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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

漫成五章

Five Stanzas Written at Random

李商隐

Li Shangyin

沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋。
当时自谓宗师妙，今日惟观对属能。

Shen and Song trimmed their phrases, priding themselves on changing the rules of verse; Wang and Yang set brush to paper, each surrounded by worthy friends.
At the time they thought themselves masters of a wondrous craft; today we can see only their skill in matched couplets.
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Meaning

Li Shangyin passes judgment on the early Tang poets Shen Quanqi, Song Zhiwen, Wang Bo, and Yang Jiong: they boasted of founding a new prosody, but posterity values only their parallel couplets. Beneath the cool assessment lies the Late Tang poet's anxiety about poetry's true purpose, for form has outlived spirit.

沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋。当时自谓宗师妙，今日惟观对属能。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Shen and Song pruned their diction and boasted of reforming regulated verse; Wang and Yang wrote with brilliant friends at their side. At the time they believed themselves the founders of a peerless art; today only their couplet-craft remains worth watching. [Structure] Two couplets: the first names the four early Tang masters and their pride; the second sets their self-estimate against posterity's verdict. [Imagery] There is no landscape at all; the poem is built on literary history, turning the names of poets into images and the word today into a cold mirror.

【白话串讲】 李商隐写《漫成五章》：“沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋”——“当时自谓宗师妙，今日惟观对属能”——他评论诗人——今日惟观对属能。 【意象与手法】 “沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋”评论沈宋王杨；“当时自谓宗师妙”写当时自谓；结以“今日惟观对属能”写今日惟观对属。深沉论诗。 【情感与主旨】 李商隐写论诗之作，评论沈佺期、宋之问、王勃、杨炯等诗人，写“今日惟观对属能”的感慨，体现李商隐的文学批评观。 【名句点睛】 常考“沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋”评沈宋王杨；“当时自谓宗师妙，今日惟观对属能”写论诗感慨。

Background

Li Shangyin (ca. 813-858), courtesy name Yishan, was the most allusive and emotionally dense poet of the Late Tang. This quatrain, from his Five Stanzas Written at Random, turns his art on poetry itself. The four poets named, Shen Quanqi and Song Zhiwen, who perfected regulated verse, and Wang Bo and Yang Jiong of the Four Masters of the Early Tang, were the founding canon of Tang poetry; Li Shangyin's glance back at them is also a glance at his own art's predicament.

《漫成五章》为唐代诗人李商隐所作诗。李商隐（约813—约858），字义山，号玉溪生，又号樊南生，怀州河内（今河南沁阳）人，晚唐诗人。此诗写咏怀论诗，为论诗之作。诗中「沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋」写沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋；「当时自谓宗师妙，今日惟观对属能」写当时自谓宗师妙，今日惟观对属能。李商隐此诗以咏怀论诗、今日惟观对属能写其论诗之情，深沉论诗，是李商隐诗中的名篇。此篇《漫成五章》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。此篇《漫成五章》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 is literary criticism in quatrain form, and its craft is compression: four names, two couplets, and one turn. The line at the time they called themselves masters, set against today we only see their couplet-craft, builds a temporal irony that carries the judgment. The diction is deliberately plain, trimmed their phrases and set brush to paper, so that the coldness of the verdict lands harder. Ending on matched couplets reduces a whole era's achievement to technique, and the question it leaves behind, what should survive in poetry besides craft, is Li Shangyin's own lifelong question.

此诗艺术上以「深沉论诗、以评写怀」见长。全诗共四句两联，由沈宋裁辞矜变律而当时自谓宗师妙。起「沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋」写沈宋裁辞矜变律：沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋；结「当时自谓宗师妙，今日惟观对属能」写当时自谓宗师妙：当时自谓宗师妙，今日惟观对属能。全诗以评写怀，由沈宋裁辞矜变律而今日惟观对属能，深沉论诗，是李商隐诗中的名篇。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。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。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

Shen and Song are Shen Quanqi and Song Zhiwen, who in the early eighth century settled the tonal patterns of regulated verse; Wang and Yang are Wang Bo and Yang Jiong, two of the Four Masters of the Early Tang. Changing the rules refers to their reform of poetry from the Six Dynasties court style toward regulated form. Matched couplets is the parallel-prose skill at which the early Tang masters excelled, a praise that is also a limitation: craft without depth.

