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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

寒食

Cold Food Day

韩翃

Han Hong

节令festival 宫苑palace 讽喻satire

春城无处不飞花，寒食东风御柳斜。
日暮汉宫传蜡烛，轻烟散入五侯家。

Nowhere in the spring city are blossoms not flying,
On Cold Food Day the east wind slants the palace willows.
At dusk the Han palace passes out its candles,
And light smoke drifts into the houses of the five lords.

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Meaning

Late spring in the capital, with catkins everywhere and the east wind bending the willows inside the palace walls. At nightfall the court distributes new fire to its favorites, and the smoke of those candles drifts quietly into the mansions of the powerful.

暮春的长安城无处不飞舞着杨花，寒食节的东风吹斜了宫中的柳枝。日暮时分汉宫传赐新火蜡烛，袅袅轻烟散入了权贵五侯之家。

Appreciation

The opening couplet is pure spring: a double negative makes the flying blossoms fill every corner of the city, and the slanted palace willows locate the scene precisely in season and place. Then the poem shifts, without raising its voice, to the imperial gift of fire at dusk. The word 'Han' stands in for the reigning dynasty and the 'five lords' for the men who monopolize favor, so that a small ritual observance exposes a whole structure of privilege. Not one word of criticism is spoken, yet the drifting smoke says everything, and the restraint is precisely what makes the satire durable.

【白话串讲】 “春城无处不飞花，寒食东风御柳斜”——韩翃写寒食节的京城：满城飞花。“日暮汉宫传蜡烛，轻烟散入五侯家”——傍晚，宫中把蜡烛分给贵戚，轻烟散进五侯家。他借寒食禁火，暗讽皇帝宠信宦官。【意象与手法】前两句写寒食春景，“无处不飞花”以双重否定极写春意之盛，“御柳斜”点出节令与宫苑。后两句笔锋转入“日暮传烛”，以“汉宫”喻唐宫、“五侯”喻权贵，由景及政，含蓄寄讽。【情感与主旨】寒食节本应禁火，朝廷却于日暮传烛赐火于近臣权贵，轻烟散入“五侯家”，暗讽恩宠偏私、特权横行。韩翃借节令小事，婉而多讽，是中唐讽喻诗的代表作。【名句点睛】 “日暮汉宫传蜡烛，轻烟散入五侯家”——不著一“讽”字，而恩宠偏私之态毕现，含蓄蕴藉，最见讽喻之妙。

Background

Cold Food Day falls a day or two before Qingming and requires that fires be extinguished and food eaten cold. In the Tang the emperor kindled new fire from elm and willow on that day and bestowed it on his close officials as a mark of favor. Han Hong uses this custom to hint at the way eunuchs and powerful courtiers of the mid-Tang, figured here as the 'five lords', traded on imperial indulgence. The poem became famous after the emperor Dezong admired its opening line.

寒食是唐代最盛行的节令之一，节在清明前一二日，相传源于春秋晋文公与介子推的典故：介子推焚死绵山，文公禁火寒食以志哀，相沿成俗。唐代寒食有扫墓、禁烟、折柳、斗鸡、赐新火等习俗，宫廷更于清明日取榆柳之火赐近臣戚里，谓之「改火」。韩翃约天宝十三载登进士第，为大历十才子之一，早年长期漂泊，建中初因《寒食》一诗为德宗所赏，擢驾部郎中、知制诰。此诗约作于大历、建中年间，借寒食赐火之景，暗刺当时恩宠偏私、近臣权宦恃宠而骄的社会症候。诗中以「汉宫」代指唐宫、「五侯」暗喻当朝得势的宦官与权贵，正是中唐政治讽喻诗借古喻今的典型笔法，故能于二十八字中寄慨遥深。历来选家如蘅塘退士辑《唐诗三百首》独取此首入七绝卷，正赏其言浅意深、可讽可诵。今人读之，亦可读出唐代寒食改火之礼与朝堂恩怨的交织，于飞花轻烟之外想见中唐宦官专权、恩泽滥施的时代面相。此诗虽仅二十八字，却足称一代风俗诗史，诚节令讽喻诗中不可多得的范本。

Art

The first couplet paints a scene and the second narrates an incident that carries the criticism. The bright spring of flying catkins and palace willows gives way abruptly to the political suggestion of distributed candles and smoke entering noble houses. Cheerful scenery is used to deliver a quiet reproach, and the method is a needle wrapped in silk.

