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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

谷口书斋寄杨补阙

From My Thatched Study at Gukou, Sent to Censor Yang

钱起

Qian Qi

泉壑带茅茨，云霞生薜帷。
竹怜新雨后，山爱夕阳时。
闲鹭栖常早，秋花落更迟。
家童扫萝径，昨与故人期。

Springs and ravines girdle my thatched hut, clouds and rosy mists rise from the wild-vine curtain.
I love the bamboo most after the new rain, and the mountains best at the hour of the setting sun.
The idle egrets roost always early, and the autumn flowers fall all the later.
The houseboy has swept the vine-covered path — only yesterday I made an appointment with an old friend.

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Meaning

Qian Qi describes the secluded beauty of his valley-mouth study and invites his friend Censor Yang to visit. By projecting love and pity onto the bamboo and mountains, and noting how leisurely the egrets and flowers are, he shows a life of retreat; the final couplet reveals the poem's purpose — the swept path waits for the promised guest.

泉壑环绕着茅屋，云霞生于薜荔帷墙。新雨之后，最怜那翠竹；夕阳时分，最爱那山色。闲适的白鹭栖宿常早，秋花凋落更显迟慢。家童扫净了长满青萝的小径，昨日已与故人相约前来。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Springs and misty clouds surround the thatched study; the bamboo after rain and the mountains at sunset are most lovely; egrets roost early and autumn flowers fall late; the servant has swept the vine-hung path, for the poet promised an old friend a visit yesterday. [Imagery and Empathy with Scenery] The key couplet 'I love the bamboo after new rain, the mountains at sunset' uses the verbs 'love' and 'cherish' to transfer human feeling to the landscape — a classic example of the Dali poets' empathy with things. [Structure] The first three couplets paint the study's surroundings layer by layer, then the last couplet turns to the friend, ending the poem with warmth and anticipation.

【白话串讲】钱起写《谷口书斋寄杨补阙》：“泉壑带茅茨，云霞生薜帷”——“竹怜新雨后，山爱夕阳时”——“闲鹭栖常早，秋花落更迟”——“家童扫萝径，昨与故人期”——他寄杨补阙——山爱夕阳时。【意象与手法】 “泉壑带茅茨，云霞生薜帷”写书斋之幽雅；“竹怜新雨后，山爱夕阳时”写景之有情；“闲鹭栖常早，秋花落更迟”写环境之闲适；结以“家童扫萝径，昨与故人期”写盼友之殷切。清丽幽雅。【情感与主旨】钱起寄赠友人杨补阙之作，写谷口书斋之幽景与盼友来访之情，是唐人寄友诗中的名篇。【名句点睛】常考“竹怜新雨后，山爱夕阳时”写景之有情；“家童扫萝径，昨与故人期”写盼友之殷切。

Background

Qian Qi (c. 720–782), courtesy name Zhongwen, was from Wuxing (modern Huzhou, Zhejiang) and one of the 'Ten Talents of the Dali Era', known with Liu Changqing as 'Qian-Liu'. Gukou (Valley Mouth) was the location of his study, said to be near the valley where the Han hermit Zheng Pu once fished. Yang Buque is a friend surnamed Yang who held the remonstrance office of buque ('Omissioner'), a post that allowed him to point out the emperor's faults. The poem belongs to the Dali manner of clear and elegant verse.

