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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

和张仆射塞下曲 四

Border Songs: Harmonizing with Commissioner Zhang's Poem (No. 4)

卢纶

Lu Lun

野幕敞琼筵羌戎贺劳旋醉和金甲舞雷鼓动山川

In the field tent the jade feast is spread wide,
The Qiang and Rong tribes come to hail the victorious return.
Drunk, they join the dance in golden armor,
Thunder-drums shake the mountains and streams.
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Meaning

A triumphant frontier scene: the returning army is banqueted in open field tents, the neighboring Qiang and Rong peoples join in the congratulation, soldiers dance in their golden armor in their cups, and drums like thunder set the hills and rivers echoing. The poem turns a military victory into a shared festival of masculine joy, in which even the subject tribes share the celebration — a vision of frontier harmony.

野幕敞开琼筵，羌戎贺劳凯旋。醉中挥和金甲舞，雷鼓动山川。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The field tents of the victorious army are thrown open for a banquet of jade-like splendor; the Qiang and Rong tribes of the frontier come to congratulate and console the returning troops. In their cups the soldiers dance still wearing their golden armor, and the thunderous drums of celebration shake the very mountains and streams. [Imagery] The poem piles up material images — field tent, jade feast, tribal guests, golden armor, thunder drums — each heavier in sound than the last, so that the scene swells from a still picture of feasting into a physical uproar. [Structure] The first couplet sets the place and the guests; the second releases the energy of the celebration. The single verb 'shake' in the final line converts sound into geological force, making the landscape itself vibrate with the army's joy. [Theme] Beneath the revelry lies a political vision: even the frontier peoples join the triumph, so the drums that shake the mountains also proclaim the reach of Tang power.

【白话串讲】 卢纶写《和张仆射塞下曲·其四》：“野幕敞琼筵，羌戎贺劳旋”——“醉和金甲舞，雷鼓动山川”——他写凯旋——雷鼓动山川。 【意象与手法】 首句“野幕敞琼筵”写野幕琼筵；次句“羌戎贺劳旋”写羌戎贺劳凯旋；三句“醉和金甲舞”写醉和金甲而舞；末句“雷鼓动山川”写雷鼓震动山川。雄壮豪迈。 【情感与主旨】 卢纶写边塞凯旋庆功的欢腾，以“雷鼓动山川”写庆功之盛，是边塞诗的名篇。 【名句点睛】 常考“野幕敞琼筵，羌戎贺劳旋”写凯旋庆功；“醉和金甲舞，雷鼓动山川”写庆功之盛。

Background

Lu Lun (c. 742–c. 799), courtesy name Yunyan, came from Puzhou in Hezhong (present-day Yongji, Shanxi) and was reckoned one of the 'Ten Talents of the Dali Era.' His six 'Border Songs' were written to match poems by his friend Zhang Yanshang, who held the office of Pushe (Commissioner-in-Chief), and each poem isolates one facet of frontier campaigning — issuing commands, hunting, night pursuit, triumph, tiger shooting, and pacification. The fourth poem is the series' festive climax, following the night pursuit of No. 3. Composed in the mid-Tang, after the An Lushan Rebellion had bled the dynasty's military strength, the poem's exuberant triumph deliberately recalls the bolder frontier verse of the High Tang, and the shared celebration of Qiang and Rong tribesmen dramatizes the ideal of frontier harmony that Tang policy aspired to.

此诗为中唐诗人卢纶的《和张仆射塞下曲》其四之作，是边塞诗的名篇。卢纶（约742—约799），字允言，河中蒲州（今山西永济）人，中唐诗人，大历十才子之一。其《塞下曲》六首写边塞军旅，此首写凯旋庆功的欢腾。此诗写边塞将士凯旋，设宴庆功：「野幕敞琼筵」，写野幕敞开琼筵——「野幕」写野外的营帐，「琼筵」写精美的筵席，「敞琼筵」写敞开琼筵；「羌戎贺劳旋」，写羌戎贺劳凯旋——「羌戎」写边地的羌戎之族，「贺劳」写庆贺慰劳，「旋」写凯旋；「醉和金甲舞」，写醉中挥和金甲而舞——「醉」写醉态，「和」写应和，「金甲舞」写身披金甲而舞；「雷鼓动山川」，写雷鼓震动山川——「雷鼓」写声如雷的鼓，「动山川」写震动山川。全诗以凯旋庆功写边塞欢腾，那野幕琼筵、羌戎贺劳、醉和金甲舞、雷鼓动山川，写尽凯旋的欢庆，雄壮而豪迈，是中唐边塞诗「写凯旋」的代表作。要理解此诗，须知此首为《塞下曲》六首之四，紧承前首追敌之功——前首写「单于夜遁逃」的追敌，此首写凯旋的庆功，一追一庆，正是边塞战事的完整过程。诗中「羌戎贺劳」，写边地各族共贺凯旋，正是「和戎」的盛景，也见大唐开边的声威远播。

