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唐 Tang · 古诗 Ancient poem

归山

Returning to Mount Song

刘希夷

Liu Xiyi

归隐Seclusion 山水Landscape 春景Spring Scene 感伤Melancholy

归去嵩山道，烟花覆青草。
草绿山无尘，山青杨柳春。
日暮松声合，空歌思杀人。

Back on the road to Mount Song,
Misty blossoms cover the green grass.
Grass green, the hills undefiled,
Hills green, the willows in spring.
Dusk falls, pine voices blend,
A vain song stirs a killing longing.

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Meaning

On the road back to Mount Song, the poet sees spring blossoms veiled in mist, green grass, clean mountains, and willows. As dusk falls and pine-sounds mingle, he begins to sing, but the song is hollow and tears at his heart. The joyful scene intensifies the sudden, profound grief.

踏上归向嵩山的道路，山花如烟覆掩着青青野草。草色青青山峦不染尘埃，山色青青杨柳摇曳春意。日暮时分松涛声交融一片，空自放歌却惹起断肠之思。

Appreciation

Liu Xiyi excels in expressing sorrow through beautiful scenery. The first four lines pile up colors—green grass, green mountains, spring willows—creating an overwhelmingly bright and fresh landscape. The last two lines suddenly turn to heartache, so the beauty becomes a foil for loneliness. This technique of 'joyful scene, sorrowful feeling' is the hallmark of his poetry.

【白话串讲】 “归去嵩山道，烟花覆青草”——刘希夷写归山：回嵩山的路上，烟花覆草。“草绿山无尘，山青杨柳春”——“日暮松声合，空歌思杀人”——黄昏松涛，歌声让人断肠。他写归隐的山水。【意象与手法】以设色叠用写“青”——草青、山青、杨柳春，显秾丽；“日暮松声合，空歌思杀人”末句陡转，由明媚春山跌入深哀。以乐景写哀情，是刘希夷“年命不永”式感伤的典型笔调。【情感与主旨】写归隐嵩山的山水之趣与怅惘。与王维《归嵩山作》的冲淡、李白《送杨山人归嵩山》不同，此篇更显秾丽并带年命之感，可与《代悲白头翁》“年年岁岁花相似”对参。【名句点睛】常考“日暮松声合，空歌思杀人”以松声空歌写归山哀思；“草绿山无尘，山青杨柳春”以设色写归山春景。

Background

Liu Xiyi (c. 651–679), courtesy name Yanzhi, was an early Tang poet known for his ornate yet sad style. He died young, and his verse often reflects anxiety over the passage of time. This poem, titled 'Returning to the Mountain,' describes a journey to Mount Song, a sacred peak of the Central Mountains and a traditional refuge for hermits. In the Tang dynasty, many poets wrote about 'returning to Mount Song,' making it a common theme of withdrawal from the world. Liu's poem, however, breaks the expected peace with a cry of longing, revealing his personal restlessness.

刘希夷，字延之，初唐诗人，善写从军、闺情与山水，诗风绮丽而多感伤，年仅三十余而卒，世称「刘希夷年命不永」。此诗题「归山」，写归隐嵩山之途所见春景与陡生之悲，约作于其晚年或厌倦世途、向往隐逸之时。嵩山为中岳，地近洛阳，唐人多有「归嵩山」之作（如王维《归嵩山作》、李白《送杨山人归嵩山》），可见「归嵩山」已成为一个具有公共意涵的诗歌母题——它象征脱离尘嚣、回归自然的精神归宿。刘希夷此篇尤重写「青」：草青、山青、杨柳春，以设色叠用见初唐山水诗的秾丽；而末句「空歌思杀人」陡转，由明媚春山跌入深哀，正是他「年命不永」式感伤的典型笔调。与《代悲白头翁》「年年岁岁花相似，岁岁年年人不同」对参，可见其以乐景写哀情的张力。读此诗，须把它放回初唐山水诗由六朝绮丽转向盛唐清远的过渡语境，以及刘希夷个人「好为悲苦之音」的生命基调中，方能懂那一片明媚春山里，为何突然裂出一声「思杀人」的断肠之叹。

Art

The poem's art lies in the dense layering of colors and the abrupt emotional shift. Phrases like 'green grass,' 'mountains green,' and 'willows in spring' create a visual feast, almost too lush. The fifth line moves from vision to sound—pine-whispers at dusk—and the sixth line shatters the idyll with a 'vain song' and 'killing longing.' This structure of radiant scenes collapsing into grief is Liu Xiyi's signature.

