唐 Tang · 诗 Poem
送别崔著作东征
Seeing Off Secretary Cui on His Eastern Campaign
金天方肃杀，白露始专征。
王师非乐战，之子慎佳兵。
海气侵南部，边风扫北平。
莫卖卢龙塞，归邀麟阁名。
At White Dew time you march eastward with will.
The royal army loves no war nor strife,
My friend, take care when you take arms in life.
The southern coast is soaked with sea-born haze,
While northern lands are swept by frontier gales.
Sell not Lulong Pass for a name in song,
Nor seek on Qilin Tower fame lifelong.
Meaning
In the autumn season of killing frost, at the White Dew period, the expedition begins. The imperial army does not delight in war—you must be cautious with arms. Sea vapor invades the southern frontier, and frontier winds sweep through Beiping. Do not sell out Lulong Pass, hoping to return and seek fame on the Qilin Pavilion.
秋天正弥漫着肃杀之气，白露时节开始专事征伐。王师并非喜欢战争，你此行务请慎用兵力。海上的湿气侵犯南部，边地的风扫荡北平。不要像那个卖掉卢龙塞的人，盼着回来博取麟阁的功名。
Appreciation
This farewell poem combines frontier atmosphere with political concern. Chen Zi'ang uses the occasion to express the Confucian idea of cautious warfare, warning his friend not to seek personal glory at the expense of national security. The poem is dignified and profound, avoiding sentimental parting words.
【白话串讲】 陈子昂送好友崔融东征：王师不是好战，你出征要慎重用兵。他叮嘱：“莫卖卢龙塞，归邀麟阁名”——守住国土，回来再领功。 【意象与手法】 诗以「金天方肃杀，白露始专征」起，点秋令与出师，气象森严而不萎靡；以议论入送别，将临别赠言升华为政治劝诫；中二联以对句写边地荒寒，阔大苍凉；尾联用典作诫，于豪放中寓深沉忧思。全诗刚健沉雄，脱尽绮靡。 【情感与主旨】 崔融为初唐诗坛「文章四友」之一，时任著作佐郎。武则天时契丹反叛，崔融随武三思军东征，陈子昂作此送别。诗中借送别申述「非乐战」「慎佳兵」的仁政主张，并暗诫边将勿贪功启衅，寄托深远。 【名句点睛】 常考「金天方肃杀，白露始专征」的时令与氛围作用——以秋日肃杀之气烘托军旅气象；又考「王师非乐战，之子慎佳兵」的思想内涵——儒家仁战、慎战主张，以及尾联「莫卖卢龙塞，归邀麟阁名」用典作诫的深意。
Background
Cui Rong, one of the 'Four Friends of Literature' in early Tang, was a secretary to the Prince of Liang, Wu Sansi, during the campaign against the Khitan (696–697). Chen Zi'ang wrote this farewell at a time when he himself was in the military advisory office, having witnessed the dangers of excessive warfare. The poem reflects his political stance against war and his deep concern for the border.
崔融为初唐诗坛「文章四友」之一，时任著作佐郎，与陈子昂交谊甚笃。武则天天册万岁元年（695）至神功元年（697）间，契丹李尽忠、孙万荣相继反叛，梁王武三思受命率军东征，崔融随行，陈子昂作此诗送别。此时陈子昂本人亦在武攸宜幕府参谋军事，亲历边事，深知穷兵黩武之弊；他目睹武周时期边将邀功、战祸连绵的现实，对战争的态度既沉痛又清醒。故此诗不独是朋友间的临别赠言，更借送别之机申述「非乐战」「慎佳兵」的仁政主张，并暗诫边将勿贪功启衅，以免重蹈卖塞邀功者的覆辙，寄托十分深远。诗中「莫卖卢龙塞」一语，正针对当时边将冒功开边、以致祸结兵连的现实而发，见出诗人以天下为念的襟抱。武周时期，边境战事频仍，突厥、契丹、吐蕃相继扰边，朝廷屡次兴师，边将多冒功邀赏，陈子昂对此深恶痛绝，其《感遇》诸诗屡有讥边将贪功之语。此诗既为送别，亦是其反战思想的宣言：崔融此行东征，正处契丹乱起、武三思督师之际，诗人以此诗相勉，希望他以『慎兵』为念，不为功名所诱，其关切之深，已超出寻常友朋赠别。
Art
The poem starts with a stern autumn setting, then shifts to moral advice with 'The royal army loves no war,' using argumentative language rarely seen in farewell poems. The couplet 'Sea vapor invades the southern coast, frontier wind sweeps Beiping' paints a vast, desolate border landscape. The final couplet uses historical allusions to warn against seeking fame through reckless action.
