的「愁」字，都是炼字的典范。此诗是李商隐漂泊生涯的写照——那「远书归梦」的渺茫、「空床敌秋」的孤寂，正是羁旅思乡的愁绪。此诗与《夜雨寄北》（「君问归期未有期」）同为李商隐思乡寄内诗的名篇，一写「巴山夜雨」的归期无定，一写「空床素秋」的秋夜孤寂；又与《锦瑟》（「此情可待成追忆」）同为其诗风凄婉的代表。对于今日读者，此诗是理解李商隐羁旅愁绪的窗口，也是中国诗歌写秋夜思乡的经典——那悠悠的远书归梦、空床的素秋、雨中的青苔红树，穿越千年，仍在诉说着秋夜独居的孤寂与愁绪。

Prosody

Form Five-character quatrain (oblique-register opening, oblique ending, first line not entering the rhyme).五言绝句（仄起仄收，首句不入韵）

Rhyme The whole rhymes on the level-tone you rhyme (秋, 愁), one rhyme throughout; the rhyme sound is long, fitting the drawn-out melancholy.全诗押平声尤韵（秋、愁），一韵到底，韵音悠长，正合愁绪的绵长。

Tone pattern This is a five-character quatrain, four lines twenty characters, rhyming on level tone. By content it divides into two couplets: the former writes homesick groundlessness and solitary isolation (letters from afar and dreams of home—both drift; only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn); the latter writes the autumn color below the steps and the rain-moon melancholy (beneath the steps, green moss and red trees; in the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve). In tone, the former couplet with 'drift' and 'confront' writes melancholy, its rhythm low and returning; the latter with 'green moss red trees' and 'in rain in moon' writes autumn color, its rhythm desolate and clear—fitting the drawn-out autumn-night melancholy.此诗为五言绝句，四句二十字，押平声韵。全诗按内容可分为两联：前联写思乡无凭与独处孤寂（远书归梦两悠悠、只有空床敌素秋）；后联写阶下秋色与雨月愁绪（阶下青苔与红树、雨中寥落月中愁）。声调上，前联以「悠悠」「敌」写愁绪，节奏低回；后联以「青苔红树」「雨中月中」写秋色，节奏凄清，正合秋夜愁绪的绵长。

Reading note This is a famous five-character quatrain of autumn-night homesickness, using 'drift' for faintness, 'confront' for solitude, 'in rain in moon' for melancholy—precisely Li Shangyin's gift of 'writing feeling through scene.' The whole four lines: the former couplet writes homesick solitude (letters from afar and dreams of home—both drift; only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn), the latter writes autumn-color melancholy (beneath the steps, green moss and red trees; in the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve). In tone, the former couplet's rhythm is low and returning, writing melancholy; the latter's rhythm desolate and clear, writing autumn color—the solitude of 'only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn' and the melancholy of 'in the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve' are precisely Li Shangyin's deep intent in writing the autumn night. Recite the former couplet's homesick solitude with a low, returning tone, the latter's autumn color with a desolate, clear tone—especially 'only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn' and 'in the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve,' read low and desolate-pleading, to convey Li Shangyin's autumn-night homesick melancholy. Li Shangyin's poetry is famed for desolation; this is a classic of his homesick and autumn-night poems.此诗是五言绝句写秋夜思乡的名篇，以「悠悠」写渺茫、以「敌」写孤寂、以「雨中月中」写愁绪，正是李商隐「以景写情」的本领。全诗四句：前联写思乡孤寂（远书归梦两悠悠、只有空床敌素秋），后联写秋色愁绪（阶下青苔与红树、雨中寥落月中愁）。声调上，前联节奏低回，写愁绪；后联节奏凄清，写秋色，那「只有空床敌素秋」的孤寂、「雨中寥落月中愁」的愁绪，正是李商隐写秋夜的深意。诵读此诗，宜以低回的语调读前联的思乡孤寂，以凄清的语调读后联的秋色愁绪，尤其「只有空床敌素秋」「雨中寥落月中愁」两句，要读得低沉而凄婉，方能传达出李商隐秋夜思乡的愁绪。李商隐诗以凄婉著称，此诗正是其思乡诗与秋夜诗的经典。

