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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

送别

Seeing Off a Friend

王维

Wang Wei

送别Farewell 友情Friendship 隐逸Hermitage 五绝Theme

山中相送罢，日暮掩柴扉。
\n春草明年绿，王孙归不归？

In the mountains the farewell is done; at sunset I close the brushwood gate.
When next year the spring grass is green, will you, my lord, return or not?

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Meaning

After seeing a friend off in the hills, the poet closes the brushwood gate at dusk and wonders if his friend will return when the spring grass turns green again.

在山中送走了好友，夕阳西下时轻轻掩上柴门。待到明年春草再绿的时候，远去的朋友啊，你还能不能回来与我相聚？

Appreciation

A model of Wang Wei's spare, implication-rich farewell style, this twenty-word quatrain achieves depth through radical restraint. It opens after the parting is already done—'in the mountains the farewell is done'—and moves at once to the quiet act of closing the brushwood gate at dusk, cutting away all ritual of leave-taking to leave only the residue of absence. From this minimal scene the poem leaps to a question aimed at next spring: when the grass turns green again, will you return? The 'spring grass' becomes a silent measure of waiting, and the conventional address 'Wang Sun' (prince / noble friend, drawn from the Chu Ci 'Summoning the Recluse') lends the personal grief a classical resonance. No tears, no exhortation—only a closed gate and a question left hanging in the green of the future. Its power lies precisely in what is omitted; the regulated five-character form holds the feeling in perfect equilibrium. Widely anthologized, it stands as a touchstone of Tang farewell poetry, showing how Wang Wei could charge the simplest image with enduring, unspoken longing.

【白话串讲】 “山中相送罢，日暮掩柴扉”——王维写送别：山中送别，日暮掩门。“春草明年绿，王孙归不归”——明年春草绿的时候，你还回来吗？二十个字，送别后的孤独与期待。【意象与手法】不写临别之景而写别后之事。首句以“罢”字略去送别经过，“掩柴扉”写出别后孤寂，后二句由今及明，以春草必然之绿反衬归期难卜之怅。二十字中时间由今及明、空间由山及户、情思由实入虚，删繁就简、以景摄情。【情感与主旨】写山中送别后的孤独与期待。“春草明年绿，王孙归不归”以春草之绿写对归期的殷切盼望与渺茫，不著一愁字而愁思自见，是送别诗中别开生面之作，见盛唐绝句以少总多、言有尽而意无穷之妙。【名句点睛】常考“山中相送罢，日暮掩柴扉”以“罢”“掩”写别后孤寂；“春草明年绿，王孙归不归”以景语写归期之盼。

Background

Wang Wei (701–761), a pillar of High Tang poetry and a master of the quiet, nature-infused style. This is a short farewell poem, deceptively simple.

王维，字摩诘，太原祁（今山西祁县）人，盛唐山水田园诗派代表，与孟浩然并称王孟。此诗题作送别，写山中送客之事，具体作年难确考，大约在其隐居辋川或游处终南期间。盛唐士人重交游，送别为诗中大端，然王维此作独不写长亭折柳、泪眼执手之常套，而落笔于送罢之后：日暮掩扉，春草待绿，于极淡极静中写极深之念。山中点明幽居环境，亦暗喻远离尘喧；相送罢三字，省去临歧叮咛，直入别后空寂。此诗看似随手，实则匠心独运，以虚处传神，于无声处听别恨，最见摩诘诗中有画、淡而弥永之风。其格局虽小，而含情极深，在唐人送别诗中别开生面，与李颀、高适之悲壮送行异趣而同工。摩诘此作虽短，却别开送别诗之新境；不写临歧泪眼而写别后掩扉，以虚处传神，对唐宋小诗影响深远，后世欧阳修、王安石之小诗皆可见其遗韵，唐人送别至此乃有一派清空之境。盛唐送别诗多悲慨，此诗独以静写哀，于热闹之后写空寂，格局虽小而含情极深，最见摩诘取舍之匠心与诗笔之澄淡。此诗作于王维隐居辋川别业之时，彼时朝局渐稳而诗人心向林泉，交游多在方外隐逸之间。山中送客，本是寻常人事，王维却于最平淡处见出深情。唐代士人重离别，折柳阳关皆为常调，而此作不写执手泪眼，只写送罢归来掩门之静，正是其晚年笃好禅悦、以静写动之体现。辋川山水既是实景，亦是心象，送别一事遂被收摄为一种淡远的余韵，读者于日暮柴扉中感受的，不是热烈的离愁，而是悠长不尽的挂念与等待。

Art

Only twenty words, yet it moves from action (seeing off, closing the gate) to a longing question aimed at the future. The 'spring grass' becomes a quiet measure of waiting.

