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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

云阳馆与韩绅宿别

The, Lodge, of, the, Yunyang, and, the, Night, of, the, Parting, with, Han, Shen

司空曙

Sikong Shu

重逢Theme 送别Farewell 羁旅Theme

故人江海别，几度隔山川。
乍见翻疑梦，相悲各问年。
孤灯寒照雨，湿竹暗浮烟。
更有明朝恨，离杯惜共传。

The, old, friend, parted, at, the, river, and, the, sea,
How, many, times, separated, by, the, hills, and, the, streams.
Suddenly, the, meeting, I, doubt, it, is, the, dream,
Mutually, the, sorrow, each, asks, the, years.
The, lone, lamp, the, cold, shines, on, the, rain,
The, wet, bamboos, the, dark, float, the, mist.
More, there, is, the, regret, of, the, tomorrow,
The, cup, of, the, parting, cherished, passing, round, together.

Listen

Meaning

A poem of the reunion and the parting, written by Sikong Shu. The old friend parted at the river and the sea, how many times separated by the hills and the streams — the separation of the opening. Suddenly the meeting I doubt it is the dream, mutually the sorrow each asks the years — the reunion of the middle. The lone lamp the cold shines on the rain, the wet bamboos the dark float the mist — the night of the middle. And the close's more there is the regret of the tomorrow, the cup of the parting cherished passing round together — the close's parting. The poem is the reunion and the parting: the dream, the lamp, and the close's cup.

骤然相见,反而怀疑是在梦中;彼此悲从中来,互相询问分别后的年岁。一盏孤灯,寒光照着窗外的雨;沾湿的竹丛间,暗暗浮起夜雾。更叫人难堪的是明朝又将分别,因此这杯离酒,彼此都珍重地传饮。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The, old, friend, parted, at, the, river, and, the, sea, how, many, times, separated, by, the, hills, and, the, streams. Suddenly, the, meeting, I, doubt, it, is, the, dream, mutually, the, sorrow, each, asks, the, years. The, lone, lamp, the, cold, shines, on, the, rain, the, wet, bamboos, the, dark, float, the, mist. More, there, is, the, regret, of, the, tomorrow, the, cup, of, the, parting, cherished, passing, round, together. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the separation of the river and the sea with the hills and the streams, through the reunion of the doubt of the dream with the night of the lone lamp and the wet bamboos, to the close's the regret of the tomorrow. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the regret: more there is the regret of the tomorrow, and the close's the cup of the parting cherished passing round — the reunion gathered in the night and the close's cup. [Emotional Tone] Startled, sorrowful, and parting: the poem is the dream, the lamp and the close's cup.

【白话串讲】司空曙在云阳驿馆与韩绅久别重逢：“故人江海别，几度隔山川”。“乍见翻疑梦，相悲各问年”——“孤灯寒照雨，湿竹暗浮烟”——“更有明朝恨，离杯惜共传”——他写重逢与再次离别。【意象与手法】以「别」字贯穿始终，起于江海之别，结于明朝之恨，中间以「宿」字绾合。「乍见翻疑梦，相悲各问年」直写重逢百感，是情感的第一高潮；「孤灯寒照雨，湿竹暗浮烟」以孤灯、寒雨、湿竹、浮烟四组冷色调意象写夜宿凄清，一热一冷、一放一收；尾联「离杯惜共传」以「惜」字写传杯之珍重，章法回环，情景交融。【情感与主旨】故人江海阔别、山川几度阻隔，今日云阳驿馆重逢，共宿一夜，明朝又将分离。诗中既有「乍见翻疑梦」的惊喜恍惚，又有「相悲各问年」的沧桑互询，更有「明朝恨」的离愁；孤灯寒雨之间，中唐士人漂泊相逢、聚散匆匆的生存状态宛然在目，令人怅然。【名句点睛】「乍见翻疑梦，相悲各问年」写久别重逢的刹那：惊喜、恍惚、悲哀、感慨交织翻涌。「翻疑梦」三字写尽不敢置信，「各问年」三字写尽沧桑互询，神理毕现，与李益「问姓惊初见」并称千古名联。

Background

Sikong Shu (c. 720-790), one of the 'Ten Talents of the Dali' of the Tang, wrote this 'The, Lodge, of, the, Yunyang, and, the, Night, of, the, Parting, with, Han, Shen' of the reunion and the parting — the meeting of the old friends. The separation of the river and the sea with the doubt of the dream, the night of the lone lamp, and the close's the cup of the parting — the poem gathers the emotion of the poet, the sorrow of the farewell. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the parting.

