唐 Tang · 诗 Poem
至德二载甫自京金光门出问道归凤翔乾元初从左拾遗移华州掾与亲故别因出此门有悲往事
In, the, Second, Year, of, Zhide, I, Left, through, the, Jinguang, Gate, of, the, Capital, and, Returned, to, Fengxiang, by, Asking, the, Way; in, the, First, Year, of, Qianyuan, I, Was, Moved, from, the, Left, Reminder, to, the, Clerk, of, Huazhou; Parting, from, the, Relatives, and, the, Friends, I, Left, through, This, Gate, Again, with, Sorrow, for, the, Past
此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁至今残破胆应有未招魂近得归京邑移官岂至尊无才日衰老驻马望千门
This, road, in, the, former, days, I, followed, to, the, submission,The, western, outskirts, the, Hu, were, just, in, the, throngs.
To, this, day, still, broken, the, frightened, courage,
There, should, be, the, not, yet, summoned, souls.
Recently, I, obtained, the, return, to, the, capital, and, the, court,
Was, the, moving, of, the, office, the, doing, of, the, highest, honor.
Without, the, talent, the, days, and, the, years, aging,
Stopping, the, horse, I, gaze, at, the, thousand, gates.
Meaning
A poem of the memory and the sorrow, written by Du Fu. This road in the former days I followed to the submission, the western outskirts the Hu were just in the throngs — the flight of the opening. To this day still broken the frightened courage, there should be the not yet summoned souls — the terror of the middle. Recently I obtained the return to the capital and the court, was the moving of the office the doing of the highest honor — the sigh of the middle. And the close's without the talent the days and the years aging, stopping the horse I gaze at the thousand gates — the close's sorrow. The poem is the memory and the sorrow: the flight, the terror, and the close's gaze.
此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁至今残破胆应有未招魂近得归京邑移官岂至尊无才日衰老驻马望千门
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] This, road, in, the, former, days, I, followed, to, the, submission, the, western, outskirts, the, Hu, were, just, in, the, throngs. To, this, day, still, broken, the, frightened, courage, there, should, be, the, not, yet, summoned, souls. Recently, I, obtained, the, return, to, the, capital, and, the, court, was, the, moving, of, the, office, the, doing, of, the, highest, honor. Without, the, talent, the, days, and, the, years, aging, stopping, the, horse, I, gaze, at, the, thousand, gates. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the flight of the former days with the Hu in the throngs, through the terror of the broken courage and the not summoned souls, to the close's the gaze at the thousand gates. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the gaze: recently I obtained the return to the capital, and the close's stopping the horse I gaze at the thousand gates — the memory gathered in the terror and the close's gaze. [Emotional Tone] Sorrowful, frightened, and gazing: the poem is the flight, the terror and the close's gaze.
【白话串讲】 杜甫写《至德二载甫自京金光门出问道归凤翔乾元初从左拾遗移华州掾与亲故别因出此门有悲往事》：“此道昔归顺，西郊胡正繁”——“至今残破胆，应有未招魂”——“近得归京邑，移官岂至尊”——“无才日衰老，驻马望千门”——他过金光门悲往事——驻马望千门。 【意象与手法】 “此道昔归顺、西郊胡正繁”写昔归顺；“至今残破胆、应有未招魂”写至今残破胆；“近得归京邑、移官岂至尊”写近得归京邑；结以“无才日衰老、驻马望千门”写驻马望千门。沉郁忆昔。 【情感与主旨】 杜甫写乾元元年移官华州、再出金光门悲往事之作，写国难与身世之悲，是杜甫诗中的名篇。 【名句点睛】 常考“此道昔归顺，西郊胡正繁”写昔年归顺；“至今残破胆，应有未招魂”写国难之惊。
Background
Du Fu (712-770), the great poet of the Tang, wrote this poem of the memory and the sorrow — the recollection of the flight and the demotion. The flight of the former days with the Hu in the throngs, the terror of the broken courage, and the close's the gaze at the thousand gates — the poem gathers the sorrow of the poet, the memory of the rebellion. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the memory.
《至德二载甫自京金光门出问道归凤翔乾元初从左拾遗移华州掾与亲故别因出此门有悲往事》为唐代诗人杜甫所作诗。杜甫（712—770），字子美，号少陵野老，巩县人，唐代诗人。此诗写感怀忆昔，为忆金光门之作。诗中「此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁」写此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁；「至今残破胆应有未招魂」写至今残破胆应有未招魂；「近得归京邑移官岂至尊」写近得归京邑移官岂至尊；「无才日衰老驻马望千门」写无才日衰老驻马望千门。杜甫此诗以感怀忆昔、驻马望千门写其忆昔之情，沉郁忆昔，是杜甫诗中的名篇。此篇《至德二载甫自京金光门出问道归凤翔乾元初从左拾遗移华州掾与亲故别因出此门有悲往事》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 flight opens: this, road, in, the, former, days, I, followed, to, the, submission — the road of the former days; the, western, outskirts, the, Hu, were, just, in, the, throngs — the Hu of the western outskirts. The terror follows: to, this, day, still, broken, the, frightened, courage — the broken courage of the frightened; there, should, be, the, not, yet, summoned, souls — the not summoned souls; recently, I, obtained, the, return, to, the, capital, and, the, court — the return of the capital; was, the, moving, of, the, office, the, doing, of, the, highest, honor — the moving of the office. And the close gathers the gaze: without, the, talent, the, days, and, the, years, aging — the aging of the days and the years; stopping, the, horse, I, gaze, at, the, thousand, gates — the gaze of the thousand gates — the flight, the terror and the close's gaze, gathered in the poem.
