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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

马嵬·其二

Mawei (II)

李商隐

Li Shangyin

咏史Historical 爱情Love 讽谕Theme

海外徒闻更九州，他生未卜此生休。
空闻虎旅传宵柝，无复鸡人报晓筹。
此日六军同驻马，当时七夕笑牵牛。
如何四纪为天子，不及卢家有莫愁。

Beyond the seas we hear of other lands in vain,
His next life is unknown, this life ends here.
In vain we hear the tiger guards' night clappers,
No more the royal criers announce the morn.
This day the six armies all together halt;
That night the Lovers' Feast they laughed at the Cowherd.
How could a monarch of four decades' reign
Not equal to the Lius with their Mochou?

Listen

Meaning

The poem mocks Emperor Xuanzong's futile search for immortality and his failure to protect his beloved Yang Yuhuan, contrasting their tragic end with the happiness of ordinary couples.

海外徒然传说还有九州仙山，来生的缘分未能预卜，此生的恩爱却已罢休。只空闻禁军传来夜间的刁斗之声，再没有宫中鸡人报晓的更筹。这一日六军一同驻马不前，想当年七夕还笑那牛郎织女不能长相守。为何做了四纪天子，反不如卢家夫婿，能有莫愁相伴终身。

Appreciation

This poem uses sharp contrasts between past and present, reality and illusion, to satirize the emperor's negligence and impotence, subverting the traditional tragic view of the Mawei incident.

【白话串讲】马嵬坡上，六军不发，唐玄宗只能赐死杨贵妃。李商隐问：“如何四纪为天子，不及卢家有莫愁”——当了四十多年皇帝，却保不住自己心爱的女人。【意象与手法】全诗句句对比：首联海外寻仙之虚对此生已休之实；颔联逃蜀军旅之凄对宫中旧制之盛；颈联此日驻马之死别对当时七夕之欢盟；尾联天子之贵对卢家凡夫之乐，层层反衬，冷峻透骨。【情感与主旨】此诗为李商隐《马嵬》二首之第二首，咏唐玄宗与杨贵妃马嵬之变。诗人不沿《长恨歌》长恨之悲，着意讥刺玄宗重色误国、临难弃妃，以翻案笔法寓咏史之慨，是晚唐咏史诗「以议论为诗」的代表。【名句点睛】常考对比手法（此日对当时、天子对卢家）、「徒闻」「空闻」等虚字的作用、颈联的时空对照，以及尾联设问的反讽意蕴。

Background

Written in Li Shangyin's early years, this is the second of two poems on the Mawei incident. Unlike Bai Juyi's 'Song of Everlasting Regret' which treats the love story tragically, Li Shangyin adopts a critical stance, blaming Xuanzong for his indulgence and failure.

此诗为李商隐《马嵬》二首之第二首，约作于其早年仕途蹉跎、郁郁不得志之时。天宝十五载（756）安史之乱中，玄宗仓皇奔蜀，行至马嵬驿，六军哗变，诛杨国忠，逼缢杨贵妃，史称马嵬之变。白居易《长恨歌》、陈鸿《长恨歌传》已将此变敷演为缠绵凄恻的爱情悲剧，仙山重逢、长恨绵绵，感动千古。李商隐此诗则别出机杼，翻前人「长恨」之案：不以同情之笔写李杨之恋，而以冷峻之眼讥刺玄宗——身为天子而不能护佑爱妃，重色误国而自食其果。晚唐国势日蹙，诗人在咏史中寄寓对当代帝王荒政的隐讽，以史为鉴，冷峻透骨，是晚唐咏史诗翻案风气的代表作。玄宗晚年耽于声色、宠信杨氏，酿成安史之乱，马嵬之变实为其荒政之果；李商隐生于晚唐，目睹国势日蹙、君昏政乱，故于咏史中寄寓对当代的隐讽，以史为鉴、冷峻透骨，正是晚唐咏史诗『以议论为诗、以翻案见骨』的时代风气所趋。

Art

The entire poem is structured on contrasts: the vain overseas search vs. the end of this life; the desolate escape vs. the former palace splendor; the day of mutiny vs. the night of vows; the emperor vs. a commoner. The use of empty words like 'vainly' and 'no more' enhances the tone of disillusionment.

