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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

余杭形胜

The Scenic Superiority of Yuhang

白居易

Bai Juyi

余杭形胜四方无，州傍青山县枕湖。
遶郭荷花三十里，拂城松树一千株。
梦儿亭古传名谢，教妓楼新道姓苏。
独有使君年太老，风光不称白髭须。

The scenic superiority of Yuhang, the four directions have not,
The province, leaning on the green mountains, the county, pillowing the lake.
Around the city, the lotus flowers, thirty li,
Brushing the city, the pine trees, a thousand trunks.
The pavilion of the dream son, ancient, passed down the name of Xie,
The tower of the teaching the courtesans, new, the surname of Su.
Alone, the prefect, the years too old,
The scenery, not matching the white whiskers.
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Meaning

A poem of the scenery of Yuhang and the age, written by Bai Juyi. The scenic superiority of Yuhang, the four directions have not — the province, leaning on the green mountains, the county, pillowing the lake — the scenery of the province and the county. Around the city, the lotus flowers, thirty li — brushing the city, the pine trees, a thousand trunks — the lotus and the pines of the city. The pavilion of the dream son, ancient, passed down the name of Xie — the tower of the teaching the courtesans, new, the surname of Su — the pavilion and the tower of the past. Alone, the prefect, the years too old — the scenery, not matching the white whiskers — the close's age and the white whiskers. The poem is the scenery and the age: the green mountains and the lotus, the pavilion of the past, and the close's white whiskers.

余杭形胜四方无，州傍青山县枕湖。遶郭荷花三十里，拂城松树一千株。梦儿亭古传名谢，教妓楼新道姓苏。独有使君年太老，风光不称白髭须。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The scenic superiority of Yuhang, the four directions have not, the province, leaning on the green mountains, the county, pillowing the lake. Around the city, the lotus flowers, thirty li, brushing the city, the pine trees, a thousand trunks. The pavilion of the dream son, ancient, passed down the name of Xie, the tower of the teaching the courtesans, new, the surname of Su. Alone, the prefect, the years too old, the scenery, not matching the white whiskers. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the scenery of the province and the county, through the lotus and the pines of the city, and the pavilion and the tower of the past, to the close's prefect with the white whiskers. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the contrast of the scenery and the age: the lotus and the pines of the beauty against the white whiskers of the prefect — the age gathered in the contrast and the close. [Emotional Tone] Clear, admiring, and slightly sorrowful: the poem is the scenery of Yuhang, the lotus and the close's white whiskers.

【白话串讲】 白居易写《余杭形胜》：“余杭形胜四方无，州傍青山县枕湖”——“遶郭荷花三十里，拂城松树一千株”——“独有使君年太老，风光不称白髭须”——他写余杭——绕郭荷花三十里。 【意象与手法】 “余杭形胜四方无、州傍青山县枕湖”写余杭形胜；“遶郭荷花三十里、拂城松树一千株”写荷花松树；“梦儿亭古传名谢、教妓楼新道姓苏”写梦儿亭；结以“独有使君年太老，风光不称白髭须”写风光不称白髭须。明丽闲适。 【情感与主旨】 白居易写余杭形胜之作，写余杭州傍青山县枕湖、遶郭荷花三十里的形胜，是白居易写杭州的名篇。 【名句点睛】 常考“余杭形胜四方无，州傍青山县枕湖”写余杭形胜；“遶郭荷花三十里，拂城松树一千株”写荷花松树。

Background

Bai Juyi (772–846) wrote this 'The Scenic Superiority of Yuhang' as the prefect of Hangzhou — the scenery of the province and the age of the poet. The green mountains and the pillowing lake of the scenery, the lotus flowers of the thirty li and the pine trees of the thousand trunks, the pavilion of the dream son and the tower of the surname of Su of the past, and the close's prefect with the white whiskers — the poem gathers the scenery of Yuhang, the beauty and the close's age. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's prefecture of Hangzhou.

