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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

滕王阁诗

The, Poem, of, the, Pavilion, of, the, Prince, Teng

王勃

Wang Bo

怀古History 登临Theme

滕王高阁临江渚，佩玉鸣鸾罢歌舞。
画栋朝飞南浦云，珠帘暮卷西山雨。
闲云潭影日悠悠，物换星移几度秋。
阁中帝子今何在？
槛外长江空自流。

The, pavilion, of, the, Prince, Teng, the, high, pavilion, overlooking, the, islet, of, the, river,
The, jade, pendants, and, the, phoenix, bells, have, ceased, the, songs, and, the, dances.
The, painted, beams, in, the, morning, flying, the, clouds, of, the, south, shore,
The, pearl, curtains, in, the, evening, rolling, the, rain, of, the, west, mountain.
The, idle, clouds, the, pool, shadows, day, by, day, the, leisurely, long,
The, things, change, the, stars, shift, how, many, autumns.
The, prince, in, the, pavilion, where, is, he, now,
Beyond, the, railing, the, long, river, vainly, flowing, of, its, own, self.

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Meaning

A poem of the pavilion and the vicissitudes, written by Wang Bo. The pavilion of the Prince Teng the high pavilion overlooking the islet of the river, the jade pendants and the phoenix bells have ceased the songs and the dances — the pavilion of the opening. The painted beams in the morning flying the clouds of the south shore, the pearl curtains in the evening rolling the rain of the west mountain — the scene of the middle. The idle clouds the pool shadows day by day the leisurely long, the things change the stars shift how many autumns — the vicissitudes of the middle. And the close's the prince in the pavilion where is he now, beyond the railing the long river vainly flowing of its own self — the close's vicissitudes. The poem is the pavilion and the vicissitudes: the songs, the changes, and the close's river.

高高的滕王阁临着江边洲渚，佩玉鸣鸾的歌舞已经罢歇。画栋朝飞南浦的云，珠帘暮卷西山的雨。闲云潭影日日悠悠，物换星移几度春秋。阁中的帝子如今何在？槛外的长江空自奔流。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The, pavilion, of, the, Prince, Teng, the, high, pavilion, overlooking, the, islet, of, the, river, the, jade, pendants, and, the, phoenix, bells, have, ceased, the, songs, and, the, dances. The, painted, beams, in, the, morning, flying, the, clouds, of, the, south, shore, the, pearl, curtains, in, the, evening, rolling, the, rain, of, the, west, mountain. The, idle, clouds, the, pool, shadows, day, by, day, the, leisurely, long, the, things, change, the, stars, shift, how, many, autumns. The, prince, in, the, pavilion, where, is, he, now, beyond, the, railing, the, long, river, vainly, flowing, of, its, own, self. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the pavilion of the river islet with the ceased songs, through the scene of the beams and the curtains with the vicissitudes of the clouds and the stars, to the close's the river of the railing. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the vicissitudes: the things change the stars shift how many autumns, and the close's beyond the railing the long river vainly flowing — the pavilion gathered in the changes and the close's river. [Emotional Tone] Splendid, vicissitudinous, and sighing: the poem is the songs, the autumns and the close's river.

