All poems

唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

贼平后送人北归

Seeing, off, the, Friend, Returning, North, after, the, Bandits, Were, Pacified

司空曙

Sikong Shu

世乱同南去，时清独北还。
他乡生白发，旧国见青山。
晓月过残垒，繁星宿故关。
寒禽与衰草，处处伴愁颜。

The, world, in, chaos, we, went, south, together,
The, times, clear, you, alone, return, north.
In, the, strange, land, the, white, hair, growing,
To, the, old, country, seeing, the, green, hills.
The, dawn, moon, passing, the, ruined, forts,
The, stars, in, crowds, lodging, at, the, old, passes.
The, cold, birds, and, the, withered, grass,
Everywhere, accompanying, the, sorrowful, countenance.

Listen

Meaning

A poem of the parting and the war, written by Sikong Shu. The world in chaos we went south together, the times clear you alone return north — the parting of the opening. In the strange land the white hair growing, to the old country seeing the green hills — the aging of the middle. The dawn moon passing the ruined forts, the stars in crowds lodging at the old passes — the road of the middle. And the close's the cold birds and the withered grass, everywhere accompanying the sorrowful countenance — the close's sorrow. The poem is the parting and the war: the return, the ruined forts, and the close's sorrow.

当年世乱之时，你我一同南来避难；如今时局平定，你独自北返归乡。客居他乡，不觉鬓边已生白发；故国依旧，映入眼帘的唯有青山。晓月之下，你行过残破的营垒；繁星满天，你夜宿在旧日的关隘。寒禽与衰草，处处伴随着你愁苦的面容。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The, world, in, chaos, we, went, south, together, the, times, clear, you, alone, return, north. In, the, strange, land, the, white, hair, growing, to, the, old, country, seeing, the, green, hills. The, dawn, moon, passing, the, ruined, forts, the, stars, in, crowds, lodging, at, the, old, passes. The, cold, birds, and, the, withered, grass, everywhere, accompanying, the, sorrowful, countenance. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the parting of the south together and the north alone, through the aging of the white hair and the road of the ruined forts, to the close's the cold birds accompanying the sorrowful countenance. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the sorrow: the dawn moon passing the ruined forts, and the close's the cold birds and the withered grass everywhere accompanying — the parting gathered in the road and the close's sorrow. [Emotional Tone] Sorrowful, desolate, and parting: the poem is the return, the forts and the close's sorrow.

【白话串讲】司空曙写《贼平后送人北归》：“世乱同南去，时清独北还”——“他乡生白发，旧国见青山”——“晓月过残垒，繁星宿故关”——“寒禽与衰草，处处伴愁颜”——他送人北归——他乡生白发。【意象与手法】起以“世乱同南去，时清独北还”，一个“独”字，写尽乱后归乡的孤独；“他乡生白发，旧国见青山”写客居之久、故国之思；“晓月过残垒，繁星宿故关”以行旅之景写乱后之萧条；结以“寒禽与衰草，处处伴愁颜”以景写情，哀愁满纸。苍凉真挚。【情感与主旨】司空曙写战乱平定后送友人北归，情致苍凉而真挚，是乱后送别名篇。【名句点睛】常考“世乱同南去，时清独北还”以独字写乱后孤独；“他乡生白发，旧国见青山”写客居之久故国之思。

Background

Sikong Shu (c. 720-790), one of the 'Ten Talents of the Dali' of the Tang, wrote this 'Seeing, off, the, Friend, Returning, North, after, the, Bandits, Were, Pacified' of the parting and the war — the desolation after the rebellion. The white hair of the strange land with the green hills of the old country, the dawn moon with the ruined forts, and the close's the cold birds with the sorrowful countenance — the poem gathers the sorrow of the poet, the desolation of the war. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the parting.