此诗凡四句，前两句写寒食春景，后两句写日暮传烛，由景及政，章法极简而意蕴极丰。首句「春城无处不飞花」以双重否定「无处不」极写长安暮春杨花漫天之盛，起笔便有笼罩全城的空间气魄；次句「寒食东风御柳斜」点出节令与宫苑，「斜」字以微动用静，东风拂柳之姿宛然在目。后两句陡然转境，「日暮汉宫传蜡烛，轻烟散入五侯家」，由白昼之明丽转入日暮之幽微，由自然之景转入人事之政，笔锋藏而不露。全诗不着一「讽」字，却以赐火轻烟之寻常景致，将恩宠偏私、特权横行的不平之意含蓄道出，正是「怨而不怒、婉而多讽」的唐人绝句高境，炼字省净，设色轻丽，而寄兴遥深。前人评韩翃诗「兴致繁富，一篇一意」，此诗正以繁简相济见长：前二句敷陈春景不避秾丽，后二句点染政情务取含蓄，浓淡之间自有章法。其以乐景写哀、以节令写政的笔法，下开晚唐杜牧「商女不知亡国恨」一路婉讽，于盛中唐转折之际别具承前启后之意，故虽小诗而有大格局。

Allusions

Cold Food Day is the festival on which fires are banned. The 'palace willows' recall the custom of breaking willow branches and setting them at the door during the festival. The 'Han palace' stands for the Tang court in the conventional way of borrowing an earlier dynasty. The passing of candles refers to the court's kindling of new fire and its bestowal on favored officials. The 'five lords' derive from the five maternal uncles enfeoffed by Emperor Cheng of the Han and came to mean powerful courtiers generally, here pointing at the eunuchs and grandees of the Tang.

诗中用典与代称有三处尤须抉发。其一为寒食节本身，源出介子推故事，唐代定为禁烟改火之节，朝廷于清明取新火赐近臣，此即「传蜡烛」之实指。其二为「汉宫」，乃以汉喻唐的惯用托辞，唐人咏本朝宫苑每借「汉宫」「汉家」以避直指，既合诗家比兴之体，亦含微讽之味。其三为「五侯」，典出两汉：汉成帝河平二年封舅氏王谭等五人为侯，时称五侯；东汉桓帝延熹二年又同日封单超等五宦官为县侯，史称「五侯」专权。韩翃此处「五侯」双关，既指汉代外戚宦官，更暗射唐代得宠的权臣与宦者，以古事写今情，使刺时之意有所依傍而不流于浅直，足见用典之巧。又「传蜡烛」一事，唐制本为清明日赐新火于近臣，韩翃反用于寒食禁烟之时，时令之悖恰成讽刺之眼。后人注此诗，或谓「五侯」专指宦官，或谓泛指权贵，歧说并存而刺时之旨不二。要之，全诗以汉喻唐、以古刺今，使一时恩宠偏私升格为对特权政治的恒久省思，用典之妙正在其婉而能深。

Commentary

Of the closing line Shen Deqian remarked that the poet speaks only of the great houses, and yet the partiality of imperial favor is plain to see; this is satire in its proper form.

《寒食》是韩翃七言绝句中的压卷之作，亦为唐代节令讽喻诗的代表。其妙在举重若轻：仅以「传蜡烛」「散轻烟」六字写尽恩泽偏私，全篇无一激切之词而讥讽自见，较之直斥权贵之作更耐涵泳。历代评者每许其「含蓄蕴藉」，正因诗人将政治批判熔铸于节令风物之中，读之但觉春意与轻烟，回味乃知刺骨之寒。此诗当年即获德宗激赏，足见其辞章之工；而后世论唐绝句者，多以此与王维、李白同列，正因其能以廿八字成一代风俗与小品政治之缩影。其「不著一字，尽得风流」的笔法，对晚唐杜牧、李商隐的婉讽一路亦有开启，是中唐由盛转衰之际诗风渐趋内敛深曲的一个缩影。宋人严羽《沧浪诗话》虽未专论此诗，而后世诗评每以「二十八字史论」许之，谓其以绝句之体行讽谏之实。韩翃一生诗名不显，独以此章流传千古，正证「诗以意胜」之理。其平易而不肤浅、含蓄而不晦涩的尺度，尤为后世七言绝句立一楷则，至今诵之仍觉轻烟未散、余讽在胸。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain七言绝句

Rhyme The rhyme words are hua ('blossom'), xie ('slanting'), and jia ('house'), in the level-tone 'ma' group of the Pingshui rhyme tables.花、斜、家，平水韵下平六麻韵，一韵到底

Tone pattern Level-tone opening, with the first line entering the rhyme.平起首句入韵式，首句「春城无处不飞花」平起平收，二四句仄起平收，符合七绝平起首句押韵格律

Reading note A seven-character quatrain with a level-tone opening and the first line rhyming; the spring city and its flying blossoms lay the ground, and the gift of fire to the five lords closes the poem with an indirect but pointed reproach.此诗虽仅廿八字，而声律精严、用韵考究。首句「春城无处不飞花」为平起平收，句中「无处不」三仄连用略显拗峭，反增力度，正合起句振起全篇之需；「飞花」二字平平收韵，开口洪亮，与暮春满城飘絮之景相称。次句「寒食东风御柳斜」仄仄平平仄仄平，「斜」字在平水韵麻韵中读如xiá，与「花」「家」同韵相协，读来悠扬有余味。后两句「日暮汉宫传蜡烛，轻烟散入五侯家」，平仄为仄仄仄平平仄仄、平平仄仄仄平平，于严整中见流走，上句收束日暮传烛之实，下句以「家」字平收一韵到底，轻烟袅袅之象与韵脚之舒缓相得益彰。全诗四句两景两事，句式由敷陈转含蓄，用韵清丽而不浮靡，是中唐七绝声情与政慨相得、格律为内容服务的典范。

Line by line

春城无处不飞花，

Nowhere in the spring city are blossoms not flying: the double negative pushes the season to its fullest, and the poem opens on a wide prospect.