【白话串讲】王勃写《滕王阁诗》：“滕王高阁临江渚，佩玉鸣鸾罢歌舞”——“画栋朝飞南浦云，珠帘暮卷西山雨”——“闲云潭影日悠悠，物换星移几度秋”——“阁中帝子今何在？槛外长江空自流”——他叹物是人非。【意象与手法】此诗写登滕王阁的所见与怀古之思，是王勃的名篇。前四句写阁的今昔：「滕王高阁临江渚」写阁之高峻，「佩玉鸣鸾罢歌舞」写歌舞已歇、繁华已去；「画栋朝飞南浦云，珠帘暮卷西山雨」以画栋、珠帘写阁的华美，以朝云、暮雨写光阴的流转。后四句写怀古之情：「闲云潭影日悠悠，物换星移几度秋」写云影悠悠、物换星移的时光流逝；「阁中帝子今何在？槛外长江空自流」以设问写帝子已逝，唯长江空流，是千古名句。全诗以阁写怀古，写尽盛衰之叹与时光之悲，正是初唐七律怀古的典范。【情感与主旨】此诗作于唐高宗上元二年（675）重阳，王勃途经洪州（今南昌），适逢都督阎伯屿重修滕王阁，大宴宾客，王勃即席作《滕王阁序》，文末附此诗。滕王阁为唐高祖李渊之子滕王李元婴任洪州都督时所建。王勃（约650—676），字子安，绛州龙门（今山西河津）人，初唐四杰之首。此诗写登阁所见：那临江的高阁，那已歇的歌舞，那朝云暮雨的画栋珠帘，那悠悠的闲云潭影，那物换星移的几度秋，那不知何处的阁中帝子，那空自奔流的长江——以阁的今昔对照，写尽盛衰之叹与时光之悲，也暗含人生短暂、功业难久的感慨。全诗以滕王阁为线索，写景怀古，正是王勃「高华」诗风的代表。【名句点睛】常考「阁中帝子今何在？槛外长江空自流」的千古名句，其以设问写盛衰兴亡的感慨；「画栋朝飞南浦云，珠帘暮卷西山雨」写阁之华美与时光流转；「闲云潭影日悠悠，物换星移几度秋」写物换星移的时光之悲；全诗以阁写怀古、以景写情的笔法；以及与《滕王阁序》的关系。

Background

Wang Bo (c. 650-676), the poet of the early Tang, wrote this 'The, Poem, of, the, Pavilion, of, the, Prince, Teng' of the pavilion and the vicissitudes — the sigh over the passing of the glory. The pavilion of the Prince Teng with the ceased songs, the clouds and the rain of the beams and the curtains, and the close's the long river vainly flowing — the poem gathers the sigh of the poet, the reflection of the vicissitudes. The poem is one of the most famous works of the poet's poems of the pavilions.

此诗作于唐高宗上元二年（675）重阳节，王勃途经洪州（今江西南昌），适逢洪州都督阎伯屿重修滕王阁竣工，大宴宾客于阁上，王勃即席作《滕王阁序》，文末附此《滕王阁诗》。滕王阁为唐高祖李渊之子、滕王李元婴任洪州都督时所建，故阁名「滕王」。王勃（约650—676），字子安，绛州龙门（今山西河津）人，初唐四杰之首，天才横溢而英年早逝，二十六岁渡海溺水而卒。此诗写登阁所见所感：首句「滕王高阁临江渚」写阁临赣江之渚，高峻壮观；「佩玉鸣鸾罢歌舞」写当年佩玉鸣鸾的歌舞盛会已经罢歇，写繁华已去；「画栋朝飞南浦云，珠帘暮卷西山雨」以画栋、珠帘写阁的华美，以朝云、暮雨写时光的流转；「闲云潭影日悠悠，物换星移几度秋」写云影悠悠、物换星移，写时光的流逝；「阁中帝子今何在？槛外长江空自流」以设问写阁中帝子（滕王）如今何在，唯见槛外长江空自奔流。滕王李元婴当年歌舞繁华，如今高阁犹在而盛事难寻，王勃登阁怀古，写尽盛衰之叹与时光之悲，也暗含人生短暂、功业难久的感慨。此诗与《滕王阁序》互为表里，是理解王勃才情与初唐怀古诗风的重要篇章。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the vicissitudes. The pavilion opens: the, pavilion, of, the, Prince, Teng, the, high, pavilion, overlooking, the, islet, of, the, river — the high pavilion of the river islet; the, jade, pendants, and, the, phoenix, bells, have, ceased, the, songs, and, the, dances — the ceased of the songs and the dances. The scene follows: the, painted, beams, in, the, morning, flying, the, clouds, of, the, south, shore — the clouds of the painted beams; the, pearl, curtains, in, the, evening, rolling, the, rain, of, the, west, mountain — the rain of the pearl curtains; the, idle, clouds, the, pool, shadows, day, by, day, the, leisurely, long — the idle clouds of the pool shadows; the, things, change, the, stars, shift, how, many, autumns — the stars shift of the things change. And the close gathers the river: the, prince, in, the, pavilion, where, is, he, now — the prince of the pavilion; beyond, the, railing, the, long, river, vainly, flowing, of, its, own, self — the long river of the railing — the pavilion, the changes and the close's river, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以时空对照写盛衰。首联「滕王高阁临江渚，佩玉鸣鸾罢歌舞」写阁之高峻与歌舞之罢歇——那「临江渚」写阁临江渚的壮观，「罢歌舞」写盛会的散去，以阁的常在与歌舞的易歇，写尽盛衰对照。其二，以工丽写景写时光。「画栋朝飞南浦云，珠帘暮卷西山雨」以画栋、珠帘写阁的华美，以「朝飞」「暮卷」写云雨的朝暮交替——那「朝」「暮」相对，写尽时光的流转，是工丽而含哲思的名句。其三，以悠悠写怀古之情。「闲云潭影日悠悠，物换星移几度秋」写闲云潭影的悠悠与物换星移的沧桑——「日悠悠」「几度秋」写时光的漫长与流逝，以景写怀古之情。其四，以设问写感慨的收束。「阁中帝子今何在？槛外长江空自流」以「今何在」的设问写帝子已逝，以「空自流」写长江空流——那「空」字写尽盛景难再、人事已非的感慨，是千古名句。四重手法，使此诗以阁写怀古，写尽盛衰之叹与时光之悲，正是初唐七律怀古的典范。

