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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

送李端

Seeing, off, Li, Duan

卢纶

Lu Lun

送别Farewell 身世Theme 乱离Theme

故关衰草遍，离别正堪悲。
路出寒云外，人归暮雪时。
少孤为客早，多难识君迟。
掩泣空相向，风尘何所期。

The, old, pass, the, withered, grass, everywhere,
The, parting, just, now, the, sorrow, to, bear.
The, road, out, of, the, cold, clouds,
The, man, returning, in, the, evening, snow, time.
Orphaned, young, a, guest, early,
Much, the, hardship, knowing, you, late.
Hiding, the, tears, vainly, facing, each, other,
The, wind, and, the, dust, what, to, expect.

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Meaning

A poem of the farewell and the hardship, written by Lu Lun. The old pass the withered grass everywhere, the parting just now the sorrow to bear — the farewell of the opening. The road out of the cold clouds, the man returning in the evening snow time — the scene of the middle. Orphaned young a guest early, much the hardship knowing you late — the hardship of the middle. And the close's hiding the tears vainly facing each other, the wind and the dust what to expect — the close's sorrow. The poem is the farewell and the hardship: the snow, the hardship, and the close's wind and dust.

你的路,伸向寒云之外的天边;我送别归来,正是暮雪纷飞之时。我自小丧父,过早地羁旅为客;历经磨难,才与你这位知己相识,却已太迟。掩面而泣,只能徒然相望;乱世风尘之中,重逢又不知在何年。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The, old, pass, the, withered, grass, everywhere, the, parting, just, now, the, sorrow, to, bear. The, road, out, of, the, cold, clouds, the, man, returning, in, the, evening, snow, time. Orphaned, young, a, guest, early, much, the, hardship, knowing, you, late. Hiding, the, tears, vainly, facing, each, other, the, wind, and, the, dust, what, to, expect. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the farewell of the old pass and the withered grass, through the scene of the cold clouds and the evening snow with the hardship of the orphaned, to the close's the tears of the wind and the dust. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the sorrow: much the hardship knowing you late, and the close's the wind and the dust what to expect — the farewell gathered in the hardship and the close's tears. [Emotional Tone] Sorrowful, hard, and parting: the poem is the snow, the hardship and the close's wind and dust.

【白话串讲】卢纶送李端：“故关衰草遍，离别正堪悲”。“路出寒云外，人归暮雪时”——“少孤为客早，多难识君迟”——“掩泣空相向，风尘何所期”——乱世中送别，泪眼相望。【意象与手法】善以环境烘托与身世倾诉交互推进。「故关衰草遍」着一「遍」字定下荒寒基调；「路出寒云外，人归暮雪时」双起双收，行者没入寒云、送者独归暮雪，两相对照；颈联「少孤为客早，多难识君迟」拗折沉痛，由景入情；尾联「掩泣空相向，风尘何所期」以动作与设问收束，情景相生，极尽回肠荡气之致。【情感与主旨】大历乱后，卢纶于衰草暮雪中送别挚友李端，把家国之难与个人之痛熔于一炉。「少孤为客早，多难识君迟」自伤身世飘零、知己难逢又匆匆作别；「风尘何所期」更于设问中道尽乱世重逢无期的绝望，其悲怆已超越一己之私，成为乱离时代送别诗中的压卷之作。【名句点睛】「路出寒云外，人归暮雪时」一联，一「出」一「归」，行者之迢递与送者之孤寂并置，寒云暮雪的阴冷把离情弥漫于整个风雪天地，境界苍茫，向称大历名对。

Background

Lu Lun (c. 739-799), one of the 'Ten Talents of the Dali' of the Tang, wrote this 'Seeing, off, Li, Duan' of the farewell and the hardship — the parting of the hard years. The old pass with the withered grass, the hardship of the orphaned, and the close's the wind and the dust — the poem gathers the sorrow of the poet, the sigh of the hardship. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the farewell.