诗中「沈宋裁辞矜变律王杨落笔得良朋」「当时自谓宗师妙今日惟观对属能」等语，皆含典故故实。「沈宋裁辞矜变律王杨落笔得良朋」用沈宋、王杨之典（沈宋指沈佺期宋之问，王杨指王勃杨炯），写沈宋裁辞矜变律王杨落笔得良朋；「当时自谓宗师妙今日惟观对属能」写当时自谓宗师妙今日惟观对属能。诗人以沈宋、王杨之典入诗，不着痕迹，而把咏怀论诗之情写得真切可感，是善于熔铸典故的体现。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。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

The stanza is famous as one of the few sustained acts of literary criticism in Tang poetry. Readers have long debated its target: some read it as a cool historical verdict on the early Tang masters, while others hear Li Shangyin's worry about his own age, where couplet-craft risked replacing substance. Either way, the line about seeing only their craft in matched couplets has become the standard phrase for judging an era that perfected form and lost spirit.

这首《漫成五章》，是李商隐写咏怀论诗之作，写沈宋裁辞矜变律、当时自谓宗师妙、今日惟观对属能之情，深沉论诗。起「沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋」——沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋。写沈宋裁辞矜变律：沈宋裁辞矜变律、王杨落笔得良朋——矜变律、得良朋；结「当时自谓宗师妙，今日惟观对属能」——当时自谓宗师妙，今日惟观对属能。写当时自谓宗师妙：当时自谓宗师妙、今日惟观对属能——宗师妙、对属能。这「当时自谓宗师妙，今日惟观对属能」，是全诗之结：以今日惟观对属能写其论诗。全诗深沉论诗，以评写怀，正是李商隐诗中的名篇。综观全诗，情真、景切、理深，三者浑融无迹，故能于短短数语之中寄无限深意，令人百读不厌。其含蓄蕴藉之处，正是中国古典诗歌以少总多、言有尽而意无穷的美学精神的生动体现。综观全诗，情真、景切、理深，三者浑融无迹，故能于短短数语之中寄无限深意，令人百读不厌。其含蓄蕴藉之处，正是中国古典诗歌以少总多、言有尽而意无穷的美学精神的生动体现。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (jueju), four lines in two couplets.诗（七言绝句）
Rhyme It rhymes on the zheng category: peng, friend, and neng, ability, a full, resonant sound suited to the weight of judgment.此诗为七言绝句，共四句两联。押韵：「朋」「能」押蒸部韵。前两句起、后两句转合，平仄相间，正与写咏怀论诗的深沉论诗相称，也见其以七绝写论诗的凝练。
Tone pattern The opening couplet runs in deep, even cadences naming the four masters; the closing couplet turns cold and sharp, so the sound descends from historical panorama to ironic verdict.句式上，「沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋」写沈宋裁辞矜变律，音节深沉；结「当时自谓宗师妙，今日惟观对属能」写当时自谓宗师妙，音节冷峭。全诗音节随情起伏，由深沉而冷峭，正合七绝「凝练」之妙，读来如咏怀论诗、今日惟观对属能之音，深沉而动人。
Reading note The quatrain's compression serves the poem's critical purpose: four lines must name four poets, set their pride against posterity, and land the judgment. Read it slowly and evenly, letting the final phrase couplet-craft fall flat and cold.此诗为七言绝句，是李商隐写咏怀论诗之作，也是其诗中的名篇。全诗的艺术特色在于「深沉论诗、以评写怀」：「沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋」写沈宋裁辞矜变律、「当时自谓宗师妙，今日惟观对属能」写当时自谓宗师妙。全诗深沉论诗，以评写怀。尤为精妙者，是「沈宋裁辞矜变律」用沈宋之典；而「今日惟观对属能」写尽对属能之情，正是李商隐诗「深沉论诗」的典范，为历代选本所常收。《漫成五章》一诗之所以读来声情并茂，正在于诗人以声韵配合情思、以节奏烘托意境，音节之长短、平仄之起伏，皆与诗意相为表里，此亦可见中国古典诗歌声律之美与匠心之工。

Line by line

沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋。

Shen and Song trimmed their phrases, priding themselves on changing the rules of verse; Wang and Yang set brush to paper, each with worthy friends at hand.

沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋。

Shen and Song fashioned their verses, proud of the new regulated tone; Wang and Yang, at the brush, found good companions.

起句写沈宋裁辞矜变律，起笔即见其沈宋。「沈宋裁辞矜变律」用沈宋之典写沈宋裁辞矜变律，「沈宋裁辞」写沈宋裁辞、「矜变律」写矜变律；「王杨落笔得良朋」用王杨之典写王杨落笔得良朋，「王杨落笔」写王杨落笔、「得良朋」写得良朋。一句写沈宋裁辞矜变律王杨落笔得良朋，以沈宋裁辞矜变律写矜变律、以王杨落笔得良朋写得良朋，写尽沈宋裁辞矜变律、王杨落笔得良朋之情。以沈宋起兴，深沉而论诗，是「以沈宋起兴」的妙笔。

The opening line writes 'Shen and Song fashioned their verses, proud of the new regulated tone', the start. 'Shen and Song fashioned their verses, proud of the new regulated tone' uses the Shen-Song allusion — the fashioning, the pride in the regulated tone; 'Wang and Yang, at the brush, found good companions' uses the Wang-Yang allusion — the brush, finding good friends. Rising through Shen and Song, deep in the verse criticism, the start of the verse.

当时自谓宗师妙，

At the time they thought themselves masters of a wondrous craft;

当时自谓宗师妙，

In their day, they called themselves wondrous masters,

此句写当时自谓宗师妙，是全诗写宗师之态的关键。「当时自谓」写当时自谓，「当时」写当时、「自谓」写自谓；「宗师妙」写宗师妙，「宗师」写宗师、「妙」写妙。一句写当时自谓宗师妙，以当时自谓写自谓、以宗师妙写宗师妙，写尽当时自谓宗师妙之情。以师写怀，深沉而论诗，是「以师写怀」的点睛之笔。此句以寥寥数语写尽深意，情韵兼胜，正是全诗点睛之笔。其于字句之间暗藏波澜，于平易之中寄寓曲折，尤当反复涵泳，方能得其三昧。

This line writes 'in their day, they called themselves wondrous masters', the key image. 'In their day, they called themselves' — the day, the self-styled; 'wondrous masters' — the masters, the wonder. Writing feeling through the masters, deep in the verse criticism, the eye of the poem.

今日惟观对属能。

today we can see only their skill in matched couplets.

今日惟观对属能。

today, we see only their skill in couplet-making.

结句写今日惟观对属能，是全诗立意的落点。「今日惟观」写今日惟观，「今日」写今日、「惟观」写惟观；「对属能」写对属能，「对属」写对属、「能」写能。一句写今日惟观对属能，以今日惟观写惟观、以对属能写对属能，写尽今日惟观对属能之情。以能写情，深沉而论诗，是全诗最动人处，也是「以能写情」的点睛之笔。此句以寥寥数语写尽深意，情韵兼胜，正是全诗点睛之笔。其于字句之间暗藏波澜，于平易之中寄寓曲折，尤当反复涵泳，方能得其三昧。

The closing line writes 'today, we see only their skill in couplet-making', the poem's landing. 'Today, we see only' — today, only see; 'skill in couplet-making' — the couplet craft, the skill. Writing feeling through the skill, deep in the verse criticism, the poem's most moving point: the self-styled masters of old are reduced, in later eyes, to mere craftsmen of parallelism — the quiet irony of a poet surveying the tradition.

