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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

题西太一宫壁

Inscribed, on, the, Wall, of, the, Palace, of, the, Western, Taiyi

王安石

Wang Anshi

怀乡home / memory 写景Scenery

柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，荷花落日红酣。
三十六陂春水，白头想见江南。

The, willow, leaves, the, cicadas, singing, the, green, dark,
The, lotus, flowers, the, setting, sun, the, red, mellow.
The, thirty, six, ponds, of, the, spring, water,
The, white, head, longing, to, see, the, Jiangnan.

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Meaning

A poem of the scene and the longing, written by Wang Anshi. The willow leaves the cicadas singing the green dark, the lotus flowers the setting sun the red mellow — the scene of the opening. The thirty six ponds of the spring water, the white head longing to see the Jiangnan — the longing of the close. The poem is the scene and the longing: the willow, the lotus, and the close's Jiangnan.

柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，荷花落日红酣。三十六陂春水，白头想见江南。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The, willow, leaves, the, cicadas, singing, the, green, dark, the, lotus, flowers, the, setting, sun, the, red, mellow. The, thirty, six, ponds, of, the, spring, water, the, white, head, longing, to, see, the, Jiangnan. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the scene of the willow and the lotus with the green and the red, through the thirty six ponds of the spring water, to the close's the longing of the Jiangnan. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the longing: the thirty six ponds of the spring water, and the close's the white head longing to see the Jiangnan — the scene gathered in the water and the close's longing. [Emotional Tone] Fresh, mellow, and longing: the poem is the willow, the lotus and the close's Jiangnan.

【白话串讲】王安石写《题西太一宫壁》：“柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，荷花落日红酣”——“三十六陂春水，白头想见江南”——他看见汴京的春水，却想起江南——他写思乡。【意象与手法】此诗写怀乡，以即景写怀乡，是王安石的名篇。前二句写即景：「柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，荷花落日红酣」写柳叶鸣蜩绿暗、荷花落日红酣——写尽荷花落日的红酣；后二句写怀乡：「三十六陂春水，白头想见江南」写三十六陂春水、白头想见江南——写尽白头想见的江南。全诗以即景写怀乡，写尽荷花落日的红酣与白头想见的江南，是王安石的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写怀乡，以即景写怀乡，是王安石的名篇。此诗为王安石题西太一宫壁之作，写其观景而思江南。王安石晚年退居江宁，此诗写其西太一宫所见。此诗写柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，荷花落日红酣；三十六陂春水，白头想见江南。此诗写即景：柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，荷花落日红酣——写柳叶鸣蜩绿暗、荷花落日红酣，写尽荷花落日的红酣；三十六陂春水，白头想见江南——写三十六陂春水、白头想见江南，写尽白头想见的江南。全诗以即景写怀乡——那「荷花落日红酣」写尽荷花落日的红酣，「白头想见江南」写尽白头想见的江南，写尽荷花落日的红酣与白头想见的江南，是理解王安石怀乡诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，荷花落日红酣」写荷花落日的红酣；「白头想见江南」写白头想见的江南；以及全诗以即景写怀乡、以色彩写即景的手法。

Background

Wang Anshi (1021-1086), the statesman and the poet of the Song, wrote this 'Inscribed, on, the, Wall, of, the, Palace, of, the, Western, Taiyi' of the scene and the longing — the memory of the Jiangnan. The willow with the cicadas, the lotus with the setting sun, and the close's the white head longing to see the Jiangnan — the poem gathers the longing of the poet, the freshness of the scene. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the scene.

