唐 Tang · 诗 Poem
早冬
The Early Winter
十月江南天气好，可怜冬景似春华。
霜经未杀萋萋草，日暖初干漠漠沙。
老柘叶黄如嫩树，寒樱枝白是狂花。
此时却羡闲人醉，五马无由入酒家。
A pity, the winter scene, like the glory of the spring.
The frost, not yet killing the luxuriant grass,
The sun, warm, first drying the vast sand.
The old paper-mulberry leaves, yellow, like the young trees,
The cold cherry branches, white, are the mad flowers.
At this time, envying the idle men, the drunken,
The five horses, no cause, entering the house of the wine.
Meaning
A poem of the early winter of the south of the river, written by Bai Juyi. In the tenth month, the weather of the south of the river, good — a pity, the winter scene, like the glory of the spring — the good weather and the winter scene like the spring. The frost, not yet killing the luxuriant grass — the sun, warm, first drying the vast sand — the grass not killed and the sand dried. The old paper-mulberry leaves, yellow, like the young trees — the cold cherry branches, white, are the mad flowers — the yellow leaves and the white branches. At this time, envying the idle men, the drunken — the five horses, no cause, entering the house of the wine — the close's envy of the idle and the wine. The poem is the early winter and the leisure: the winter scene like the spring, and the close's envy of the idle men.
十月江南天气好，可怜冬景似春华。霜经未杀萋萋草，日暖初干漠漠沙。老柘叶黄如嫩树，寒樱枝白是狂花。此时却羡闲人醉，五马无由入酒家。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] In the tenth month, the weather of the south of the river, good, a pity, the winter scene, like the glory of the spring. The frost, not yet killing the luxuriant grass, the sun, warm, first drying the vast sand. The old paper-mulberry leaves, yellow, like the young trees, the cold cherry branches, white, are the mad flowers. At this time, envying the idle men, the drunken, the five horses, no cause, entering the house of the wine. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the good weather and the winter scene like the spring, through the grass and the sand, and the yellow leaves with the white branches, to the close's envy of the idle men and the wine. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the contrast of the winter and the spring: the winter scene like the glory of the spring, and the close's envy of the idle men — the leisure gathered in the scene and the close's envy. [Emotional Tone] Light, warm, and leisurely: the poem is the early winter, the scene like the spring and the close's envy.
【白话串讲】 白居易写《早冬》：“十月江南天气好，可怜冬景似春华”——“霜经未杀萋萋草，日暖初干漠漠沙”——“老柘叶黄如嫩树，寒樱枝白是狂花”——“此时却羡闲人醉，五马无由入酒家”——他写早冬——可怜冬景似春华。 【意象与手法】 “十月江南天气好、可怜冬景似春华”写十月江南；“霜经未杀萋萋草、日暖初干漠漠沙”写霜经未杀萋萋草；“老柘叶黄如嫩树、寒樱枝白是狂花”写老柘叶黄如嫩树；结以“此时却羡闲人醉，五马无由入酒家”写五马无由入酒家。闲淡冬日。 【情感与主旨】 白居易写早冬江南之作，写十月江南天气好、冬景似春华的江南冬景，是白居易闲适诗中的名篇。 【名句点睛】 常考“十月江南天气好，可怜冬景似春华”写冬景似春华；“老柘叶黄如嫩树，寒樱枝白是狂花”写江南冬景。
Background
Bai Juyi (772–846) wrote this 'The Early Winter' of the winter of the south of the river — the leisure of the prefect. The good weather of the tenth month with the winter scene like the glory of the spring, the grass not killed by the frost with the sand dried by the warm sun, the yellow leaves and the white branches of the scene, and the close's envy of the idle men — the poem gathers the leisure of the early winter, the warm scene of the south. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the prefecture.