全诗句句对比，层层反衬，是此诗最突出的艺术手法。首联「海外徒闻更九州，他生未卜此生休」以海外仙山之虚对此生已休之实，先破《长恨歌》仙山重圆的幻说；颔联「空闻虎旅传宵柝，无复鸡人报晓筹」以逃蜀军旅之凄凉对宫中旧制之排场，盛衰立见；颈联「此日六军同驻马，当时七夕笑牵牛」以死别之惨对欢盟之乐，时空交错、冷峻逼人；尾联「如何四纪为天子，不及卢家有莫愁」以天子之贵对凡夫之乐，设问收束，反讽透骨。四联四组对比，由虚到实、由盛到衰、由欢到悲、由贵到贱，层层推进，把玄宗的一生功罪浓缩于五十六字之中。议论精警而全以意象出之，不着一字空论，正是玉溪咏史「沉博绝丽」的本色。尤可注意者，诗人不着一字褒贬而褒贬自明——对比之冷、意象之警，皆让事实说话，比直斥更见力度，正是玉溪咏史『沉博绝丽』而归于冷峻的功力，亦是此诗高出一般咏史之作的所在。

Allusions

'More continents' refers to Zou Yan's theory of nine great continents, implying the futility of seeking immortals. 'Cowherd' alludes to the love story of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, ironically contrasting the emperor's oath. 'Mochou' is a girl from a folk song, symbolizing ordinary marital bliss.

诗中用典繁密而自然：首句「更九州」用战国邹衍「大九州」之说——儒家所谓九州之外更有九州，蓬莱仙山即在海外，此处暗指《长恨歌》中临邛道士海外寻妃的传说，谓其虚妄无凭；「他生」指玄宗杨妃七月七日长生殿「愿世世为夫妇」之誓，谓来生难卜、此生已了。「虎旅」指禁卫军，《周礼》有虎贲氏掌守卫，「宵柝」为夜间刁斗之声；「鸡人」为宫中报晓之官，《周礼》有鸡人掌供鸡牲报晓，以「鸡人报晓筹」写昔日宫禁之森严有序，今则唯有军柝，暗示仓皇出奔。「牵牛」即牛郎织女，反用七夕盟誓——当年笑牛女一年一会，今则永无会期。「莫愁」用南朝乐府《河中之水歌》「洛阳女儿名莫愁」之典，以卢家少妇之凡俗相守反衬天子之孤凄，寻常人名作结，反差强烈。诸典皆切合玄宗杨妃本事，熔铸史事、乐府与民间传说于一炉，使短短五十六字容纳了整整一段天宝兴亡，用典之密而不塞、化典之自然而有力，正是义山咏史『以典写史』的所在。

Commentary

He Zhuo commented that the poem's argument is so sharp it could overshadow the 'Song of Everlasting Regret'. Ji Yun praised the ending as uniquely brilliant, characteristic of Li Shangyin's style.

此诗历代评价极高，被视为晚唐咏史翻案之冠。清·何焯评曰「议论警拔，足夺《长恨》之席」，谓其以冷峻史识压倒《长恨歌》之缠绵抒情；纪昀评曰「结句奇绝，自是玉溪本色」，特赏尾联设问之警策；近人钱锺书则谓义山咏史「以深刻之史识，作冷峻之讥评」，此诗正是代表。与《长恨歌》相比，白诗以情胜，李诗以识胜：白写「天长地久有时尽，此恨绵绵无绝期」之痴情，李写「如何四纪为天子，不及卢家有莫愁」之冷讽，一同一异，恰见中晚唐诗人面对同一题材时从抒情走向议论、从感伤走向批判的精神转向。在咏马嵬诸作中，此诗与郑畋《马嵬坡》等并称，而以其结构的严整、讽刺的透骨居其冠，为千古传诵。就接受史而言，此诗与《长恨歌》构成『马嵬故事』的两极解读，后世戏曲小说（如《长生殿》）多取白诗之情，而史家与诗人论马嵬，则每引义山此诗之识，正见其以诗存史、以识醒人的独特价值。