此诗写怀乡，以即景写怀乡，是王安石的名篇。王安石（1021—1086），字介甫，号半山，抚州临川（今江西抚州）人，北宋政治家、文学家、思想家，官至宰相，主持熙宁变法，为「唐宋八大家」之一，世称「王荆公」。此诗为王安石题西太一宫壁之作，写其观景而思江南。王安石晚年退居江宁，此诗写其西太一宫所见。此诗写柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，荷花落日红酣；三十六陂春水，白头想见江南。此诗写即景：「柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，荷花落日红酣」写柳叶鸣蜩绿暗、荷花落日红酣——写尽荷花落日的红酣（柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，荷花落日红酣）；「三十六陂春水，白头想见江南」写三十六陂春水、白头想见江南——写尽白头想见的江南（三十六陂春水，白头想见江南）。全诗以即景写怀乡，写尽荷花落日的红酣与白头想见的江南，是理解王安石怀乡诗的重要篇章。又，此诗作于王安石任职汴京、目睹西太一宫景物之际。西太一宫为北宋皇家道观，在汴京（今河南开封），王安石见其陂塘春水、柳荷映日，触景而生乡思——临川故里多陂塘荷柳，正与眼前之景相合，故以「白头想见江南」收束全诗，把异乡景物与故乡记忆绾合一处，语浅而情深。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the longing. The scene opens: the, willow, leaves, the, cicadas, singing, the, green, dark — the willow of the green dark; the, lotus, flowers, the, setting, sun, the, red, mellow — the lotus of the red mellow. The longing follows: the, thirty, six, ponds, of, the, spring, water — the spring water of the ponds; the, white, head, longing, to, see, the, Jiangnan — the Jiangnan of the white head — the scene, the water and the close's longing, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以对仗写即景。「柳叶鸣蜩绿暗」以对仗写即景——那「荷花落日红酣」写尽荷花落日的红酣，以对仗写尽荷花落日的红酣。其二，以色彩写画面。「绿暗」以色彩写画面——那「红酣」写尽落日的红酣，以色彩写尽柳叶鸣蜩的绿暗。其三，以地名写怀乡。「三十六陂春水」以地名写怀乡——那「白头想见江南」写尽白头想见的江南，以地名写尽白头想见的江南。其四，以白头写感慨。「白头想见江南」以白头写感慨——那「想见江南」写尽想见的江南，以白头写尽白头想见的江南。此外，此诗前写荷花落日的红酣，后写白头想见的江南，由景及情，正是怀乡诗「以景结情」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以即景写怀乡，写尽荷花落日的红酣与白头想见的江南，是王安石的代表作。又，此诗以「绿暗」对「红酣」、「柳叶」对「荷花」、「鸣蜩」对「落日」，一句一景、一景一色，色彩明丽而不失含蓄；后二句由眼前三十六陂春水一转，直落「白头想见江南」，以景起、以情结，正是「以景结情」的典范。

Allusions

'The Western Taiyi' (xi tai yi) is the Western Taiyi — the palace of the Western Taiyi, the wall of the inscription; 'the thirty six ponds' (san shi liu bei) are the thirty six ponds — the ponds of the thirty six, the spring water of the middle; 'the Jiangnan' (jiang nan) is the Jiangnan — the south of the river, the longing of the close.

此诗的用语深植于怀乡与即景传统。「柳叶」令人想到「柳叶」写柳叶的意象——也令人想到「柳叶细眉」的意象；「鸣蜩」令人想到「鸣蜩」写蝉鸣的意象——也令人想到「五月鸣蜩」（《诗经》）的意象；「绿暗」令人想到「绿暗」写绿阴的意象——也令人想到「绿暗红稀」的意象；「荷花」令人想到「荷花」写荷的意象——也令人想到「映日荷花别样红」（杨万里）的意象；「落日」令人想到「落日」写落日的意象——也令人想到「落日故人情」（李白）的意象；「红酣」令人想到「红酣」写红艳的意象——也令人想到「海棠花红酣」的意象；「三十六陂」令人想到「三十六陂」写陂塘的意象——也令人想到「三十六陂秋色」的意象；「春水」令人想到「春水」写春水的意象——也令人想到「春水碧于天」（韦庄）的意象；「白头」令人想到「白头」写白发的意象——也令人想到「白头搔更短」（杜甫）的意象；「江南」令人想到「江南」写江南的意象——也令人想到「江南好」（白居易）的意象。全诗化用柳叶、鸣蜩、绿暗、荷花、落日、红酣、三十六陂、春水、白头、江南的意象，以即景写怀乡，正是王安石「精严」而善对仗、承怀乡传统写即景之本领。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Wang Anshi's poems of the scene, quoted for the freshness of its opening and the longing of its close. The lotus of the red mellow, and the white head longing to see the Jiangnan, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's longing: the scene gathered in the water, to the close's Jiangnan.