司空曙字文明,广平人,大历十才子之一,累官水部郎中,终虞部郎中,有《司空文明集》传世。云阳,唐时京兆府有云阳县(今陕西泾阳一带),馆即驿站馆舍。韩绅其人,生平不详,当为司空曙故友。此诗写故人阔别多年,江海相隔,今日在云阳馆舍重逢,共宿一夜,明朝又将分别的情景。首联「故人江海别,几度隔山川」,以「江海」「山川」极言别后距离之远、阻隔之多,时间跨度悠悠数载;颔联「乍见翻疑梦,相悲各问年」写乍见之恍惚与相悲之深,为千古名句;颈联「孤灯寒照雨,湿竹暗浮烟」,以孤灯、寒雨、湿竹、浮烟四组冷色调意象写客馆夜宿的凄凉;尾联「更有明朝恨,离杯惜共传」,由今夜之宿转念明朝之恨,以共传离杯作结。全诗以「宿别」为题眼,把重逢、夜宿、又别三层情境熔于一炉,情感起伏回环,是大历诗人赠别诗中的名篇,亦被《唐诗三百首》收录,与李益《喜见外弟又言别》并称为中唐写久别重逢的双璧。关于韩绅其人,诸家注本多付阙如,然从诗题「宿别」及诗中「故人江海别」看,当是司空曙少年旧交,别后多年始遇于云阳驿馆,故有「几度隔山川」之叹。大历年间士人多因战乱与仕宦飘转四方,驿馆相逢、灯下话旧几乎是当时士人共同的经历,此诗正是这一时代侧影的忠实记录。今人读此诗既可欣赏其艺术之美,亦可借以想象中唐士人漂泊流离的生存状态,其文献价值不容忽视。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the parting. The separation opens: the, old, friend, parted, at, the, river, and, the, sea — the parting of the river and the sea; how, many, times, separated, by, the, hills, and, the, streams — the hills and the streams of the separation. The reunion follows: suddenly, the, meeting, I, doubt, it, is, the, dream — the doubt of the dream; mutually, the, sorrow, each, asks, the, years — the years of the mutual asking; the, lone, lamp, the, cold, shines, on, the, rain — the lone lamp of the rain; the, wet, bamboos, the, dark, float, the, mist — the wet bamboos of the mist. And the close gathers the regret: more, there, is, the, regret, of, the, tomorrow — the regret of the tomorrow; the, cup, of, the, parting, cherished, passing, round, together — the cup of the parting — the separation, the night and the close's cup, gathered in the poem.

此诗结构极为精巧,以「别」字贯穿始终:起于「故人江海别」,结于「明朝恨」,而中间以「宿」字绾合,一篇之中今夕明朝、喜恨交叠。首联「故人江海别,几度隔山川」,连用「江海」「山川」两个阔大的空间意象,写别后之远、之阻,语气平缓而情思绵长,「几度」二字点出岁月之多。颔联「乍见翻疑梦,相悲各问年」是情感的第一个高潮:久别乍逢,反疑是梦,既而相拥而悲,互问年岁,惊喜与悲哀在同一瞬间奔涌而出,两句之内把重逢时的百感交集写得淋漓尽致,与李益「问姓惊初见,称名忆旧容」并称双绝。颈联「孤灯寒照雨,湿竹暗浮烟」,笔锋一转,以景写夜宿:孤灯一盏,照着窗外的寒雨;湿竹丛中,浮起暗夜的烟雾。四组意象全是冷色,营造出凄清迷离的氛围,为尾联蓄势。尾联「更有明朝恨,离杯惜共传」,由今夜写到明朝,「更有」二字转出别恨,「离杯惜共传」以「惜」字写共饮离觞的珍重,收束得含蓄而沉痛。全诗情、景、事三者交融,章法回环,是大历五律中结构最精的篇章之一,足见司空曙谋篇布局的功力。尤其值得注意的是颔联与颈联的对照:颔联直写重逢之悲喜,情感奔涌;颈联忽以景语宕开,冷然收束。一热一冷,一放一收,使全诗的情感如潮汐般起伏,而读者情绪的涨落也随之自然流转,这正是大历诗人最擅长的「以景衬情、以静制动」手法,其章法之老练,直可与老杜「一片花飞减却春」诸作相颉颃。又,此诗写「宿」而兼写「雨」,孤灯寒照、湿竹浮烟,均围绕一个「雨」字生发,雨夜之凄清,正与离别之怅惘互为表里,情景交融,无迹可寻。而「乍见翻疑梦」之「翻」,与「相悲各问年」之「各」,两个虚字一写心理之转折,一写情状之分布,皆极精妙,可见诗人炼字之细。