此诗以议论入送别，将一己之情升华为治国之论，立意高出寻常赠别之上。首联「金天方肃杀，白露始专征」点出时令与军旅：金天指秋天，白露为节气，肃杀之气与出师之令相映，起笔即具边塞风云，气象森严而不萎靡；颔联「王师非乐战，之子慎佳兵」正面立论，以「非乐战」明王师之仁义，以「慎佳兵」诫友人用兵之谨慎，语重心长，是全诗的筋骨；颈联「海气侵南部，边风扫北平」以对句写征途所经之地的荒寒险远，境界阔大苍凉；尾联「莫卖卢龙塞，归邀麟阁名」反用田畴故事作诫，于豪放中寓深沉忧思。全诗由时令而议论而写景而用典，层层推进，刚健沉雄，脱尽初唐诗坛的绮靡之习，是陈子昂「汉魏风骨」主张的实践。全诗以『肃杀』起、以『麟阁名』结，气脉贯通：首联的秋气为尾联的功名作衬——秋气肃杀则战事正急，功名诱人则慎战尤难；中二联一议一景，议论见其思想，景物见其气象，四联各有专责而合成一体。五律篇幅虽短，陈子昂却能于其中容纳时、地、事、理四层，且字字坚实，无一句浮泛，正是其『骨力遒上』的具体表现，亦是初唐五律由应制向言志转变的标志。
Allusions
'War flag' (专征) refers to the authority to launch expeditions granted by the emperor. 'Fine arms' (佳兵) comes from Laozi, meaning that weapons are unlucky tools. 'Lulong Pass' alludes to the story of Tian Chou, who guided Cao Cao's army through the pass against the Wuhuan and refused reward; 'selling Lulong' thus means treacherously opening the border for personal gain. 'Qilin Pavilion' is where Han emperors displayed portraits of meritorious officials.
「专征」指古代诸侯或将帅经天子特许可自行征伐，《周礼》有「赐弓矢然后专征」之说，此指崔融奉诏从军。「佳兵」出《老子》「夫佳兵者不祥之器，物或恶之，故有道者不处」，意谓好兵之器不祥、好用兵者不祥，陈子昂以「慎佳兵」劝崔融慎用武力，将道家贵柔守慈的思想融入儒家仁政主张。「卢龙塞」用三国田畴故事：《魏志》载田畴为曹操出谋，引军出卢龙塞破乌桓，功成不受封赏，然后世另有贪功者假「卢龙」之名冒功启边，诗人遂反用「莫卖卢龙塞」，警戒边将勿以卖塞求荣。「麟阁」即麒麟阁，汉宣帝图画功臣于麒麟阁，后世遂以「麟阁」代指功名与封赏。二典一正一反，寄托劝诫之意，用事精切而自然。此外『之子』一词出《诗经》『之子于归』，是雅言称人，用在此处既表敬重，又暗含以古贤相期的意味；『海气侵南部，边风扫北平』虽为写景，亦暗含『南侵北扫』的兵象，与首联『专征』呼应。全诗用典、用词皆精审不苟，见出陈子昂深厚的经学修养，其诗之所以能『一扫六朝绮靡』，正在于这种以经义入诗、以风骨立骨的努力。
Commentary
The Tangshi Pin Hui quotes Liu Xuxi: ‘Zi’ang’s ancient poems attain the spirit of the Airs; this farewell poem contains strategies for pacifying the border.’ Shen Deqian in Tangshi Biecai says, ‘The line “The royal army loves no war” alone can break the confusion of centuries of warmongering.’ Modern critics often compare this poem with his ‘Emotions’ series, noting its role as precursor to High Tang frontier poetry.
《唐诗品汇》引刘辰翁（号须溪）评：「子昂古诗多得风雅之体，此虽送别，乃有安边之略」，拈出此诗以送别寄安边之策的特点。沈德潜《唐诗别裁》谓「『王师非乐战』五字，足破千载穷兵之惑」，极赏其慎战思想的警策力量。近人论初唐边塞诗，每以此诗与陈子昂《感遇》诸作并提，谓其「寓谏于送，骨力遒上，开盛唐边塞先声」。的确，此诗在题材上上承初唐赠别边塞之作，下启高适、岑参一派雄浑刚健的边塞诗风，而其以儒家仁政思想灌注诗中的做法，更在唐代边塞诗中独树一帜。全诗短短八句，而时令、议论、写景、用典兼备，义理与气势并胜，堪称初唐五律中的压卷之作。今人论初唐诗歌革新，必推陈子昂《修竹篇序》『文章道弊五百年矣』之论，而此诗正是其理论的身体力行：不用齐梁的绮词丽句，而以质实的语言写边塞的严峻与用兵的戒慎，诗风由靡而健，正是『汉魏风骨』的回响。清代沈德潜以『足破千载穷兵之惑』许『王师非乐战』五字，足见此诗的思想价值历千年而不磨，其以送别寄安边之略的写法，更为后来边塞送别诗树立了范式。
Prosody
Line by line
金天方肃杀，白露始专征
The autumn sky begins to kill and chill, at White Dew time you start the expedition.