此诗历来被推为王安石怀乡诗的名篇，也是宋诗写江南的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：宋人评此诗「以即景写怀乡，精丽含蓄」；近人更指出「柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，荷花落日红酣」写荷花落日的红酣，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以短章写尽荷花落日的红酣与白头想见的江南——那柳叶，那鸣蜩，那绿暗，那荷花，那落日，那红酣，那三十六陂，那春水，那白头，那想见，那江南，都写尽了王安石笔下的题西太一宫壁；那「白头想见江南」更以白头写尽白头想见的江南。此诗与王安石《泊船瓜洲》「春风又绿江南岸」同为怀乡名篇，一写「明月何时照我还」的泊船瓜洲，一写「白头想见江南」的题西太一宫壁；一写江上，一写宫壁。两诗对读，可见王安石怀乡诗的两种写法。对于今日读者，此诗是理解王安石怀乡诗的窗口，也是宋诗写江南的经典——那白头想见的江南，穿越千年，仍在诉说着荷花落日的红酣。

Prosody

Form A six-character quatrain of the scene (liu yan jue ju)七言绝句

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the six-character quatrain that carries the fresh longing.七绝押「酣」「南」（覃盐韵），首句入韵

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the longing: the level opening with the scene, the turning with the water, and the close's fall with the Jiangnan.此诗为七言绝句，押平声韵，首句入韵，音节流丽，正合即景的流丽。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its longing: the cadences of the six-character quatrain, and the close — 'bai tou xiang jian jiang nan' — falls with the south, the sound of the longing of the inscribing poet.此诗为七言绝句——「柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，荷花落日红酣。三十六陂春水，白头想见江南」，押平韵（酣、南），首句入韵，音节流丽。全诗以即景写怀乡：前写荷花落日的红酣（柳叶鸣蜩绿暗、荷花落日红酣），后写白头想见的江南（三十六陂春水）。短章四句，前写即景，后写怀乡，以「白头想见江南」写尽白头想见的江南，正见王安石「精严」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以流丽的语调读「荷花落日红酣」的即景，以深情的语调读「白头想见江南」的怀乡，结句要读得流丽而有余韵，方能传达出王安石的含蓄精丽。王安石绝句以「精严」著称，此诗正是其怀乡诗的典范。

Line by line

柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，荷花落日红酣

The, willow, leaves, the, cicadas, singing, the, green, dark, the, lotus, flowers, the, setting, sun, the, red, mellow.

柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，荷花落日红酣。

Willow leaves, cicadas singing - the green deepens; lotus flowers in the setting sun - the red is mellow.

此二句是全诗写即景的核心，以柳叶鸣蜩绿暗写绿暗，以荷花落日红酣写红酣，写尽荷花落日的红酣，是千古名句。「柳叶鸣蜩绿暗」写柳叶鸣蜩绿暗——那「柳叶鸣蜩」写柳叶鸣蜩，「绿暗」写绿暗，写尽柳叶鸣蜩的绿暗；「荷花落日红酣」写荷花落日红酣——那「荷花落日」写荷花落日，「红酣」写红酣，写尽荷花落日的红酣。这句的深意在于：它以「柳叶鸣蜩绿暗」的绿暗与「荷花落日红酣」的红酣，写尽荷花落日的红酣——柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，那「柳叶鸣蜩绿暗」写尽柳叶鸣蜩的绿暗——柳叶鸣蜩绿暗，正是柳绿蝉鸣的写照，那「绿暗」写尽荷花落日的红酣；荷花落日红酣，那「荷花落日红酣」写尽荷花落日的红酣——荷花落日红酣，正是荷红日落的写照，那「红酣」写尽荷花落日的红酣；那「柳叶鸣蜩绿暗」写尽柳叶鸣蜩的绿暗，那「荷花落日红酣」写尽荷花落日的红酣，一写绿暗，一写红酣，写尽荷花落日的红酣——柳绿蝉鸣而荷红日落，正是即景的写照；此二句以绿暗、红酣写尽荷花落日的红酣，也为下文的江南作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写即景的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「柳叶上蝉鸣叫绿得发暗，荷花在落日里红得酣畅」，则失其精炼；唯以「柳叶鸣蜩绿暗」写绿暗、「荷花落日红酣」写红酣，写尽荷花落日的红酣，也让此二句成为全诗写即景的核心。

These two lines are the poem's core in writing the immediate scene, famous through the ages. Willow leaves, cicadas singing - the green deepens: willow-leaves and cicadas name the late-summer sound and shade; green-deep writes the dense green of full-grown willows. Lotus flowers in the setting sun - the red is mellow: lotus-flowers and setting-sun name the evening light; red-mellow writes the red's richness in the slanting sun. The deeper pathos lies in the two colors - green-deep and red-mellow - which compress the whole late-summer evening into a single brushstroke. Wang Anshi wrote these lines on the wall of the Western Supreme Illumination Palace when he was thirty-eight, yet they carry the weight of memory; the scene itself is beautiful, but the beauty is already an image of what he will long for. Compared with a plain saying the willows are dark green and the lotuses red in the sunset, the deep-green and mellow-red give the scene both color density and evening warmth, making this the poem's core in writing the scene.

