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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

寄扬州韩绰判官

To Han Chuo, Secretary of Yangzhou

杜牧

Du Mu

友情Friendship 江南Jiangnan 相思Longing

青山隐隐水迢迢，秋尽江南草未凋。
二十四桥明月夜，玉人何处教吹箫。

Green hills loom faint, blue waters stretch afar.
Late autumn in Jiangnan sees no grass wither.
On Twenty-Four Bridges, under moon so bright,
Where are you teaching the flute, my jade-like friend?

Listen

Meaning

The poet, recalling his old friend in Yangzhou, depicts the lingering autumn scenery of Jiangnan and playfully asks where his friend is teaching flute-playing on the famous Twenty-Four Bridges under the moonlit night.

青山隐隐约约，江水遥远绵长；秋已深尽，江南的草木却尚未凋零枯黄。在那二十四桥明月当空的夜晚，你这位风流俊雅的朋友，又在何处教人吹奏箫管呢？诗人于秋日遥想扬州旧游，于调侃问询中见深厚友情与无限相思。

Appreciation

The first two lines use reduplicated words (faint, far) to create a sense of distance and longing, while the late autumn but still-green grass highlights the mild climate of Jiangnan, suggesting the poet's fondness for the place. The last two lines focus on the iconic Twenty-Four Bridges with moonlight, ending with a teasing question that conveys both affection and nostalgia.

【白话串讲】 “二十四桥明月夜，玉人何处教吹箫”——杜牧离开扬州后，写信问老朋友：月光下的二十四桥上，你在哪里教美人吹箫？一个风流才子的扬州记忆，美得让人想去打卡。【意象与手法】首联「隐隐」「迢迢」两对叠词，既写山水之远，亦状思念之长；「草未凋」暗点扬州地气温暖，为江南秋景传神。后联聚焦二十四桥明月夜这一典型画面，以玉人称友，于问句中见调侃与相思，全诗清空悠远，风调绵邈。【情感与主旨】韩绰为杜牧友人，曾任淮南节度使判官（驻扬州）。杜牧宝历年间亦曾佐幕扬州，与韩相善。此诗约作于杜牧离开扬州、出任地方官后，秋日念及旧友与繁华扬州，遂寄诗调侃问询，于风流俊赏中见真挚交谊。【名句点睛】默写易错：迢迢易误作条条；凋易误作雕、调；二十四桥易误作廿四桥；箫易误作萧。高频考点：①「隐隐」「迢迢」叠词的表达效果；②「玉人何处教吹箫」问句中的调侃与相思；③「草未凋」对江南地暖的暗示。

Background

Han Chuo was a friend of Du Mu who served as a secretary (judge) in the Yangzhou region. Du Mu himself had stayed in Yangzhou around 825-826 and became close with Han. This poem was written after Du Mu left Yangzhou for a local post elsewhere, missing his old friend and the bustling city, so he jokingly inquires about Han's current pleasures.

韩绰为杜牧友人，曾任淮南节度使判官，驻节扬州。杜牧于唐文宗大和七年至九年（833—835）在扬州淮南节度使牛僧孺幕中任推官、掌书记，与韩绰同僚相善，追欢宴游、诗酒往还，留下了「十年一觉扬州梦」的青春记忆。此诗约作于杜牧离开扬州、出任宣州或他地官职之后，秋日客中忽忆旧游，遂寄诗调侃问询。扬州地处江淮，气候温润，秋尽而草木未凋，诗中「青山隐隐水迢迢」正是一幅秋日江南的写生。诗人以「玉人」戏称旧友，问其在何处教箫，貌似风流调笑，实则暗含对扬州繁华岁月与知交聚散的深切怀念，于谐谑口吻中见真性情，是晚唐寄赠诗中的清丽之作。据杜牧生平推断，此诗或作于大和九年离扬赴京后，或作于开成间任地方官时，其依恋扬州之情始终如一。诗中遥想之笔，正见诗人与扬州、与韩绰之间无法割舍的因缘，亦为晚唐寄赠诗中的温润之作。诗中青山、秋水、明月、箫声诸意象，皆扬州风物之著者，诗人信手撷取，遂成一幅江南秋夜的画卷；其对扬州的深情，正寄托于这山水风物之间，无一句言情而情满天地。