Allusions

'The Prince Teng' (Teng wang) is the Prince Teng — the prince of the Teng, the pavilion of the opening; 'the jade pendants and the phoenix bells' (pei yu ming luan) are the jade pendants and the phoenix bells — the pendants and the bells of the songs; 'the south shore' (nan pu) is the south shore — the shore of the south, the clouds of the morning; 'the west mountain' (xi shan) is the west mountain — the mountain of the west, the rain of the evening.

此诗的用语深植于怀古与登临的传统。「滕王高阁临江渚」令人想到「高阁临江」的登临传统，也令人想到「岳阳楼」「黄鹤楼」的江南名楼意象，更令人想到「临江」的洲渚传统；「佩玉鸣鸾」写贵族出行佩玉叮当、鸾铃鸣响，令人想到「佩玉琼琚」的贵族仪仗意象，也令人想到「鸣鸾」的鸾铃之声，写尽当年歌舞盛会的繁华；「画栋朝飞南浦云」令人想到「南浦」的送别意象（《楚辞·九歌》「送美人兮南浦」），也令人想到「画栋雕梁」的楼阁意象；「珠帘暮卷西山雨」令人想到「珠帘」的闺阁意象，也令人想到「朝云暮雨」的宋玉《高唐赋》传统——「旦为朝云，暮为行雨」，以朝云暮雨写光阴流转与虚幻；「物换星移」令人想到「斗转星移」的时光意象，也令人想到「物是人非事事休」的沧桑；「阁中帝子今何在」令人想到「旧时王谢堂前燕，飞入寻常百姓家」的盛衰之叹，也令人想到「古人不见今时月」的怀古；「槛外长江空自流」令人想到「大江东去，浪淘尽」的长江意象，也令人想到「子在川上曰：逝者如斯夫」的流水时光之叹。全诗化用登临、南浦、朝云暮雨、物换星移、长江流水的传统意象，以阁写怀古，正是王勃「高华」诗风的本领。

Commentary

This poem is one of the most famous works of Wang Bo's poems of the pavilions, quoted for the splendor of its scene and the vicissitudes of its close. The idle clouds of the pool shadows, and the long river vainly flowing, are among the most admired passages of the Tang poems. Critics praise the poem's vicissitudes: the pavilion gathered in the changes, to the close's river.