Art

The poem's craft lies in its controlled crescendo. The opening line opposes two images — the rough 'field tent' of the camp and the 'jade feast' of courtly refinement — so that a banquet of almost palace splendor is pitched in the wilderness, at once celebrating the troops and dignifying their hardship. The second line widens the scene from objects to people: the Qiang and Rong tribes 'hail and console' the victors, turning a victory parade into a communal festival. The third line then adds movement and intoxication — the soldiers dance in their golden armor, war and revelry fused in a single image. The final line releases all this energy into the landscape: the 'thunder-drums' compound instrument and sound, and the verb 'shake' makes the mountains and rivers themselves the audience. From still scene to dance to thunder, the poem moves from sight to sound to earth-shaking force.

此诗艺术上以「气氛热烈」与「画面奔放」为特色，在凯旋庆功的描绘中写尽边塞的欢腾。首句「野幕敞琼筵」，以「野幕」写野外的营帐，以「琼筵」写精美的筵席——那野外的营帐敞开琼筵，正是庆功的场所，「敞」字写尽开筵的场面；次句「羌戎贺劳旋」，以「羌戎」写边地之族，以「贺劳旋」写庆贺凯旋——「贺劳」写庆贺慰劳，「旋」写凯旋，正是庆功的主题；三句「醉和金甲舞」，以「醉」写醉态，以「金甲舞」写披甲而舞——那醉中挥和金甲而舞，正是凯旋的狂欢，「醉」字写尽欢腾的醉态；末句「雷鼓动山川」，以「雷鼓」写声如雷的鼓，以「动山川」写震动山川——那雷鼓之声，震动山川，正是庆功的高潮，「动」字写尽鼓声的震天动地。全诗由野幕琼筵写庆功之场，经羌戎贺劳、醉和金甲舞的狂欢，而归于雷鼓动山川的欢腾，气氛热烈、画面奔放，正是边塞诗「写凯旋」的极致。细观其写法，前两句写宴饮之盛，后两句写歌舞之酣，层层推进，由静场到动景，那「动山川」的尾声，正把庆功的狂欢推向顶点。

Allusions

The key terms all draw on frontier and courtly tradition. 'Jade feast' (qiong yan) echoes the Southern Dynasties poet Xie Tiao's line on sumptuous banquets, transferring the imagery of palace feasting to the field camp. 'Qiang and Rong' (qiang rong) names the tribal peoples of the western and northwestern frontier; their presence at the banquet dramatizes the Tang ideal of pacifying the frontier through virtue. 'Golden armor' is the full dress of the heavy cavalry and the ceremonial dress of triumph. 'Thunder-drums' (lei gu) were the great drums of ceremony whose rolling sound was conventionally compared to thunder. By assembling courtly refinement, frontier peoples, and martial spectacle, the poem makes a single tent glow with the whole empire's grandeur.