Study

Word focus

沈宋 Shen and Song: Shen Quanqi and Song Zhiwen, the early Tang poets credited with settling the tonal patterns of regulated verse. Their names stand for the founding of Tang prosody and for the over-refinement Li Shangyin questions. 「沈宋」写沈宋裁辞矜变律，是写沈宋之态的关键。「沈宋裁辞矜变律」着一「沈宋」，写沈宋——着一「沈宋」，写沈宋裁辞矜变律，见其宋之沈。两字写尽沈宋之态，是「以词写家」的妙笔。「沈宋」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。
王杨 Wang and Yang: Wang Bo and Yang Jiong, masters of the Early Tang known for brilliance and literary circles. They represent the age when court poetry prized talent and polish. 「王杨」写王杨落笔得良朋，是写王杨之态的关键。「王杨落笔得良朋」着一「王杨」，写王杨——着一「王杨」，写王杨落笔得良朋，见其杨之王。两字写尽王杨之态，是「以词写家」的点睛之词。「王杨」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。
宗师 Founding master: the title the early Tang poets gave themselves, self-styled founders of a peerless art. The word's grandness makes the later verdict on mere couplet-craft more ironic. 「宗师」写当时自谓宗师妙，是写宗师之态的关键。「当时自谓宗师妙」着一「宗师」，写宗师——着一「宗师」，写当时自谓宗师妙，见其师之宗。两字写尽宗师之态，是「以词写师」的点睛之词。「宗师」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。
对属 Matched couplets: the parallel-prose craft at which the early Tang masters excelled. As the poem's final word, it reduces an era's achievement to technique, praise that is also a limit. 「对属」写今日惟观对属能，是写对属之态的关键。「今日惟观对属能」着一「对属」，写对属——着一「对属」，写今日惟观对属能，见其属之对。两字写尽对属之态，是「以词写对」的点睛之词。「对属」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。

Related Reading

水调歌头·明月几时有 Prelude to Water Melody 苏轼 · 同写论诗感怀、深沉旷达，一写我欲乘风归去、一写沈宋裁辞矜变律王杨落笔得良朋，皆于论诗之中见深沉 Both pass from personal feeling to philosophical reflection

Su Shi's Prelude to Water Melody rises from mid-autumn longing to cosmic reconciliation; Li Shangyin's quatrain turns from literary history to a cold verdict on craft. Both pass from feeling to reflection: Su Shi finds philosophical solace while Li Shangyin finds a sharper doubt about his own art.

苏轼《水调歌头·明月几时有》「我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒」，写论诗感怀、深沉旷达，是宋词长调的名篇；李商隐《漫成五章》则以「沈宋裁辞矜变律，王杨落笔得良朋」「今日惟观对属能」写矜变律、对属能。两诗同写论诗感怀、深沉旷达：一写我欲乘风归去、以乘风写超然，一写沈宋裁辞矜变律王杨落笔得良朋、以沈宋写论诗；一为苏轼之旷达、一为李商隐之深沉，并读正可见诗写「论诗感怀」的两种笔法，皆于论诗之中见深沉。

 八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天 Eight Beats of Ganzhou 柳永 · 同写评诗凝望、深沉清丽，一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、一写当时自谓宗师妙今日惟观对属能，皆于评诗之中见凝望 Both blend intense feeling with cool reflection on time

Liu Yong's opening on the dusk rain spreading over the river sky launches a vast homesick gaze, while Li Shangyin's quatrain gazes instead down the corridor of literary history. One's reflection stays with the landscape of feeling, the other's with the landscape of poetry; both compress an age's mood into a few lines.

柳永《八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天》「对潇潇暮雨洒江天，一番洗清秋」，写评诗凝望、深沉清丽，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；李商隐《漫成五章》则以「当时自谓宗师妙，今日惟观对属能」「沈宋裁辞矜变律」写宗师妙、矜变律。两诗同写评诗凝望、深沉清丽：一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、以暮雨写清秋，一写当时自谓宗师妙今日惟观对属能、以宗师写论诗；一为柳永之清丽、一为李商隐之深沉，并读正可见诗写「评诗凝望」的两种笔法，皆于评诗之中见凝望。