此诗艺术上以「沉郁忆昔、以门写情」见长。全诗共八句四联，由此道昔归顺而至今残破胆而近得归京邑。起「此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁」写此道昔归顺：此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁；「至今残破胆应有未招魂」写至今残破胆：至今残破胆应有未招魂；「近得归京邑移官岂至尊」写近得归京邑：近得归京邑移官岂至尊；结「无才日衰老驻马望千门」写驻马望千门：无才日衰老驻马望千门。全诗以门写情，由此道昔归顺而驻马望千门，沉郁忆昔，是杜甫诗中的名篇。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 Zhide' (Zhi de) is the Zhide — the era of the Zhide, the years of the rebellion; 'the Jinguang Gate' (Jin guang men) is the Jinguang Gate — the gate of the Jinguang, the gate of the flight; 'the Hu' (Hu) are the Hu — the tribes of the Hu, the rebels of the western outskirts; 'the thousand gates' (qian men) are the thousand gates — the gates of the palace, the gaze of the close.
诗中「此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁」「至今残破胆应有未招魂」「近得归京邑移官岂至尊」「无才日衰老驻马望千门」等语，皆含典故故实。「此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁」写此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁；「至今残破胆应有未招魂」写至今残破胆应有未招魂；「近得归京邑移官岂至尊」写近得归京邑移官岂至尊；「无才日衰老驻马望千门」用千门之典（千门写宫门），写无才日衰老驻马望千门。诗人用千门之典入诗，不着痕迹，而把感怀忆昔之情写得真切可感，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 Du Fu's poems of the memory, quoted for the terror of its middle and the sorrow of its close. The broken courage of the frightened, and the gaze at the thousand gates, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's sorrow: the flight gathered in the terror, to the close's gaze.
这首《至德二载甫自京金光门出问道归凤翔乾元初从左拾遗移华州掾与亲故别因出此门有悲往事》，是杜甫写感怀忆昔之作，写此道昔归顺、至今残破胆、近得归京邑、驻马望千门之情，沉郁忆昔。起「此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁」——此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁。写此道昔归顺：此道昔归顺、西郊胡正繁——昔归顺、胡正繁；「至今残破胆应有未招魂」——至今残破胆应有未招魂。写至今残破胆：至今残破胆、应有未招魂——残破胆、未招魂；「近得归京邑移官岂至尊」——近得归京邑移官岂至尊。写近得归京邑：近得归京邑、移官岂至尊——归京邑、岂至尊；结「无才日衰老驻马望千门」——无才日衰老驻马望千门。写驻马望千门：无才日衰老、驻马望千门——日衰老、望千门。这「无才日衰老驻马望千门」，是全诗之结：以驻马望千门写其忆昔。全诗沉郁忆昔，以门写情，正是杜甫诗中的名篇。综观全诗，情真、景切、理深，三者浑融无迹，故能于短短数语之中寄无限深意，令人百读不厌。其含蓄蕴藉之处，正是中国古典诗歌以少总多、言有尽而意无穷的美学精神的生动体现。
Prosody
Line by line
此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁
This, road, in, the, former, days, I, followed, to, the, submission, the, western, outskirts, the, Hu, were, just, in, the, throngs.
此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁
This road, in former days, I took to submit; then in the western suburbs the rebels were thick.
起句写此道昔归顺，起笔即见其归顺。「此道昔归顺」写此道昔归顺，「此道」写此道、「昔归顺」写昔归顺；「西郊胡正繁」写西郊胡正繁，「西郊」写西郊、「胡正繁」写胡正繁。一句写此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁，以此道昔归顺写昔归顺、以西郊胡正繁写胡正繁，写尽此道昔归顺、西郊胡正繁之情。以道起兴，沉郁而忆昔，是「以道起兴」的妙笔。
The opening writes this road, in former days, I took to submit, the submission named at the first stroke. This road: the Jin Guang Gate road. In former days I took to submit: the 757 escape to Fengxiang. In the western suburbs the rebels were thick: the rebel occupation. One block writes the former submission road and the then-thick rebels - Du Fu's starting point for the sad memory: the gate where he once escaped the rebellion. The line opens with the road as bi-xing, somber and reminiscing: the former escape at once.