《余杭形胜》为唐代诗人白居易所作诗。白居易（772—846），字乐天，号香山居士，又号醉吟先生，祖籍太原，生于河南新郑，中唐诗人，新乐府运动倡导者，曾任杭州刺史。此诗写景闲适，为咏余杭之作。诗中「余杭形胜四方无，州傍青山县枕湖」写余杭形胜四方无，州傍青山县枕湖；「遶郭荷花三十里，拂城松树一千株」写遶郭荷花三十里，拂城松树一千株；「梦儿亭古传名谢，教妓楼新道姓苏」写梦儿亭古传名谢，教妓楼新道姓苏；「独有使君年太老，风光不称白髭须」写独有使君年太老，风光不称白髭须。白居易此诗以写景闲适、风光不称白髭须写其闲适之情，明丽闲适，是白居易诗中的名篇。此篇《余杭形胜》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's art is the art of the scenery and the age. The scenery opens: the scenic superiority of Yuhang, the four directions have not — the superiority of the scenery; the province, leaning on the green mountains, the county, pillowing the lake — the province and the county, the mountains and the lake. The beauty follows: around the city, the lotus flowers, thirty li — the lotus of the city; brushing the city, the pine trees, a thousand trunks — the pines of the city. The past: the pavilion of the dream son, ancient, passed down the name of Xie — the pavilion of the past; the tower of the teaching the courtesans, new, the surname of Su — the tower of the past. And the close gathers the age: alone, the prefect, the years too old — the age of the prefect; the scenery, not matching the white whiskers — the white whiskers of the close — the scenery and the age, the lotus and the white whiskers, gathered in the close.

此诗艺术上以「明丽闲适、以城写情」见长。全诗共八句四联，由余杭形胜四方无而遶郭荷花三十里而梦儿亭古传名谢。起「余杭形胜四方无，州傍青山县枕湖」写余杭形胜四方无：余杭形胜四方无，州傍青山县枕湖；「遶郭荷花三十里，拂城松树一千株」写遶郭荷花三十里：遶郭荷花三十里，拂城松树一千株；「梦儿亭古传名谢，教妓楼新道姓苏」写梦儿亭古传名谢：梦儿亭古传名谢，教妓楼新道姓苏；结「独有使君年太老，风光不称白髭须」写风光不称白髭须：独有使君年太老，风光不称白髭须。全诗以城写情，由余杭形胜四方无而风光不称白髭须，明丽闲适，是白居易诗中的名篇。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。

Allusions

'Yuhang' (Yuhang) is the Yuhang — the province of the Hangzhou, the name of the old; 'the dream son' (meng er) is the dream son — the pavilion of the dream son, the name of Xie; 'the teaching the courtesans' (jiao ji) is the teaching of the courtesans — the tower of the teaching, the surname of Su; 'the prefect' (shi jun) is the prefect — the prefect of the province, the poet himself; 'the white whiskers' (zi xu) are the white whiskers — the white whiskers of the age, the close of the poem.

诗中「余杭形胜四方无州傍青山县枕湖」「遶郭荷花三十里拂城松树一千株」「梦儿亭古传名谢教妓楼新道姓苏」「独有使君年太老风光不称白髭须」等语，皆含典故故实。「余杭形胜四方无州傍青山县枕湖」写余杭形胜四方无州傍青山县枕湖；「遶郭荷花三十里拂城松树一千株」写遶郭荷花三十里拂城松树一千株；「梦儿亭古传名谢教妓楼新道姓苏」用谢之典（谢指谢灵运，梦儿亭传为谢灵运梦得之地），写梦儿亭古传名谢教妓楼新道姓苏；「独有使君年太老风光不称白髭须」用白髭须之典（白髭须写年老），写独有使君年太老风光不称白髭须。诗人以谢、白髭须之典入诗，不着痕迹，而把写景闲适之情写得真切可感，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。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Bai Juyi's prefecture of Hangzhou, quoted for the contrast of its close. The lotus of the thirty li and the pines of the thousand trunks, and the white whiskers of the prefect, are among the admired images of the poet's poems of the province. Critics praise the poem's contrast: the scenery gathered in the beauty of the city, to the close's white whiskers.

