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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

西湖留别

Taking, Leave, of, the, West, Lake

白居易

Bai Juyi

送别Farewell 西湖Theme

征途行色惨风烟，祖帐离声咽管弦。
翠黛不须留五马，皇恩只许住三年。
绿藤阴下铺歌席，红藕花中泊妓船。
处处回头尽堪恋，就中难别是湖边。

The, journey, of, the, march, the, look, bleak, the, wind, and, the, smoke,
The, farewell, tents, the, parting, sounds, choked, the, pipes, and, the, strings.
The, black, eyebrows, no, need, to, keep, the, five, horses,
The, imperial, grace, only, allows, to, stay, the, three, years.
Under, the, green, vines, spreading, the, singing, mats,
Among, the, red, lotus, flowers, mooring, the, singing, boats.
Everywhere, turning, back, the, head, all, worthy, of, the, love,
Among, them, the, hard, to, part, is, the, lakeside.

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Meaning

A poem of the leaving and the attachment, written by Bai Juyi. The journey of the march the look bleak the wind and the smoke, the farewell tents the parting sounds choked the pipes and the strings — the leaving of the opening. The black eyebrows no need to keep the five horses, the imperial grace only allows to stay the three years — the three years of the middle. Under the green vines spreading the singing mats, among the red lotus flowers mooring the singing boats — the scenes of the middle. And the close's everywhere turning back the head all worthy of the love, among them the hard to part is the lakeside — the close's attachment. The poem is the leaving and the attachment: the farewell, the three years, and the close's lakeside.

征途行色惨风烟，祖帐离声咽管弦。翠黛不须留五马，皇恩只许住三年。绿藤阴下铺歌席，红藕花中泊妓船。处处回头尽堪恋，就中难别是湖边。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The, journey, of, the, march, the, look, bleak, the, wind, and, the, smoke, the, farewell, tents, the, parting, sounds, choked, the, pipes, and, the, strings. The, black, eyebrows, no, need, to, keep, the, five, horses, the, imperial, grace, only, allows, to, stay, the, three, years. Under, the, green, vines, spreading, the, singing, mats, among, the, red, lotus, flowers, mooring, the, singing, boats. Everywhere, turning, back, the, head, all, worthy, of, the, love, among, them, the, hard, to, part, is, the, lakeside. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the leaving of the march and the farewell tents with the choked pipes and the strings, through the scenes of the three years with the green vines and the red lotus, to the close's the attachment of the lakeside. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the attachment: the imperial grace only allows to stay the three years, and the close's everywhere turning back the head all worthy of the love among them the hard to part is the lakeside — the leaving gathered in the love and the close's lakeside. [Emotional Tone] Parting, attached, and tender: the poem is the farewell, the three years and the close's lakeside.

【白话串讲】白居易写《西湖留别》：“征途行色惨风烟，祖帐离声咽管弦”——“翠黛不须留五马，皇恩只许住三年”——“绿藤阴下铺歌席，红藕花中泊妓船”——“处处回头尽堪恋，就中难别是湖边”——他要离开杭州了——处处都恋，最难别的是西湖。【意象与手法】此诗写送别，以眷恋写送别，是白居易的名篇。前四句写离声：「征途行色惨风烟，祖帐离声咽管弦。翠黛不须留五马，皇恩只许住三年」写征途行色惨风烟、祖帐离声咽管弦——写尽风烟的征途；后四句写湖边：「绿藤阴下铺歌席，红藕花中泊妓船。处处回头尽堪恋，就中难别是湖边」写绿藤阴下铺歌席、红藕花中泊妓船——写尽红藕的妓船。全诗以眷恋写送别，写尽风烟的征途与红藕的妓船，是白居易的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写送别，以眷恋写送别，是白居易的名篇。此诗为白居易离杭州任时所写，写其别西湖的眷恋与离声。白居易任杭州刺史期满，此诗写其离杭时回首西湖。此诗写征途行色惨风烟，祖帐离声咽管弦；翠黛不须留五马，皇恩只许住三年；绿藤阴下铺歌席，红藕花中泊妓船；处处回头尽堪恋，就中难别是湖边。此诗写离声：征途行色惨风烟，祖帐离声咽管弦——写征途行色惨风烟、祖帐离声咽管弦，写尽风烟的征途；翠黛不须留五马，皇恩只许住三年——写翠黛不须留五马、皇恩只许住三年，写尽皇恩的三年；绿藤阴下铺歌席，红藕花中泊妓船——写绿藤阴下铺歌席、红藕花中泊妓船，写尽红藕的妓船；处处回头尽堪恋，就中难别是湖边——写处处回头尽堪恋、就中难别是湖边，写尽难别的湖边。全诗以眷恋写送别——那「祖帐离声咽管弦」写尽风烟的征途，「就中难别是湖边」写尽难别的湖边，写尽风烟的征途与红藕的妓船，是理解白居易送别诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「征途行色惨风烟，祖帐离声咽管弦」写风烟的征途；「处处回头尽堪恋，就中难别是湖边」写难别的湖边；以及全诗以眷恋写送别、以白描写离声的手法。