Art

The first couplet uses reduplicated words (yinyin, tiaotiao) to evoke the remoteness of mountains and rivers, also implying the length of longing. The phrase 'grass not withered' subtly indicates the warm climate of Yangzhou. The second couplet focuses on the iconic scene of the Twenty-Four Bridges under moonlight, addressing Han as 'jade-like person' (a flattering term), creating a tone of playful affection. The whole poem is clear, ethereal, and lingering, characteristic of late Tang quatrains.

首联「隐隐」「迢迢」两对叠词相对，既写山水之悠远，亦状思念之绵长，音韵和婉；「草未凋」三字暗点扬州地气温暖，秋尽而草木犹荣，为江南秋景传神，亦暗示诗人对扬州的偏爱。后联笔锋一转到「二十四桥明月夜」，以扬州最著名的景致与最宜怀人的明月组成典型画面，随即以「玉人何处教吹箫」的问句收束，将旧友戏称为玉人，问其教箫之处，于调侃中见亲昵，于问询中寄相思。全诗前实后虚、前写后问，清空悠远、风调绵邈，虚字妙用（隐隐、迢迢、未、何处）使诗境摇曳生姿，深得晚唐七绝含蓄蕴藉之致。尤其值得注意者，后联问句的运用：以问写思、以问传情，问而不答、答在问中，使二十八字顿生摇曳之致；诗人将怀人的深情藏于风流调侃的背后，读之愈久，愈觉其味之永，是晚唐七绝以虚写实的绝妙典范。如此写法，使全诗于二十八字中兼有画意、乐感与情思，风调之悠扬，正由此层层点染而成。句中「何处」二字，更将具体之问化为无处不有之思，使此诗超越了具体的寄赠而成为江南风情的普遍写照。

Allusions

The 'Twenty-Four Bridges' are a famous scenic spot in Yangzhou, traditionally said to have been built during the Sui dynasty, or associated with twenty-four beauties playing flutes. 'Jade-like person' originally refers to a handsome man, as in the 'New Tales of the World', here used to flatter Han Chuo. The flute playing alludes to the legend of Nongyu and Xiao Shi playing flutes to attract phoenixes, adding a romantic touch.

「二十四桥」为扬州名胜，一说隋代置二十四桥，一说桥因二十四位美女吹箫得名，沈括《梦溪笔谈》尝考证其名目，宋姜夔《扬州慢》「二十四桥仍在，波心荡、冷月无声」即化用此桥写扬州今昔。桥既与箫声美女之传说相连，则「玉人何处教吹箫」正从桥名本事生发，虚实相映。「玉人」本指貌美之人，《世说新语·容止》以玉人称裴楷「玉山将崩」，此处借以戏称韩绰之风流俊雅，兼及扬州歌吹之盛。「吹箫」又暗合弄玉萧史吹箫引凤的传说，添一层风月雅韵。全诗用事融化于景，不著痕迹，是晚唐诗人使典入化的妙境。此外，桥与箫声的传说本相连属，诗人以玉人教吹箫轻轻一点，便将二十四桥的掌故、扬州的歌吹之盛与友人的风流并纳其中，虚实相生，使小诗具有丰厚的历史文化底蕴，读之如见扬州月夜、如闻玉人箫声，是晚唐诗人融化地方掌故的典范。凡此数端，皆融化于江南风物之中，读之但觉风韵流丽，不觉其用事之繁。二十四桥之名，本即含美女吹箫之传说，诗人以玉人问之，桥与人、古与今、实与虚浑然一体，遂使地名成为诗境，扬州自此与箫声明月结下不解之缘。

Commentary

Qing dynasty critic He Wenhuan in 'Lidai Shihua Kaosuo' praised its graceful tone that evokes the beauty of Jiangnan. Modern scholar Yu Biyun in 'Shijing Qian Shuo' noted: 'Where are you teaching the flute, my jade-like friend?' – in teasing there is longing, indeed the Yangzhou of a lover's eyes.