这首《余杭形胜》，是白居易写写景闲适之作，写余杭形胜四方无、遶郭荷花三十里、梦儿亭古传名谢、风光不称白髭须之情，明丽闲适。起「余杭形胜四方无，州傍青山县枕湖」——余杭形胜四方无，州傍青山县枕湖。写余杭形胜四方无：余杭形胜四方无、州傍青山县枕湖——四方无、县枕湖；「遶郭荷花三十里，拂城松树一千株」——遶郭荷花三十里，拂城松树一千株。写遶郭荷花三十里：遶郭荷花三十里、拂城松树一千株——三十里、一千株；「梦儿亭古传名谢，教妓楼新道姓苏」——梦儿亭古传名谢，教妓楼新道姓苏。写梦儿亭古传名谢：梦儿亭古传名谢、教妓楼新道姓苏——传名谢、道姓苏；结「独有使君年太老，风光不称白髭须」——独有使君年太老，风光不称白髭须。写风光不称白髭须：独有使君年太老、风光不称白髭须——年太老、白髭须。这「独有使君年太老，风光不称白髭须」，是全诗之结：以风光不称白髭须写其闲适。全诗明丽闲适，以城写情，正是白居易诗中的名篇。

Prosody

Form A regulated seven-character poem of the scene诗（七言律诗）
Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level-tone wu, hu, zhu, su and xu of the group — the even, level rhyme that carries the clear admiration.此诗为七言律诗，共八句四联。押韵：「湖」「株」「苏」「须」押虞部韵。首联起、颔联承、颈联转、尾联合，平仄相间，正与写写景闲适的明丽闲适相称，也见其以七律写闲适的工稳。
Tone pattern The cadence is that of the province: the level opening with the superiority, the turning with the lotus and the pines, and the close's fall with the white whiskers of the age.句式上，「余杭形胜四方无，州傍青山县枕湖」写余杭形胜四方无，音节明丽；「遶郭荷花三十里，拂城松树一千株」写遶郭荷花三十里，音节开阔；「梦儿亭古传名谢，教妓楼新道姓苏」写梦儿亭古传名谢，音节流转；结「独有使君年太老，风光不称白髭须」写风光不称白髭须，音节闲适。全诗音节随情起伏，由明丽而开阔、由流转而闲适，正合七律「工稳」之妙，读来如写景闲适、风光不称白髭须之音，明丽而动人。
Reading note The poem's sound matches its scene: the even, level rhymes carry the cadence of the province, and the close — 'feng guang bu cheng bai zi xu' — falls with the white whiskers, the sound of the age of the prefect.此诗为七言律诗，是白居易写写景闲适之作，也是其诗中的名篇。全诗的艺术特色在于「明丽闲适、以城写情」：「余杭形胜四方无，州傍青山县枕湖」写余杭形胜四方无、「遶郭荷花三十里，拂城松树一千株」写遶郭荷花三十里、「梦儿亭古传名谢，教妓楼新道姓苏」写梦儿亭古传名谢、「独有使君年太老，风光不称白髭须」写风光不称白髭须。全诗明丽闲适，以城写情。尤为精妙者，是「梦儿亭古传名谢」用谢之典；而「风光不称白髭须」用白髭须之典，正是白居易诗「明丽闲适」的典范，为历代选本所常收。《余杭形胜》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

余杭形胜四方无，州傍青山县枕湖。

The scenic superiority of Yuhang, the four directions have not, the province, leaning on the green mountains, the county, pillowing the lake.

余杭形胜四方无，州傍青山县枕湖。

Yuhang's beauty is unmatched under heaven; the prefecture leans on green hills, the county pillows on the lake.

起句写余杭形胜四方无，起笔即见其形胜。「余杭形胜四方无」写余杭形胜四方无，「余杭形胜」写余杭形胜、「四方无」写四方无；「州傍青山县枕湖」写州傍青山县枕湖，「州傍青山」写州傍青山、「县枕湖」写县枕湖。一句写余杭形胜四方无州傍青山县枕湖，以余杭形胜四方无写四方无、以州傍青山县枕湖写县枕湖，写尽余杭形胜四方无、州傍青山县枕湖之情。以城起兴，明丽而闲适，是「以城起兴」的妙笔。

The opening writes Yuhang's beauty is unmatched under heaven, the beauty named at the first stroke. Yuhang's beauty: Hangzhou's scenery. Unmatched under heaven: the peerless claim. The prefecture leans on green hills, the county pillows on the lake: the hills beside, the lake below. One couplet writes the peerless beauty and the hills-and-lake setting - Bai Juyi's starting point for Yuhang: the town between green hills and the lake. The line opens with the city as bi-xing, bright and leisurely: the beauty asserted at once.