《谷口书斋寄杨补阙》为中唐诗人钱起所作五言律诗。钱起（约720—约782），字仲文，吴兴（今浙江湖州）人，「大历十才子」之一，诗风清丽，与刘长卿并称「钱刘」。杨补阙即杨姓补阙，补阙为谏官名。此诗写谷口书斋之景并寄赠杨补阙。谷口为钱起书斋所在之地。诗中「泉壑带茅茨，云霞生薜帷」写书斋之环境幽雅；「竹怜新雨后，山爱夕阳时」写竹山之情态；「闲鹭栖常早，秋花落更迟」写环境之闲适；「家童扫萝径，昨与故人期」写盼友来访。中唐诗人多与友朋唱和寄赠，钱起此诗以书斋幽景寄友，既写其隐居之趣，亦表盼友之情，清丽幽雅，是唐人寄友诗中的名篇，也是「大历十才子」诗风的典型体现。此篇《谷口书斋寄杨补阙》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's technique is transferring emotion into scenery. The verbs 'love' and 'cherish' in the second couplet make the bamboo and mountains seem to return the poet's affection, so the landscape itself becomes hospitable. The third couplet's 'early' and 'late' capture the unhurried calm of the retreat through the habits of egrets and flowers, while the closing couplet's detail of sweeping the path — preparing for a guest — reveals anticipation with quiet tact. The whole poem moves from scenery to friendship, from stillness to warmth.

此诗艺术上以「移情于景、清丽幽雅」见长。全诗八句，前六句写书斋之景，后两句写盼友之情。首联「泉壑带茅茨，云霞生薜帷」写书斋之环境：泉壑环绕着茅屋，云霞生于薜荔帷墙，「泉壑带茅茨」写书斋依山傍水，「云霞生薜帷」写薜荔墙上云霞缭绕，一片幽雅出尘。颔联「竹怜新雨后，山爱夕阳时」写竹山之情态：新雨之后，最怜那翠竹；夕阳时分，最爱那山色，「竹怜」「山爱」移情于景，写尽竹山之有情。颈联「闲鹭栖常早，秋花落更迟」写环境之闲适：闲适的白鹭栖宿常早，秋花凋落更显迟慢，「闲鹭」「秋花」写书斋周围之景，「栖常早」「落更迟」写其闲适自在。尾联「家童扫萝径，昨与故人期」写盼友之情：家童扫净了长满青萝的小径，昨日已与故人相约前来，「扫萝径」写其盼友之殷切，「与故人期」点出寄赠之意。全诗由景而情，移情于景，清丽幽雅，是唐人寄友诗中的名篇。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。

Allusions

The 'wild-vine curtain' alludes to Qu Yuan's 'Spreading the wild vine as a curtain' in the Nine Songs (Lady Xiang), a classical image of the recluse's dwelling; the 'vine path' similarly denotes a path overgrown with creepers, emblematic of a hermit's home. The 'thatched cottage' marks poverty and rusticity, as in the Zhuangzi and the poems of Tao Yuanming. These reclusive images place the study within the tradition of eremitic retreat.

诗中「薜帷」「萝径」等语，皆含隐逸典故。「薜帷」即薜荔为帷，薜荔为常绿藤本植物，屈原《九歌·湘夫人》「罔薜荔兮为帷」，以薜荔为帷墙，后世诗文多以薜荔写隐者居处之幽雅；「萝径」即长满女萝（或青萝）的小径，亦为隐者居处之象。钱起「云霞生薜帷」「家童扫萝径」，写书斋薜荔为帷、萝径通幽，正是以屈原、隐逸传统之典写其居处之幽雅与隐居之趣。「泉壑」「茅茨」写依山傍水之茅屋，亦为隐者居处之象，「茅茨」指茅屋，见其居处之简朴。诗人以薜帷、萝径等隐逸意象入诗，不着痕迹，而把书斋之幽雅与隐居之趣写得真切可感，是善于熔铸隐逸文化传统的体现。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。

Commentary

This poem is prized as a model of Dali-style clear and elegant verse and is frequently anthologized. Commentators single out the couplet 'I love the bamboo after new rain, the mountains at sunset' as a perfect example of empathy with things, and the ending 'The houseboy has swept the vine-covered path; yesterday I made an appointment with an old friend' for showing friendship through action rather than declaration. Wang Shizhen of the Qing dynasty and later critics have noted its combination of Wang Wei's quiet and Meng Haoran's naturalness.