此诗艺术上最见张力处，在于「设色叠用」与「乐景哀情」的强烈反差，短短六句，由明媚直坠深哀。前四句纯写归途春景，章法如展画卷：首句「归去嵩山道」点题起笔，平稳舒缓；次句「烟花覆青草」以「烟花」（如烟笼的花）覆「青草」，设色秾丽，如一层薄雾里的花海；三、四句「草绿山无尘，山青杨柳春」，以「绿」「青」二色递叠，草绿、山青、杨柳春，把山的洁净（无尘）与春的摇曳写到极致，色彩的饱和几乎要溢出来。这种以「青」为骨、层层加染的写法，见出初唐山水诗受六朝绮丽影响的遗韵，与王维「清川带长薄」的冲淡相较，更显秾丽。至五、六句，笔锋骤转：「日暮松声合」由色入声，写松涛合鸣，时已向暮；「空歌思杀人」则于一片春山中，忽然放歌，歌却「空」——无人和、无欢意，反惹断肠之思。前四句的极丽，全为此处的极哀作衬：景越美，孤独与哀思越无处遁形。这种「以乐景写哀，以艳色衬悲」的结构，是刘希夷感伤诗的标志。全诗句短情长，六句如一折山水小卷，先染后裂，余痛悠长。

Allusions

Mount Song (嵩山) was one of the Five Sacred Mountains, located near Luoyang, and since ancient times it symbolized a hermit's paradise. The phrase 'misty blossoms' (烟花) evokes the opulent language of the Six Dynasties, while 'longing that kills' (思杀人) is a hyperbole found in yuefu folk songs. Liu Xiyi's melancholy here echoes his most famous lines: 'Year after year the blossoms are alike; year after year the people are different.' Both works use bright nature to frame the sorrow of impermanence.

此诗用典与化用，皆围绕「归隐」与「伤春」传统，最要者三。其一「嵩山」，中岳，地近洛阳，自汉魏以来即为隐逸圣地；唐人「归嵩山」之作成体（王维、李白皆有），刘希夷以此为题，是把个人归隐接入了「嵩山」这一公共的隐逸符号。其二「烟花」，出南朝乐府与初唐绮丽诗传统，刘希夷以「烟花覆青草」写春花如烟，是六朝「以丽写哀」设色法的延续，亦可见初唐诗风对齐梁秾丽的继承。其三「思杀人」，「杀人」为极甚之辞，古乐府与汉诗每写思之深，而「思杀人」式夸张，则近《古诗十九首》「泣涕零如雨」的极致；刘希夷以「空歌思杀人」写归山途中的断肠之思，把「归隐」本应的解脱，反写成更深的羁绊——可见其「归」非真脱，而是无可归处的悲。与《代悲白头翁》「岁岁年年人不同」对参，二者同以乐景（花、春山）衬哀情（悲老、思苦），是刘希夷「好为悲苦之音」的印记。诸典或显或隐，皆把「归山」这一母题，悄悄改写成了「归而不得安宁」的感伤。

Commentary

Though not the most famous of Liu Xiyi's works, this short poem perfectly represents his talent for 'beautiful sorrow.' Critics of the Ming and Qing dynasties praised his elegance but noted a lack of vigor. Here, the poet paints a mountain spring in vivid greens, only to infuse it with a hidden pain. Wang Wei's return to Mount Song is calm and carefree; Li Bai's farewell is romantic and free. Liu Xiyi's return, by contrast, is restless and aching—the mountain, despite its purity, cannot cure the emptiness inside.