此诗用典于关键处见深意。「野幕」，写野外的营帐——「野幕」写边野之地的营帐，正是庆功之所。「琼筵」，用「琼筵」之典——「琼」写美玉，「筵」写筵席，「琼筵」写精美的筵席，谢朓「琼筵妙舞绝」正以「琼筵」写华宴，「野幕敞琼筵」写野外营帐敞开华筵。「羌戎」，写边地的羌戎之族——「羌」为西戎之族，「戎」为西方之族，「羌戎」写边地各族，「羌戎贺劳旋」写边地各族庆贺慰劳凯旋。「金甲」，写金制的铠甲——「金甲」写金色的铠甲，「醉和金甲舞」写醉中披甲而舞。「雷鼓」，写声如雷的鼓——「雷鼓」写鼓声如雷，「雷鼓动山川」写鼓声震动山川。值得注意的是「琼筵」一词，出自南朝谢朓的诗句，本写宫廷华宴，此处用以写边塞野幕之宴，正是「以华写豪」——那野外的庆功宴，竟如宫廷之琼筵，正是对边塞将士凯旋的最高礼赞。这些意象，或写野幕、或写琼筵、或写羌戎、或写金甲、或写雷鼓，皆围绕凯旋庆功与边塞欢腾这一核心，织成一张热烈而奔放的画图，正是中唐边塞诗「以场面写欢庆」的特点。

Commentary

This poem is best known for the couplet 'Drunk, they join the dance in golden armor, thunder-drums shake the mountains and streams,' which condenses the entire psychology of a triumphal army into ten characters. Readers have noted how unusual such jubilation is in mid-Tang frontier poetry: after the An Lushan Rebellion, poets such as Li Yi and Zhang Ji wrote frontier verse as elegy and protest, while Lu Lun's 'Border Songs' preserve the High Tang note of masculine pride. The image of the Qiang and Rong joining the celebration has also drawn comment as a poetic echo of Tang frontier policy, in which subject peoples were feasted and rewarded rather than merely defeated. Even in a diminished age, the poem suggests, the frontier could still produce the old heroic music.

读此诗，最值得注意的是「醉和金甲舞，雷鼓动山川」所写出的「凯旋的狂欢与边塞的豪情」。前两句写庆功之场：野幕敞琼筵——那是野外的营帐敞开琼筵，正是庆功的场所；羌戎贺劳旋——那是边地的羌戎，庆贺慰劳凯旋，正是凯旋的欢庆。而后两句写狂欢：「醉和金甲舞」——醉中挥和金甲而舞，那「醉」字，写将士的醉态，那「金甲舞」，写披甲而舞，正是凯旋的狂欢；「雷鼓动山川」——雷鼓震动山川，那「雷鼓」，写声如雷的鼓，那「动山川」，写鼓声震天动地，正是庆功的高潮。这一联，是全诗的高潮：将士醉舞，雷鼓动山——那「醉和金甲舞」的狂欢，那「雷鼓动山川」的声势，写尽了边塞凯旋的欢腾。值得注意的是，那庆功的场面，有羌戎贺劳——那边地的羌戎之族，也来庆贺慰劳，正是「和戎」的边塞景象：不是战争的仇恨，而是凯旋的欢庆。卢纶的《塞下曲》，为中唐边塞诗少见的欢腾之作，那「雷鼓动山川」的声势，正是边塞豪情的写照——虽然中唐国势已衰，而诗人笔下的凯旋，依然豪迈如昔。

