唐 Tang · 诗 Poem
将进酒
Invitation to Wine
君不见黄河之水天上来，奔流到海不复回。
君不见高堂明镜悲白发，朝如青丝暮成雪。
人生得意须尽欢，莫使金樽空对月。
天生我材必有用，千金散尽还复来。
烹羊宰牛且为乐，会须一饮三百杯。
岑夫子，丹丘生，将进酒，杯莫停。
与君歌一曲，请君为我倾耳听。
钟鼓馔玉不足贵，但愿长醉不愿醒。
古来圣贤皆寂寞，惟有饮者留其名。
陈王昔时宴平乐，斗酒十千恣欢谑。
主人何为言少钱，径须沽取对君酌。
五花马，千金裘，呼儿将出换美酒，与尔同销万古愁。
Rushing into the sea and ne'er come back?
Do you not see the mirrors bright in chambers high
Grieve o'er the snow-white hair though once silk-black?
When hopes are won, O drink your fill in high delight,
And never leave your wine-cup empty in moonlight!
Heaven has made us talents, we're not made in vain.
a thousand gold coins spent, more will turn up again.
Kill a cow, cook a sheep and let us merry be,
And drink three hundred cupfuls of wine in high glee!
Dear friends of mine,
Cheer up, cheer up!
I invite you to wine.
Do not put down your cup!
I will sing you a song, please hear,
O hear! Lend me a willing ear!
Do not care for bells and drums, rare dishes you take!
I only want to get drunk and never to wake.
How many great men were forgotten through the ages?
But great drinkers are more famous than sober sages.
The prince of feasts once banqueted in his palace,
Drank ten thousand quarts of wine and never fell,
Why should a host complain of money he is short?
To drink with you I will sell things of any sort.
My fur coat worth a thousand coins of gold
And my flower-dappled horse may be sold
To buy good wine that we may drown the woe age-old.
Meaning
The poem urges the reader to enjoy life and drink wine, as time is fleeting and wealth is transient. It expresses Li Bai's characteristic blend of hedonism, defiance, and a deep sense of melancholy about the brevity of life and the frustration of unfulfilled ambition.
你难道没看见，那黄河之水仿佛从九天倾泻而下，滚滚东去、奔入大海再不回还？你难道没看见，高堂之上对着明镜悲叹满头白发，清晨还是乌黑青丝，黄昏竟已雪白一片。人生得意之时就当尽情欢乐，莫让金杯空对着明月。上天生就我的才干必有用处，纵使千金散尽也还会再来。烹羊宰牛且当作乐，理应一饮便是三百杯。岑勋夫子、元丹丘啊，快快进酒，酒杯莫要停下。我为二位歌一曲，请你们侧耳倾听：那钟鸣鼎食的富贵哪值得看重，我只愿长久沉醉、不愿醒来。自古圣贤皆落寞无闻，唯有饮酒之人留下姓名。想那陈王曹植昔日宴饮平乐观，一斗酒值万钱、恣意欢谑。主人你为何说囊中羞涩，只管去买酒来与你对饮。五花骏马、千金皮裘，叫童儿拿去换取美酒，与你们一同消解这万古的长愁。
Appreciation
The poem opens with two overwhelming rhetorical questions contrasting the river's endless flow with the sudden whitening of hair, creating a powerful sense of urgency. It then swings into a wild celebration of life, insisting on the value of talent and the joy of drinking. The tone alternates between grief, defiance, and ecstasy, culminating in the magnificent gesture of trading a prized horse and fur coat for wine to 'drown the woe age-old.' The shifting line lengths and sudden exclamations mimic the spontaneity of a drunken outburst, making it one of Li Bai's most dynamic and beloved works.
【白话串讲】 那一年李白被“赐金放还”逐出长安，人生跌到谷底；他却把失意喝成了千古绝唱：“人生得意须尽欢，莫使金樽空对月”——中国诗里最狂的一句，正出自最落寞的这一刻。 【意象与手法】 全诗以“酒”为线索，句式长短错落，三、五、七、十言交错，如醉中吐语、酣畅淋漓 【情感与主旨】 李白于天宝三载（744）被“赐金放还”离开长安，政治抱负落空，此后漫游各地、纵酒交游以遣愁怀 【名句点睛】 此诗为唐李白之作，精要赏析详见下方深度赏析。
Background
Li Bai wrote this poem around 752 AD, after he was expelled from the imperial court in 744. Frustrated with political failure, he traveled extensively and sought solace in wine and friendship. This poem was composed during a drinking party with friends Cen Xun and Yuan Danqiu, using the occasion to voice his pent-up indignation and defiant optimism.