这首《谷口书斋寄杨补阙》，写的是谷口书斋的幽景与盼友来访之情，清丽幽雅，读之令人神往。首联「泉壑带茅茨，云霞生薜帷」，写书斋之环境：泉壑环绕着茅屋，云霞生于薜荔帷墙。「泉壑带茅茨」，写书斋依山傍水，清流环绕；「云霞生薜帷」，写薜荔为帷的墙上，云霞缭绕，一片幽雅出尘。这两句，把书斋写得好似仙境，隐者之趣尽在其中。颔联「竹怜新雨后，山爱夕阳时」，写竹山之情态：新雨之后，最怜那翠竹；夕阳时分，最爱那山色。「竹怜」「山爱」，移情于景，仿佛竹与山都有情意，也写出诗人对书斋四时景色的欣赏——新雨后的翠竹、夕阳下的山色，皆是可堪怜爱的。颈联「闲鹭栖常早，秋花落更迟」，写环境之闲适：闲适的白鹭栖宿常早，秋花凋落更显迟慢。「闲鹭」见其自在，「栖常早」见环境之宁静；「秋花落更迟」见秋光之从容。两句写尽书斋周围环境的闲适安详。尾联「家童扫萝径，昨与故人期」，写盼友之情：家童扫净了长满青萝的小径，昨日已与故人相约前来。「扫萝径」，写其盼友之殷切，未雨绸缪，扫径以待；「昨与故人期」，点出寄赠之意——原来此诗正是为邀杨补阙来访而作。全诗由景而情，前六句写幽景，后两句写盼情，移情于景，清丽幽雅，正是「大历十才子」于寄友诗中写尽隐居之趣与故人之情的典范，读之令人回味。

Prosody

Form Five-character regulated verse (wulu), oblique-start form五言律诗（近体，仄起式）

Rhyme A regulated eight-line poem rhyming on the level-tone zhi group: wei (curtain), shi (hour), chi (late), qi (appointment). The single rhyme held throughout gives the poem a smooth, rounded music suited to its calm mood.全诗押平声韵「帷」「时」「迟」「期」，韵脚同属支齐类（帷、时、迟、期），一韵到底，韵部宽舒而音调清圆。五律以平韵谐畅为常，此诗「帷」「时」「迟」「期」四韵音色清亮，正与书斋幽景的清丽情调相称；「期」字收束全篇，与「昨与故人期」之句相映，韵脚亦含盼友之意，声情与辞情相凑。

Tone pattern The middle two couplets are strictly parallel: 'bamboo pity' against 'mountain love', 'new rain after' against 'setting sun time', 'idle egret roost always early' against 'autumn flowers fall all the later'. This formal symmetry orders the scenery while the oblique-to-level progression keeps the rhythm gentle.句式上，首联「泉壑带茅茨，云霞生薜帷」仄起，以「茨」「帷」收句，写书斋环境，音节幽雅；颔联「竹怜新雨后，山爱夕阳时」对仗工整，「竹怜」「山爱」「新雨后」「夕阳时」相映，写景之情，音节清丽；颈联「闲鹭栖常早，秋花落更迟」写环境闲适，音节舒缓；尾联「家童扫萝径，昨与故人期」以「期」字平收，音节转舒，情调由写景归于盼情。全诗平仄相间、音节随情起伏，读来如书斋主人倚窗盼友之音，清丽而悠长。

Reading note As a five-character lushi, the poem shows the Dali manner: polished but not ornate. Its tonal balance and single level-tone rhyme produce the clear, rounded sound that matches the retreat's tranquility and the warmth of friendship.此诗为五言律诗，是唐人寄友诗中的名篇，也是「大历十才子」清丽幽雅诗风的典型体现。全诗的艺术特色在于「移情于景、清丽幽雅」：首联「泉壑带茅茨，云霞生薜帷」写书斋依山傍水、薜荔为帷之幽雅；颔联「竹怜新雨后，山爱夕阳时」移情于景，以「怜」「爱」写竹山之情态，是全诗最动人处；颈联「闲鹭栖常早，秋花落更迟」以鹭花之从容写环境之闲适；尾联「家童扫萝径，昨与故人期」以扫径之细节写盼友之殷切，点出寄友之旨。全诗由景而情，移情于景，清丽幽雅。尤为精妙者，是「竹怜新雨后，山爱夕阳时」一联，以「怜」「爱」二字移情于景，写尽竹山四时之美，而「家童扫萝径，昨与故人期」一结，以扫径以待写盼友之情，含蓄深婉，正是大历诗人于寄友诗中写尽隐居之趣与故人之情的典范，为历代选本所常收。

Line by line

泉壑带茅茨，云霞生薜帷。

Springs and ravines girdle my thatched hut; clouds and rosy mists rise from the wild-vine curtain.