Prosody

Form Seven-character regulated verse (七言律诗)七言律诗

Rhyme Rhyme scheme: level tone rhyme in the 'you' group (州,休,筹,牛,愁)韵脚为州、休、筹、牛、愁，押平水韵下平十一尤韵，首句「州」字入韵，属「平起首句入韵」的定格，一韵到底，声情流转。

Tone pattern First line does not enter rhyme; tone pattern: level-starting, first line not rhyming平起首句入韵式；首联以「更九州」「此生休」的陡转破题，颔联颈联对仗精严，尾联设问收束，平仄安排随议论之势起伏。

Reading note The entire poem employs a contrasting structure, a masterpiece of late Tang historical inverse poetry.此诗为七言律诗，四联八句，章法上以「对比」为贯穿全篇的骨架：首联虚实对比，颔联今昔对比，颈联哀乐对比，尾联贵贱对比，四联四组对比层层递进，把玄宗一生功罪浓缩于五十六字之中，是律诗「以议论为骨、以对仗为体」的极致。平仄上，全篇为平起首句入韵式，音节流丽而顿挫分明；首联「海外徒闻更九州，他生未卜此生休」两句皆以虚字领起，声调轻灵，正合写传闻之虚；颈联「此日六军同驻马，当时七夕笑牵牛」是公认的工对，「此日」对「当时」、「六军」对「七夕」、「驻马」对「牵牛」，时空、人事、数目皆工，而「驻马」「牵牛」又各含事典，虚实相应，是律诗对仗艺术的上乘境界；尾联以设问「如何」领起，声调昂扬而收以「莫愁」的平收，戛然而止，余味不尽。全诗对仗精严而不板滞，议论透骨而不伤律，是晚唐咏史七律的典范之作。

Line by line

海外徒闻更九州，他生未卜此生休。

Beyond the sea, men vainly talk of another nine provinces; the afterlife is unguessed, but this life is done.

海外徒然传说还有九州仙山，来生难卜，此生的恩爱已经罢休。

Beyond the sea, men vainly talk of other immortal mountains in the nine provinces; the afterlife is unguessed, and this life's love is already done.

首联破空而起，先破《长恨歌》仙山重圆的幻说。「更九州」暗用邹衍大九州之说，指海外仙山，而冠以「徒闻」二字，谓其传闻虚妄、了无实据，一笔扫尽临邛道士海外寻妃的缥缈传说；「他生未卜」进一步否定「世世为夫妇」之誓——来生渺茫难期，唯「此生休」三字是铁的事实。三句三层，由虚到实，由幻到真，以「徒闻」「未卜」的虚字斡旋，写尽幻灭。「此生休」三字冷峻斩截，为全诗定下反讽基调：不再缠绵于长恨，而直指恩爱已了、万事皆休。起笔即以议论破题，是晚唐咏史诗「以翻案开篇」的典型笔法。

The opening couplet breaks the air and rises, first breaking the Long Hate Song's illusion of the immortal mountain's reunion. 'Another nine provinces' secretly uses Zou Yan's theory of the great nine provinces, meaning the overseas immortal mountains, and headed by the words 'vainly talk', saying the rumor is false, without evidence, sweeping away in one stroke the dim legend of the Linqiong Taoist seeking the consort overseas; 'the afterlife is unguessed' further negating the vow of 'husband and wife generation after generation' — the next life dim and hard to expect, only 'this life is done' the iron fact. Three lines, three layers, from the unreal to the real, from the illusion to the truth, through the function words of 'vainly' and 'unguessed', writing the full disillusionment. The three words 'this life is done' cold and decisive, tuning the whole's ironical keynote: no longer lingering on the long hate, but pointing straight at the love's end and all things' done. The opening arguing the theme through critique, precisely the late-Tong historic verse's typical brush of 'opening in reversal'.

空闻虎旅传宵柝，无复鸡人报晓筹。

Vainly I hear the tiger-troops pass the night watch; no more the chicken-heralds report the dawn watches.