此诗在刘希夷集中虽非最著，却极能见其「以丽写哀」的本色，论者多重其与王维、李白同题「归嵩山」之作的异同。明人胡应麟《诗薮》论初唐诗，谓刘希夷「绮丽工巧」，然「气骨未成」；此诗前四句之秾丽，正其「绮丽」的一面，而末二句之急转，又见其「悲苦」的一面。与王维《归嵩山作》「清川带长薄，车马去闲闲」相较，王诗冲淡悠远，归意从容；刘诗则丽而忽哀，归意未稳——同写「归嵩山」，一为盛唐之「闲」，一为初唐之「伤」，恰见山水诗由绮丽向清远过渡的痕迹。与李白《送杨山人归嵩山》「长留一片月，挂在东溪松」的浪漫清逸相较，刘诗更见人世感伤。近人论刘希夷，每引《代悲白头翁》为代表，以为此诗「空歌思杀人」正与「年年岁岁花相似」同一机杼：以明媚春景写无常之悲。清人沈德潜《唐诗别裁》选刘诗，虽重其《代悲白头翁》，亦许其「情致旖旎」。平心而论，此诗之价值，正在于它用最短的篇幅，演示了刘希夷最核心的张力——一片最青的山，藏着最深的一声「思杀人」；这也正是初唐诗歌在走向盛唐清远之前，那一段秾丽而多哀的、属于自己的回声。

Prosody

Form 五言古诗 (five-character old-style verse)五言古诗（古体，归嵩山母题，不依近体粘对）

Rhyme The poem changes rhymes freely: the first two lines use an -ao rhyme (道, 草); the next three shift to -en (尘, 春, 人); the final line ends with the entering-tone word 合 (he), creating an abrupt break.古体换韵自由：前二句道、草（皓韵，上、去通协），中三句尘、春、人（真韵），末句合（入声合韵）收束，不主严整一韵，声随情转。

Tone pattern As an old-style poem, it does not follow regulated tonal patterns. The lines are broken into 2-3 or 2-2-1 beats, giving a gentle, walking-like rhythm that suits the return journey.《归山》为五言古体，本无近体平仄粘对之拘。句多用二三或二二一顿（归去—嵩山道，烟花—覆青草，草绿—山无尘，山青—杨柳春，日暮—松声合，空歌—思杀人），语调舒缓如行板，与归途徐步之节奏相合。

Reading note The rhyme changes mirror the emotional arc: first the peaceful departure, then the bright spring scene, and finally the heavy closing sound, like a string breaking. This free use of rhyme is typical of ancient-style poetry, allowing the feeling to control the sound.此诗虽列五古，却最见初唐古体「不以格律自缚、而以气脉行腔」的自由。六句短章，换韵自然：起二句押皓韵（道、草），写归途初展；中三句换真韵（尘、春、人），写山色之青、春意之满，声情由舒缓转入明丽；末句「合」以入声收束，短促一顿，如一声断肠的收煞，把前面真韵的悠扬猛地掐断。这种「换韵即换情」的声律处理，使六句小诗有了起、染、裂的三段节奏，正合「先丽后哀」的结构。古体不讲究粘对，故「草绿山无尘」与「山青杨柳春」平仄不避重复，反而显出初唐山水诗特有的、未加雕琢的朴素节奏。读此诗当听其声：前五味真韵如春山绵延，末一句入声如裂帛——声之裂，正是心之裂。

Line by line

归去嵩山道，

Sets out on the way back to Mount Song, a culturally resonant place of reclusion. The tone is calm and resolute, yet holds an undercurrent of unease.

踏上归向嵩山的道路，

I set out on the road to Song Mountain.

