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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

望月怀远

Gazing at the Moon, Longing for One Far Away

张九龄

Zhang Jiuling

望月Moon gazing 思念Yearning 抒情Lyric

海上生明月，天涯共此时。
情人怨遥夜，竟夕起相思。
灭烛怜光满，披衣觉露滋。
不堪盈手赠，还寝梦佳期。

Over the sea the bright moon rises,
From the far ends of the earth we share this moment.
Lovers resent the long night,
Rising all night, consumed by longing.
I blow out the candle, loving the full moonlight;
Donning my robe, I feel the dew's moisture.
Unable to offer you a handful of moonlight,
I return to bed, hoping for a dream of our meeting.

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Meaning

The poet expresses deep longing for a distant beloved while gazing at the moon. The poem opens with a grand image of the moon rising over the sea, shared by lovers separated by distance. It then depicts a restless night filled with yearning, and ends with the tender wish to send moonlight but settling for a dream meeting.

茫茫海上冉冉升起一轮明月，远在天涯的人儿此刻与我同望这一轮清辉。多情的人儿怨恨这漫漫长夜，通宵不眠只因起了相思。吹灭了烛火，偏爱这满屋的清辉；披衣起身，方觉夜露已悄悄沾湿衣襟。可惜不能掬一捧月光赠你，还是回屋就寝，盼在梦中相会那美好的佳期。

Appreciation

The opening couplet 'Over the sea the bright moon rises, from the far ends of the earth we share this moment' is celebrated for its expansive vision and emotional resonance. The poem uses specific actions like blowing out the candle and feeling the dew to vividly convey the intensity of longing. The closing lines, with their delicate attempt to offer moonlight, exemplify Zhang Jiuling's refined and restrained style.

【白话串讲】 “海上生明月，天涯共此时”——张九龄把思念写得如此辽阔，让两个相隔万里的人，因为同一轮月亮而同时被照亮。这句诗，是中国人异地相思的起点。【意象与手法】情致温厚，兴象玲珑。起句「海上生明月，天涯共此时」以海天明月拓开万里空间，气象宏大，由景及人，将两地相思绾于一轮明月。中间「怨遥夜」「起相思」「怜光满」「觉露滋」以情驭景、以动写静，炼字精微；收束「不堪盈手赠，还寝梦佳期」柔情绵邈，大开大合而一气贯注，情景相生。【情感与主旨】张九龄是开元名相、一代贤相，亦是盛唐前期雅正诗风的代表，其诗多托物言志、温厚含蓄。此诗写望月而思远方之人，语言澄净、意境邈远，既见贤相胸襟，亦寓罢相后的孤怀，被视为唐人「望月怀远」题材的先声。【名句点睛】常考「海上生明月，天涯共此时」的阔远与深情，以及「不堪盈手赠」对陆机诗句的化用，为望月怀远之名句。

Background

Zhang Jiuling was a virtuous and respected prime minister during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang dynasty, known for his elegant and upright poetic style. 'Gazing at the Moon, Longing for One Far Away' is considered a precursor to later famous moon-themed poems by Li Bai, Du Fu, and Su Shi, establishing a tradition of using the moon to express longing across distance.

张九龄（678—740），字子寿，韶州曲江（今广东韶关）人，开元名相、一代贤相，亦是盛唐前期雅正诗风的代表，其诗多托物言志、温厚含蓄。他于开元二十一年（733）拜中书侍郎、同平章事，次年进中书令，后为李林甫所忌，开元二十四年（736）罢相，次年贬荆州大都督府长史，忧愤而卒。此诗多系于其罢相贬荆州之后，正当政治失意、远离京华之际。诗题「望月怀远」，写静夜望月而思念远方之人，历来解释或以为怀念远别的亲友，或以为寓忠君念阙、忧谗畏讥之思，要之皆以月为媒，把个体情怀放入海天浩渺之间。此诗语言澄净、意境邈远，被视为唐人「望月怀远」题材的先声，对后世李白《静夜思》、杜甫《月夜》、苏轼《水调歌头》的望月之作均有深远影响，是五律中情、景、理兼备的典范。今人多以其为张九龄贬谪后的代表作，以为「望月」既是怀人，亦是自写孤怀，月之澄澈正如其人格之光明，故能于失意中不失温厚，具见「曲江风度」。

Art

The poem masterfully blends grand imagery with subtle emotion. The character '生' (sheng, 'grow') vividly conveys the moon rising dynamically from the sea. The subsequent lines use sensory details—sight, touch—to immerse the reader in the lover's sleepless vigil. The structure moves from vast landscape to intimate action, then to a resigned yet hopeful dream, creating a cohesive and moving whole.