李白，字太白，号青莲居士，盛唐浪漫主义诗歌之巅。此诗题一作惜罇空，本为汉乐府鼓吹曲铙歌之旧题，古辞多写宴饮放歌、劝人进酒。李白此篇约作于唐玄宗天宝十载（751）前后，时距其天宝三载被赐金放还、离开长安已数年。政治抱负落空之后，诗人漫游南北、纵酒交游以遣愁怀，曾与友人岑勋（岑夫子）、元丹丘（丹丘生）相聚宴饮于嵩山颖阳一带，乃乘兴作此长歌。今传文本有异文，将进酒一作惜罇空，宋蜀本、元刻本字句小异而大旨无异。在文学传统上，此诗承汉魏乐府劝酒歌（如《西门行》）之脉，又融庄子达生、屈原离骚之浪漫，以个人狂放纵横其间，开盛唐歌行以气驱辞、以酒写愤之极则，对后世苏轼、辛弃疾乃至明清放歌皆影响深远，遂为唐人乐府歌行之冠。在文学传统上，此诗承汉魏乐府劝酒歌（如西门行）之脉，又融庄子达生、屈原离骚之浪漫，以个人狂放纵横其间，开盛唐歌行以气驱辞、以酒写愤之极则。天宝三载赐金放还之后，诗人漫游南北、纵酒交游以遣愁怀，曾与岑勋、元丹丘相聚宴饮于嵩山颖阳，乃乘兴作此长歌。宋本作将进酒，一作惜罇空，字句小异而大旨无异，足见其流传之广、传抄之多，遂为唐人乐府歌行之冠。
Art
The poem is written in the style of a yuefu (music bureau) song, with irregular line lengths and frequent changes of rhyme to match the emotional fluctuations. The use of repetition ('Do you not see...') creates a torrential force, while hyperbole (three hundred cups, ten thousand quarts) and vivid contrasts (black hair to snow) add to its dramatic impact. The structure moves from lament to celebration to reckless abandon, reflecting the poet's volatile mood.
全诗以酒为线索，三、五、七、十言长短交错，句式如醉中吐语、酣畅淋漓，章法大开大合、忽起忽落。开篇君不见两组排比，黄河之水天上来与高堂明镜悲白发对举，以宇宙奔流之巨力反衬个体须臾之衰，时空张力惊人；中段人生得意须尽欢转出及时行乐，天生我材必有用一句振起豪情，如暗夜惊雷；忽入岑夫子、丹丘生呼名劝饮，纯是席间口语，亲切如面；钟鼓馔玉不足贵陡然转跌，古来圣贤皆寂寞以饮者自况，愤激深沉；末以五花马、千金裘换取美酒收束万古愁，纵恣到底。情感如波峰浪谷，理想与现实的撕扯贯穿始终。修辞上夸张（千金、三百杯、万古愁）、呼告、叠句（君不见、将进酒、杯莫停）并用，意象黄河、明月、钟鼓、陈王宴平乐层层叠加，浪漫纵恣而一气贯注，诚歌行中以气胜、以情胜之极笔。其所以为歌行极笔，正在以气驱辞、以情贯穿，不假绳削而自成开阖。情感如波峰浪谷，理想与现实的撕扯贯穿始终，忽起忽落、大开大合。修辞上夸张、呼告、叠句并用，意象黄河、明月、钟鼓、陈王宴平乐层层叠加，浪漫纵恣而一气贯注。后之论诗者每举此篇，以为七古（歌行）之长在能放能收，太白此诗放处如天风海雨，收处如万古长愁，正其弁冕，足证盛唐歌行以气韵胜之极则，非浅率者可到。
Allusions
The line 'The prince of feasts once banqueted in his palace' refers to Cao Zhi (Prince of Chen), who was known for his literary talent and his indulgence in wine after being politically sidelined. The 'bells and drums' and 'rare dishes' symbolize the luxury of the rich and powerful, which Li Bai dismisses. The 'ten thousand quarts' alludes to Cao Zhi's poem 'The Famous Capital' where he describes feasting with fine wine. This comparison links Li Bai's own frustrations to a historical figure.