Allusions

'The river and the sea' (jiang hai) are the river and the sea — the river and the sea, the distance of the parting; 'the lone lamp' (gu deng) is the lone lamp — the lamp of the lone, the night of the meeting; 'the cup of the parting' (li bei) is the cup of the parting — the cup of the farewell, the passing round of the close.

「江海别」一语暗承苏武、李陵赠答诗「良友远离别,各在天一方」及江淹《别赋》「送君南浦,伤如之何」以来送别诗的阔大传统,以江海之远写别离之深。「翻疑梦」则本于杜甫《羌村三首》其一「夜阑更秉烛,相对如梦寐」,是「久别重逢如梦中」这一母题在唐代的又一次回响,此后李益、戴叔伦等屡用其意,可见其影响之深。「孤灯」意象可溯至六朝文人诗中,李白《长相思》「孤灯不明思欲绝」即用此意象,而「寒照雨」三字更把灯、雨、寒三个意象叠合,意境清冷;此境与温庭筠《商山早行》「鸡声茅店月」同属驿站夜宿之景的书写传统。「湿竹暗浮烟」中「浮烟」二字令人想起王维《辋川闲居赠裴秀才迪》「墟里上孤烟」的疏淡笔法,然王维之烟清旷,司空曙之烟迷暗,正可见大历诗人于前人意象中另铸新境的本领。全诗用典与化用皆入于景语,不露痕迹,体现中唐律诗「以景写情」的高度成熟。又,「孤灯」意象在唐人诗中所指多重:或为闺中怨思之灯,或为禅房枯寂之灯,或为驿馆客愁之灯,司空曙此句取驿馆客愁一路,以「寒」「雨」二词叠加,使孤灯之「孤」更添一分冷湿之气,与尾联「明朝恨」之离愁正相表里。至于「湿竹暗浮烟」,以「湿」「暗」二字写尽秋雨之夜竹影迷离的光景,此种笔法后世吴文英「隔江人在雨声中」等皆可视为其流风余韵。要之,此诗化用前人意象而不落窠臼,是理解大历诗坛取境传统的关键文本。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Sikong Shu's poems of the parting, quoted for the doubt of its middle and the regret of its close. The doubt of the dream, and the cup of the parting, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's emotion: the reunion gathered in the night, to the close's cup.

司空曙此诗被收入《唐诗三百首》,其「乍见翻疑梦,相悲各问年」一联尤为历代诗话所称引。明人陆时雍《唐诗镜》评大历诸子,谓司空曙诗「清婉而有情致」,此诗以孤灯寒雨写客馆别情,正见其清婉本色。清沈德潜《唐诗别裁集》论此诗,以为「乍见」一联与李益「问姓惊初见,称名忆旧容」同一机杼而各极其妙,皆写久别重逢之情,语淡而情真。近代俞陛云《诗境浅说》评此诗,谓首联叙阔别之久,颔联写乍见之惊喜,颈联写夜雨凄清,尾联转念明朝之别,结构严密,情致缠绵,为司空曙集中压卷之作。历代论者又多以「翻疑梦」为全诗之眼,以为此三字将久别重逢时的不敢置信、悲喜交集写得神理毕现,与杜甫「相对如梦寐」一脉相承而又自出新意。凡此诸评,皆可见此诗在传统批评中的崇高地位,以及大历诗人于人情世故上敏锐而深婉的洞察。此外,《唐诗品汇》列司空曙于大历十才子之列,高棅于《品汇》凡例中称大历诸子五言律最为擅长,此诗正是其五律成就的代表。又,历代选本自《唐诗三百首》以下几乎无不收录此诗,可见其典范地位。今人论大历诗多以「清空」「淡远」概括其风格,而此诗于清空之中自含沉痛,于淡远之外别具深情,足见以一家之词涵盖一家之诗终有所未尽,惟具体而微的文本细读方能得其全貌。再就本诗之结构观之,首联写别之久,颔联写逢之疑,颈联写宿之寒,尾联写别之迫,四联四境,而一「恨」字贯穿其间,使全诗浑然一体。尤妙者,全诗对仗工稳而不显板滞,「江海」对「山川」、「孤灯」对「湿竹」,皆以自然景物相对,而情味自见,正是大历诗人「以景写情」的成熟笔法。要之,此诗以短短四十字,写尽久别、乍逢、夜宿、又别四层情事,而无一语重复,无一字闲设,其凝练与含蓄,足与李益《喜见外弟又言别》并称双绝,是唐诗中写重逢离别的压卷之作。