Prosody

Form Poem: five-character quatrain (wujue), four lines of five characters诗（五言绝句）
Rhyme The poem rhymes on yan ('feast'), xuan ('return'), and chuan ('stream') — all level-tone words belonging to the xian rhyme group (the seventh of the thirty-one pingshui categories). The round, lingering tone of this rhyme group matches the festive, rolling mood of the celebration.此诗为五言绝句，押平声「先」部韵，「筵」「旋」「川」等字皆属下平一先韵，韵脚悠长而圆润，正合诗情「凯旋欢腾」的声调。首句「野幕敞琼筵」以「野幕敞琼筵」起，写庆功之场；次句「羌戎贺劳旋」，写羌戎贺劳；三句「醉和金甲舞」，以「醉和」转折，写醉舞狂欢；末句「雷鼓动山川」，以「动山川」收束，写雷鼓声势。整体声调由起句的庆功，到末句的欢腾，悠长而圆润，正合边塞诗「凯旋豪迈」的诗情。
Tone pattern The syntax is spare and paratactic. The first couplet places two complete scenes side by side — tent and feast, tribesmen and their salute — without connectives, a compression typical of the quatrain. The third line pivots on 'drunk' and the fourth on the compound 'thunder-drums,' so the verse moves from static description into dynamic spectacle. The movement is one of escalation: feast, guests, dance, and finally sound that shakes the earth.句式上，此诗善用名词并列与动态凝练：「野幕敞琼筵，羌戎贺劳旋」，以「野幕」「琼筵」「羌戎」「贺劳」写庆功之场与凯旋之贺，名词动词交错，句法凝练；「醉和金甲舞」，以「醉和」写醉态，「金甲舞」写披甲而舞，奔放有力；「雷鼓动山川」，以「动」写鼓声之震天动地，收束雄壮。全诗由写庆功入写凯旋、由写凯旋入写狂欢、由写狂欢入写声势，句式随之由凝练转奔放、由奔放转雄壮，正是边塞诗「写凯旋」的节奏美学。
Reading note As a mid-Tang wujue, this poem builds its celebration on a small canvas: twenty characters pass from a still banquet scene to drums that shake the mountains, and the rhyme's round, sonorous quality carries the excitement. It forms the fourth panel of Lu Lun's six 'Border Songs,' answering the night pursuit of No. 3 with the triumph that follows; read together, the two poems show how Lu Lun could write both the tension of pursuit and the release of victory, and they stand as rare proof of heroic exuberance in mid-Tang frontier verse.作为中唐五绝，《和张仆射塞下曲·其四》的声律之美，在于以圆润的先韵与奔放的动态句式，写出凯旋庆功的边塞欢腾。全诗首句「野幕敞琼筵」以野幕琼筵写庆功之场，丰盛而热烈；次句「羌戎贺劳旋」以羌戎贺劳写凯旋之贺，融洽而欢庆；三句「醉和金甲舞」以醉和金甲舞写狂欢之态，奔放而豪迈；末句「雷鼓动山川」以雷鼓震动山川写欢腾之势，雄壮而响亮。全诗由写庆功入写凯旋、由写凯旋入写狂欢、由写狂欢入写声势，层层递进而声情相谐，正是中唐边塞诗「写凯旋」的体现。就全诗而言，此诗以凯旋庆功写边塞欢腾，雄壮而豪迈，是边塞诗的名篇，与卢纶《塞下曲·其三》「月黑鴈飞高」同为军旅之作，而一写追敌的英姿，一写凯旋的欢腾，可见卢纶《塞下曲》写军旅的两种笔法，也可见中唐边塞诗中难得的豪迈与欢腾。

Line by line

野幕敞琼筵

In the field tent the jade feast is spread wide.

野幕敞开琼筵。

In the wild camp, the jade feast is spread.

这一句是此诗的起笔，写野幕敞开琼筵，是此诗庆功场所的开端。「野幕」，写野外的营帐——「野幕」写边野之地的营帐，正是庆功之所；「敞琼筵」，写敞开琼筵——「敞」写敞开，「琼筵」写精美的筵席，正是「野幕敞琼筵」的庆功之场。以「野幕敞琼筵」写庆功，比直写「设宴」更见边塞与丰盛——那野外的营帐，敞开琼筵，正是凯旋的庆功；「敞」字写尽开筵的场面，那琼筵，正是庆功的华宴。这一起笔，以野幕琼筵写庆功之场，为全诗定下欢腾的基调，也是「羌戎贺劳旋」的铺垫——那庆功的琼筵，正是贺劳凯旋的场所。

The opening line writes the wild camp with its spread jade feast, the start of the victory celebration. 'Wild camp' is the field tent; 'spread the jade feast' the lavish banquet, the word 'spread' opening the grand celebration.

羌戎贺劳旋

The Qiang and Rong tribes come to hail the victorious return.

羌戎贺劳凯旋。

The Qiang and Rong come to celebrate the victorious return.