暮春的长安城无处不飞舞着杨花

In the spring city, nowhere but flying petals.

首句以「春城」统摄全篇空间，长安繁华尽在一「春」字中点出；「无处不飞花」连用双重否定，较之「处处飞花」语气更健、笔力更满，将暮春杨花弥漫、漫天飘洒的蓬勃春意写到极处。此句看似纯写景物，实为后文张本：花飞如此之盛，而寒食本应禁火，反衬下文「传蜡烛」之违背常情。一个「飞」字化静为动，满城飘絮的迷蒙之美与节令的清寂形成张力，起笔便有不凡的气度，故能与「日暮汉宫传蜡烛」共同撑起全篇由景及政的结构，是唐人七言绝句中以乐景暗伏讽意的经典起手。后世论者每以此句与「万紫千红总是春」并观，然韩诗飞花别有一层节令反衬之深，非单纯颂春之笔可比，足见起首用意之微，于热闹中暗藏冷眼。

The opening line takes 'the spring city' as its frame, all the splendor of Chang'an in one word 'spring'; 'nowhere but flying petals' uses a double negative that is firmer than 'petals everywhere', pushing the late-spring willow-down's abundance to the utmost. It seems pure scenery, yet prepares what follows: petals flying so freely, while the Cold Food fast forbids fire — setting off the breach of 'passing candles' below. The word 'flying' turns still to motion, and the drifting bloom's beauty tensions against the fast's austerity; a cold eye hidden in the bustle.

日暮汉宫传蜡烛，

At dusk the palace hands out candles; naming it the Han palace veils the Tang court, and the ceremony of granting fire conceals a privilege.

日暮时分汉宫传赐新火蜡烛

At dusk, the Han palace passes on the new candles.

此句为全诗枢机，由明媚春景陡转入幽微人事。「日暮」既是实景时刻，亦暗含白昼将尽、灯火将起的转折意味；「汉宫」以汉喻唐，托辞古事而直指本朝宫禁；「传蜡烛」写清明改火、赐新火于近臣之制，本为常典，诗人偏于「寒食」禁烟之时点出，便见恩泽之私。轻描「传」字，实含权贵夜受恩宠、烟火相传的不平，不着一「讽」而讽意自生。与下句「轻烟散入五侯家」相承，以烟之弥散写宠之流溢，由宫廷一隅推及权门势要，举重若轻，是中唐讽喻诗「怨而不怒」笔法的绝佳范例，历来被视为唐绝句讽时之绝唱。其以烟火之微写恩泽之偏，举重若轻，足为后世节令讽喻开一法门，影响直至晚唐。

This line is the poem's pivot, turning from bright spring to delicate affairs. 'At dusk' is both the hour and the turning of day to lamps; 'the Han palace' speaks through Han of Tang, pointing to the present court; 'passing on the new candles' is the rite of granting new fire to favored ministers, yet he sets it precisely in the fire-ban of Cold Food, and so the private favor shows. The light word 'passes' carries the grievance of nobles receiving flame by night; not a word of satire, yet the satire rises. It leads to 'light smoke drifts into the houses of the five marquises', the smoke spreading favor, weightless yet heavy.

Study

Word focus

飞花 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「飞花」二字为篇首炼字之眼。寒食正值暮春，长安多植柳榆，杨花榆荚随风翻飞，「飞」字以一字尽得飘洒漫空之态，较「落花」之沉、「开花」之静更见生机流动。更巧者，「花」与次句「御柳斜」之柳相映，柳絮本即「花」之一种，暗合节令物候；而「飞」之轻扬与后文「轻烟」之袅袅一脉相通，构成本诗「轻」的视觉基调。诗人以「飞花」起兴，表面咏春，实则为「传蜡烛」之烟作反衬——花飞是天然之景，烟散是人事之偏，两相对照，则讽意自显。区区二字，既状物又谋篇，足见大历诗人锤字之工。其「守」与「客」之对照，更为下片劝友全身、自抒归意埋下伏笔，一联之中兼称友与自伤，章法绵密如此，非率尔命篇者所能到。

五侯 'The five lords' names privilege, and the satire emerges of its own accord. 「五侯」是全诗唯一的刺时之钉，分量极重。其典本有两源：西汉成帝封五舅为侯，东汉桓帝封五宦官为侯，皆属外戚宦官恃宠擅权之代称。韩翃置于篇末「轻烟散入五侯家」，以烟之入「家」写恩泽之偏落权门，既承汉典以古讽今，又避直斥本朝之险，用笔极婉。一个「五侯」将前文的「汉宫」点活——宫中传烛，所及者非寻常百姓，而是近幸权贵，禁火之节的「新火」遂成特权象征。此词一出，全诗由风景小品升格为政治讽喻，是诗人以少许胜多许、于结句着力的范例，故历代均以「五侯」为解读诗旨之锁钥。

寒食