《早冬》为唐代诗人白居易所作诗。白居易（772—846），字乐天，号香山居士，下邽人，唐代诗人。此诗写冬日江南，为早冬之作。诗中「十月江南天气好，可怜冬景似春华」写十月江南天气好，可怜冬景似春华；「霜经未杀萋萋草，日暖初干漠漠沙」写霜经未杀萋萋草，日暖初干漠漠沙；「老柘叶黄如嫩树，寒樱枝白是狂花」写老柘叶黄如嫩树，寒樱枝白是狂花；「此时却羡闲人醉，五马无由入酒家」写此时却羡闲人醉，五马无由入酒家。白居易此诗以冬日江南、五马无由入酒家写其冬日之情，闲淡冬日，是白居易诗中的名篇。此篇《早冬》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。此篇《早冬》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 leisure. The weather opens: in the tenth month, the weather of the south of the river, good — the good weather of the winter; a pity, the winter scene, like the glory of the spring — the winter scene like the spring. The scene follows: the frost, not yet killing the luxuriant grass — the grass not killed; the sun, warm, first drying the vast sand — the sand dried by the sun; the old paper-mulberry leaves, yellow, like the young trees — the yellow leaves of the old tree; the cold cherry branches, white, are the mad flowers — the white branches of the cherry. And the close gathers the leisure: at this time, envying the idle men, the drunken — the envy of the poet; the five horses, no cause, entering the house of the wine — the wine of the close — the early winter, the scene like the spring and the close's envy, gathered in the poem.
此诗艺术上以「闲淡冬日、以冬写情」见长。全诗共八句四联，由十月江南天气好而霜经未杀萋萋草而老柘叶黄如嫩树。起「十月江南天气好，可怜冬景似春华」写十月江南天气好：十月江南天气好，可怜冬景似春华；「霜经未杀萋萋草，日暖初干漠漠沙」写霜经未杀萋萋草：霜经未杀萋萋草，日暖初干漠漠沙；「老柘叶黄如嫩树，寒樱枝白是狂花」写老柘叶黄如嫩树：老柘叶黄如嫩树，寒樱枝白是狂花；结「此时却羡闲人醉，五马无由入酒家」写五马无由入酒家：此时却羡闲人醉，五马无由入酒家。全诗以冬写情，由十月江南天气好而五马无由入酒家，闲淡冬日，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
'The south of the river' (jiang nan) is the south of the river — the south of the river, the Jiangnan; 'the glory of the spring' (chun hua) is the glory of the spring — the flowers of the spring, the scene like the spring; 'the paper-mulberry' (zhe) is the paper-mulberry — the old paper-mulberry tree, the yellow leaves; 'the mad flowers' (kuang hua) are the mad flowers — the white branches like the mad flowers of the cherry; 'the five horses' (wu ma) are the five horses — the five horses of the prefect, the office of the poet; 'the house of the wine' (jiu jia) is the house of the wine — the inn of the wine, the close of the poem.
诗中「十月江南天气好可怜冬景似春华」「霜经未杀萋萋草日暖初干漠漠沙」「老柘叶黄如嫩树寒樱枝白是狂花」「此时却羡闲人醉五马无由入酒家」等语，皆含典故故实。「十月江南天气好可怜冬景似春华」写十月江南天气好可怜冬景似春华；「霜经未杀萋萋草日暖初干漠漠沙」写霜经未杀萋萋草日暖初干漠漠沙；「老柘叶黄如嫩树寒樱枝白是狂花」写老柘叶黄如嫩树寒樱枝白是狂花；「此时却羡闲人醉五马无由入酒家」写此时却羡闲人醉五马无由入酒家。诗人以冬景、霜经等语入诗，不着痕迹，而把冬日江南之情写得真切可感，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。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 poems of the prefecture, quoted for the warmth of its scene and the leisure of its close. The winter scene like the spring, and the envy of the idle men, are among the admired images of the poet's poems of the season. Critics praise the poem's leisure: the early winter gathered in the warm scene, to the close's envy.