Line by line

远书归梦两悠悠，只有空床敌素秋。

This line is a famous write of homesick groundlessness and solitary isolation, using 'drift' for faintness and 'confront' for solitude, exhausting the autumn-night melancholy. 'Letters from afar and dreams of home—both drift' writes that letters from afar and dreams of returning home both slip beyond reach—'letters from afar' the letters from far, 'dreams of home' the dreams of returning, 'both drift' both faint and unreachable (letter not come, dream not made), the 'drift' exhausting the loss of homesickness. 'Only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn' writes that only the empty bed alone withstands the autumn air—'only the empty bed' the solitude of dwelling alone (no companion, only the empty bed), 'confronts the pale autumn' alone against the autumn air, the character 'confront' exhausting the solitude of withstanding alone. The deep intent: it uses 'letters from afar and dreams of home—both drift' for the groundlessness of homesickness—those letter and dream are the most longed-for by the sojourner, yet both drift beyond reach, letter not come, dream not made, the 'both drift' exhausting the faintness and loss; it uses 'only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn' for the solitude of dwelling alone—'only the empty bed' exhausting the solitude of dwelling (no family companion, only the empty bed), 'confronts the pale autumn' with 'confront' writing the withstanding of the autumn air alone—not enjoying autumn, but 'confronting' autumn, alone against the bleak autumn air, exhausting solitude and chill; the groundlessness of 'letters and dreams' linked with the solitude of 'empty bed and pale autumn' exhausts the sojourner's autumn-night melancholy. Using 'drift' for faintness and 'confront' for solitude is precisely Li Shangyin's gift of writing melancholy, making this line a famous write of autumn-night homesickness.

远方的书信与归家的梦都悠悠难凭，只有空床独自承受这肃杀的秋气。

Far letters and homecoming dreams, both alike uncertain; only the empty bed can withstand the pale autumn.

这句是写思乡无凭与独处孤寂的名句，以「悠悠」写渺茫、以「敌」写孤寂，写尽秋夜的愁绪。「远书归梦两悠悠」写远方的书信与归家的梦都悠悠难凭——那「远书」写远方的书信，「归梦」写归家的梦，「两悠悠」写二者都渺茫无凭（信不来、梦不成），那「悠悠」写尽思乡的失落；「只有空床敌素秋」写只有空床独自承受秋气——那「只有空床」写独居的空寂（无人相伴，只有空床），那「敌素秋」写独自与秋气相抗，「敌」字写尽独自承受的孤寂。这句的深意在于：它以「远书归梦两悠悠」写思乡的无凭——那远书、归梦本是异乡人最盼之物，却都悠悠难凭，信不来、梦不成，那「两悠悠」写尽渺茫与失落；以「只有空床敌素秋」写独处的孤寂——那「只有空床」写尽独居的空寂（没有家人相伴，只有空床），那「敌素秋」以「敌」字写独自承受秋气——不是赏秋，而是「敌」秋，独自与肃杀的秋气相抗，写尽孤寂与清冷；那「远书归梦」的无凭与「空床素秋」的孤寂相连，写尽异乡人秋夜独居的愁绪。以「悠悠」写渺茫、以「敌」写孤寂，正是李商隐写愁绪的本领，也让这句成为写秋夜思乡的名句。