这一句写羌戎庆贺慰劳凯旋，是此诗凯旋意象的核心。「羌戎」，写边地的羌戎之族——「羌」为西戎之族，「戎」为西方之族，「羌戎」写边地各族；「贺劳旋」，写庆贺慰劳凯旋——「贺劳」写庆贺慰劳，「旋」写凯旋。以「羌戎贺劳旋」写凯旋，比直写「庆功」更见边塞与融洽——那边地的羌戎之族，也来庆贺慰劳凯旋，正是「和戎」的边塞景象；「贺劳旋」三字，写庆贺慰劳凯旋，正是庆功的主题。这一句，是此诗凯旋意象的核心，也是「醉和金甲舞」的铺垫——那羌戎贺劳，正是凯旋的欢庆，那庆功的场面，正是「雷鼓动山川」的铺垫。

This line writes the Qiang and Rong tribes coming to honor the returning army, the core image of triumph. Even the border peoples come to celebrate — a picture of reconciliation; it prepares the soldiers' drunken dance in armor below.

雷鼓动山川

Thunder-drums shake the mountains and streams.

雷鼓震动山川。

Thunderous drums shake the hills and streams.

这一句是全诗的结穴，写雷鼓震动山川，是此诗欢腾的最高点。「雷鼓」，写声如雷的鼓——「雷鼓」写鼓声如雷，正是庆功的鼓乐；「动山川」，写震动山川——「动」写震动，「山川」写山与川，正是「雷鼓动山川」的声势。以「雷鼓动山川」写庆功，比直写「鼓声震天」更见声势与雄壮——那雷鼓之声，震动山川，正是庆功的高潮；「动」字，写鼓声之震天动地，正是欢腾的极致。这一结句，雄壮奔放，是此诗欢腾的最高点，也是「醉和金甲舞」的高潮——那将士醉舞，雷鼓动山，正是凯旋庆功的狂欢。

This closing line writes thunderous drums shaking hills and streams, the peak of rejoicing. 'Thunderous drums' — the drumming like thunder; 'shake the hills and streams' — the word 'shake' sending the sound through the landscape, the climax of the victory feast.

Study

Word focus

琼筵 'Jade feast': a banquet of jade-like splendor; the phrase (borrowed from palace-feasting tradition) dignifies the wilderness camp, so the victory banquet seems fit for an emperor. 「野幕敞琼筵」之「琼筵」，写精美的筵席，是此诗庆功意象的关键语。「琼筵」即精美的筵席——「琼」写美玉，「筵」写筵席，「琼筵」写精美的华宴，谢朓「琼筵妙舞绝」正以「琼筵」写华宴；「野幕敞琼筵」，写野幕敞开琼筵。以「琼筵」写筵席，比直写「酒宴」更见精美与丰盛——那琼筵，写庆功的华宴，正是凯旋的盛典；「敞琼筵」三字，写敞开琼筵，正是开筵的场面。这一词，是此诗庆功意象的关键，与「野幕」相连，一写营帐，一写华筵，正是边塞庆功的场所——那野外的营帐，敞开琼筵，正是凯旋的庆功。
贺劳 'Hail and console': to congratulate and comfort the returning troops; the word pair shows the banquet is a formal act of reward, and the Qiang and Rong's participation makes the triumph a shared frontier festival. 「羌戎贺劳旋」之「贺劳」，写庆贺慰劳，是此诗凯旋意象的核心语。「贺劳」即庆贺慰劳——「贺」写庆贺，「劳」写慰劳，「贺劳」写庆贺慰劳凯旋；「羌戎贺劳旋」，写羌戎庆贺慰劳凯旋。以「贺劳」写庆贺，比直写「庆贺」更见慰劳与融洽——那「贺劳」，写庆贺与慰劳，正是凯旋的慰劳；「贺劳旋」三字，写庆贺慰劳凯旋，正是庆功的主题。这一词，是此诗凯旋意象的核心，与「羌戎」相连，一写边地之族，一写庆贺慰劳，正是「和戎」的边塞景象——那羌戎贺劳，正是凯旋的欢庆，也是边塞安定的写照。
雷鼓 'Thunder-drums': drums whose sound rolls like thunder; the compound fuses instrument and sound, and supplies the force that the final verb 'shake' unleashes upon the landscape. 「雷鼓动山川」之「雷鼓」，写声如雷的鼓，是此诗欢腾意象的核心语。「雷鼓」即声如雷的鼓——「雷」写声如雷，「鼓」写鼓乐，「雷鼓」写鼓声如雷；「雷鼓动山川」，写雷鼓震动山川。以「雷鼓」写鼓乐，比直写「鼓声」更见声势与雄壮——那雷鼓之声，声如雷霆，正是庆功的鼓乐；「雷鼓」二字，写鼓声如雷，正是「动山川」的声势之源。这一词，是此诗欢腾意象的核心，与「动山川」相连，一写鼓声，一写震动，正是「雷鼓动山川」的声势——那雷鼓之声，震动山川，正是凯旋庆功的狂欢。