三十六陂春水，白头想见江南

The, thirty, six, ponds, of, the, spring, water, the, white, head, longing, to, see, the, Jiangnan.

三十六陂春水，白头想见江南。

Thirty-six ponds of spring water; white-headed, I long to see Jiangnan.

此二句是全诗写怀乡的核心，以三十六陂春水写春水，以白头想见江南写江南，写尽白头想见的江南，是千古名句。「三十六陂春水」写三十六陂春水——那「三十六陂」写三十六陂，「春水」写春水，写尽三十六陂的春水；「白头想见江南」写白头想见江南——那「白头」写白头，「想见江南」写想见江南，写尽白头想见的江南。这句的深意在于：它以「三十六陂春水」的春水与「白头想见江南」的江南，写尽白头想见的江南——三十六陂春水，那「三十六陂春水」写尽三十六陂的春水——三十六陂春水，正是陂塘春水的写照，那「春水」写尽白头想见的江南；白头想见江南，那「白头想见江南」写尽白头想见的江南——白头想见江南，正是白头思乡的写照，那「江南」写尽白头想见的江南；那「三十六陂春水」写尽三十六陂的春水，那「白头想见江南」写尽白头想见的江南，一写春水，一写江南，写尽白头想见的江南——陂塘春水而白头思乡，正是怀乡的写照；此二句以春水、江南写尽白头想见的江南，也让此二句成为全诗写怀乡的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「三十六陂的春水，白发苍苍还想见江南」，则失其含蓄；唯以「三十六陂春水」写春水、「白头想见江南」写江南，写尽白头想见的江南，也让此二句成为全诗写怀乡的核心。

These two lines are the poem's core in writing homesickness, famous through the ages. Thirty-six ponds of spring water: thirty-six-ponds names the palace's waters, spring-water writes the season. White-headed, I long to see Jiangnan: white-headed names the poet's age (he wrote this in his thirties, yet calls himself white-headed in memory), long-to-see-Jiangnan writes the homesickness. The deeper pathos lies in the leap: the ponds before him are the Luoyang palace's waters, yet they are like Jiangnan's waters; in them he sees the south, and in seeing them he is already an old man longing for it. The thirty-six ponds and the white head compress memory, season, and distance into four phrases. This is Wang Anshi's most famous line of homesickness - the scene before him becomes the place he cannot return to. Compared with a plain saying the spring water makes me think of Jiangnan, the thirty-six ponds and the white head give the longing both concrete setting and temporal pathos, making this the poem's core.

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Word focus

酣 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「荷花落日红酣」之「酣」字是写即景关键词，一个「酣」字写尽荷花落日的红酣。酣者，酣畅、浓烈也。王安石以「荷花落日红酣」写即景，这个「酣」字至少有双重意味：其一，写红之酣——那「荷花落日红酣」写荷花落日红酣，那「酣」字写尽荷花落日的红酣——红酣，正是红得浓烈的写照，那「酣」字写尽荷花落日的红酣；其二，写景之醉——那「酣」字更是写醉——酣，正见美景醉人的意味，那「酣」字写尽王安石的陶醉。以「酣」字写即景，正是王安石写怀乡的枢纽——若换作「浓」「艳」等字，则或失其与「荷花落日红酣」「绿暗」的配合，或失其写酣的意味；唯「酣」字，以荷花落日红酣写尽落红之浓烈与景色之醉人，与「柳叶鸣蜩绿暗」的绿暗相合，写尽荷花落日的红酣，也让「荷花落日红酣」成为全诗写即景的名句。

想 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「白头想见江南」之「想」字是写怀乡关键词，一个「想」字写尽白头想见的江南。想者，思念、向往也。王安石以「白头想见江南」写怀乡，这个「想」字至少有双重意味：其一，写见之想——那「白头想见江南」写白头想见江南，那「想」字写尽白头想见的江南——想见，正是盼望相见的写照，那「想」字写尽白头想见的江南；其二，写情之深——那「想」字更是写深——想，正见思乡之切的深重，那「想」字写尽王安石的怀乡。以「想」字写怀乡，正是王安石写江南的枢纽——若换作「望」「忆」等字，则或失其与「白头想见江南」「三十六陂春水」的配合，或失其写想的意味；唯「想」字，以白头想见江南写尽思乡之切与盼归之深，与「三十六陂春水」的春水相合，写尽白头想见的江南，也让「白头想见江南」成为全诗写怀乡的名句。