诗中用典与本事多有所本。将进酒本汉乐府铙歌，古辞劝饮，李白借题纵写。钟鼓馔玉指富贵生活，钟鼓为礼乐之盛，馔玉言饮食之珍，此处借指功名富贵。陈王昔时宴平乐用曹植典，平乐观乃汉宫观，曹植《名都篇》写斗鸡走马、宴乐少年，又《娱宾赋》极言欢谑，李白以才高见疏的陈王自况，暗寓自身不被任用之不平。岑夫子即岑勋，丹丘生即元丹丘，皆李白挚友，丹丘且为道士，二人见李白诗文及魏颢《李翰林集序》。千金散尽还复来化用《庄子》与俗语，言散财而复得，见其通达。字词训诂方面，将进酒之将读若羌，请也；古来圣贤皆寂寞，寂寞谓落寞无闻，非今孤独义。全诗用事自然，以曹植衬己，怀才之愤不直说而自深，正见盛唐诗人融化故实入歌行之高境。要之，全诗用事自然，以曹植陈王衬己之不被用，怀才不平之旨不直说而自深。钟鼓馔玉指富贵生活，岑夫子、丹丘生皆其实友，见李白诗文及魏颢李翰林集序。千金散尽还复来化用庄子与俗语，言散财而复得，见其通达。将进酒之将读若羌，请也；古来圣贤皆寂寞，寂寞谓落寞无闻，非今孤独义。此正盛唐诗人融化故实入歌行、以少许胜多许之高明，学问暗附性情而不滞于典，举重若轻。
Commentary
Critics have praised this poem as the ultimate drinking song. The Qing scholar Shen Deqian noted that Li Bai's poetry, for all its wild vigor, contains profound meaning. Yan Yu in Canglang's Remarks on Poetry contrasted Li Bai's ethereal style with Du Fu's somberness, and this poem exemplifies Li Bai's transcendent boldness. It remains one of the most famous poems in Chinese literature.
此诗向被视为李白歌行之巅峰，严羽《沧浪诗话》称其如天风海雨逼人，沈德潜《唐诗别裁集》谓读来豪酣中有悲慨，非浅率者所能到。历代评家多赏其以酒写愁、以狂写愤，徐增《而庵说唐诗》言太白此诗如长江大河，一泻千里。其经典地位在于将个人政治失意化为宇宙级浩叹，天生我材必有用一句更成千古格言，鼓舞无数潦倒才士。传播史上，此诗自唐入宋即广传，轼亦赏其豪放；明清选本如《唐诗品汇》《唐诗三百首》多录节段，现代语文教育则奉为盛唐浪漫精神之标本，影视、书法、诵读皆常引。它证明歌行可不以规整为美，而以气韵胜，短章所不能容之悲欢，长歌一泻而尽，足为唐乐府之冠冕。其经典地位在于将个人政治失意化为宇宙级浩叹，天生我材必有用一句更成千古格言，鼓舞无数潦倒才士。传播史上，此诗自唐入宋即广传，轼亦赏其豪放；明清选本多录节段，现代语文教育则奉为盛唐浪漫精神之标本，影视、书法、诵读皆常引。它证明歌行可不以规整为美，而以气韵胜，短章所不能容之悲欢，长歌一泻而尽，足为唐乐府之冠冕，千载之下犹能动人心魄，信非偶然。
Prosody
Line by line
君不见黄河之水天上来，奔流到海不复回。
Do you not see the Yellow River come from the sky, rushing into the sea and never returning?
你难道没看见，那黄河之水仿佛从九天倾泻而下，滚滚东去、奔入大海再不回还？
Do you not see the Yellow River's waters come from heaven, rushing to the sea and never turning back?