秋天正弥漫着肃杀之气，白露时节开始专事征伐。
The autumn sky is just now austerely killing; at the white dew, the campaign is appointed.
起联点出时令与军旅：金天指秋日，古人以五行配四时，秋属金，故称秋天为金天；白露是节气名，时在仲秋。「肃杀」写秋气凛冽、草木凋零的自然景象，「专征」指奉天子之命出征，二者并置，使自然界的肃杀与战场的杀伐互相映衬，起笔即营造出森严的边塞气象。此联不写离情别绪，先写时势军情，见出诗人送别的视野不在儿女私情而在天下大事；「始」字点出出征正当其时，含有一往无前的决断之气，为全诗定下刚健的基调。
The opening couplet names the season and the campaign: 'the autumn sky' means autumn, the ancients matching the five elements to the four seasons, autumn belonging to metal, hence autumn called the metal sky; 'the white dew' the solar term, in mid-autumn. 'Austerely killing' writes the autumn air's keenness, the grass and trees' falling; 'the campaign is appointed' means marching out by the emperor's command; the two set together, the natural austereness and the battlefield's slaughter setting each other off, the opening at once building the stern frontier air. This couplet writes not the parting feeling, but first the times and the army, showing the poet's sight in the parting not on the private grief of son and lover but on the world's great affairs; the word 'appointed' names the march's right time, holding the decision of going forward without turning, tuning the poem's vigorous keynote.
王师非乐战，之子慎佳兵
The royal army does not delight in war—you must be cautious with arms.
王师并非喜欢战争，你此行务请慎用兵力。
The royal army loves not war; you, sir, must beware of arms.
此联是全诗立论之骨，以议论入送别。上句「王师非乐战」为王者之师定性：兴兵出于不得已，并非穷兵好战，先为征伐树起正义的旗帜；下句「之子慎佳兵」转而对友人叮咛：「之子」即此人，指崔融，「佳兵」出《老子》「夫佳兵者不祥之器」，此处化用为慎用兵力的劝诫，叮嘱其临事戒惧、不轻启战端。两句一立义、一示戒，把朝廷的仁政立场与对友人的殷殷嘱咐熔铸于十字之中，语重心长，是儒家「以战止战」「兵者凶器」思想在诗中的典型表达，也是此诗高出一般边塞送别之作的地方。
This couplet is the argumentative bone of the poem, entering the parting through argument. The upper line, 'the royal army loves not war', qualifies the royal army: arms are raised out of necessity, not from a love of war for war's sake, first raising the banner of justice for the campaign; the lower line, 'you, sir, must beware of arms', turns to the friend's exhortation: 'you, sir' means this man, Cui Rong; 'arms' from the Laozi, 'fine arms are inauspicious vessels', here adapted into the warning to use force with care, charging him to be wary in affairs and not lightly open the war. Two lines, one establishing the right, one showing the warning, fusing the court's humane stance and the friend's earnest charge into ten words, the words weighty and long, the typical expression in poetry of the Confucian thought of 'using war to end war' and 'arms are instruments of ill', and precisely what raises this poem above the ordinary frontier farewell.
海气侵南部，边风扫北平
Sea vapor invades the southern coast, frontier winds sweep through Beiping.
海上的湿气侵犯南部，边地的风扫荡北平。
The sea-rain invades the southern border; the border wind sweeps over Beiping.