清人何文焕《历代诗话考索》评此诗「风调悠扬，可想见江南之胜」；近人俞陛云《诗境浅说》谓「玉人何处教吹箫，于调侃中见相思，的是情人眼中之扬州」。此诗向为唐诗选本必录之作，与杜牧《遣怀》《江南春绝句》并称其江南题材名篇。论者多赏其以问句作结、风流自赏的笔调：前两句纯写江南秋景，气象清远；后两句转入对友人的戏问，情致缠绵，问而不答、答在问中，留给读者无穷想象。其以调侃写相思、以风流写深情的手法，正体现了杜牧「雄姿英发」之外「俊爽」的一面，也是晚唐七绝在李白、王维之后别开一境的重要标本。此诗以其风调之悠扬、情谊之深挚，历来为选家所称赏；与杜牧其他扬州诗并观，可见其一生对扬州的特殊情结。诗中二十四桥、玉人吹箫等意象，更为后世诗词反复取用，成为中国文学中扬州书写的重要原型，其影响远及姜夔《扬州慢》等名篇，足见此诗艺术生命力之久远。全诗风调之妙，正在虚实相生、情景交融，可谓晚唐七绝中咏扬州的压卷之作。其影响且及于后世词曲，元代张养浩、明代杨慎等皆有所取，可见此诗作为扬州文学原型的生命力。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (qijue)七言绝句（七绝）

Rhyme tiao, diao, xiao (level tone, 2nd division xia ping er xiao rhyme)迢、凋、箫（平声·下平二萧韵），首句入韵

Tone pattern Level-tone rising start, first line rhymes.平起首句入韵式，平仄合律，音节流转和婉

Reading note A teasing and nostalgic poem to a friend, with graceful style, conveying longing through the autumn scene of Jiangnan and ending with a playful question yet deep affection.此诗为七言绝句正格，四句两联，前联写景、后联抒情问询，章法疏朗。韵押下平二萧，韵字迢、凋、箫皆清亮悠扬，与江南秋景的明丽清远相谐。句法上，「隐隐」「迢迢」叠词对起，声情绵邈；末句以「何处」设问收束，问而不答，余韵袅袅，最合七绝以虚字传神的规律。杜牧七绝向以「俊爽」著称，此诗于俊爽中见温婉，风调悠扬，是晚唐七绝中声情兼美之作，后世论七绝者每以之与李白「孤帆远影」一类寄赠诗并观。此诗所以传诵不衰，正在其声情与辞情的浑融无间，可反复涵泳。杜牧七绝向以俊爽称，此诗则于俊爽外别具悠扬之致，声情之美，尤为独到，历来选家与乐工皆爱诵之。

Line by line

青山隐隐水迢迢，秋尽江南草未凋。

Green hills dim and faint, the waters stretching far; autumn is ending, yet in Jiangnan the grass has not withered.

青山隐约，江水遥远；秋已尽，江南草木尚未凋零。

The green hills are faint, the waters distant; autumn has ended, yet the grass of Jiangnan has not withered.

首联以远景起笔，写江南秋日山水之悠远迷蒙：「隐隐」状青山之淡远，「迢迢」状江水之绵长，两组叠词相对，音韵和婉，暗含思念之绵长。第三字「未」字是诗眼——秋已尽而草未凋，点明江南地暖的气候特征，亦暗示诗人对扬州的眷恋不舍。两句纯用写景，不着情语而情在景中，为后文对旧友的遥想铺设了温润明丽的江南背景。两句写景纯以叠词与虚字经营，看似不经意，实则句句扣住一个远字，为怀人铺设遥深之境。叠词对起，音节先声夺人，江南之远已在目前。