《贼平后送人北归》为中唐诗人司空曙所作五言律诗。司空曙（约720—约790），字文明，广平（今河北永年）人，为「大历十才子」之一，其诗多写羁旅穷愁、乱后萧条，风格清雅含蓄。此诗作于安史之乱平定之后。题中「贼平」指叛乱平定，当指安史之乱或其后藩镇之乱。「送人北归」，是送一位当年一同南来避难的友人北返故乡。诗中「世乱同南去，时清独北还」，追叙二人当年因乱南迁、如今平定时友人独归的经过；「他乡生白发，旧国见青山」写客居异乡之久的沧桑；「晓月过残垒，繁星宿故关」写北归途中经行战乱遗迹的荒凉；「寒禽与衰草，处处伴愁颜」则以景写情，写乱后归乡的愁苦。大历诗人多亲历安史之乱，饱尝流离之苦，此诗正是以乱后送别为背景，写出了战争对普通人命运的深刻影响，以及劫后余生的苍凉况味，是司空曙五律中情真意挚、苍凉动人的名篇。此篇《贼平后送人北归》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 sorrow. The parting opens: the, world, in, chaos, we, went, south, together — the south of the going together; the, times, clear, you, alone, return, north — the north of the returning alone. The aging follows: in, the, strange, land, the, white, hair, growing — the white hair of the strange land; to, the, old, country, seeing, the, green, hills — the green hills of the old country; the, dawn, moon, passing, the, ruined, forts — the ruined forts of the dawn moon; the, stars, in, crowds, lodging, at, the, old, passes — the old passes of the lodging. And the close gathers the sorrow: the, cold, birds, and, the, withered, grass — the cold birds of the withered grass; everywhere, accompanying, the, sorrowful, countenance — the sorrowful countenance of the accompanying — the parting, the road and the close's sorrow, gathered in the poem.

此诗艺术上以「追叙与写景相映、情致苍凉」见长。全诗八句，前四句叙事抒情，后四句写景。首联「世乱同南去，时清独北还」追叙往事，点出二人当年同因乱南迁、如今时清而友人独归，一个「同」字、一个「独」字，写尽乱离之中的聚散无常与友人独归的孤寂。颔联「他乡生白发，旧国见青山」对仗工整，写客居之久与故国之思：「生白发」写岁月之流逝、流离之辛苦，「见青山」写故国依旧、人事已非，白发与青山相对，愈见沧桑。颈联「晓月过残垒，繁星宿故关」转写北归途中的行旅之景：晓月之下经过残破的营垒，繁星满天夜宿旧日的关隘，「残垒」「故关」写尽战乱遗留的痕迹，以行旅之景写乱后之萧条。尾联「寒禽与衰草，处处伴愁颜」以景写情，寒禽哀鸣、衰草连天，处处相伴着游子归乡的愁颜，融情入景，哀愁满纸。全诗由追叙而感慨、由感慨而写景、由写景而融情，层层推进，苍凉之中见真挚，是五律中写乱后送别的典范。

Allusions

'The world in chaos' (shi luan) is the world in chaos — the chaos of the world, the rebellion of the An and the Shi; 'the strange land' (ta xiang) is the strange land — the land of the strange, the white hair of the growing; 'the ruined forts' (can lei) are the ruined forts — the forts of the ruined, the war of the passing.

诗中「旧国」「残垒」「故关」皆含战乱故实。「旧国」指故乡，唐人诗中常以「故国」「旧国」指称故乡故土，如杜甫「国破山河在」之「国」亦含故国之意；「残垒」指战后残破的营垒，为安史之乱遗留的战迹，诗人以此写北归途中所见之荒凉；「故关」指旧日的关隘，乱后亦多残破。「晓月过残垒，繁星宿故关」一联，以晓月、繁星写行旅之早与夜，以残垒、故关写乱后之迹，时空交错，写出乱后山河的满目疮痍。此外，「寒禽」与「衰草」亦为乱后萧条之景的典型意象，与杜甫「国破山河在，城春草木深」之写乱后春景异曲同工。诗人不直写乱后之悲，而以此荒寒之景写之，含蓄蕴藉，正是「以景写情」的妙笔。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 Sikong Shu's poems of the parting, quoted for the desolation of its road and the sorrow of its close. The dawn moon passing the ruined forts, and the cold birds accompanying the sorrowful countenance, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's desolation: the parting gathered in the road, to the close's sorrow.