只空闻禁军传来夜间的刁斗之声，再没有宫中鸡人报晓的更筹。

Vainly I hear the imperial guards pass the night watch; no more the palace chicken-heralds report the dawn.

颔联写逃蜀途中的仓皇凄凉，与昔年宫中旧制形成强烈对照。「虎旅传宵柝」写禁军夜宿、刁斗声声，是逃难途中的警备之音；「鸡人报晓筹」写宫中鸡人司晨、更筹报晓，是承平岁月的秩序之景。一「空闻」一「无复」，两个虚字写出盛衰之变：如今只能听到军中的刁斗，再也听不到宫中的报晓，「空」字见其惊惶失据，「无复」见其繁华已逝。鸡人报晓本是宫廷日常，此时已成追忆，一句之内含今昔、盛衰、哀乐三重对照。以军中夜柝对宫中晓筹，视听之景皆换，而宫阙之远、行路之难、威仪之失尽在其中，冷隽之中见无限苍凉。

The neck couplet writes the panic and desolation of the flight to Shu, forming the sharp contrast with the palace's old order. 'The tiger-troops pass the night watch' writes the imperial guards' night encampment, the watchman's clapper sound, the alarm of the flight; 'the chicken-heralds report the dawn watches' writes the palace chicken-heralds' announcing the dawn, the order of the peaceful years. One 'vainly hear' one 'no more', the two function words writing the change of prosperity and decline: now only the army's clapper may be heard, never again the palace's dawn report, 'vainly' showing the frightened loss, 'no more' showing the splendor gone. The chicken-herald's dawn report was originally the palace daily, now become the memory, within one line holding the three contrasts of present and past, prosperity and decline, grief and joy. Setting the army's night clapper against the palace's dawn watches, sight and hearing both changed, and the palace's distance, the road's hardship, the ritual's loss all within, the cold keenness showing the infinite desolation.

此日六军同驻马，当时七夕笑牵牛。

On this day, the six armies together reined their horses; in that year's Seventh Eve, they had laughed at the Cowherd.

这一日六军一同驻马不前，当年七夕还笑那牛郎织女。

On this day, the six armies together reined their horses; in that year's Seventh Eve, they had laughed at the Cowherd.

颈联是全诗对比艺术的巅峰，「此日」与「当时」时空对举，死别与欢盟冷峻并置。此日六军驻马不前，兵变哗然，杨妃缢死马嵬，是生离死别之惨；当时七夕笑牵牛，长生殿上海誓山盟，笑牛郎织女一年一会，是柔情蜜意之欢。一惨一欢、一今一昔，诗人不作任何过渡与议论，仅以两组意象并置，让读者自行体味其中的反讽——当年笑牛女不能长相守，如今自己连牛女的一年一会都不可得；当年笃信「世世为夫妇」，如今此身已休。这种「冷峻的并置」正是义山咏史最见功力处，不着一字褒贬，而讽刺自深，所谓「不着议论而议论自见」者。

The following couplet is the peak of the poem's contrast art, 'on this day' and 'in that year' pairing in space and time, the death-parting and the love vow coldly set side by side. On this day the six armies reined their horses, the mutiny in an uproar, Yang Guifei strangled at Mawei, the tragedy of life-parting and death; in that year's Seventh Eve, they laughed at the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, the Chang Sheng Hall's vows, the sweetness of love. One grief one joy, one present one past, the poet writes no transition and no argument, only setting two groups of images side by side, letting the reader taste the irony within — that year they laughed at the Cowherd and Weaver Girl's yearly meeting, and now they themselves cannot even have the yearly meeting; that year they believed in 'husband and wife generation after generation', and now this body is done. This 'cold juxtaposition' is precisely Yishan's most crafty historic verse, not one word of praise or blame, and the satire of itself deep, the so-called 'no argument written and the argument of itself seen'.

如何四纪为天子，不及卢家有莫愁。

How, after four reigns as Son of Heaven, was he less than the Lu house, who had his Mochou?

为何做了四纪天子，反不如卢家夫婿能有莫愁相伴。

Why, having been Son of Heaven for four reigns, was he worse than the Lu house, who kept his Mochou?