起句五个字，是全诗的坐标与情绪的起点，也是「归隐」母题的亮相。「归去」二字，本是陶潜「归去来兮」的余响，带着挣脱尘网、重返自然的松快；「嵩山道」则点明所归之地——嵩山作为中岳、作为唐人共同的隐逸符号，使这一次归去，不纯是个人行踪，而带有精神归宿的公共意涵。妙在它写得那么平静、那么从容，仿佛真是一个脱屣世途的人，踏上归路。然而联系末句「空歌思杀人」，这「归去」的从容里，早已埋着不安——若真能归得安宁，何至途中放歌而断肠？所以「归去嵩山道」既是出发，也是悬念：人往山里去，心却未必去得成。读此句当知，初唐的「归山」，往往不是王维式的从容解脱，而是刘希夷式的、带着哀伤的出发——路是通向山的，愁是通向心的。

The opening five words are the poem's coordinate and emotional start, the debut of the 'return to the hills' theme. 'Return' carries the echo of Tao Yuanming's homecoming, the relief of throwing off the worldly net; 'the road to Song Mountain', the Central Peak and the shared symbol of Tang reclusion, makes this return not a private journey but a homecoming of the spirit. Yet read against the closing 'in vain I sing', this composure already hides unease: if the return brought peace, why sing one's heart out on the way?

烟花覆青草。

Misty blossoms cover the green grass—a lush, hazy spring scene; the word 'cover' (覆) suggests density and overabundance.

山花如烟覆掩着青青野草。

Flowers like mist cover the green grass.

这一句写归途春景，是全诗秾丽设色的第一笔，也是六朝「以丽写哀」传统的回响。「烟花」指如烟笼雾绕的春花，不是一朵两朵，而是一片朦胧的花海；「覆青草」的「覆」字极有重量——花不是点缀在草间，而是层层盖住了青草，色彩的饱和几乎要溢出来。这一笔的价值，在于它用最秾的设色，铺出最明媚的底子，为后文的「思杀人」蓄势：景越丽，哀越无从遁形。与盛唐山水「清水芙蓉」的淡相比，刘希夷此句明显带着齐梁绮丽的遗韵——他不是不想淡，是他天生「好为悲苦之音」，所以总要把景写到极丽，再让它裂开。读此句当想见那条嵩山道上，花雾覆草，春意醉人，而一个将老、将逝的诗人走在其中，越美的景，越照见他心里的空。丽与哀，在这一句里已经同框。

This line writes the spring scenery on the homeward road, the first rich stroke of color, an echo of the Six Dynasties way of writing grief through beauty. 'Flowers like mist' is not one or two blossoms but a whole hazy sea of bloom; the word 'cover' has weight — flowers layer over the grass, color nearly spilling over. The stroke lays the brightest ground for the grief to come: the lovelier the scene, the more inescapable the sorrow.

山青杨柳春。

The mountain is green and the willows sway in the spring wind, adding movement and life to the static colors.

山色青青杨柳摇曳春意。

The hills are green with willows in spring.

这一句是前四句设色叠用的顶点，也是「青」字为主骨的集中体现。「草绿山无尘，山青杨柳春」两句，绿与青递叠：草绿、山青、杨柳春，三层绿色加一层春，把山的洁净（无尘）与春的摇曳写到极致，色彩的饱和到了顶点。「山青」二字，是此诗反复出现的眼——草青、山青，同一个「青」字在不同物象上回环，形成一种初唐特有的、近乎装饰画的秾丽节奏。妙在「杨柳春」三字把静的青，写成了动的摇曳，春意不再是背景，而是活的风。然而正是这份极致的明媚，反衬出末句「空歌思杀人」的刺骨——前面所有青与春，都是为了把最后那一声哀，衬得最痛。读此句当品初唐山水诗那一段「丽而未能远」的气质：它还不像王维那样懂得留白，它要把绿写满、把春写透，然后让哀从满里裂出来。这种「满而裂」的结构，正是刘希夷独有的张力。

This line is the peak of layered color, built on the word 'green'. Grass green, hill green, willow spring — three greens plus one spring write the clean hills and swaying spring to the utmost, a near-decorative richness peculiar to early Tang. The words 'willows in spring' turn the still green into moving sway; yet this very splendor sets off the closing 'the longing is killing me' — all the green and spring only make the final grief cut deeper.

空歌思杀人。

An empty song stirs a killing longing—the poem's climax; the beauty of the spring turns into a source of unbearable sadness.

空自放歌却惹起断肠之思。

In vain I sing, and the longing is killing me.