此诗以省净取胜，二十字中含时间双层、景情两融。前二句叙事后景：山中送走友人，直至日暮，方轻轻掩上柴门。罢字了却前情，掩字收束空间，日暮添苍茫之色，动作极轻而寂寞极重。后二句由实入虚，以明年春草之绿，问王孙之归否，于现在推及未来，以景之必然反衬人之未卜。全诗不写如何送、如何悲，只写送后之掩扉与心中之悬望，以不言言之，以不尽尽之。对仗工稳而自然，语言如话，却余韵邈然。此种以淡语写至情、以景语结问句之法，最是摩诘本色，亦开后来欧阳修、王安石小诗之先声，唐人送别至此乃有一派清空之境。二十字而具双层时间、两重景情，以淡语写至情，以景语结问句；省净至此而余味不减，正赖其留白之妙，不言悲而悲自满纸。山中相送罢截断前情，日暮掩柴扉收束空间，春草明年绿推及来岁，王孙归不归以问收束。摩诘以画家之眼、禅家之心写此小诗，章法至简而意蕴至丰，不着力处乃见真淳。全诗二十字而章法极密，起句叙事，结句设问，中间以日暮春草铺展时空。掩柴扉三字最为吃紧，送罢本已归去，掩扉更见孤寂，动作虽小却收束万般情思。不直写相思而相思自见，正是所谓不著一字尽得风流。春草意象勾连来年期约，以自然循环反衬人事难料，景语皆情语。末句以问收束，不答而答，余味绕梁，章法之妙在于以无为有、以静制动。

Allusions

'Wang Sun' (prince / noble son) is a conventional term of address for a departing friend, drawn from the 'Chu Ci' 'Summoning the Recluse'.

王孙一语，出于《楚辞·招隐士》：王孙游兮不归，春草生兮萋萋。原诗以春草喻隐者不归，王维反用其意，以春草明年绿问远去之王孙归不归，化招隐为盼归，古语新用，含蓄深厚。柴扉、山中，皆隐逸意象，承陶渊明归园田居与饮酒中篱下之趣。掩柴扉之举，亦近陶渊明门虽设而常关之境。又古诗十九首中有涉江采芙蓉、同心而离居之叹，与此诗别后相思同一怀抱。王维融楚辞之典与田园之趣于一炉，不露痕迹，使寻常送别顿生千载之思，是用典而至于化境者，读之但觉古意悠然，不知其用典而自工。王孙一语反用楚辞，化招隐为盼归；柴扉、山中皆承陶渊明田园意象，使寻常送别顿生千载文脉，是用典而至于化境者，读之但觉古意悠然，不知其用典而句自工。招隐士本招隐者归，此诗反其意而盼游子返，古语新用而含蓄深厚。最见盛唐诗人浑成之手腕，用事如水中着盐，有味而无迹。王孙一语本于《楚辞·招隐士》所谓王孙游兮不归，春草生兮萋萋，原指隐者久出不还，王维反其意而用之，以王孙代指友人，将招隐之呼转为盼归之问。春草明年绿则点化江淹、谢灵运以来伤春念远之传统，草色轮回象征归期之约。此类用典不落痕迹，融化古意于眼前实景，既存出处之雅，又无掉书袋之弊，足以见盛唐诗人使事之圆融自然。

Commentary

The poem's power lies in its restraint: no tears, only a closed gate and a question left hanging in the green of next spring.