遶郭荷花三十里，拂城松树一千株。

Around the city, the lotus flowers, thirty li, brushing the city, the pine trees, a thousand trunks.

遶郭荷花三十里，拂城松树一千株。

Lotuses ring the walls for thirty li; pines brush the city, a thousand trees.

此句写遶郭荷花三十里，是全诗写荷花之态的关键。「遶郭荷花三十里」写遶郭荷花三十里，「遶郭荷花」写遶郭荷花、「三十里」写三十里；「拂城松树一千株」写拂城松树一千株，「拂城松树」写拂城松树、「一千株」写一千株。一句写遶郭荷花三十里拂城松树一千株，以遶郭荷花三十里写三十里、以拂城松树一千株写一千株，写尽遶郭荷花三十里、拂城松树一千株之情。以荷写景，明丽而闲适，是「以荷写景」的点睛之笔。

This line writes lotuses ring the walls for thirty li, the key to the poem's lotus state. Lotuses ring the walls: the encircling flowers. Thirty li: the vast stretch. Pines brush the city, a thousand trees: the pines by the wall, the thousand count. One couplet writes the thirty-li lotuses and the thousand pines - Bai Juyi's middle scene: the double grandeur of flowers and trees. The line uses lotuses for scenery, bright and leisurely: the scale of both is magnificent.

梦儿亭古传名谢，教妓楼新道姓苏。

The pavilion of the dream son, ancient, passed down the name of Xie, the tower of the teaching the courtesans, new, the surname of Su.

梦儿亭古传名谢，教妓楼新道姓苏。

The ancient Dream-Boy pavilion is linked with Xie; the new singing-girl pavilion is told of Su.

此句写梦儿亭古传名谢，是全诗写梦儿亭之态的关键。「梦儿亭古传名谢」用谢之典写梦儿亭古传名谢，「梦儿亭古」写梦儿亭古、「传名谢」写传名谢；「教妓楼新道姓苏」写教妓楼新道姓苏，「教妓楼新」写教妓楼新、「道姓苏」写道姓苏。一句写梦儿亭古传名谢教妓楼新道姓苏，以梦儿亭古传名谢写传名谢、以教妓楼新道姓苏写道姓苏，写尽梦儿亭古传名谢、教妓楼新道姓苏之情。以亭写景，明丽而闲适，是「以亭写景」的点睛之笔。

This line writes the ancient Dream-Boy pavilion is linked with Xie, the key to the poem's pavilion state. The ancient Dream-Boy pavilion uses the Xie allusion: the old pavilion's fame. Linked with Xie: the Xie-era name. The new singing-girl pavilion is told of Su: the new building, the Su surname. One couplet writes the old pavilion's Xie fame and the new pavilion's Su tale - Bai Juyi's turn: the places carry old and new stories. The line uses the pavilion for scenery, bright and leisurely: the scenic spots are also storied.

独有使君年太老，风光不称白髭须。

Alone, the prefect, the years too old, the scenery, not matching the white whiskers.

独有使君年太老，风光不称白髭须。

Only the prefect is far too old; the scenery ill suits his white moustache.

结句写风光不称白髭须，是全诗立意的落点。「独有使君年太老」写独有使君年太老，「独有使君」写独有使君、「年太老」写年太老；「风光不称白髭须」用白髭须之典写风光不称白髭须，「风光不称」写风光不称、「白髭须」写白髭须。一句写独有使君年太老风光不称白髭须，以独有使君年太老写年太老、以风光不称白髭须写白髭须，写尽独有使君年太老、风光不称白髭须之情。以须写情，明丽而闲适，是全诗最动人处，也是「以须写情」的点睛之笔。

The closing line writes the scenery ill suits his white moustache, the poem's landing. Only the prefect is far too old: the prefect himself. Far too old: the graying years. The scenery ill suits his white moustache uses the white-moustache allusion: the old man's face. One couplet writes the prefect's great age and the scenery's mismatch - Bai Juyi's resolution: for all Yuhang's beauty, the old prefect's white moustache ill becomes it. The line uses the moustache for feeling, bright and leisurely, the poem's most moving point: the smiling self-mockery of the aging prefect.