卢纶字允言,河中蒲人,大历十才子之一,早年屡举不第,后得元载、王缙援引,历任监察御史等职,晚年随浑瑊幕府,有《塞下曲》名世。李端与卢纶同为「大历十才子」中人,二人交谊颇深,李端有《宿淮浦忆司空文明》等作,与卢纶多有唱和。此诗写送别李端,作于乱离之后、暮雪时节,故诗中弥漫着浓重的身世之感。首联「故关衰草遍,离别正堪悲」,点明送别地点之荒凉与时令之萧瑟;颔联「路出寒云外,人归暮雪时」,写李端所行之路没入寒云,而诗人送别归来恰值暮雪纷飞,送者与被送者的处境对照写出;颈联「少孤为客早,多难识君迟」,是诗人自伤身世、痛惜知己之语,自少孤苦、为客既早,历经患难方识得李端这一知己,而相知未久又要相别;尾联「掩泣空相向,风尘何所期」,写掩面而泣、相向无言,乱世风尘之中后会难期。全诗以泪收束,把家国之难与个人之痛融于一体,是大历诗人送别诗中的压卷之作,亦被《唐诗三百首》收录,历代传诵不衰,是理解大历十才子诗歌精神的重要文本。又,卢纶少孤家贫,屡试不第,中年方得微官,晚年又陷朱泚之乱的嫌疑,一生饱经忧患,此诗「少孤为客早,多难识君迟」实为夫子自道,非泛泛应酬者可比。李端与卢纶同为十才子,然两人际遇相似而才名各擅,故此番送别不惟叙友情,更同伤身世,全诗以「衰草」「寒云」「暮雪」三种萧瑟意象层层递进,构成一幅完整的荒寒图卷,而行者、送者、离思、身世皆纳入其中,情景之交融已臻化境。另考卢纶身世,其早年曾避乱鄱阳,后客居河中,与李端、司空曙等十才子交游酬唱,诗名相埒。此诗所谓「故关」,或即其行役经行之关塞,「衰草遍」三字,既有实景,亦有乱后荒凉的时代投影,故读此诗,宜将其置于大历乱后的社会背景中,方能体会其深悲。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the sorrow. The farewell opens: the, old, pass, the, withered, grass, everywhere — the old pass of the withered grass; the, parting, just, now, the, sorrow, to, bear — the sorrow of the parting. The scene follows: the, road, out, of, the, cold, clouds — the road of the cold clouds; the, man, returning, in, the, evening, snow, time — the evening snow of the returning; orphaned, young, a, guest, early — the orphaned of the guest; much, the, hardship, knowing, you, late — the hardship of the knowing late. And the close gathers the tears: hiding, the, tears, vainly, facing, each, other — the tears of the facing; the, wind, and, the, dust, what, to, expect — the wind and the dust of the expecting — the farewell, the hardship and the close's tears, gathered in the poem.

此诗感情深挚,结构谨严,善以环境烘托与身世倾诉交互推进。首联以「故关衰草遍」的衰飒之景定调,「遍」字极写衰草之无边,先声夺人;下句「离别正堪悲」直点题旨,「正堪悲」三字把「衰草」之景与「离别」之情绾合一处。颔联「路出寒云外,人归暮雪时」,妙在双起双收:前句写行者之路,伸向寒云之外,极写其远;后句写送者之归,正值暮雪飘飞,极写其冷。一「出」一「归」,行者与送者分写,而「寒云」「暮雪」的阴冷意象把离别的氛围渲染到极致,此联被推为大历名句。颈联「少孤为客早,多难识君迟」,由景物转写身世,句式拗折而情感沉痛:上句双用「少孤」「为客早」,自伤身世飘零;下句以「多难」「识君迟」写知己之难得。尾联「掩泣空相向,风尘何所期」,以动作与设问收束,「掩泣」见其情不可抑,「空相向」见其无可奈何,「风尘何所期」更于设问中道尽乱世重逢无期的绝望。全诗情景相生,由外及内,层层深入,极尽回肠荡气之致,是大历诗人以情驭景、以景衬情的高度体现。尤妙者在「掩泣空相向」一句,将千言万语凝于一个动作,此后以设问宕开,情至深处反归于无言,正见其笔力之含蓄深沉。又,此诗前六句写景叙事,后二句抒怀设问,然写景处句句含情,抒怀处又处处应景,情景二者互为表里,循环生发,这正是大历诗人于章法上最见功力之处,亦使全诗读来一气回旋,无懈可击。

Allusions

'The old pass' (gu guan) is the old pass — the pass of the old, the withered grass of the opening; 'the cold clouds' (han yun) are the cold clouds — the clouds of the cold, the road of the parting; 'the evening snow' (mu xue) is the evening snow — the snow of the evening, the returning of the friend; 'the wind and the dust' (feng chen) are the wind and the dust — the wind and the dust of the drifting, the expectation of the close.