这首《贼平后送人北归》，写尽了乱后送别的苍凉与深情。首联「世乱同南去，时清独北还」是一篇之纲：当年世乱，你我一同南来避难；如今时清，你却独自北返。一个「同」字，追叙了乱离之中相依为命的往事；一个「独」字，写尽了今日友人独归的孤寂——战乱让他们相遇相携，太平却又让他们分离，聚散无常之中，尽是乱世的沧桑。颔联「他乡生白发，旧国见青山」尤见功力：客居他乡，不觉白发已生，流离之辛苦、岁月之流逝，尽在其中；回归故国，所见的唯有青山依旧，而人事已非、家园残破，那「青山」之中藏着多少欲说还休的悲凉。颈联「晓月过残垒，繁星宿故关」，写友人北归途中的行旅之景：晓月之下行过残破的营垒，繁星之夜宿在旧日的关隘，残垒故关，皆是战乱遗留的痕迹，行于其间，触目惊心。尾联「寒禽与衰草，处处伴愁颜」，以寒禽之哀鸣、衰草之连天，写友人归途中的愁苦面容，融情入景，哀愁满纸。全诗由追叙而感慨、由行旅而写景，苍凉之中见真挚，正是大历诗人于乱后写尽劫后余生之况味的代表作，读之令人动容。

Prosody

Form A regulated poem of the parting (wu yan lü shi)五言律诗（近体，仄起式）

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the regulated poem that carries the desolate sorrow.全诗押平声韵「还」「山」「关」「颜」，韵脚同属删寒类（还、山、关、颜），一韵到底，韵部宽舒而音调苍凉。五律以平韵谐畅为常，此诗「还」「山」「关」「颜」四韵音色浑厚，正与乱后送别的苍凉情调相称，韵脚亦与诗旨相合，声情与辞情相凑。

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the sorrow: the level opening with the parting, the turning with the road, and the close's fall with the sorrowful countenance.句式上，首联「世乱同南去，时清独北还」仄起，以「去」「还」顿挫，写聚散之变；颔联「他乡生白发，旧国见青山」对仗工整，「白发」「青山」相对，音节凝重；颈联「晓月过残垒，繁星宿故关」以「残垒」「故关」写乱后之景，音节沉郁；尾联「寒禽与衰草，处处伴愁颜」以「颜」字平收，音节转舒，情调由苍凉归于哀婉。全诗平仄相间、音节随情起伏，读来如送别时对友人归途的怅望低语，苍凉而深挚。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its desolation: the cadences of the regulated poem, and the close — 'chu chu ban chou yan' — falls with the countenance, the sound of the sorrow of the parting poet.此诗为五言律诗，是中唐大历诗坛写乱后送别的代表作，也是司空曙「清雅含蓄、情真意挚」诗风的典型体现。全诗的艺术特色在于「追叙与写景相映、情致苍凉」：首联「世乱同南去，时清独北还」以「同」「独」对照，追叙乱世相依、太平独别之聚散，苍凉之调自此定下；颔联「他乡生白发，旧国见青山」以工对写客居之久与故国之思，白发与青山相对，愈见沧桑；颈联「晓月过残垒，繁星宿故关」转写北归途中的行旅之景，残垒故关写尽乱后之疮痍；尾联「寒禽与衰草，处处伴愁颜」以景写情，融情入景，哀愁满纸。全诗由追叙而感慨、由行旅而写景，章法井然，对仗工稳，情真意挚。尤为动人者，是诗人不直写乱后之悲，而以残垒故关、寒禽衰草等荒寒之景写之，含蓄蕴藉，正是大历诗人于乱后写尽劫后余生之况味的妙笔，读之令人动容，为后世选本所常收。

Line by line

世乱同南去，时清独北还。

The, world, in, chaos, we, went, south, together, the, times, clear, you, alone, return, north.

当年世乱之时，你我一同南来避难；如今时局平定，你却独自一人北返归乡。

In the troubled times we fled south together; now peace returns, and you go north alone.