颈联以工对写征途所至之地的荒寒：海气指海上潮润的雾气，侵逼南方之地；边风指塞北的寒风，扫荡北平一带。「侵」「扫」二字皆带凌厉之势，写出东征路上风霜凛冽、天地萧瑟的景象，境界阔大而苍凉。此联虽为写景，实寓对友人征程艰辛的关切：南部之海气、北平之边风，遥遥相对，正见征途之远、行役之苦；而风扫海侵的动感又暗合兵戈之象，与首联「肃杀」「专征」遥相呼应，使全诗始终笼罩在苍茫的边塞气象之中，情与景、理与势浑然一体。
The neck couplet writes, in an exact couplet, the waste cold of the campaign's destinations: 'the sea-rain' the sea's damp mist, invading the southern land; 'the border wind' the northwest's keen wind, sweeping the Beiping region. The words 'invades' and 'sweeps' both carry the sharp force, writing the eastern expedition road's wind and frost keen, the heaven and earth bleak, the realm vast and desolate. This couplet, though scenic, in fact holds the concern for the friend's hard road: the sea-rain of the south, the border wind of Beiping, facing from afar, showing the road's distance and the service's toil; and the motion of wind-sweeping and sea-invading secretly matches the image of arms, echoing the opening's 'austerely killing' and 'the campaign appointed', keeping the whole shrouded in the vast frontier air, feeling and scene, reason and force, one.
莫卖卢龙塞，归邀麟阁名
Do not sell Lulong Pass, hoping to return and seek fame on the Qilin Pavilion.
不要像那个卖掉卢龙塞的人，盼着回来博取麟阁的功名。
Sell not the Lulong Pass, returning to beg fame at the Qilin Pavilion.
尾联以典故作诫，是全诗情感的归结。「卢龙塞」用田畴破乌桓故事，此处反其意而用之，警告边将切勿以贪功邀赏之心轻开边衅、自毁长城，「莫卖」二字痛切直指当时边将冒功的时弊；「麟阁」即麒麟阁，为汉宣帝图画功臣之处，代指功名。上句戒之以「莫」，下句正之以「归」，一抑一扬：真正的功名不是靠卖塞邀功换来的，而是凯旋归来、功成于国者方能名垂麟阁。两句把对友人的期许与对时弊的针砭合而为一，豪放中见深沉，是全诗思想的归穴，结得警策有力。
The closing couplet uses the allusion for the warning, the close of the poem's feeling. 'The Lulong Pass' uses the story of Tian Chou breaking the Wuhuan, here used against its grain, warning the border general never to lightly open a border feud for the greedy hope of merit, destroying his own great wall; the words 'sell not' strike straight at the age's ill of border generals chasing merit; 'the Qilin Pavilion', i.e. the Qilin Pavilion, where Emperor Xuan of Han painted the portraits of his merit ministers, standing for fame. The upper line warns with 'sell not', the lower sets right with 'returning': the true fame is not bought by selling the pass for merit, but only he who returns in triumph, the merit won for the state, may have his name on the pavilion. Two lines fuse the expectation for the friend and the criticism of the age's ill, the deep within the boldness, the landing of the poem's thought, the close warning and forceful.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Both are farewell poems to friends heading to the frontier. Wang Wei's poem is sentimental and intimate, while Chen Zi'ang's is stern and admonitory, showing two different styles of Tang farewell poetry.
王维《送元二使安西》「劝君更尽一杯酒，西出阳关无故人」与陈子昂此诗同写送友远赴边地，而面目迥异：王诗以一杯浊酒写情深缱绻，缠绵悱恻，重在临别一刻的人情；陈诗以肃杀秋气、慎兵之诫写气象森严，重在出师之际的政见。同是送别，一重情、一重理，一婉约、一刚健，恰可见唐人送别诗的两大取向。王诗传唱不衰，被谱入乐府为《阳关三叠》；陈诗则以议论入诗、寓谏于送，开边塞送别之正格。二诗并读，正可体会盛唐送别诗情理兼备、各极其致的丰富面貌。
送李少府贬峡中王少府贬长沙 Seeing Off Magistrate Li to Exile in the Gorge and Magistrate Wang to Changsha 高适 · 同写送友赴边地远任的健笔 Same theme (farewell to frontier)Both send friends to distant border posts. Gao Shi's poem is consoling and encouraging, while Chen Zi'ang's warns against war and personal ambition, revealing different facets of High Tang frontier sentiment.
高适《送李少府贬峡中王少府贬长沙》以「嗟君此别意何如」起，对峡中、长沙两地分写，慰勉兼至，结尾「圣代即今多雨露，暂时分手莫踌躇」以宽语收束；陈子昂此诗则对东征军旅分写时令、议论、景物、典戒，以慎战寓谏作结。二诗同出唐人送友赴边之健笔：高诗情深而气宽，陈诗义正而骨峻；高适以情慰人，陈子昂以理规友，各见襟抱。合观二诗，可见盛唐送别边地诗由个人情谊向家国关怀扩展的轨迹，陈子昂实开其先，高适则集其成。