开篇以君不见领起两组排比，此联写空间之壮：黄河之水自天而落、奔海不回，以夸张之笔写宇宙奔流之不可逆。天上来三字极尽高峻浩瀚，不复回三字顿住苍凉，暗喻时光与生命亦如大河一去不返。此联与下联高堂白发之须臾对举，巨力与衰微、永恒与短暂猛烈碰撞，遂将叹老嗟卑升格为对存在的浩叹。其妙在起势如海立云垂，先声夺人，不落宴饮常套而直探宇宙人生，正是歌行以气驱辞、大开大合之典范起手，千载以下读之犹觉波澜满怀。
The opening begins with 'do you not see' leading two parallel sets, this couplet writing spatial grandeur: the Yellow River pouring from heaven, rushing to the sea and never returning, exaggerating the irreversible torrent of the universe. 'Come from heaven' at the height, 'never turning back' the abrupt desolation, secretly likening time and life to the great river gone forever. Paired with the next couplet's moment of white hair on the head, vast force and frail decline, eternity and brevity, clash violently, raising the lament for age to a sigh over existence itself. The opening rises like a sea of clouds, seizing the ear, not the usual drinking-song opening but straight to the universe and life.
天生我材必有用，千金散尽还复来。
Heaven gave me talent for a purpose; a thousand gold coins spent will come back again.
上天生就我的才干必有用处，纵使千金散尽也还会再来。
Heaven bred my talent; it must be of use — though a thousand in gold be scattered, it will come again.
此联为全诗豪情之脊，于悲慨中陡起自信。天生我材必有用，以苍天为证，断言己才必为世用，既是政治失意后的自我慰藉，更是傲岸不屈的宣言；千金散尽还复来，以散财而复得写通达，暗含不以物累、不以穷通易志的襟抱。两句一扬才、一扬性，将前此黄河白发之叹翻作昂藏之啸，理想与现实的撕扯于此暂得和解。其所以成千古格言，正在其道出怀才不遇者共有的傲与痛，而以极豪语出之，悲慨中见亮色。盛唐浪漫精神于此一句毕现，足为李白人格与诗风之缩影。
This couplet is the spine of the poem's daring, confidence rising sharply from grief. 'Heaven bred my talent; it must be of use' — heaven as witness, asserting that his gift must find its use, both the self-comfort after political disappointment and the declaration of unyielding pride; 'though a thousand in gold be scattered, it will come again' — writing openhandedness through spending wealth and regaining it, the bearing of one not burdened by things, not swayed by fortune. One line raises talent, one raises nature, turning the earlier sighs over river and white hair into a lofty chant, the torn ideal and reality briefly reconciled. It became a proverb of the ages because it speaks the pride and pain of the unappreciated, uttered in the most heroic words.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
月下独酌以花间一壶、对影三人写无人相亲之孤，邀月伴影，浪漫而偏于凄清；将进酒以岑勋、丹丘在座，呼名劝饮、换裘沽酒，写群宴之狂，豪酣而偏于愤激。一写独酌之孤，一写共饮之纵；一以月影为友遣寂寞，一以圣贤饮者自况写不平。二者皆借酒抒怀、皆浪漫纵肆，而情感向度不同：独酌近愁，将进酒近狂。合观之，正见太白诗中酒之两境，孤与狂本一体，俱为政治失意后精神的两种姿态，俱为唐绝与歌行写酒之双璧。
短歌行 Short Song 曹操 · 同以乐府旧题写饮酒抒怀，一为建安苍凉，一为盛唐豪放 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
曹操短歌行以对酒当歌、人生几何写求贤建业之慨，忧思难忘、周公吐哺，基调沉雄苍凉，建安风骨之代表；李白将进酒以人生得意须尽欢、天生我材必有用写傲世纵酒之狂，基调豪放飘逸，盛唐浪漫之极则。二者皆借乐府劝酒题抒政治情怀，皆叹人生须臾，而操之忧在天下、白之傲在自我。曹诗凝敛沉郁，李诗纵恣奔放；一建安一盛唐，时代精神之别了然。可见同一饮酒母题，随世运人心而貌异，俱为乐府写怀之巅峰，足资比较汉唐诗歌精神之变迁。