这首《早冬》，是白居易写冬日江南之作，写十月江南天气好、霜经未杀萋萋草、老柘叶黄如嫩树、五马无由入酒家之情，闲淡冬日。起「十月江南天气好，可怜冬景似春华」——十月江南天气好，可怜冬景似春华。写十月江南天气好：十月江南天气好、可怜冬景似春华——天气好、似春华；「霜经未杀萋萋草，日暖初干漠漠沙」——霜经未杀萋萋草，日暖初干漠漠沙。写霜经未杀萋萋草：霜经未杀萋萋草、日暖初干漠漠沙——萋萋草、漠漠沙；「老柘叶黄如嫩树，寒樱枝白是狂花」——老柘叶黄如嫩树，寒樱枝白是狂花。写老柘叶黄如嫩树：老柘叶黄如嫩树、寒樱枝白是狂花——如嫩树、是狂花；结「此时却羡闲人醉，五马无由入酒家」——此时却羡闲人醉，五马无由入酒家。写五马无由入酒家：此时却羡闲人醉、五马无由入酒家——闲人醉、入酒家。这「此时却羡闲人醉，五马无由入酒家」，是全诗之结：以五马无由入酒家写其冬日。全诗闲淡冬日，以冬写情，正是白居易诗中的名篇。
Prosody
Line by line
十月江南天气好，可怜冬景似春华。
In the tenth month, the weather of the south of the river, good, a pity, the winter scene, like the glory of the spring.
十月江南天气好，可怜冬景似春华。
In the tenth month, Jiangnan's weather is fair; the lovely winter scene is like spring splendor.
起句写十月江南天气好，起笔即见其江南。「十月江南天气好」写十月江南天气好，「十月江南」写十月江南、「天气好」写天气好；「可怜冬景似春华」写可怜冬景似春华，「可怜冬景」写可怜冬景、「似春华」写似春华。一句写十月江南天气好可怜冬景似春华，以十月江南天气好写天气好、以可怜冬景似春华写似春华，写尽十月江南天气好、可怜冬景似春华之情。以冬起兴，闲淡而冬日，是「以冬起兴」的妙笔。
The opening writes in the tenth month, Jiangnan's weather is fair, Jiangnan named at the first stroke. In the tenth month, Jiangnan: the late-autumn southland. The weather is fair: the mild days. The lovely winter scene is like spring splendor: the winter beauty, as if spring. One couplet writes the fair tenth-month weather and the winter scene like spring - Bai Juyi's starting point for early winter: Jiangnan's December still feels like spring. The line opens with winter as bi-xing, leisurely and winter-themed: the mild southland winter at once.
霜经未杀萋萋草，日暖初干漠漠沙。
The frost, not yet killing the luxuriant grass, the sun, warm, first drying the vast sand.
霜经未杀萋萋草，日暖初干漠漠沙。
Frost has not yet killed the lush grass; sun-warmed, the vast sand is just drying.
此句写霜经未杀萋萋草，是全诗写萋萋草之态的关键。「霜经未杀萋萋草」写霜经未杀萋萋草，「霜经未杀」写霜经未杀、「萋萋草」写萋萋草；「日暖初干漠漠沙」写日暖初干漠漠沙，「日暖初干」写日暖初干、「漠漠沙」写漠漠沙。一句写霜经未杀萋萋草日暖初干漠漠沙，以霜经未杀萋萋草写萋萋草、以日暖初干漠漠沙写漠漠沙，写尽霜经未杀萋萋草、日暖初干漠漠沙之情。以草写情，闲淡而冬日，是「以草写情」的点睛之笔。
This line writes frost has not yet killed the lush grass, the key to the poem's lush-grass state. Frost has not yet killed: the light frost. The lush grass: the green growth. Sun-warmed, the vast sand is just drying: the warm sun, the broad sand. One couplet writes the frost-unchecked grass and the sun-dried sand - Bai Juyi's middle scene: the winter that is not yet wintry. The line uses grass for feeling, leisurely and winter-themed: the lingering green shows the mildness.
老柘叶黄如嫩树，寒樱枝白是狂花。
The old paper-mulberry leaves, yellow, like the young trees, the cold cherry branches, white, are the mad flowers.
老柘叶黄如嫩树，寒樱枝白是狂花。
Old mulberry leaves are yellow like a young tree; winter cherry branches, white, are wild blooms.