情致温厚，兴象玲珑，是此诗最著的艺术品格。起句「海上生明月」五字，以「生」字写明月自海面涌出之动态，拓开万里空阔之境，气象宏大；次句「天涯共此时」由景及人，将两地之人与一轮之月绾合，空间之远反衬情感之近，壮阔而深情，是为全诗之眼。中二联转入怀人内层：「情人怨遥夜」以「怨」字反写相思之深，「竟夕起相思」以「竟夕」写彻夜无眠；「灭烛怜光满」写吹烛爱月、人月相亲，「披衣觉露滋」以「觉」字写月下徘徊之久，不知不觉间夜露已沾湿衣襟，细节传神，相思之态如在目前。收束「不堪盈手赠，还寝梦佳期」，翻陆机「揽之不盈手」之意，想掬月相赠而不可得，遂转寄望于梦中相会，怅惘中见温柔。全诗由望月而怀远、由怀远而入梦，章法「景—情—行—愿」层递，大开大合而一气贯注，以情驭景、情景相生，张九龄诗风之雅正冲淡于此可见一斑。尤妙者，全诗不言「思念」二字，而望月、灭烛、披衣、还寝，处处皆思念，含蓄蕴藉，正是盛唐五律「不着一字，尽得风流」的境界。

Allusions

The first couplet alludes to Xie Zhuang's 'Essay on the Moon' which speaks of sharing the moon across distance. The line 'I cannot offer you a handful of moonlight' directly adapts Lu Ji's poem 'I try to hold it, but cannot fill my hands.' These allusions are seamlessly integrated, enriching the poem without obscuring its natural flow.

此诗用典融化无迹，自成清境。「海上生明月，天涯共此时」化用谢庄《月赋》「隔千里兮共明月」，将赋体之语化为诗境，又承《古诗十九首·明月何皎皎》「明月何皎皎，照我罗床帏」的望月思人传统，把「共明月」的哲思落实为「共此时」的温情。「不堪盈手赠」直接承袭陆机《拟明月何皎皎》「照之有余辉，揽之不盈手」，陆机写月光盈手而不可持握，张九龄翻进一层，写想掬月相赠远人而不可得，痴情婉转，化典入情。「情人怨遥夜」写《古诗》式的不眠相思，《古诗十九首·孟冬寒气至》「愁多知夜长」即其先声；「竟夕起相思」近于《诗经·陈风·月出》「月出皎兮，佼人僚兮」的月夜怀人之咏。「还寝梦佳期」暗用《楚辞·九歌·湘夫人》「与佳期兮夕张」之意，「佳期」本指相会之期，此处寄望于梦，把无望之思化为可期之梦。诸典皆关乎月、夜、相思，而融化于写景叙事之中，不见斧凿，足见盛唐宰相诗人熔铸经典的功力。或谓「海上生明月」一句直写眼前景，不必有典，然正因其融典于景、化用无痕，方见「用典如己出」之妙。

Commentary

'Gazing at the Moon, Longing for One Far Away' is placed first among five-character regulated verse in 'Three Hundred Tang Poems,' praised for its dignified elegance. Shen Deqian commented that Zhang Jiuling's poetry is 'reserved and gentle, resentful but not bitter.' This poem, with its clear and warm atmosphere, exemplifies the grace of a prime minister-poet and stands as a foundational work in the tradition of moon-gazing poetry.

此诗历受选家推重。《唐诗三百首》编选者蘅塘退士以之冠于五律之首，推为「风度端凝」之作；清人沈德潜《唐诗别裁》评张九龄诗「含蓄委婉，怨而不怒」，此诗尤以澄澈温厚之境，见盛唐宰相诗人之风度。考其地位，唐人望月之作夥矣，然多就一时一地之景言情，张九龄独能以「天涯共此时」把个体之思推广为普天之下共望明月的普遍情怀，故后世凡写望月怀远，皆溯源于此，足为望月怀远之祖。又其「不堪盈手赠」之痴、「梦佳期」之愿，深得温柔敦厚之旨，怨而不怒，哀而不伤。苏轼《水调歌头》「但愿人长久，千里共婵娟」正承其「共明月」「共此时」一脉；李白《静夜思》则取其清浅而更近白话。一诗而开两派，情韵悠长，其在诗史上的枢纽地位，非止一联名句之工而已。要之，此诗以明月立象、以相思贯气、以梦境收束，温厚雅正，是盛唐前期五律由初唐之绮丽转向盛唐之宏阔的里程碑之作。