此诗历来被推为王勃的名篇，也是初唐七律怀古的典范。历代论者对此诗评价极高：明人评此诗「一气流转，以阁写怀古」；近人更指出「阁中帝子今何在？槛外长江空自流」写盛衰之叹，是千古名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以滕王阁的今昔对照，写尽盛衰之叹与时光之悲——那临江的高阁，那已歇的歌舞，那朝云暮雨的画栋珠帘，那悠悠的闲云潭影，那物换星移的几度秋，那不知何处的帝子，那空自奔流的长江，都写尽了这位初唐天才对盛衰与时光的感慨；那「槛外长江空自流」更成为写盛景难再、人事已非的千古绝唱。此诗与王勃的《滕王阁序》（「落霞与孤鹜齐飞，秋水共长天一色」）同为写滕王阁的名篇，文与诗互为表里；又与崔颢《黄鹤楼》（「昔人已乘黄鹤去」）同为写名楼怀古的名篇，可见唐人登临怀古的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解王勃才情与初唐怀古诗风的窗口，也是中国诗写名楼怀古的经典——那空自奔流的长江，穿越千年，仍在诉说着盛衰与时光的永恒之叹。

Prosody

Form An old song of the pavilion (qi yan ge xing)诗·七言律诗

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the song that carries the splendor and the sigh.押平声尤韵（洲、舞、雨、秋、流），前四句两句一换韵（洲/舞、雨/秋、流），为仄起平收的换韵七律

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the vicissitudes: the level opening with the pavilion, the turning with the changes, and the close's fall with the river.此诗为七言律诗，八句四联，然非标准平仄格律（王勃初唐七律，尚未完全定型），以换韵写流转。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its vicissitudes: the cadences of the song, and the close — 'jian wai chang jiang kong zi liu' — falls with the river, the sound of the sigh of the passing glory.此诗为七言律诗，八句四联，但它是初唐七律，格律尚未完全定型，且换韵——「临江渚」的「洲」与「罢歌舞」的「舞」，「南浦云」的「云」与「西山雨」的「雨」，「几度秋」的「秋」与「空自流」的「流」，两句一换韵，音节流转。全诗以「阁」为线索：首联写阁（滕王高阁临江渚，佩玉鸣鸾罢歌舞），颔联写阁的朝暮（画栋朝飞南浦云，珠帘暮卷西山雨），颈联写时光（闲云潭影日悠悠，物换星移几度秋），尾联写怀古（阁中帝子今何在？槛外长江空自流）。颔联对仗工整：「画栋」对「珠帘」，「朝飞」对「暮卷」，「南浦云」对「西山雨」，工丽自然。全诗以七言的庄重节奏，写登临怀古——那换韵的音节流转，正合时光流转的怀古之思。诵读此诗，宜以开阔的语调读「滕王高阁临江渚」，以工丽的语调读「画栋朝飞南浦云」，尾联「阁中帝子今何在？槛外长江空自流」要读得深沉而有余韵，方能传达出王勃的怀古之叹。王勃七律以「高华」著称，此诗正是其怀古七律的典范。

Line by line

画栋朝飞南浦云，珠帘暮卷西山雨

Carved pillars catch Nanpu's clouds at dawn; pearl curtains roll up Xishan's rain at dusk.

画栋早上飞绕南浦的云，珠帘傍晚卷起西山的雨。

At dawn the painted beams fly with Nanpu's clouds; at dusk the pearl curtains roll up Xishan's rain.

此联写滕王阁的华美与时光的流转，是工丽含哲思的名句。「画栋朝飞南浦云」写画栋早上飞绕南浦的云——那「画栋」写雕画的栋梁，写阁的华美，「南浦」写阁南的水边，「朝飞南浦云」写早晨南浦的云气飞绕画栋，写阁之耸入云霄；「珠帘暮卷西山雨」写珠帘傍晚卷起西山的雨——那「珠帘」写珍珠的帘子，写阁的华贵，「西山」写阁西的山，「暮卷西山雨」写傍晚西山的雨卷过珠帘，写阁之高临风雨。这句的深意在于：它以「画栋」「珠帘」与「朝云」「暮雨」的对照，写尽阁的华美与时光的流转——画栋朝迎南浦云，珠帘暮卷西山雨，阁虽华美，然朝暮交替，云雨流转，那「朝」与「暮」相对，写尽光阴的流逝；云雨之朝暮，正是时光之流转，诗人以工丽的笔触写楼阁，却暗含盛景难常的哲思。若换作直说「楼阁很高很美」，则失其工丽与哲思；唯以「画栋」「珠帘」写华美、「朝飞」「暮卷」写流转，写尽阁的华美与时光的流逝，也让此联成为全诗工丽而含哲思的名句。