Background

Bai Juyi (772-846), the great poet of the Tang, wrote this 'Taking, Leave, of, the, West, Lake' of the leaving and the attachment — the love for the West Lake. The farewell with the three years, the scenes of the green vines and the red lotus, and the close's the attachment of the lakeside — the poem gathers the attachment of the poet, the love of the lake. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the West Lake.

此诗写送别，以眷恋写送别，是白居易的名篇。白居易（772—846），字乐天，号香山居士，又号醉吟先生，祖籍太原，生于河南新郑，唐代伟大的现实主义诗人，与元稹并称「元白」，与刘禹锡并称「刘白」。此诗为白居易离杭州任时所写，写其别西湖的眷恋与离声。白居易任杭州刺史期满，此诗写其离杭时回首西湖。此诗写征途行色惨风烟，祖帐离声咽管弦；翠黛不须留五马，皇恩只许住三年；绿藤阴下铺歌席，红藕花中泊妓船；处处回头尽堪恋，就中难别是湖边。此诗写离声：「征途行色惨风烟，祖帐离声咽管弦」写征途行色惨风烟、祖帐离声咽管弦——写尽风烟的征途（征途行色惨风烟，祖帐离声咽管弦）；「翠黛不须留五马，皇恩只许住三年」写翠黛不须留五马、皇恩只许住三年——写尽皇恩的三年（翠黛不须留五马，皇恩只许住三年）；「绿藤阴下铺歌席，红藕花中泊妓船」写绿藤阴下铺歌席、红藕花中泊妓船——写尽红藕的妓船（绿藤阴下铺歌席，红藕花中泊妓船）；「处处回头尽堪恋，就中难别是湖边」写处处回头尽堪恋、就中难别是湖边——写尽难别的湖边（处处回头尽堪恋，就中难别是湖边）。全诗以眷恋写送别，写尽风烟的征途与红藕的妓船，是理解白居易送别诗的重要篇章。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the attachment. The leaving opens: the, journey, of, the, march, the, look, bleak, the, wind, and, the, smoke — the wind and the smoke of the march; the, farewell, tents, the, parting, sounds, choked, the, pipes, and, the, strings — the pipes and the strings of the farewell. The scenes follow: the, black, eyebrows, no, need, to, keep, the, five, horses — the five horses of the black eyebrows; the, imperial, grace, only, allows, to, stay, the, three, years — the three years of the imperial grace; under, the, green, vines, spreading, the, singing, mats — the singing mats of the green vines; among, the, red, lotus, flowers, mooring, the, singing, boats — the singing boats of the red lotus. And the close gathers the attachment: everywhere, turning, back, the, head, all, worthy, of, the, love — the turning back of the everywhere; among, them, the, hard, to, part, is, the, lakeside — the lakeside of the hard to part — the leaving, the scenes and the close's attachment, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以写景写离声。「征途行色惨风烟」以写景写离声——那「祖帐离声咽管弦」写尽离声的管弦，以写景写尽风烟的征途。其二，以直抒写皇恩。「皇恩只许住三年」以直抒写皇恩——那「翠黛不须留五马」写尽不须留的五马，以直抒写尽皇恩的三年。其三，以对仗写西湖。「绿藤阴下铺歌席」以对仗写西湖——那「红藕花中泊妓船」写尽红藕的妓船，以对仗写尽红藕的妓船。其四，以直抒写眷恋。「就中难别是湖边」以直抒写眷恋——那「处处回头尽堪恋」写尽处处回头的眷恋，以直抒写尽难别的湖边。此外，此诗前四句写风烟的征途，后四句写红藕的妓船，由途及湖，正是送别诗「以留写别」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以眷恋写送别，写尽风烟的征途与红藕的妓船，是白居易的代表作。此诗还善于以「翠黛不须留五马」的「不须留」写五马之不留——那「翠黛」写尽翠色的眉黛，正是以不写留，以「皇恩只许住三年」写尽皇恩的三年。又善以「绿藤阴下铺歌席」的「铺歌席」写西湖之歌席——绿藤阴下铺歌席，正见藤阴歌席的写照，以「铺歌席」写尽红藕的妓船。