This line is the famous writing of homesickness with no foothold and the solitude of being alone, using uncertain for the vague and withstand for the loneliness, writing to the full the autumn night's grief. Far letters and homecoming dreams, both alike uncertain writes the far letters and homecoming dreams both vague and untrustworthy - far letters the distant letters, homecoming dreams the dreams of return, both alike uncertain writing both vague and untrustworthy (the letter comes not, the dream fails), the word uncertain writing to the full the homesickness's loss. Only the empty bed can withstand the pale autumn writes only the empty bed bearing the autumn air - only the empty bed the loneliness of living alone (no companion, only the empty bed), withstand the pale autumn writing alone resisting the autumn air, the word withstand writing to the full the solitude of bearing alone. The deep meaning of the line lies in: using Far letters and homecoming dreams, both alike uncertain for the homesickness's untrustworthiness - the far letters and homecoming dreams originally what the wanderer most longs for, yet both vague and untrustworthy, the letter comes not, the dream fails, both alike uncertain writing to the full the vagueness and loss; using Only the empty bed can withstand the pale autumn for the solitude - only the empty bed writing to the full the loneliness of the empty chamber (no family, only the empty bed), withstand the pale autumn with the word withstand writing alone bearing the autumn air - not enjoying autumn, but withstanding autumn, alone resisting the killing autumn air, writing to the full the solitude and chill; the untrustworthiness of far letters and homecoming dreams linked with the solitude of the empty bed and pale autumn, writing to the full the wanderer's autumn night alone. Using uncertain for the vague and withstand for the loneliness, exactly Li Shangyin's craft of writing grief, making this line the famous writing of autumn-night homesickness.

阶下青苔与红树，雨中寥落月中愁。

This line is the poem's scenic finishing stroke and a famous line through the ages, using green moss and red trees for autumn color and rain and moon for melancholy, writing feeling through scene, desolate and moving. 'Beneath the steps, green moss and red trees' writes the green moss and red trees below the steps—'green moss' grows below the steps (long untrodden, hence moss), 'red trees' the trees whose leaves turn red in autumn; 'green moss' and 'red trees,' one green one red, exhaust the autumn color below the steps. 'In the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve' writes them forlorn in rain, grieving under the moon—'in the rain they are forlorn' the moss and red trees forlorn in rain (rain beats the autumn leaves, the moss forlorn), 'moon they grieve' their grieving under the moon (autumn moon shining, the scene grieves). The deep intent: it uses 'green moss and red trees' for the desolate autumn color—'green moss' writes the cold desolation of long untrodden (moss below the steps exactly writes the coldness of solitary dwelling), 'red trees' writes the withering of deep autumn (leaves red, exactly writing autumn's bleakness), one green one red, exhausting autumn color; it uses 'in the rain they are forlorn, in the moon they grieve' for the scene's melancholy—'in the rain they are forlorn' the forlornness in rain, 'moon they grieve' the grieving under the moon; the scene has no feeling, yet that 'forlorn' and 'grieve' are the poet's empathy—in rain and moon, the moss and red trees all seem to grieve; the intertextuality of 'in the rain' and 'in the moon' writes the autumn night in both—whether rainy night or moonlit night, the moss and red trees below the steps are forlorn and grieving. Using 'green moss and red trees' for autumn color and 'in rain in moon' for melancholy is precisely Li Shangyin's gift of 'writing feeling through scene,' making this line a famous write of autumn-night melancholy through the ages.

阶下的青苔与红树，在雨中零落，在月中含愁。

Beneath the steps, green moss and crimson trees - scattered in the rain, grieving in the moon.