This couplet writes the pavilion's splendor and time's passing, a refined line with philosophical depth. Carved pillars catch Nanpu's clouds at dawn uses painted beams to name the pavilion's luxury; Nanpu is the waterside south of the pavilion; the dawn clouds flying around the beams write the pavilion's reaching into the clouds. Pearl curtains roll up Xishan's rain at dusk uses pearl curtains to name the pavilion's wealth; Xishan is the mountain west of the pavilion; the dusk rain rolling past the curtains writes the pavilion's height overlooking wind and rain. The deeper pathos lies in the contrast between painted beams and pearl curtains (splendor) and dawn-dusk, clouds-rain (time): though the pavilion is magnificent, morning and evening alternate, clouds and rain revolve; the朝 and暮 contrast exhausts time's passage. The poet writes the pavilion in refined brush, yet secretly holds the philosophical thought of prosperity's difficulty to last. Compared with a plain saying the pavilion is high and beautiful, painted beams and pearl curtains for splendor, dawn flight and dusk rolling for motion give both the craftsmanship and the meditation, making this the poem's refined yet philosophical couplet.

闲云潭影日悠悠，物换星移几度秋

The, idle, clouds, the, pool, shadows, day, by, day, the, leisurely, long, the, things, change, the, stars, shift, how, many, autumns.

闲云潭影日日悠悠，物换星移几度春秋。

Idle clouds and pool shadows drift day after day; things change, stars shift - how many autumns have passed?

此联写时光的流逝与世事的变迁，是全诗怀古之情的凝结点。「闲云潭影日悠悠」写闲云潭影日日悠悠——那「闲云」写悠闲的云，「潭影」写潭中的倒影，「日悠悠」写日复一日地悠然自在，写尽时光的漫长与闲静；「物换星移几度秋」写物换星移几度春秋——那「物换」写万物更替，「星移」写星斗转移，「几度秋」写已经过了几度春秋，写尽世事的变迁。这句的深意在于：它以「日悠悠」与「几度秋」的对照，写尽时光的流逝与世事的变迁——闲云潭影，日复一日地悠悠自在，而世间万物更替、星移斗转，已经过了几度春秋；那「日悠悠」写时光之漫长，那「物换星移」写世事之变迁，「几度秋」更写尽岁月的沧桑；阁中当年歌舞繁华，如今云影悠悠、物换星移，诗人在此驻足怀古，那「悠悠」与「几度秋」写尽盛衰与时光的深沉感慨。若换作直说「时间过得很久」，则失其形象；唯以「闲云潭影」写闲静、「物换星移」写变迁，写尽时光的流逝与世事的沧桑，也让此联成为全诗怀古之情的凝结点。

This couplet writes time's passage and the world's change, the poem's nostalgia condensation point. Idle clouds and pool shadows drift day after day uses idle clouds, pool shadows, and day-after-day leisure to write time's length and quietness; things change, stars shift - how many autumns have passed? then uses things-change, stars-shift, how-many-autumns to write the world's alteration. The deeper pathos lies in the contrast between day's leisure and how-many-autumns: idle clouds and pool shadows drift on day after day, yet the world's things are replaced, stars turn, and how many autumns have already passed; the day's leisure writes time's length, things-change-stars-shift writes the world's change, how-many-autumns further exhausts the years' vicissitudes. The pavilion's former song-and-dance prosperity is now clouds-and-shadows leisure, things-change-stars-shift; the poet pauses here to muse on antiquity. Compared with a plain saying time has passed long, idle clouds and pool shadows for quietness, things change and stars shift for alteration give the image both time's depth and the world's vicissitudes, making this the poem's nostalgia condensation point.

阁中帝子今何在？槛外长江空自流

The, prince, in, the, pavilion, where, is, he, now, beyond, the, railing, the, long, river, vainly, flowing, of, its, own, self.

阁中的帝子如今何在？槛外的长江空自奔流。

Where is the imperial prince of this pavilion now? Beyond the railing, the Long River flows on, vainly.