首联追叙往事，是全诗之纲。「世乱同南去」写当年因乱南迁，一个「同」字，追叙了乱离之中二人相依相携的往事，乱世流离的艰辛尽在其中；「时清独北还」写如今时清而友人独归，一个「独」字，写尽友人独行的孤寂，也暗含自己不能同归的怅惘。两句以「同」与「独」相对照，乱世之相依与太平时之独别，聚散无常之中，尽是乱世的沧桑与人生的无奈。诗人不写送别之泪，而以此追叙对照写乱后送别的苍凉，起笔即见深情，为全诗奠定了基调。

The opening couplet recounts the past, the poem's outline. In the troubled times we fled south together writes the then-southward migration because of disorder; one together recounts the two men's mutual dependence and supporting in the chaos, the hardship of the age's exile all within. Now peace returns, and you go north alone writes now the times settled, yet the friend alone returns; one alone writes the friend's solitary journey, and secretly holds one's own not-returning disappointment. The two lines set together against alone: mutual dependence in the troubled times, solitary parting in the peaceful age; within the无常 gathering and scattering, all is the disorder's vicissitude and life's helplessness. The poet does not write farewell tears, but uses this recounting contrast to write the post-war farewell's bleakness; the opening at once shows deep feeling, setting the poem's keynote.

他乡生白发，旧国见青山。

In a strange land white hair has grown; returning home, I see only green hills.

客居他乡，不觉鬓边已生白发；回归故国，映入眼帘的唯有青山依旧。

In exile white has grown in my hair; returning home, I see the green hills as of old.

颔联写客居之久与故国之思，是千古名句。「他乡生白发」写流离之苦：客居他乡，岁月流逝，白发渐生，「生」字见其不知不觉间已老，乱世流离对生命的消磨尽在其中；「旧国见青山」写归乡之况：回归故国，所见的唯有青山依旧，「见」字见其举目所见、青山入眼。白发与青山相对，愈见人事之沧桑——山犹如此，人何以堪。两句一写客居之老、一写故国之思，对仗工整而情致深挚，把乱后归乡的复杂况味写得含蓄而沉重，是五律中「以工对写深情」的典范。

The second couplet writes the long exile and the homeland longing, an age-famous line. In exile white has grown in my hair writes the exile's hardship: living abroad, the years flowing, white hair gradually growing; grown shows the aging unawares, the disorder's wearing on life all within. Returning home, I see the green hills as of old writes the return's condition: coming home, what meets the eyes is only the green hills unchanged; see shows what the gaze meets, the green hills entering the eyes. White hair set against green hills all the more showing human affairs' vicissitude - the hills still thus, how much more men. The two lines one write the exile's aging, one the homeland longing; the parallel refined yet the feeling deep, writing the post-war return's complex taste reserved and heavy - the model among five-character regulated verses of using refined parallel for deep feeling.

晓月过残垒，繁星宿故关。

The, dawn, moon, passing, the, ruined, forts, the, stars, in, crowds, lodging, at, the, old, passes.

晓月之下，你行过残破的营垒；繁星满天，你夜宿在旧日的关隘。

Beneath the dawn moon you pass broken ramparts; under the starry night you camp at the old pass.

颈联转写北归途中的行旅之景，以景写乱后之萧条。「晓月过残垒」写拂晓时分行过残破的营垒，「晓月」见行旅之早，「残垒」写战乱遗留的痕迹；「繁星宿故关」写夜晚宿于旧日的关隘，「繁星」见羁旅之夜，「故关」写乱后关隘之破败。两句以晓月、繁星写行旅之早晚，以残垒、故关写乱后之遗迹，时空交错，写出北归途中满目疮痍的荒凉景象。诗人不直写乱后之悲，而以友人行旅中所见的残垒故关写之，景中含情，含蓄蕴藉，正是「一切景语皆情语」的体现。

The third couplet turns to the journey north's travel scenery, writing post-war desolation through scenery. Beneath the dawn moon you pass broken ramparts writes passing broken fortifications at dawn; dawn moon shows the journey's earliness; broken ramparts writes war's leftover traces. Under the starry night you camp at the old pass writes camping at the old pass at night; starry night shows the travel night; old pass writes the post-war pass's decay. The two lines use dawn moon and starry night to write the journey's morning and evening, broken ramparts and old pass to write post-war ruins; time and space interwoven, writing the northward road's devastation everywhere. The poet does not directly write post-war grief, but uses the friend's travel-scene broken ramparts and old pass to write it; scenery holds feeling, reserved and pregnant - precisely the embodiment of all scenery words are feeling words.