送别诗多写临歧，此诗独写别后，是其新异处。山中相送罢，一罢字截断热闹，顿入清寂；日暮掩柴扉，掩字极轻，却把人去室空之况一笔写尽。最妙在末二句：不问归期，而问归不归，以春草之必然反衬人之难必，痴情憨问，愈见相思之深。全诗句句平常，却句句含情，淡到极处便是浓到极处。摩诘以画家之眼、禅家之心写此小诗，不着悲字而悲从中来，不呼友名而友在言外。后来欧阳修、王安石皆喜其语，东坡谓味摩诘诗，诗中有画，此诗虽只写掩扉问草，而山中暮色、柴门孤影，宛然在目，诚为千古送别之绝唱，短章而具长篇之力。送别之痛多在别后，此诗以掩扉问草写尽别后之空，痴问归否，痴绝亦痛绝；淡到极处便是浓到极处，摩诘不着悲字而悲从中来，不呼友名而友在言外。日暮掩扉一动，写尽人去室空；春草问归一问，写尽悬望之深。遂成千古送别之绝唱，短章具长篇之力，清空之中自有不尽之思，令人低回。要之，此诗以别后之空写临歧之痛，淡语之中藏千载之思；摩诘以画家之眼、禅家之心处理送别，遂使短章具长篇之力，唐人小诗之清空至此乃造极境。省净到极处、余味却长到极处，此其所以为难，亦其所以为绝唱，送别一题至此别开生面而不落常套。掩扉问草，痴绝亦痛绝，不言悲而悲满纸；后人学王孟者伙矣，而能如这首一般淡而弥永者盖寡。读此诗当于日暮柴扉之静中，想见那一去不返的友人之影，知送别之痛原在别后之空，摩诘之妙正在不言言之，以虚处传神而韵致无穷，二十字抵得一篇长歌。要之，此诗以别后之空写临歧之痛，淡语之中藏千载之思；摩诘以画家之眼、禅家之心处理送别，遂使短章具长篇之力，唐人小诗之清空至此乃造极境。省净到极处、余味却长到极处，此其所以为难，亦其所以为绝唱，送别一题至此别开生面而不落常套。掩扉问草，痴绝亦痛绝，不言悲而悲满纸；后人学王孟者伙矣，而能如这首一般淡而弥永者盖寡。读此诗当于日暮柴扉之静中，想见那一去不返的友人之影，知送别之痛原在别后之空，摩诘之妙正在不言言之，以虚处传神而韵致无穷，二十字抵得一篇长歌。此诗之深，在将浓情化为淡语。寻常送别多极写执手依依，此独写送罢之后的空山日暮，于无声处听惊雷。掩柴扉是身体的退场，春草绿是时间的延展，王孙归否是心事的悬置。三者叠合，便成一帧永恒等待的剪影。王维以画入诗，空间留白处皆是情思，禅宗所谓应无所住而生其心，正可移评此作。读之令人于寂静中体认人间最深的牵念，是为盛唐绝句中以少胜多之典范。

Prosody

Reading note A model of Wang Wei's spare, implication-rich farewell style.此诗为五言绝句，四句二十字，押平声微韵（扉、归，古音同属微部，唐韵相叶）。首句山中相送罢，平仄为平平平仄仄；次句日暮掩柴扉，仄仄仄平平，扉字押韵；三句春草明年绿，平仄平平仄；四句王孙归不归，平平平仄平，归字押韵，且以问句收，仄起而情婉。绝句贵在含蓄，此诗不务对仗而自成流走，声调舒徐，与送别后从容怅望之情相协。二十字而声情并茂，于平仄间见出送别后低回往复的心绪，是盛唐五绝自然高妙之范例，亦可见王维于声律未严之际已能依意运调、不以辞害志的从容。此作五言绝句，共四句二十字，押微韵而归字古音近微，一韵到底。平仄合律，首句山中相送罢为仄平平仄仄，次句日暮掩柴扉仄仄仄平平，第三句春草明年绿平仄平平仄，末句王孙归不归平平平仄平，节拍疏朗如话。不归以疑问收束，打破陈述之稳，留有余音。五绝体制短小，最忌铺排，此诗以叙事带情、以问句结穴，声情与辞意相生，读来温润而悠长。

Line by line

山中相送罢，日暮掩柴扉。

In the mountains the farewell is done; at sunset I close the brushwood gate.

In the hills, our seeing-off done; at dusk, I close the brushwood door.