这是全诗的裂点，也是六句小诗最沉的一声。前面四句极丽、五句「日暮松声合」由色入声把时间推向暮，至此忽然「空歌」——一个人对着春山放歌，歌却「空」：无人和、无欢意，只是徒然。「空」字是总锁，把前面所有明媚一律判为「无人共赏」的虚景。「思杀人」三字更狠：思，到了能「杀人」的程度，是极甚之辞，把归山途中的断肠之思，写到生命的临界。最耐寻味的是「归」与「思」的悖论：本为解脱而归山，却在山中更思、更痛——可见其「归」非真脱，而是无可归处的悲。这与《代悲白头翁》「年年岁岁花相似」同一机杼：以乐景写哀，以春山写无常。读此句当知，刘希夷的「归山」，归的不是山，是那一声无论如何也安放不下去的「思」——山越青，思越杀人。

This is the crack in the poem, its deepest note. After four lines of splendor, 'in vain I sing' — a man sings alone to the spring hills, yet the song is 'in vain': no one answers, no joy, only emptiness. The word 'in vain' locks all the beauty above as a scene 'shared by no one'. 'The longing is killing me' is extreme: longing strong enough to kill. The paradox of return — returning for relief, yet longing more in the hills — shows his 'return' is no true escape but grief with nowhere to go. Hill greener, longing keener.

Study

Word focus

烟花 Flower-mist: spring flowers enveloped in mist or haze, evoking a dreamy, lush beauty. 「烟花」二字，是全诗秾丽设色的第一笔，也是初唐山水诗承接六朝绮丽遗韵的印记。它指如烟笼雾绕的春花，不是清晰的朵，而是朦胧的一片，带着齐梁「以丽写哀」设色法的柔光。刘希夷以「烟花覆青草」，使花与草在薄雾里融成一片，色彩的饱和几乎要溢出来——这正见其「绮丽工巧」的一面。与盛唐「清水芙蓉」的淡远不同，刘希夷偏要把景写到极丽，因为他深知：景越丽，后文的哀越无从遁形。所以「烟花」不只是一个写景词，更是为末句「思杀人」预铺的、最艳的底色。一个词，既见初唐诗风对秾丽的依恋，也见感伤诗人「以丽写哀」的策略——他把最软的春雾，变成了最硬的反衬。

覆 To cover or blanket; here it suggests flowers thickly spreading over the grass, a sign of overwhelming spring. 「覆」是全诗最有重量的一个动词，也是「设色叠用」得以成立的关键。寻常写花与草，多用「映」「缀」「生」；刘希夷偏用「覆」——花不是点缀在草间，而是层层盖住了青草。这一个「覆」字，把春的繁盛写到压迫感：花太多了、太密了，把草地整个罩住，仿佛春天本身扑了下来。它的妙处，在于以动写满、以满写盛，使「烟花」不再是远景，而成了压在归人身上的春之重量。而这重量，恰与末句「空歌思杀人」的心理重量形成同构：外面的春「覆」得越满，里面的思「压」得越沉。一个「覆」字，把视觉的秾丽，悄悄转化成了情感的压迫——这是刘希夷炼字「以景载情」的微妙处。

空歌 Empty/vain song: singing alone without a listener or response, signifying loneliness and futility. 「空歌」二字，是全诗由景入情、由乐转哀的枢纽，也是「归而不得安宁」的悲音总锁。「歌」本应欢，前面又是那么明媚的春山，诗人却偏要「歌」；而「空」字一压，歌便成了徒然——无人和、无欢意，只是对着山水空自吟啸。「空」的价值，在于它把前面四句所有「青」与「春」一并判为「无人共赏」的虚景：景再好，没有知音同游同歌，便是空的。这与《代悲白头翁》「一朝卧病无相识」的孤，同一机杼。更深层看，「空歌」暴露了「归山」的失败：本为解脱而归，却在山中更思、更歌、更空——归隐没能安放那颗心，反而让孤独显形。两个字，把初唐「归嵩山」母题里最诚实的、无可归处的悲，说了出来。

归山