The opening couplet begins with the distant view, writing the far, misty autumn hills and waters of Jiangnan. 'Dim' describes the pale distance of the green hills, 'stretching far' the long winding of the river, two pairs of doubled words, the rhythm soft, secretly the length of longing. The third word 'not' is the eye — autumn ended yet the grass not withered, fixing Jiangnan's warm climate, and hinting the poet's lingering attachment to Yangzhou. Two lines of pure scenery, not a word of feeling, yet feeling within the scene, laying a warm, bright Jiangnan ground for the distant thought of the old friend below. The two lines are built of doubled words and empty particles, seeming careless, yet every word fastened to the 'far', building a realm of deep longing.

二十四桥明月夜，玉人何处教吹箫。

On the Twenty-four Bridges in the moonlit night — where is the jade-like one teaching the flute to play?

二十四桥上，正是明月当空的夜晚；那位如玉的美人，如今在何处教人吹箫呢？

On the Twenty-four Bridges, in the moon-bright night, where is that jade-like beauty teaching the flute?

后联由远及近，聚焦扬州名景二十四桥与明月，营造清幽怀人的意境；「玉人」以美称戏称旧友韩绰，调侃中见亲昵。「何处教吹箫」以问句收束，问而不答：玉人不知何处，而扬州歌吹之盛、旧游之欢如在目前，于诙谐风流中暗藏对友人行踪的挂念与对旧日同游的追忆，情致款款，余味无穷。全诗由此二句收束，问而不答，扬州之思尽在言外，读之但觉情韵绵邈。

The closing couplet moves from far to near, focusing on the famous Twenty-four Bridges and the bright moon, creating the clear, lonely mood of missing someone; 'jade-like' the fond, playful name for the old friend Han Chuo, intimacy within the jest. 'Where is ... teaching the flute to play?' closes in a question, asked without answer: where the jade-like one is, no one says, yet Yangzhou's music and the old joy seem before the eyes; within the playful romance lies the concern for the friend's whereabouts and the recollection of old wanderings, the feeling lingering, the aftertaste endless. The poem closes on these two lines, asked without answer, the longing for Yangzhou all beyond the words, the reader feeling only the soft, far-reaching mood.

Study

Word focus

隐隐、迢迢 Reduplicated words meaning 'faintly visible' and 'far, distant'; create a hazy and expansive effect. 「隐隐」「迢迢」两对叠词相对，写山水的悠远朦胧，音韵和谐，兼衬离思之绵长。隐隐状青山淡远之貌，迢迢状江流绵长之形，以视觉之远写思念之远，物我交融。叠词的使用使诗句音节回环，读来有一唱三叹之感，是此诗清空风调的语言基础，也是七绝中炼句炼音的成功范例。叠词之用，既增声韵之美，亦助意境之远，一箭双雕。

未 Not yet; emphasizes that the grass is still green despite autumn's end, both realistic and implying fondness for Yangzhou. 「秋尽江南草未凋」之「未」字，强调江南秋尽而草木犹荣，既写实（扬州地暖），又暗含对扬州的偏爱——唯其草未凋，江南之秋才不萧瑟，扬州之忆才不凄清。一字之微，定全诗基调为温润而非悲凉，与多数悲秋之作划然有别，见出诗人炼字的精审。唯其未凋，故秋景不悲，扬州之忆亦不凄，此字实为全诗温润基调所系。此字之妙，正在以否定之词写肯定之情，举重若轻。

玉人 Jade-like person; a complimentary term referring to Han Chuo (or perhaps also singing girls), used playfully to show intimacy. 「玉人」指韩绰（或兼指扬州歌妓），以美称相称，调侃中见亲密。玉人本指姿容如玉之人，《世说新语》以之称裴楷，诗人移以称旧友，既赞其风神俊朗，又带戏谑口吻，使问句显得轻松诙谐而不失深情，是全诗风流情调的点睛之笔。以玉人相称，赞其风神，亦见交谊之亲昵无间。玉人一语，足见其风流自赏，亦见二人交谊之无间。