此二句为全诗叙事之骨。山中点明幽居环境，相送罢三字删尽临歧执手、叮咛嘱别之繁文，只留结果，笔法极简；日暮掩柴扉承上而来，由送罢到日暮，时间暗移，掩字写动作亦写心境，柴门轻合而孤影独对，山中薄暮之静与别后之空一时俱现。二句无一愁字而愁思自见，是王维删繁就简、以景摄情之妙，亦见其诗中有画之笔力。于无声处写尽别后孤怀与山中静夜，只此一掩，便将送者之落寞、环境之清寂一并收束，是盛唐五绝以少胜多、以静写哀的典范一笔。此二句由送罢之动转入掩扉之静，叙事极简而余味极长，山中日暮的空寂正是诗人心头挥不去的离思。

These two lines are the narrative bone of the poem. 'In the hills' names the secluded dwelling; 'our seeing-off done' cuts away all the ritual of the parting at the fork, the exhortation and the clasped hands, leaving only the result, the brush most economical; 'at dusk, I close the brushwood door' carries on, from the seeing-off done to the dusk, the time secretly moved, the word 'close' writing both the action and the mood, the brush door softly shut and the lone figure facing itself, the mountain dusk's stillness and the post-parting emptiness at once. Two lines not one word 'grief', and the grief of itself, Wang Wei's craft of cutting the complex to the simple and mastering feeling through scene, and the brush of 'poetry within painting'. Writing the post-parting loneliness and the mountain night's stillness in the soundless, this one closing of the door gathers at once the sender's desolation and the environment's clear quiet, the model of the High Tang five-word quatrain's 'the great through the small, writing grief through stillness'. These two lines turn from the motion of the seeing-off done to the stillness of closing the door, the narrative most economical and the aftertaste most long, and the mountain dusk's emptiness is precisely the parting thought the poet cannot shake.

春草明年绿，王孙归不归？

When next year the spring grass is green, will you, my lord, return or not?

The spring grass will turn green again next year; O wanderer, will you return, or not?

此二句为全诗抒情之眼，亦全篇最耐咀处。春草明年绿，言自然之信、时序之常；王孙归不归，言人事之乖、聚散之难。以天地之有信，衬离人之无期，对照之间，怅惘深长。王孙用《楚辞》语，问而不答，余韵悠然。表面问友，实亦自问，隐者山中送客，客去而己独留，归不归之叹，中含身世之感。短章而能包蕴如许深意，是盛唐绝句以问句收束、以少总多之极致，于草色年年的恒常中，照见人世聚散的无常与深情。春草轮回而归期未卜，以自然之信反衬人事之乖，问句不作答，唯留一川烟草在读者心头绵延不尽。

These two lines are the lyrical eye of the poem, and the part the most to be chewed. 'The spring grass will turn green again next year' speaks nature's faith, the season's constancy; 'O wanderer, will you return, or not?' speaks human change, the difficulty of meeting and parting. Through the heaven-and-earth's faith, setting off the parted man's no fixed date, the contrast the wistfulness the deeper. 'Wanderer' uses the Chuci phrase, asking and not answering, the aftertaste at leisure. On the surface asking the friend, in fact asking himself too: the recluse in the hills seeing the guest off, the guest gone and himself left, the sigh of 'will you return' holding the feeling for his own lot. A short piece yet holding such depth, the extreme of the High Tang quatrain's 'closing in question, the great through the small'; within the constancy of the grass's yearly green, it sees the unreality and the depth of human meeting and parting. The spring grass cycles, and the return date undivined; nature's faith set off against human change, the question unanswered, leaving only a river of grass in the reader's heart, unending.

Study

Word focus

掩 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 掩字精炼传神。掩者，轻轻合上，非重关闭锁，写出诗人送客归户时漫不经心又略带落寞的动作。柴扉一掩，山居的孤清与别后的静谧同时降临，似将外间喧嚣关在门外，却关不住心头思念。与「闭」「关」相较，掩更见轻柔与诗意，一字而境界全出，是王维炼字如画之例。所谓诗中有画，此字亦是一笔淡墨，于无声处写尽别后孤怀，足见其于细微动作中寄情的深厚功力，以最轻之笔，担最重之愁，是五绝炼字之极致。掩字收束送别后的空山，动作极小而孤寂极深，以静写动之妙全在此一字。

罢 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 罢字起手即见不凡。常人写送别，多状执手泪眼、长亭更短亭；王维独以相送罢三字，将送别全过程一笔带过，直落别后。罢者，结束也，然结束中正藏不舍——正因情深，故不愿细写临别之苦，只以罢字收束，转写更难忘的别后之思。此一字见剪裁之巧，亦见盛唐绝句尚意不尚繁之审美，于开端即定下含蓄淡远的基调。举重若轻，最见大家手段，于二字之间，已把送别诗的陈腔滥调一扫而空，另立清淡浑成之格。罢字写送客已毕，叙事戛然而止，却正开启下文日暮掩扉的悠长余韵。

送别