Prosody

Form Five-character regulated verse (oblique tone pattern, first line unrhymed)五言律诗（仄起首句不入韵）

Rhyme Upper Level Four-Zhi rhyme: qi, si, zi, qi (first and last qi echo)押上平四支韵，韵脚：时、思、滋、期。

Tone pattern Five-character regulated verse, oblique tone pattern, first line unrhymed; structure progresses from scene to emotion to action to wish.首句「海上生明月」仄仄平平仄，仄起首句不入韵；颔联「情人怨遥夜」平平仄平仄，为拗句，唐人于五律中偶用之，气格高古；全诗粘对合律，声情由开篇之宏阔转中二联之低回，再以「期」字平声收束，悠长不尽。

Reading note The rhyme 'qi' at beginning and end creates a circular effect, starting with moon-gazing and ending with dream meeting, blending scene and emotion, a masterpiece of Zhang Jiuling's elegant style.此诗为五言律诗，仄起首句不入韵，押上平四支韵，韵脚「时、思、滋、期」皆为开口呼平声韵，声情疏朗悠长，与望月怀远的澄澈之境相合。章法上首联对起，以「海上」「天涯」开阖天地，气象宏阔；中二联一写情（怨遥夜、起相思）、一写行（灭烛、披衣），虚实相生；尾联以「不堪盈手赠」承陆机诗句翻进一层，以「还寝梦佳期」收束，首尾「月」与「梦」呼应，环合无迹。值得注意者，颔联「情人怨遥夜」用「平平仄平仄」句式，属五律「三拗四救」的特定拗格，唐人习用之，声调拗峭而有古意，与盛唐前期五律初定、气格高浑的时风相合。全诗八句四联，句句不离月与思，而境界由海天而庭户、由清醒而入梦，层层收拢，是五律「以情景融一体」的典范，故蘅塘退士《唐诗三百首》冠之于五律之首，推为「风度端凝」之作。

Line by line

海上生明月，天涯共此时。

The moon rises over the sea, and we share this moment though far apart. The character '生' (sheng) suggests the moon growing out of the sea, dynamic and vast, connecting the distant lovers.

茫茫海上冉冉升起一轮明月，远在天涯的人儿此刻与我同望这一轮清辉。

Bright moon rises over the sea; from the world's end we share this moment.

首联是全诗之眼，以海天明月拓开万里空间。妙处有三：其一，「海上生明月」之「生」字写明月自海面涌出，与潮水共生共长，赋予月以动态与生命，比「升」字更见磅礴气势；其二，「天涯共此时」由景及人，不说我思远人，而说天涯之人与我共望此月，把两地相思绾于一轮明月，空间之远反衬情感之近，壮阔而深情；其三，此联暗承谢庄《月赋》「隔千里兮共明月」之意，却化赋语为诗境，把「共明月」的哲思落实为「共此时」的温情。全诗以「共」字立骨，后文怨夜、起思、怜光、觉露，皆由此「共」字生出，故开篇十字已为全篇定调，气象宏大而不失温厚。

The opening couplet is the poem's eye, opening ten thousand li of space through sea and moon. Its excellence is threefold. First, rises in bright moon rises over the sea: the moon welling up from the sea, growing with the tide, lending the moon motion and life - more majestic than ascends. Second, from the world's end we share this moment moves from scene to person: not saying I think of the far one, but the far one and I share this moon, binding two places of longing in one moonlight; distance of space set against closeness of feeling, grand yet deep. Third, the couplet secretly continues Xie Zhuang's moon over a thousand li yet transposes the rhapsodic phrase into poetic realm, turning the shared bright moon philosophy into the shared moment warmth. The poem is built on share: what follows - the grievance of night, the rising longing, the pity for light, the awareness of dew - all grows from this share; ten characters set the keynote from the first, grand of aspect yet warm of heart.

情人怨遥夜，竟夕起相思。

The lover resents the long night, rising all night in longing. The word '怨' (yuan) deepens the sense of yearning, and '竟夕' (jingxi) emphasizes the sleepless night.