「风尘」一词在六朝以来诗文中多指战乱或行旅的艰辛,《后汉书》诸传及建安诗人笔下已多见其例,至唐人诗中更为习见,卢纶「风尘何所期」正是以「风尘」涵盖乱世流离、后会难期之意。「寒云」「暮雪」虽非用典,却暗承江淹《别赋》「黯然销魂者,唯别而已矣」以来送别诗的荒寒传统;《别赋》中「风萧萧而异响,云漫漫而奇色」的写景方式,正是「路出寒云外」一联的远祖。至于「掩泣」,亦是《别赋》中「掩金觞而谁御,横玉柱而沾轼」之态,江淹以「掩」字写强忍别泪的动作,卢纶以「掩泣」传情,同一机杼。卢纶与李端俱为「大历十才子」,钱起有《省试湘灵鼓瑟》,李端有《拜新月》等名作,十才子之间的送别酬赠之作极多,此诗因融入个人身世而高出一般应酬之作,成为乱世送别诗中的典型文本,其用典融化无迹,正是大历诗人善学古人又不露痕迹的体现。考「风尘」意象之源,东汉末《古诗十九首》已有「风尘」之叹,建安诗人于乱离中更常以之写战尘与行旅,至盛唐高适、岑参边塞诗中「风尘」一词习见,多指边地苦寒与军旅奔波,卢纶此处以「风尘」兼指乱世与漂泊,正承此一脉。又,「暮雪」送别之景可参刘长卿《逢雪宿芙蓉山主人》「风雪夜归人」的冷寂笔意,然刘诗写客中自守,卢诗写别后无期,情味又自不同。要之,此诗于典故化用之外,更重在以眼前实景唤起深厚的文化记忆,使寻常离别承载起乱世的重量。又,诗中「路出寒云外,人归暮雪时」一联,以「寒云」「暮雪」对举,出句写行者之遥,对句写送者之归,两个时空画面并置,正是所谓「加倍写法」,把离别的苍茫推向了天地之间,境界阔大而情思绵长,故能成为大历诗中的名对,历来为选家所称道。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Lu Lun's poems of the farewell, quoted for the desolation of its opening and the sorrow of its close. The road out of the cold clouds, and the wind and the dust of the expecting, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's sorrow: the farewell gathered in the hardship, to the close's tears.

卢纶此诗被收入《唐诗三百首》,自来流传甚广。清沈德潜《唐诗别裁集》于大历诸家颇加甄录,评卢纶诗骨力遒上、风调清远,此诗以寒云暮雪之景写乱离别情,正合其选诗之旨。俞陛云《诗境浅说》详评此作,谓首联点明时地,颔联以「寒云」「暮雪」写行者送者,为全诗最警策处,颈联叙两人身世之感,至为沉痛,结句更以风尘难期作收,一片离思不尽于言。此类评语虽出近人之手,然与清人评点血脉相承。明人胡应麟《诗薮》论大历诸子,谓其五言律时有佳句,此诗「路出寒云外,人归暮雪时」一联正是「时有佳句」之典型,与「雨中黄叶树,灯下白头人」(司空曙)等句同被推为大历名对。历代论者又常以「深情」「骨力」并称此诗,以为其情真语挚,在大历诗人多写流连光景之际,独能直面乱世苍生之痛,故其格调亦高出一头,这也是此诗千百年来打动人心的根本原因。此外,历代评家论大历诗风多谓其气骨顿衰,然以此诗观之,卢纶于衰飒之景中写骨肉般的深情,其骨未尝不振,唯其悲慨之音确较盛唐为低回,这正是时代使然。今人编选《唐诗三百首》者将此诗与《塞下曲》并收,一写边塞雄风,一写乱世别情,恰可互见卢纶诗风之两面。要之,此诗之流传不衰,正因其以最朴素的笔墨写出了乱世之中最普遍的哀感,具有超越时代的感染力,这也是它历经千载而依然动人的根本原因。此外,就章法言,此诗起承转合俱极谨严:首联点明时地,颔联写行者送者,颈联由景入情自伤身世,尾联以掩泣设问收束,四联之间环环相扣,无一句游离于题外。而「故关衰草」与「风尘何所期」首尾呼应,以荒寒起,以绝望结,使全诗笼罩在一片苍茫的悲剧氛围之中,这正是大历诗人力追盛唐而自具面目的地方。要之,此诗是卢纶集中感情最沉、结构最完、影响最大的送别名篇,其艺术价值早已为历代读者所公认。