Related Reading

凉州词 Liangzhou Song 王翰 · 同为边塞醉饮之作，一写醉卧沙场的豪迈一写醉和金甲舞的欢腾，边塞醉饮互为映照 Both are frontier drinking scenes — one the heroic abandon of drinking before battle, one the drunken dance of a victory celebration.

Wang Han's 'drunk, we lie on the sand — laugh not, friend; since ancient times how many returned from war?' is the High Tang's most famous frontier drinking poem, its gaiety shadowed by death; Lu Lun's 'drunk, they join the dance in golden armor' is pure release after survival. One drinks against the certainty of dying, the other against the fact of having lived — two registers of the frontier cup, and two faces of Tang frontier romance.

王翰《凉州词》「葡萄美酒夜光杯，欲饮琵琶马上催。醉卧沙场君莫笑，古来征战几人回」，写边塞醉饮的豪迈，是边塞诗的名篇；卢纶此诗「醉和金甲舞，雷鼓动山川」，同样写边塞醉饮。一写「醉卧沙场君莫笑」的豪迈，一写「醉和金甲舞」的欢腾；王翰是盛唐的悲壮豪迈，卢纶是中唐的凯旋欢腾。并读两作，可见边塞诗写醉饮的两种情调，也可见「金甲」「沙场」等边塞意象的传承。

 燕歌行 Song of Yan (Yan Ge Xing) 高适 · 同为写边塞军旅之作，一写战士军前的苦战一写凯旋庆功的欢腾，边塞军旅互为映照 Both write frontier campaigning — one the bitter fighting of the men at the front, one the triumphal banquet that follows.

Gao Shi's 'the soldiers fight half-dead at the front; in the general's tent the singing girls still dance' exposes the inequality of war; Lu Lun's banquet includes the whole army and even the subject tribes. Where Gao Shi's frontier is riven by injustice, Lu Lun's is momentarily whole — and the contrast shows how much the same camp can look like different worlds depending on the poet's angle.

高适《燕歌行》「战士军前半死生，美人帐下犹歌舞。相看白刃血纷纷，死节从来岂顾勋」，写边塞征戍的苦战与悲壮，是边塞诗的名篇；卢纶此诗「醉和金甲舞，雷鼓动山川」，同样写边塞军旅。一写「战士军前半死生」的苦战，一写「雷鼓动山川」的欢腾；高适是盛唐的悲壮，卢纶是中唐的凯旋。并读两作，可见边塞诗写征戍的两种笔法，也可见边塞将士在苦战与凯旋中的不同身影。

 从军行七首·其五 From the Army (No. 5 of Seven) 王昌龄 · 同为写边塞胜捷之作，一写已报生擒吐谷浑的捷报一写羌戎贺劳凯旋的庆功，边塞胜捷互为映照 Both write frontier victory — one the report of a captured enemy chieftain, one the celebration that receives the returning army.

Wang Changling ends on news: 'already reported: the Tuyuhun chieftain taken alive' — victory compressed into a single triumphant line of report. Lu Lun begins where that report ends: the feast, the dance, the drums. One is the High Tang's lightning dispatch, the other the mid-Tang's full-drawn celebration; together they map the two halves of a frontier victory.

王昌龄《从军行七首·其五》「大漠风尘日色昏，红旗半卷出辕门。前军夜战洮河北，已报生擒吐谷浑」，写边塞破敌的捷报，是从军行的名篇；卢纶此诗「羌戎贺劳旋，雷鼓动山川」，同样写边塞胜捷。一写「已报生擒吐谷浑」的捷报，一写「羌戎贺劳旋」的庆功；王昌龄是盛唐的豪迈捷报，卢纶是中唐的凯旋欢庆。并读两作，可见「边塞胜捷」这一母题的两种写法，也可见边塞诗写破敌与写庆功的两种侧重。