多情的人儿怨恨这漫漫长夜，通宵不眠只因起了相思。

The longing heart grieves the long night; all night long thoughts of you rise.

颔联由望月转入怀人内层，是全诗情感的枢纽。「怨遥夜」以「怨」字反写相思之深：夜本无怨，因相思而觉夜长难熬，一个「怨」字把抽象的情思写得曲折有致，承《古诗十九首》「愁多知夜长」之意而更见温厚；「竟夕」写通宵达旦、彻夜无眠，以时间之长写情思之切。「起相思」三字点明「怨」的根源，是全诗唯一直接道情的句子，然张九龄以「情人」二字冠首，把个体的相思泛化为天下有情人的共同处境，怨而不怒，哀而不伤。此联与首联的关联在「共」字：天涯之人共此时，故我起相思时，料想对方亦未成眠，两地牵挂，一联写尽，为后文「梦佳期」的痴愿作了情感铺垫。

The second couplet moves from moon-gazing to the inner layer of longing, the emotional pivot. The longing heart grieves the long night uses grievance in reverse: the night has no grief, yet through longing it grows long and unbearable; one word grievance writes the abstract feeling with winding refinement, continuing the Nineteen Old Poems' much sorrow, I know the night is long, yet warmer. All night long writes the sleepless night through, using time's length for feeling's keenness. Thoughts of you rise names the root of the grievance, the poem's only direct statement of feeling; yet Zhang Jiuling prefixes the longing heart, generalizing private longing into the common lot of all who love - grieving without anger, sorrowful without breaking. The link with the opening is share: the far one shares this moment, so when I rise to longing, I imagine the other sleepless too; the mutual牵挂 in one couplet, storing emotion for the dream tryst below.

灭烛怜光满，披衣觉露滋。

I blow out the candle, loving the full moonlight; I put on my gown, feeling the dew's moisture. The verbs '怜' (lian) and '觉' (jue) capture the subtle sensations of a moonlit night, showing the lover's absorption.

吹灭了烛火，偏爱这满屋的清辉；披衣起身，方觉夜露已悄悄沾湿衣襟。

I blow out the candle, loving the full moonlight; I rise and put on my robe, feeling the wet dew.

颈联写月下徘徊之痴，是全诗细节传神之处。「灭烛怜光满」：吹灭烛火，正是为了独享满室清辉，一个「怜」字作爱赏解，写人月相亲、痴对月光而忘烛，相思之专注于此可见；「披衣觉露滋」：披衣起身，徘徊庭中，不知不觉间夜露已沾湿衣襟，一个「觉」字写出时间之久——不是一夜，而是由灭烛到披衣、由室内到庭中，痴立多时方觉露湿，相思之深全在不言中。此联写动作而情在其中：灭烛、披衣是行，怜光、觉露是情，以动写静、以形写神，把望月怀远之情落实为一连串可感的动作细节，与首联的宏阔、颔联的直抒恰成对照，大开大合之中，柔情于细节处愈见绵邈。

The third couplet writes the痴 wandering in the moonlight, the poem's vivid detail. I blow out the candle, loving the full moonlight: blowing out the candle precisely to keep the room of light alone; loving means cherishing, writing the person and moon close, gazing entranced and forgetting the candle - the singleness of longing visible. I rise and put on my robe, feeling the wet dew: rising, wandering in the court, unknowingly the night dew has soaked the robe; one word feel writes the length of time - not one night, but from blowing out the candle to rising, from room to court, standing痴 long before the dew is felt; the depth of longing all unspoken. The couplet writes action while feeling lives within: blowing out the candle, rising are deeds; loving the light, feeling the dew are feeling; motion writing stillness, form writing spirit, grounding the moon-gazing and longing in a chain of tangible details - contrasting with the opening's breadth and the second couplet's directness, the soft feeling growing more delicate in the small details.

不堪盈手赠，还寝梦佳期。

Unable to offer a handful of moonlight, I return to sleep, hoping for a dream meeting. This adapts Lu Ji's idea of holding moonlight, transforming the longing into a tangible object, and then yielding to the hope of a dream.

可惜不能掬一捧月光赠你，还是回屋就寝，盼在梦中相会那美好的佳期。

I cannot hold a handful of light to send you; better to go back to bed and dream of our tryst.