此联是全诗的收束，以设问写盛衰之叹，是千古名句。「阁中帝子今何在」写阁中的帝子如今何在——那「帝子」指建阁的滕王李元婴，「今何在」以设问写帝子如今在哪里，写当年的主人已不知去向；「槛外长江空自流」写槛外的长江空自奔流——那「槛外」写栏杆之外，「长江」写阁下的赣江（泛称长江），「空自流」写空自奔流，写江水依旧东流。这句的深意在于：它以「今何在」的设问与「空自流」的对照，写尽盛衰之叹——阁中的帝子（滕王）当年在此歌舞繁华，如今何在？唯见槛外的长江依旧空自奔流；那「今何在」写尽人事的变迁，那「空自流」写尽江水的永恒，「空」字更写尽盛景难再、人事已非的感慨——帝子已逝，唯有长江空流，人事有代谢，江水无尽期，那「空自流」写尽怀古者面对永恒江流的怅惘。若换作直说「滕王已经不在了」，则失其深沉；唯以「今何在」的设问与「空自流」的对照写人事变迁与江水永恒，写尽盛衰之叹，也让此联成为全诗最深沉的一笔与千古名句。

This couplet is the poem's close, using a rhetorical question to write rise-and-fall sigh, famous through the ages. Where is the imperial prince of this pavilion now? uses the prince to refer to Teng Wang Li Yuanying, who built the pavilion; where-is-he-now uses the rhetorical question to write the former master's unknown whereabouts. Beyond the railing, the Long River flows on, vainly then uses beyond-railing and Long River to name the Gan River below the pavilion (generically the Long River), and flows-vainly to write the river's still eastward flow. The deeper pathos lies in the contrast between where-is-he-now and flows-vainly: the prince of the pavilion (Teng Wang) once had song-and-dance prosperity here, yet where is he now? Only the Long River beyond the railing flows on, vainly; where-is-he-now exhausts human affairs' change, flows-vainly exhausts the river's eternity, the vain character further exhausts prosperity's non-recurrence, human affairs' non-sameness sigh. The prince is gone; only the Long River flows on, vainly; human affairs have alternation, the river has no end. Compared with a plain saying Teng Wang is no longer here, the rhetorical question and the river's eternal flow give the human-change-versus-natural-eternity contrast both depth and resonance, making this the poem's most profound line and a famous couplet.

Study

Word focus

罢 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「佩玉鸣鸾罢歌舞」之「罢」字是写盛衰的关键字，一个「罢」字写尽繁华的散尽。罢者，停止、罢歇也。王勃以「罢歌舞」写当年的盛会，这个「罢」字至少有双重意味：其一，写歌舞之歇——那「罢歌舞」写佩玉鸣鸾的歌舞已经罢歇，那「罢」字写尽当年盛会的散场，写繁华已去；其二，写盛衰之变——那「罢」字更是写盛衰——当年滕王阁上歌舞繁华，如今罢歇，那「罢」字写尽盛景不再的沧桑，与「临江渚」的高阁相对照。以「罢」字写盛衰，正是王勃开篇立意的枢纽——若换作「停」「歇」等字，则或失其凝练，或失其与「佩玉鸣鸾」的对照；唯「罢」字，以一字写尽歌舞罢歇与繁华散尽，与高阁的常相对照，写尽盛衰之变，也让「佩玉鸣鸾罢歌舞」成为全诗盛衰之叹的开篇。

空 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「槛外长江空自流」之「空」字是写感慨的关键字，一个「空」字写尽盛景难再的怅惘。空者，白白地、徒然地也。王勃以「空自流」写长江，这个「空」字至少有双重意味：其一，写流水之枉然——那「空自流」写长江白白地奔流，那「空」字写尽江水无情、不因人世的盛衰而改变；其二，写感慨之深沉——那「空」字更是写怀古的感慨——帝子已逝，唯有长江空流，那「空」字写尽人事已非、盛景难再的怅惘，也写尽诗人面对永恒江流的无奈。以「空」字写感慨，正是王勃收束全诗的枢纽——若换作「自」「独」等字，则或失其怅惘，或失其与「今何在」的对照；唯「空」字，以一字写尽长江空流与盛景难再，与「今何在」的设问相合，写尽盛衰之叹，也让「槛外长江空自流」成为千古名句。