寒禽与衰草，处处伴愁颜。

The, cold, birds, and, the, withered, grass, everywhere, accompanying, the, sorrowful, countenance.

寒禽的哀鸣与连天的衰草，处处伴随着你愁苦的面容。

Cold birds and withered grass everywhere accompany your sorrowful face.

尾联以景写情，是诗人送别之情的直接流露。「寒禽与衰草」写北归途中的荒寒之景：寒禽哀鸣，衰草连天，一派深秋萧索之气；「处处伴愁颜」写这寒禽衰草，处处伴随着友人愁苦的容颜，「处处」见其无处不有、避无可避，「愁颜」则写尽友人乱后归乡的愁苦。诗人不写自己如何不舍，而以这荒寒之景写友人的愁颜，把送别之情与乱后之悲融合一处，情景交融，哀愁满纸。两句以景结情，含蓄蕴藉，读之令人动容，是五律中「融情入景」的佳句。

The closing couplet writes feeling through scenery, the direct outflow of the farewell feeling. Cold birds and withered grass writes the northward road's desolate scene: cold birds wailing, withered grass reaching the sky, an autumn's bleak air everywhere. Everywhere accompany your sorrowful face writes these cold birds and withered grass everywhere accompanying the friend's sorrowful countenance; everywhere shows their nowhere-absence, inescapable; sorrowful face exhausts the friend's post-war-homecoming grief. The poet does not write how reluctant he is, but uses this desolate scene to write the friend's sorrowful face, fusing the farewell feeling and post-war grief into one; scenery and feeling fused, sorrow filling the page. The two lines close feeling in scenery, reserved and pregnant, reading it moves the heart - a fine line among five-character regulated verses of fusing feeling into scenery.

Study

Word focus

独北还 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「独北还」是全诗情感之根，一个「独」字，写尽友人乱后独归的孤寂。当年「同南去」，如今「独北还」，一个「独」字与「同」字相对照，乱世相依与太平独别，聚散无常的苍凉尽在其中。「独」字既是写友人独行之状，也是写自己不能同归的怅惘，二字连用，起笔即定全诗苍凉之调。「独北还」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。

生白发 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「生白发」写客居他乡、不知不觉间鬓边已生白发，「生」字见其白发之渐生而不觉，乱世流离对生命的消磨尽在其中。诗人不写「有白发」「多白发」，而着一「生」字，把白发之生写成一桩悄然发生的事，与「他乡」相连，更见流离之久、岁月之无情，是炼字传神之笔。「生白发」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。

残垒 'The, ruined, forts' — the forts of the ruined, the war of the passing. 「残垒」指战后残破的营垒，是全诗最见乱后之痕的词。「残」字写营垒之破败残缺，是战乱遗留的痕迹，友人北归途中行经此地，晓月之下见残垒之萧瑟，乱后的疮痍便扑面而来。着一「残」字，不写战乱而战乱之惨自见，是「以一字写尽乱后」的妙笔，也暗含诗人对战争的深沉感慨。「残垒」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。

愁颜 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「愁颜」写友人归途中愁苦的容颜，是全诗情感落点。乱后归乡，本该是喜悦之事，而诗人写其「愁颜」，正见乱后归乡并非欢喜，而是带着家园残破、亲故凋零的悲凉。着一「愁」字，把乱后归乡的复杂况味点破，与「寒禽」「衰草」之景相映，融情入景，哀愁满纸，是尾联以景写情的点睛之笔。「愁颜」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。