这句是全诗的写景点睛之笔，也是千古名句，以青苔红树写秋色、以雨月写愁，以景写情，凄婉动人。「阶下青苔与红树」写阶下的青苔与红树——那「青苔」写阶下青苔（久无人迹，故生青苔），那「红树」写秋叶变红的树，「青苔」「红树」一青一红，写尽阶下的秋色；「雨中寥落月中愁」写它们在雨中零落、在月中含愁——那「雨中寥落」写青苔红树在雨中的零落（雨打秋叶，青苔零落），那「月中愁」写它们在月下含愁（秋月映照，景物含愁）。这句的深意在于：它以「青苔与红树」写秋色的凄清——那「青苔」写久无人迹的冷落（阶下生苔，正写独居的冷清），那「红树」写秋深的凋零（秋叶变红，正写秋的肃杀），一青一红，写尽秋色；以「雨中寥落月中愁」写景物的愁绪——那「雨中寥落」写雨中的零落，那「月中愁」写月下的含愁，景物本无情，那「寥落」「愁」却是诗人的移情——雨中月下，青苔红树都似含愁；那「雨中」「月中」的互文，写尽雨月中的秋夜——无论是雨夜还是月夜，阶下的青苔红树都在零落含愁。以「青苔红树」写秋色、以「雨中月中」写愁绪，正是李商隐「以景写情」的本领，也让这句成为写秋夜愁绪的千古名句。

This line is the eye-dotting scenery stroke of the whole, and a famous line through the ages, using green moss and crimson trees for the autumn hues, and rain and moon for the grief, writing feeling through scenery, mournful and moving. Beneath the steps, green moss and crimson trees writes the moss and trees below the steps - green moss the moss below the steps (long untrodden, hence the moss), crimson trees the autumn-reddened trees, green and red, writing to the full the autumn hues below the steps. Scattered in the rain, grieving in the moon writes them scattered in the rain and grieving in the moon - scattered in the rain the moss and trees scattered in the rain (the rain beating the autumn leaves, the moss scattered), grieving in the moon their grief under the moon (the autumn moon shining, the scenery grieving). The deep meaning of the line lies in: using green moss and crimson trees for the desolate autumn hues - the green moss writing the long-untrodden chill (moss below the steps, exactly writing the loneliness of living alone), the crimson trees writing the deep autumn's withering (autumn leaves turning red, exactly the autumn's killing air), green and red, writing to the full the autumn hues; using scattered in the rain, grieving in the moon for the scenery's grief - scattered in the rain the rain-borne scattering, grieving in the moon the moonlight grief, the scenery originally heartless, yet scattered and grieving being the poet's projected feeling - in rain and moon, the moss and trees all seem to grieve; the intertext of in the rain and in the moon writing to the full the autumn night in rain or moon - whether the rainy night or the moonlit night, the moss and crimson trees below the steps are scattered and grieving. Using green moss and crimson trees for the autumn hues and in the rain, in the moon for the grief, exactly Li Shangyin's craft of writing feeling through scenery, making this line the age-famous writing of autumn-night grief.

Study

Word focus

敌 The character 敌 (confront/withstand) is the key word for writing solitude; one 'confront' exhausts the solitude of withstanding the autumn air alone, the eye of 'only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn.' Di means to face, to withstand (in ancient sense 'to match, to oppose'). Li Shangyin writes dwelling alone with 'the empty bed confronts the pale autumn'; this one 'confront' carries at least two meanings: first, it writes the solitude of withstanding alone—'the empty bed confronts the pale autumn' writes the empty bed alone opposing the autumn air, the character 'confront' exhausting the solitude of withstanding alone—not calmly passing the autumn, but alone 'confronting' autumn (against the autumn air), exhausting the solitude of dwelling alone and the bleakness of autumn. Second, it writes the intensity of the standoff—'confront' writes the 'standoff' between empty bed and pale autumn; the 'pale autumn' is itself bleak air, yet the empty bed alone 'confronts' it, writing the standoff between the dweller and the autumn night—one bed one man, alone against the autumn air, the 'confront' exhausting the intensity of solitude. Using 'confront' for withstanding is precisely the key to Li Shangyin's character-forging—had he used 'face' or 'endure,' he would lose either the force of 'opposing' or the collocation with 'pale autumn'; only 'confront' writes in one character both the solitude of the empty bed withstanding the autumn air alone and the intensity of the standoff, matching 'only the empty bed,' exhausting the solitude of dwelling alone, and making 'only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn' a famous line on autumn-night solitude through the ages. 「敌」字是写孤寂的关键字，一个「敌」字写尽独自承受秋气的孤寂，是「只有空床敌素秋」的词眼。敌者，抵对、承受也（古义有「相当、抵对」之意）。李商隐以「空床敌素秋」写独居，一个「敌」字，至少有双重意味：其一，写独自承受之孤寂——那「空床敌素秋」写空床独自与秋气相抵对，「敌」字写尽独自承受的孤寂——不是安然度秋，而是独自「敌」秋（与秋气相抗），那「敌」字写尽独居的孤寂与秋气的肃杀；其二，写对峙之强烈——那「敌」字写空床与素秋的「对峙」，那「素秋」本是肃杀之气，而空床独自「敌」之，写尽独居者与秋夜的对峙——一床一人，独对秋气，那「敌」字写尽孤寂的强烈。以「敌」字写承受，正是李商隐炼字的关键——若换作「对」「耐」等字，则或失其「抵对」的力度，或失其与「素秋」的搭配；唯「敌」字，以一字写尽空床独自承受秋气的孤寂与对峙的强烈，与「只有空床」相合，写尽独居的孤寂，也让「只有空床敌素秋」成为写秋夜孤寂的千古名句。