Prosody

Form A regulated poem of the farewell (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 parting.平水韵上平四支,韵脚为「悲、时、迟、期」

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the sorrow: the level opening with the farewell, the turning with the hardship, and the close's fall with the dust.仄起首句不入韵,格律严整,颔联颈联对仗精工

Reading note The poem's sound matches its sorrow: the cadences of the regulated poem, and the close — 'feng chen he suo qi' — falls with the dust, the sound of the sorrow of the parting poet.此诗为仄起首句不入韵式五言律诗,押平水韵上平四支,韵脚为「悲、时、迟、期」。四支韵字音色柔和而绵长,与诗中离别之悲、身世之叹的低回情调相谐。全诗格律严整,平仄妥帖:首联「故关衰草遍,离别正堪悲」,出句「仄平平仄仄」,对句「平仄仄平平」,一三字位多有变通而不失绳墨;颔联「路出寒云外,人归暮雪时」,对仗精工,平仄相对,音节清朗,「出」字入声,读来有顿挫之力;颈联「少孤为客早,多难识君迟」,句式拗峭,「为」「识」二字皆仄声,诵读时有一种沉郁的顿挫感,正与沉痛的情感相应;尾联「掩泣空相向,风尘何所期」,以「掩」「泣」「向」等仄声字连用,收束得低回有力。通篇对仗工稳而不板滞,声调随情感起伏,于大历诸子之作中堪称声情并茂的压卷之笔,也体现了卢纶于律法精严中追求情感深度的艺术追求。

Line by line

路出寒云外，人归暮雪时。

The road stretches beyond the cold clouds; I return home in the evening snow.

你的路,伸向寒云之外的天边;我送别归来,正是暮雪纷飞之时。

Your road leads beyond the cold clouds; I return as evening snow falls.

此联以景写情,被推为大历名句。上句写行者,以一「出」字将离别的视线引向寒云弥漫的远方,极写前路之迢递与渺茫;下句写送者,以一「归」字写自己在暮雪中独自回返,极写归途之冷落与孤单。送别诗往往只写行者,此诗兼写送者归来,两相对照,别情的苍凉便不止于一时一地,而弥漫于整个风雪天地之间,是大历诗人以景作结的典范。

This couplet writes feeling through scenery, ranked as a Dali famous line. The upper line writes the traveler, using one out to lead the parting gaze toward the cold-cloud-shrouded distance, writing the road ahead's length and vagueness to the utmost. The lower line writes the sender, using one return to write himself returning alone in the evening snow, writing the return road's coldness and loneliness to the utmost. Farewell poems often only write the traveler; this poem additionally writes the sender's return, two-setting-off; the parting sorrow's bleakness is not limited to one time one place, but pervades the whole wind-snow world; the Dali poets' model of closing scenery.

少孤为客早，多难识君迟。

Orphaned, young, a, guest, early, much, the, hardship, knowing, you, late.

我自小丧父,过早地羁旅为客;历经磨难,才与你这位知己相识,却已太迟。

Orphaned young, I became a traveler early; through many troubles, I met you late.