尾联是全诗收束，柔情绵邈而余韵悠长。「不堪盈手赠」承陆机《拟明月何皎皎》「照之有余辉，揽之不盈手」：月光虽美，却不能掬在手中赠给远人，痴情婉转，把相思之极写透——想赠而不可赠，是深一层的无奈；「还寝梦佳期」转以退为进：既然掬月难赠，不如回屋就寝，盼在梦中与远人相会，「佳期」暗用《楚辞·九歌·湘夫人》「与佳期兮夕张」之意，把无望的相思化为可期的梦境。此联与首联「天涯共此时」首尾呼应：由望月而怀远，由怀远而入梦，章法圆满；「不堪」之怅与「梦」之愿相映，怅惘中见温柔，怨而不怒，正合张九龄「风度端凝」的品格，是望月怀远诗「以情收景」的典范。

The closing couplet resolves the poem, soft and lingering, savor long. I cannot hold a handful of light to send you continues Lu Ji's Imitating the Bright Moon: shining with afterglow, I grasp it, it fills not the hand - moonlight though beautiful cannot be cupped and sent to the far one; the痴 feeling winding, writing longing to the utmost - wishing to give and unable to give, a deeper helplessness. Better to go back to bed and dream of our tryst turns retreat into advance: since cupping the moon is impossible, better to return to bed and hope to meet the far one in dream; tryst secretly uses the Nine Songs' our tryst in the evening, converting hopeless longing into a dream that may come true. The couplet answers the opening's from the world's end we share this moment: from moon-gazing to longing, from longing to dream, the structure round; the helplessness of cannot contrasts with the wish of dream, gentleness within wistfulness, grieving without anger - fitting Zhang Jiuling's dignified bearing, the model of moon-gazing longing closing in feeling.

Study

Word focus

生 The character ‘生’ (shēng) means ‘to grow’ or ‘to be born,’ implying the moon actively emerging from the sea, more dynamic than ‘升’ (rise). 「海上生明月」之「生」字，是全诗开篇的诗眼，写明月自海面涌出的动态与磅礴，比「升」更具生命力。「升」只写位置之上升，是物理的；「生」则写明月与海水共生共长，仿佛月是从大海深处孕育而出，带着潮气与生气，破空而现，气象宏阔。此字之妙在于以动写景：海天相接、潮涌月出，一个「生」字把静夜写活，为全诗注入充沛的动势与生机。又「生」与下句「共」呼应，月自海生、人共此月，天、海、人三者在「生」字上合为一体，故开篇五字已具盛唐气象。后人多赞此字，正因其既写物之动态，又寓情之勃发，炼一字而境界全出。

共 The character ‘共’ (gòng) means ‘together’ or ‘shared,’ linking the distant lovers through the same moonlight, a key word tying the poem together. 「天涯共此时」之「共」字，是贯通全篇的纽结，写两地之人、一轮之月绾合无间。「共」字妙在把空间之遥化为情感之近：天涯与海角、我与远人，本相隔万里，因共望一轮明月而「共此时」，时间上的同在消解了空间上的阻隔，相思因而有了确切的落点。此字承谢庄《月赋》「隔千里兮共明月」之意，而「共明月」只写月之同，「共此时」更写时之同、情之同，由物及人、由景入情，温厚而深切。全篇皆由此「共」字生发：怨遥夜者，怨此共时之难捱；起相思者，起于共月之牵念；梦佳期者，冀共梦之相会。一字立骨，纲举目张，是炼字中「以一字统摄全篇」的典范。

怜 The character ‘怜’ (lián) here means ‘to love’ or ‘to cherish,’ showing the lover’s affectionate gaze at the moonlight, unaware of the candle. 「灭烛怜光满」之「怜」是爱赏之意，写人月相亲、痴对清辉而忘烛，见相思之专注。烛光既灭，满室唯余月光，诗人非但不惜暗，反觉「光满」可「怜」——此「怜」非怜惜，而是爱怜、爱赏，写他独爱月光之清辉，宁舍烛火而就月色。这一字有三层妙处：一是写痴，灭烛之举本是反常，正见相思之人行为之痴；二是写亲，人月相亲，月光成为远人的化身，爱月即思人；三是写境，「光满」二字以满室清辉写出月色之盛，与「怜」配合，人、月、光融为一体。后句「觉露滋」以「觉」呼应，怜光而久立，觉露而徘徊，痴态毕现。炼「怜」字以写深情，是张九龄「以一字见性情」的典型。