至今残破胆应有未招魂
To, this, day, still, broken, the, frightened, courage, there, should, be, the, not, yet, summoned, souls.
至今残破胆应有未招魂
To this day my courage is still shattered; there should be souls still un-summoned.
此句写至今残破胆，是全诗写残破胆之态的关键。「至今残破胆」写至今残破胆，「至今」写至今、「残破胆」写残破胆；「应有未招魂」写应有未招魂，「应有」写应有、「未招魂」写未招魂。一句写至今残破胆应有未招魂，以至今残破胆写残破胆、以应有未招魂写未招魂，写尽至今残破胆、应有未招魂之情。以胆写情，沉郁而忆昔，是「以胆写情」的点睛之笔。
This line writes to this day my courage is still shattered, the key to the poem's shattered-courage state. To this day: the lasting fear. My courage is still shattered: the shock's remnant. There should be souls still un-summoned: the dead not yet summoned back. One block writes the lasting shattered courage and the un-summoned souls - the pivot: the rebellion's trauma still unhealed. The line uses courage for feeling, somber and reminiscing: the fear itself becomes the poem's subject.
近得归京邑移官岂至尊
Of late I returned to the capital; this transfer of office was not the emperor's will.
近得归京邑移官岂至尊
Of late I returned to the capital's districts; this transfer of office was surely not the emperor's will.
此句写近得归京邑，是全诗写京邑之态的关键。「近得归京邑」写近得归京邑，「近得」写近得、「归京邑」写归京邑；「移官岂至尊」写移官岂至尊，「移官」写移官、「岂至尊」写岂至尊。一句写近得归京邑移官岂至尊，以近得归京邑写归京邑、以移官岂至尊写岂至尊，写尽近得归京邑、移官岂至尊之情。以京写情，沉郁而忆昔，是「以京写情」的点睛之笔。
This line writes of late I returned to the capital's districts, the key to the poem's capital state. Of late I returned to the capital: the new post. This transfer of office was surely not the emperor's will: the demotion's hidden grievance. One block writes the late return to the capital and the transfer's not-the-emperor's-will - the pivot: the demotion to Huazhou, the veiled complaint. The line uses the capital for feeling, somber and reminiscing: the return to the capital becomes a new exile.
无才日衰老驻马望千门
Without, the, talent, the, days, and, the, years, aging, stopping, the, horse, I, gaze, at, the, thousand, gates.
无才日衰老驻马望千门
Without talent, daily aging; I halt my horse and gaze at the thousand gates.
结句写驻马望千门，是全诗立意的落点。「无才日衰老」写无才日衰老，「无才」写无才、「日衰老」写日衰老；「驻马望千门」用千门之典写驻马望千门，「驻马」写驻马、「望千门」写望千门。一句写无才日衰老驻马望千门，以无才日衰老写日衰老、以驻马望千门写望千门，写尽无才日衰老、驻马望千门之情。以门写情，沉郁而忆昔，是全诗最动人处，也是「以门写情」的点睛之笔。
The closing line writes I halt my horse and gaze at the thousand gates, the poem's landing. Without talent: the self-deprecation. Daily aging: the years' flow. I halt my horse uses the thousand gates allusion: the imperial palaces. Gaze at the thousand gates: the lingering look. One block writes the talentless daily aging and the halted horse gazing at the gates - Du Fu's resolution: outside the gate he once escaped, now he pauses to gaze at the palaces forever receding. The line uses the gate for feeling, somber and reminiscing, the poem's most moving point: the same gate, twice the grief.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
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」，写忆昔感怀、沉郁旷达，是宋词长调的名篇；杜甫《至德二载甫自京金光门出问道归凤翔乾元初从左拾遗移华州掾与亲故别因出此门有悲往事》则以「此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁」「驻马望千门」写胡正繁、望千门。两诗同写忆昔感怀、沉郁旷达：一写人有悲欢离合、以悲欢写离合，一写此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁、以归顺写忆昔；一为苏轼之旷达、一为杜甫之沉郁，并读正可见诗写「忆昔感怀」的两种笔法，皆于忆昔之中见沉郁。
八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天 Eight Beats of Ganzhou: Facing the Evening Rain 柳永 · 同写京邑凝望、沉郁清丽，一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、一写此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁，皆于京邑之中见凝望 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
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」，写京邑凝望、沉郁清丽，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；杜甫《至德二载甫自京金光门出问道归凤翔乾元初从左拾遗移华州掾与亲故别因出此门有悲往事》则以「此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁」「近得归京邑」写胡正繁、归京邑。两诗同写京邑凝望、沉郁清丽：一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、以暮雨写清秋，一写此道昔归顺西郊胡正繁、以归顺写忆昔；一为柳永之清丽、一为杜甫之沉郁，并读正可见诗写「京邑凝望」的两种笔法，皆于京邑之中见凝望。