泉壑环绕着茅屋，云霞生于薜荔帷墙。

The spring ravine girdles the thatched cottage; clouds and mists rise from the vine-draped walls.

首联写书斋之环境，起笔即见幽雅。「泉壑带茅茨」写泉壑环绕着茅屋，「泉壑」写书斋依山傍水、清流环绕，「茅茨」写其居处之简朴，泉壑环带，一片清幽；「云霞生薜帷」写云霞生于薜荔帷墙，「薜帷」用《九歌》「罔薜荔兮为帷」之典，写薜荔为帷，云霞缭绕于上，「生」字见云霞之仿佛自帷间而生。两句一写其下之泉壑、一写其上之云霞，书斋上下皆笼罩在幽雅出尘之境中，写尽隐居之趣，为全诗定下了清丽的基调。

The opening couplet writes the study's setting, quiet and elegant at the first brush. 'The spring ravine girdles the thatched cottage' — the cottage by stream and hill, the thatched roof its plainness; 'clouds and mists rise from the vine-draped walls' adapts the Verse of Chu image of vines for curtains, mists curling above, the word 'rise' as if the clouds were born between the vines. One line the ravine below, one the mists above, the study wrapped in a world apart, setting the fresh, clear tone.

竹怜新雨后，山爱夕阳时。

I love the bamboo most after the new rain, and the mountains best at the hour of the setting sun.

新雨之后，最怜那翠竹；夕阳时分，最爱那山色。

After the fresh rain, one loves the bamboo; at sunset, one loves the hills.

颔联移情于景，写竹山之情态，是全诗最见情致处。「竹怜新雨后」写新雨之后，最怜那翠竹，「新雨后」写竹之苍翠欲滴，「怜」字移情于竹，仿佛竹亦有情，堪人怜爱；「山爱夕阳时」写夕阳时分，最爱那山色，「夕阳时」写山之容光焕发，「爱」字移情于山，仿佛山亦含情，引人爱赏。两句一写竹、一写山，以「怜」「爱」二字移情于景，写尽竹山四时之美与诗人对之的欣赏，景中含情，正是「一切景语皆情语」的妙笔，也是全诗最清丽动人的一联。

The neck couplet projects feeling onto scene, writing the bamboo and hill with the most warmth. 'After the fresh rain, one loves the bamboo' — after rain the bamboo drips green, the word 'loves' giving the plant a claim on affection; 'at sunset, one loves the hills' — in the sunset the hills glow, the word 'loves' giving the hill its own feeling. Two lines, bamboo and hill, the verbs 'loves' and 'loves' charging the scene with feeling — every word of scenery is feeling, the freshest, most moving couplet.

闲鹭栖常早，秋花落更迟。

The idle egrets roost always early, and the autumn flowers fall all the later.

闲适的白鹭栖宿常早，秋花凋落更显迟慢。

The leisurely egret roosts early; the autumn flowers fall the more slowly.