Prosody

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

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the regulated poem that carries the sorrowful regret.平水韵下平一先,韵脚为「年、烟、传」

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the parting: the level opening with the separation, the turning with the reunion, and the close's fall with the cup.仄起首句不入韵,对仗精工,音节低回

Reading note The poem's sound matches its emotion: the cadences of the regulated poem, and the close — 'li bei xi gong chuan' — falls with the cup, the sound of the regret of the parted friends.此诗为仄起首句不入韵式五言律诗,押平水韵下平一先,韵脚为「年、烟、传」。一先韵音色清亮而悠远,恰与诗中「故人江海别」的绵长思念和「明朝恨」的悠远怅惘相应。全诗格律精严:首联「故人江海别,几度隔山川」,出句「仄平平仄仄」,对句「仄仄仄平平」,「几度」「隔」皆仄声,音节沉实;颔联「乍见翻疑梦,相悲各问年」,对仗精工,「乍见」对「相悲」、「翻疑」对「各问」,平仄相对,音节顿挫,两句之内四组双音节词两两相应,声情并茂;颈联「孤灯寒照雨,湿竹暗浮烟」,以「灯」「雨」「竹」「烟」四个名词意象对举,平仄安排于对仗中自然成律,「湿竹」二字皆仄声,读来有寒湿之气;尾联「更有明朝恨,离杯惜共传」,以「更有」转起,收以「共传」,音节低回绵长。全诗一韵到底,声调随情感的起伏而起伏,于严整中见流动,是大历五律声情谐和的上乘之作。

Line by line

乍见翻疑梦，相悲各问年。

Suddenly, the, meeting, I, doubt, it, is, the, dream, mutually, the, sorrow, each, asks, the, years.

骤然相见,反而怀疑是在梦中;彼此悲从中来,互相询问分别后的年岁。

Suddenly meeting, I suspect it is a dream; grieving together, we ask each other's years.

此联为千古名句,写久别重逢的刹那心理。「乍见」点出相逢之突然,「翻疑梦」三字写尽不敢相信、恍如梦幻的恍惚;下句「相悲」承上,喜极而悲,悲的是岁月流逝、各自老去,「各问年」三字以最朴素的动作写出乱离之后互询年岁的酸楚。两句之内,惊喜、恍惚、悲哀、感慨交织翻涌,把重逢的复杂心境写得神理毕现,是中唐诗中写人情的极致。

This couplet is an age-famous line, writing the long-parted reunion's instant psychology. Suddenly meeting names the meeting's abrupt; I suspect it is a dream three characters exhaust the not-daring-to-believe, dreamlike trance. The next line grieving together carries on, joy extreme turning to grief; grieving the years' flow, each growing old; we ask each other's years three characters use the plainest action to write the post-troubled-times互相 inquiring age's bitter salt. Within two lines, surprise, trance, grief, sigh interwoven and surging; writing the reunion's complex mood to the utmost of spirit and reason; among mid-Tang poetry, the extreme of writing human feeling.

孤灯寒照雨，湿竹暗浮烟。

A lone lamp coldly shines on rain; wet bamboos vaguely float in mist.

一盏孤灯,寒光照着窗外的雨;沾湿的竹丛间,暗暗浮起夜雾。

A lone lamp shines cold on the rain; damp bamboos dimly drift in mist.