此句写老柘叶黄如嫩树，是全诗写老柘之态的关键。「老柘叶黄如嫩树」写老柘叶黄如嫩树，「老柘叶黄」写老柘叶黄、「如嫩树」写如嫩树；「寒樱枝白是狂花」写寒樱枝白是狂花，「寒樱枝白」写寒樱枝白、「是狂花」写是狂花。一句写老柘叶黄如嫩树寒樱枝白是狂花，以老柘叶黄如嫩树写如嫩树、以寒樱枝白是狂花写是狂花，写尽老柘叶黄如嫩树、寒樱枝白是狂花之情。以树写情，闲淡而冬日，是「以树写情」的点睛之笔。
This line writes old mulberry leaves are yellow like a young tree, the key to the poem's old-mulberry state. Old mulberry leaves are yellow: the ancient tree's yellowing. Like a young tree: the youthful look. Winter cherry branches, white, are wild blooms: the cold cherry's white, the profuse flowers. One couplet writes the old tree's yellow and the winter cherry's wild white blooms - Bai Juyi's scene: late autumn colors still vivid. The line uses the tree for feeling, leisurely and winter-themed: the yellow and white both show the season's charm.
此时却羡闲人醉，五马无由入酒家。
At this time, envying the idle men, the drunken, the five horses, no cause, entering the house of the wine.
此时却羡闲人醉，五马无由入酒家。
At this moment I envy the idle men who are drunk; my five-horse retinue cannot enter the wine shop.
结句写五马无由入酒家，是全诗立意的落点。「此时却羡闲人醉」写此时却羡闲人醉，「此时却羡」写此时却羡、「闲人醉」写闲人醉；「五马无由入酒家」写五马无由入酒家，「五马无由」写五马无由、「入酒家」写入酒家。一句写此时却羡闲人醉五马无由入酒家，以此时却羡闲人醉写闲人醉、以五马无由入酒家写入酒家，写尽此时却羡闲人醉、五马无由入酒家之情。以酒写情，闲淡而冬日，是全诗最动人处，也是「以酒写情」的点睛之笔。
The closing line writes my five-horse retinue cannot enter the wine shop, the poem's landing. At this moment I envy: the sudden envy. The idle men who are drunk: the common drinkers. My five-horse retinue cannot enter the wine shop: the prefect's retinue, barred from the tavern. One couplet writes the envy of idle drunks and the barred wine shop - Bai Juyi's resolution: he who would envy the idly drunk cannot enter the tavern. The line uses wine for feeling, leisurely and winter-themed, the poem's most moving point: the prefect's dignity forbids the very thing he envies.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
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 Early Winter' — 'the winter scene, like the glory of the spring' — is the feeling of the time of the winter — the two feelings of the season, the one of the moon, the other of the winter.
苏轼《水调歌头·明月几时有》「人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全」，写冬日感怀、闲淡旷达，是宋词长调的名篇；白居易《早冬》则以「十月江南天气好，可怜冬景似春华」「五马无由入酒家」写似春华、入酒家。两诗同写冬日感怀、闲淡旷达：一写人有悲欢离合、以悲欢写离合，一写十月江南天气好可怜冬景似春华、以冬景写冬日；一为苏轼之旷达、一为白居易之闲淡，并读正可见诗写「冬日感怀」的两种笔法，皆于冬日之中见闲淡。
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 · 同写江南凝望、闲淡清丽，一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、一写十月江南天气好可怜冬景似春华，皆于江南之中见凝望 Both are the works of the scene of the water — the rain of the river of Liu Yong, the weather of the south of Bai Juyi — the two scenes of the Jiangnan.Liu Yong's 'Eight Beats of Ganzhou' — 'the evening rain that spatters the long river' — is the scene of the rain of the Jiangnan; Bai Juyi's 'The Early Winter' — 'the weather of the south of the river, good' — is the scene of the weather of the Jiangnan — the two scenes of the Jiangnan, the one of the rain, the other of the winter.
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」，写江南凝望、闲淡清丽，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；白居易《早冬》则以「十月江南天气好，可怜冬景似春华」「霜经未杀萋萋草」写似春华、萋萋草。两诗同写江南凝望、闲淡清丽：一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、以暮雨写清秋，一写十月江南天气好可怜冬景似春华、以冬景写冬日；一为柳永之清丽、一为白居易之闲淡，并读正可见诗写「江南凝望」的两种笔法，皆于江南之中见凝望。