尾联以设问收束，反讽透骨，是千古传诵的名句。「四纪」指玄宗在位四十五年（约四纪，十二年为一纪），以在位之久、权位之尊，反衬结局之悲；「卢家有莫愁」用《河中之水歌》典，以卢家少妇与夫婿的凡俗相守，反衬天子之孤凄无伴。设问而不答，答案自在言外：天子权重而情薄，卢家位卑而情长；贵为天子竟不能保一爱妃，不如凡夫俗子得享夫妻相守之乐。问句冷峻而犀利，把讽刺指向最高权力本身——权力越大，越不能护其所爱，反不如常人。此句以家常语入诗，举重若轻，讽意千钧，正是「议论警拔，足夺《长恨》之席」的所在。

The closing couplet closes in question, the irony bone-deep, a famous line through the ages. 'Four reigns' means Xuanzong's forty-five years on the throne (about four reigns, twelve years a reign), using the long reign and the lofty position to set off the ending's grief; 'the Lu house, who had his Mochou' uses the Ballad of the River's Middle allusion, using the Lu house's young wife and husband's common bond to set off the Son of Heaven's lonely state. The question without answer, the answer of itself between the words: the Son of Heaven's weight and the love's thinness, the Lu house's lowliness and the love's long; exalted as the Son of Heaven and yet unable to protect one consort, worse than the common man enjoying the husband-wife bond. The question cold and sharp, pointing the satire at the highest power itself — the greater the power, the less able to protect the beloved, worse than the common man. This line enters the verse through the household word, the light hand on the heavy burden, the satire's thousandweight, precisely where the 'argument soaring, enough to take the Long Hate's seat' lies.

Study

Word focus

徒闻/空闻 A key expression in this poem; read it with the Chinese note below. 「徒闻」「空闻」两个虚字，是全诗斡旋反讽的关键，历来为人称道。首联「海外徒闻更九州」之「徒闻」，谓仙山之说徒然传闻、了无实据，先破《长恨歌》海外寻妃的幻境；颔联「空闻虎旅传宵柝」之「空闻」，谓逃难途中唯闻军柝、不见旧仪，写尽仓皇失据。两「闻」字同而意味有别：前闻虚妄之传说，后闻凄凉之军声，皆以「闻」写「不闻」——闻仙山而实无仙山，闻军柝而不闻鸡人，虚字之中暗藏否定与对照，把求仙之妄与失位之悲一并写出。虚字不虚，实为全诗冷讽之眼，义山炼虚字入骨的功力于此可见。

四纪 four decades (a ji is 12 years) 「四纪」二字，是尾联反讽的基石。十二年为纪，玄宗自先天元年（712）至天宝十五载（756）在位约四十五年，恰近四纪，故曰「四纪为天子」。诗人以在位之久、权力之盛，反衬结局之悲：执掌天下四纪，竟保不住一介红颜；贵极人臣，竟不如卢家夫婿。四纪之「长」，与「此生休」之「短」、与莫愁相守之「恒」形成多重对照，岁月愈久，愈见其荒政之深、护爱之无力。此二字看似纪年常语，实则负载着对玄宗一生长达四十余年功过荣枯的总体审判，是「以数目字写史识」的典范，简练而沉重，故设问一出，讽意如山。

莫愁 Mochou (name meaning 'no sorrow', a happy wife) 「莫愁」二字以人名作结，是全诗反讽的收束之笔，妙绝千古。莫愁本南朝乐府《河中之水歌》中洛阳卢家少妇之名，诗言「卢家兰室桂为梁，中有郁金苏合香」，写其嫁与富家、得享安宁；李商隐此处借「卢家有莫愁」，指凡俗夫妻得以长相厮守之乐。以传说中普通的卢家妇，对现实中尊贵的天子，一凡一贵、一乐一悲，反差强烈，讽意犀利——贵为天子反不及平民，这既是讥刺，也是悲悯，冷峻之中见出对人间真情的肯定。用寻常人名收束如此重大的历史题材，举重若轻，以俗写雅，正是义山「沉博绝丽」而能归之于平淡的高境。