Study

Word focus

形胜 'The scenic superiority' — the superiority of the scenery, the unmatched beauty. 「形胜」写余杭形胜四方无，是写形胜之态的关键。「余杭形胜四方无」着一「形胜」，写形胜——着一「形胜」，写余杭形胜四方无，见其胜之形。两字写尽形胜之态，是「以词写胜」的妙笔。「形胜」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。
荷花 'The lotus flowers' — the lotus of the thirty li, the flowers of the city. 「荷花」写遶郭荷花三十里，是写荷花之态的关键。「遶郭荷花三十里」着一「荷花」，写荷花——着一「荷花」，写遶郭荷花三十里，见其花之荷。两字写尽荷花之态，是「以词写花」的点睛之词。「荷花」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。
松树 'The pine trees' — the pines of the thousand trunks, the trees of the city. 「松树」写拂城松树一千株，是写松树之态的关键。「拂城松树一千株」着一「松树」，写松树——着一「松树」，写拂城松树一千株，见其树之松。两字写尽松树之态，是「以词写树」的点睛之词。「松树」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。
髭须 'The whiskers' — the white whiskers of the age, the whiskers of the prefect. 「髭须」写风光不称白髭须，是写髭须之态的关键。「风光不称白髭须」着一「髭须」，写髭须——着一「髭须」，写风光不称白髭须，见其须之髭。两字写尽髭须之态，是「以词写须」的点睛之词。「髭须」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: When Will the Bright Moon Appear 苏轼 · 同写形胜感怀、明丽旷达，一写我欲乘风归去、一写余杭形胜四方无州傍青山县枕湖，皆于形胜之中见明丽 Both are the works of the moon and the time — the moon of the autumn of Su Shi, the scenery of the province of Bai Juyi — the two feelings of the time.

Su Shi's 'Prelude to Water Melody' — 'the bright moon, when will it appear' — is the feeling of the time of the moon; Bai Juyi's 'The Scenic Superiority of Yuhang' — 'the white whiskers of the age' — is the feeling of the time of the province — the two feelings of the time, the one of the moon, the other of the whiskers.

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」，写形胜感怀、明丽旷达，是宋词长调的名篇；白居易《余杭形胜》则以「余杭形胜四方无，州傍青山县枕湖」「遶郭荷花三十里」写四方无、三十里。两诗同写形胜感怀、明丽旷达：一写我欲乘风归去、以乘风写超然，一写余杭形胜四方无州傍青山县枕湖、以荷花写形胜；一为苏轼之旷达、一为白居易之明丽，并读正可见诗写「形胜感怀」的两种笔法，皆于形胜之中见明丽。

 八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天 Eight Beats of Ganzhou: Facing the Evening Rain That Spatters the Long River 柳永 · 同写郭外凝望、明丽清丽，一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、一写遶郭荷花三十里拂城松树一千株，皆于郭外之中见凝望 Both are the works of the river and the city — the river of the longing of Liu Yong, the lake of the province of Bai Juyi — the two scenes of the water.

Liu Yong's 'Eight Beats of Ganzhou' — 'the evening rain that spatters the long river' — is the scene of the river; Bai Juyi's 'The Scenic Superiority of Yuhang' — 'the county, pillowing the lake' — is the scene of the lake — the two scenes of the water, the one of the river, the other of the lake.

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」，写郭外凝望、明丽清丽，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；白居易《余杭形胜》则以「遶郭荷花三十里，拂城松树一千株」「州傍青山县枕湖」写三十里、县枕湖。两诗同写郭外凝望、明丽清丽：一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、以暮雨写清秋，一写遶郭荷花三十里拂城松树一千株、以荷花写形胜；一为柳永之清丽、一为白居易之明丽，并读正可见诗写「郭外凝望」的两种笔法，皆于郭外之中见凝望。