悠 The character 悠 (drift/long) is the key word for writing the faintness of homesickness; two 'drift' characters exhaust the faint, unreachable letter and dream, the eye of 'letters from afar and dreams of home—both drift.' You means distant, faint. Li Shangyin writes homesickness with 'letters from afar and dreams of home—both drift'; the two 'drift' characters carry at least two meanings: first, they write the faintness of the return date—'both drift' writes that letters from afar and dreams of home are both faint and unreachable, the 'drift' exhausting the faintness of letter not come, dream not made—the 'drift' writes the long time and uncertain return, exhausting the loss of homesickness. Second, they write the depth of homesick longing—'drift' evokes 'Old my black collar, my heart drifts long' from the Shijing, the 'drift' exhausting the depth of homesick longing—the longing like drifting water, long and unending, exhausting the sojourner's homesickness. Using 'drift' for faintness is precisely the key to Li Shangyin's writing of homesickness—had he used 'far' or 'long,' he would lose either the reduplicative sense of 'drift-drift' (the reduplication exhausting faintness and length) or the collocation with 'both'; only 'drift' writes in two characters both the faintness of letter and dream and the depth of homesick longing, matching 'only the empty bed confronts the pale autumn,' exhausting the autumn-night homesick melancholy, and making 'letters from afar and dreams of home—both drift' a famous line on homesickness. 「悠」字是写思乡渺茫的关键字，两个「悠」字写尽书信归梦的渺茫无凭，是「远书归梦两悠悠」的词眼。悠者，遥远、渺茫也。李商隐以「远书归梦两悠悠」写思乡，两个「悠」字，至少有双重意味：其一，写归期之渺茫——那「两悠悠」写远书与归梦都悠悠渺茫，「悠」字写尽书信不来、归梦不成的渺茫——那「悠悠」写时间的漫长与归期的无定，写尽思乡的失落；其二，写乡愁之深长——那「悠悠」令人想到「青青子衿，悠悠我心」（《诗经·郑风·子衿》）的「悠悠」意象，「悠」字写尽乡愁的深长——那思念如悠悠流水，绵长不尽，写尽异乡人的乡愁。以「悠」字写渺茫，正是李商隐写思乡的关键——若换作「远」「长」等字，则或失其「悠悠」的叠字意味（叠字写尽渺茫绵长），或失其与「两」的搭配；唯「悠」字，以两个字写尽书信归梦的渺茫与乡愁的深长，与「只有空床敌素秋」相合，写尽秋夜思乡的愁绪，也让「远书归梦两悠悠」成为写思乡的名句。

端居