颈联写环境之闲适，以鹭花写书斋之安详。「闲鹭栖常早」写闲适的白鹭栖宿常早，「闲鹭」见其自在无扰，「栖常早」写鹭之安栖、环境之宁静，无人惊扰；「秋花落更迟」写秋花凋落更显迟慢，「秋花落迟」写花之从容凋落、秋光之绵长，亦见环境之闲适，无风无雨之摧折。两句一写鹭之早栖、一写花之迟落，以鸟与花的从容自在，写尽书斋周围环境的闲适安详。诗人不直写环境如何安闲，而以此鹭花之态写之，含蓄蕴藉，是「以物写境」的妙笔。

This couplet writes the leisure of the place, using egret and flower to show the study's calm. 'The leisurely egret roosts early' — the egret at ease, roosting early in the undisturbed quiet; 'the autumn flowers fall the more slowly' — the flowers linger in their falling, the long autumn light, no wind or storm to break them. The early roost and the slow fall write, through bird and flower, the tranquil ease around the study; the poet does not say 'how peaceful', but lets egret and flower speak it.

家童扫萝径，昨与故人期。

The houseboy has swept the vine-covered path — only yesterday I made an appointment with an old friend.

家童扫净了长满青萝的小径，昨日已与故人相约前来。

The boy has swept the vine path; yesterday I made a date with an old friend.

尾联写盼友之情，是全诗情感的落点。「家童扫萝径」写家童扫净了长满青萝的小径，「萝径」写书斋之小径、隐者之居的象征，「扫萝径」见其扫径以待、盼友之殷切；「昨与故人期」写昨日已与故人相约前来，「与故人期」点出寄赠之意——原来此诗正是为邀杨补阙来访而作，写尽诗人盼友之情。两句一写扫径之待、一写相约之期，以「扫萝径」之细节写盼友之切，含蓄而深婉，是五律「以细节写情」的典范之笔，也点明了全诗寄友之旨。

The closing couplet writes the longing for a friend, the poem's emotional landing. 'The boy has swept the vine path' — the path of green vines, symbol of a recluse's home, swept clean in welcome; 'yesterday I made a date with an old friend' — naming the purpose of the poem, the invitation to Yang Buque to visit. One line the swept path, one the made date; the detail of the swept vine path writes the eagerness of expectation, restrained and deep, the model of a five-character regulated verse writing feeling through detail, and naming the poem's purpose of inviting a friend.

Study

Word focus

带 To girdle or wind around; the spring streams seem to wrap the thatched hut like a belt, fusing dwelling and water into one scene. 「带」字写泉壑环绕茅屋之状，是首联写书斋环境的关键。「泉壑带茅茨」着一「带」，写泉壑如带环绕着茅屋，山泉溪流蜿蜒环抱，如带相缠，既写其依山傍水之势，亦见书斋之清幽。「带」字于平实中见画面感，写尽书斋之幽雅，是「以一字写境」的妙笔。「带」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。

怜 To love or pity; applied to bamboo, it transfers the poet's affection to the plant, making the landscape seem to answer feeling — the poem's signature empathy with things. 「怜」字移情于竹，是颔联写景之情的关目。「竹怜新雨后」着一「怜」，写新雨之后的翠竹堪怜——着一「怜」字，仿佛竹亦有情，苍翠欲滴，引人怜爱，亦见诗人对书斋四时景色之欣赏。移情于景，以「怜」写竹、以「爱」写山，对仗中见深情，是「一切景语皆情语」的点睛之笔。「怜」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。

闲 Idle, unhurried; describing the egrets, it doubles as a portrait of the poet's own leisurely retreat, so one word carries both scene and mood. 「闲」字写白鹭之闲适自在，是颈联写环境闲适的关键。「闲鹭栖常早」着一「闲」，写白鹭悠闲自在、无扰无惊——鹭之「闲」，正见环境之宁静安详，无人惊扰。「闲」字既是写鹭之态，亦是写书斋之境、诗人隐居之趣，一字双关，是「以物写境」的妙笔。「闲」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。

期 To make an appointment; it reveals the poem's purpose — the swept path and the promised meeting — turning a landscape poem into an invitation. 「期」字写与故人相约之期，是尾联点题的关目。「昨与故人期」着一「期」，写昨日已与故人相约前来，「期」即约期、期待，既写其已有相约之期，亦见其对故人到访的期盼。着一「期」字，把寄友之旨点破，扫径以待，正是为践此约期，含蓄而深婉，是全诗盼友之情的点睛之笔。「期」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。