此联直写身世,是全诗感情的高峰。「少孤」与「为客早」并提,自伤身世飘零;「多难」与「识君迟」对照,痛惜知己相逢之晚。十四个字里交织着孤苦、漂泊、患难与相知之恨,语极平淡而情极沉痛。以「迟」字收束,更见出造化弄人的无奈,为尾联「风尘何所期」的绝望作了心理上的铺垫,真挚动人,也是大历诗人于诗中直写个人身世之痛的罕见笔墨。

This couplet directly writes life-fate, the whole poem's emotional peak. Orphaned young and became-a-traveler-early placed together, self-sorrow over the drifting lot. Through many troubles and met-you-late contrast, grieving the soulmate's late meeting. Within fourteen characters interwoven are orphaned-hardship, drifting, calamity, and the regret of knowing; words most plain yet feeling most poignant. Closing in late, all the more showing fate's playing helplessness, preparing the closing couplet's wind-and-dust-what-can-we-hope-for despair psychologically; sincere and moving, also the Dali poets' rare brush of directly writing personal life-fate grief in poetry.

掩泣空相向，风尘何所期。

Hiding, the, tears, vainly, facing, each, other, the, wind, and, the, dust, what, to, expect.

掩面而泣,只能徒然相望;乱世风尘之中,重逢又不知在何年。

Covering my face in tears, I gaze at you in vain; in this wind and dust, what can we hope for?

尾联以「掩泣」的动作和「何所期」的设问收束全诗,把离情推向高潮。「掩泣」是强忍而终不能忍,见出情感的不可遏抑;「空相向」写两人相对无言、唯有泪垂的无助;「风尘何所期」更以设问道尽乱世重逢无期的绝望。一个「空」字,一个「何」字,笔力千钧,把家国之难、个人之痛、后会之渺一齐收进这十四个字里,令人掩卷怅然,是送别诗结尾艺术的极致。

The closing couplet uses the covering-face-in-tears action and the what-can-we-hope-for question to close the whole poem, pushing the parting feeling to the peak. Covering my face in tears is holding-yet-ultimately-unable-to-hold, showing emotion's irrepressibility. Gazing at you in vain writes the two facing each other wordless, only tears falling helplessness. In this wind and dust, what can we hope for? further uses the question to exhaust the troubled-times reunion's dateless despair. One in vain, one what, brush-force a thousand pounds; packing the country's difficulty, personal grief, future meeting's vagueness all into these fourteen characters, making the reader close the book and sigh; farewell poetry's ending-art extreme.

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Word focus

遍 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「故关衰草遍」之「遍」是首联的点睛字。衰草本已荒凉,着一「遍」字,便见其无边无际、弥望皆是,故关的荒废与秋日的萧瑟瞬间铺满画面,为全诗定下苍凉基调。「遍」字以量的扩张写情的弥漫,使「离别正堪悲」一句有了坚实的景物依据,是炼字于平易处见功力的范例,也可见大历诗人于寻常字眼上求不寻常效果的追求。要之,「遍」字以一字写尽秋色,又为全诗注入悲凉基调,可谓首句安顿之笔。

出 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「路出寒云外」之「出」,写道路延伸、没入寒云之中的意象。着一「出」字,便觉离人的身影渐行渐远,终至隐没于云外天边,送者的目光与牵挂也随之被拉向渺茫的远方,境界极为空阔。此字使静态的「路」具有了动态的延伸感,与下句「人归暮雪时」的「归」字遥相对照,一出一归,行者的迢递与送者的孤寂尽在不言之中。此「出」字与下句「归」字互为照应,于对仗之外更添一层叙事意味,足见炼字须兼顾句法之妙。

迟 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「多难识君迟」之「迟」是全诗最沉痛的虚字。本应庆幸识得知己,却以「迟」字作结,痛惜相逢之晚、相知未久又须相别。「迟」字暗含双重怅惘:一恨相识太晚,欢会日短;二叹乱世多难,此别难期。一个「迟」字把身世之悲与惜别之情融成一体,音节低回,为尾联的绝望情绪蓄足了势,是炼意于虚字之典范。凡此三重怅惘皆凝聚于一「迟」字,故后世评家多以此为全诗情感之枢纽,诚不虚也。

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