此联以景写情,是客馆夜宿的绝唱。「孤灯」「寒雨」「湿竹」「浮烟」四组意象层层叠加,全是冷色与暗色,织成一片凄清迷离的夜境。「孤」字写灯,亦写人;「寒」字照雨,亦沁人心脾;「暗」字浮烟,更添朦胧。景中无一句言别,而离愁别恨已如湿雾一般弥漫于整个客馆之夜,为尾联「明朝恨」作了最充分的氛围铺垫,是情景交融的典范。要之,此联以四组冷色调意象叠加,层层晕染,将无形的离愁化作了可视可感的迷蒙夜境,正是大历「以景写情」的极致,千载之下读之犹觉寒气扑面。

This couplet writes feeling through scenery, the guest-lodge night's masterpiece. A lone lamp, cold rain, wet bamboos, floating mist: four image groups layer upon layer, all cold colors and dark colors, weaving a bleak, dim night realm. Lone writes the lamp, also the person; cold shines the rain, also penetrates the heart; dark floats the mist, adding dimness. Within the scenery not one word of parting, yet the parting sorrow already like wet mist pervading the whole guest-lodge night; preparing the closing couplet's tomorrow regret with fullest atmosphere ground, the model of scenery-feeling fusion. In sum, this couplet uses four cold-tone images stacked, layer by layer staining, converting the invisible parting sorrow into a visible, sensible dim night realm; precisely Dali's writing-feeling-through-scenery extreme; a thousand years on reading it one still feels cold air on the face.

更有明朝恨，离杯惜共传。

More, there, is, the, regret, of, the, tomorrow, the, cup, of, the, parting, cherished, passing, round, together.

更叫人难堪的是明朝又将分别,因此这杯离酒,彼此都珍重地传饮。

Worse, the morning's parting grief; this farewell cup we pass with care.

尾联以「更有」转出明朝之恨,由今夜之宿悬想明朝之别,情感层层推进。「惜共传」三字极见情味:离杯在两人手中传递,每传一次便是一分不舍,「惜」字写出共饮时的郑重与哀伤。不说「醉」而说「传」,动作的绵缓正见情意的绵长。全诗由重逢之喜到夜宿之凄,再到明朝之恨,一层深于一层,至此收束,余韵不尽。此联从今夜宕开一笔写明日的分别,时间的跳转使全诗的离愁更添一层,而「惜共传」三字以动作收束,把万语千言凝于一杯,余味无穷,堪称以轻写重的典范。

The closing couplet uses worse to turn out tomorrow's grief, from tonight's lodging imagining tomorrow's parting, emotion layer by layer advancing. With care we pass three characters most feelingful: the farewell cup passing between two people, each pass one share of reluctance; with-care writes the shared drinking's solemnity and grief. Not saying drunk but saying pass; the action's slowness precisely showing feeling's length. The whole poem from reunion joy to night lodging bleak, then to tomorrow grief, one layer deeper than the next, here closing, aftertaste endless. This couplet opens from tonight a stroke writing tomorrow's parting; the time jump adds one layer to the whole poem's parting sorrow; and with care we pass three characters close in action, condensing ten thousand words into one cup, aftertaste endless - worthy of being the model of writing the heavy through the light.

Study

Word focus

乍 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「乍见翻疑梦」之「乍」是突然、骤然之意,为全诗情感爆发的引信。久别之后,故人忽然出现,其意外与冲击非「乍」字不能传达;正因为「乍」,才会「翻疑梦」,才会「相悲各问年」,一切恍惚与悲喜都有了来由。「乍」字以时间上的骤变写心理上的震荡,一字之下,重逢的戏剧性场面呼之欲出,是炼字于起爆点的妙笔。且「乍」字在节奏上亦以仄声起头,与「翻」字相配,读来有猛然一顿之感,声情与词情俱臻其妙,正见司空曙于炼字一道的讲究。

翻 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「翻疑梦」之「翻」是反转、反而之意,写的是由「喜见」到「疑梦」的心理急转。明明是真,却偏要疑其是梦,这「翻」字把久别重逢者患得患失、不敢相信的复杂心态于一个转折词中托出,与李益「称名忆旧容」的「忆」字相映成趣:一写辨认的费神,一写置信的艰难。虚字传神莫过于此,历代评家推此二字为全诗之眼,良有以也。要之,「翻」字之用贵在自然,若刻意求奇反失其真,此正是虚字运用之三昧,亦见大历诗人对语言分寸感的精到把握。

惜 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「离杯惜共传」之「惜」,写共饮离酒时的珍重与不舍。着一「惜」字,离杯的每一次传递都被拉长、放慢,仿佛要把今夜的欢会尽量延长。「惜」字既惜此刻之聚,亦惜明朝之别,更惜此去之后重逢无期,一重情意三重涵义,把尾联的情感浓度提至顶点。以「惜」字收束全诗,含蓄而沉痛,令人回味不尽。盖「惜」字不写醉而写传,传之愈缓,惜之愈深,动作细节中自见深情,是白描传神的上乘笔法,宜细味之。