Allusions

'The farewell tents' (zu zhang) are the farewell tents — the tents of the farewell, the sending off of the opening; 'the five horses' (wu ma) are the five horses — the horses of the five, the prefect of the middle; 'the three years' (san nian) are the three years — the years of the three, the stay of the middle; 'the lakeside' (hu bian) is the lakeside — the side of the lake, the hard to part of the close.

此诗的用语深植于送别与眷恋传统。「征途」令人想到「征途」写征途的意象——也令人想到「征途漫漫」的意象；「祖帐」令人想到「祖帐」写饯行帐幕的意象——古代饯行设帐，也令人想到「祖帐临江」的意象；「管弦」令人想到「管弦」写管弦乐器的意象——也令人想到「管弦呕哑」的意象；「翠黛」令人想到「翠黛」写翠色眉黛的意象——也令人想到「翠黛红妆」的意象；「五马」令人想到「五马」写太守的意象——汉代太守五马，也令人想到「五马太守」的意象；「皇恩」令人想到「皇恩」写皇恩的意象——也令人想到「皇恩浩荡」的意象。全诗化用征途、祖帐、管弦、翠黛、五马、皇恩的意象典故，以眷恋写送别，正是白居易「通俗」而善白描、承送别传统写眷恋之本领。「五马」令人想到「五马」写太守的意象——也令人想到「五马太守」的意象；「妓船」令人想到「妓船」写歌妓船的意象——也令人想到「画舫妓船」的意象，以妓船写西湖。「红藕」令人想到「红藕」写红荷的意象——也令人想到「红藕香残」的意象，以红藕写湖景。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Bai Juyi's poems of the West Lake, quoted for the sorrow of its leaving and the attachment of its close. The singing boats of the red lotus, and the hard to part of the lakeside, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's attachment: the leaving gathered in the love, to the close's lakeside.

此诗历来被推为白居易送别诗的名篇，也是唐诗写别西湖的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以眷恋写送别，明白如话」；近人更指出「处处回头尽堪恋，就中难别是湖边」写难别的湖边，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以八句的七律写尽风烟的征途与红藕的妓船——那征途，那行色，那惨风烟，那祖帐，那离声，那咽管弦，那翠黛，那不须留，那五马，那皇恩，那只许住三年，那绿藤，那阴下，那铺歌席，那红藕，那花中，那泊妓船，那处处，那回头，那尽堪恋，那就中，那难别，那是湖边，都写尽了白居易笔下的西湖留别；那「就中难别是湖边」更以直抒写尽难别的湖边。此诗与白居易《钱塘湖春行》「最爱湖东行不足」同为西湖名篇，一写「绿杨阴里白沙堤」的春行（钱塘湖春行），一写「就中难别是湖边」的留别（西湖留别）；一写来时，一写别时。两诗对读，可见白居易西湖诗的两面。对于今日读者，此诗是理解白居易送别诗的窗口，也是唐诗写别西湖的经典——那难别的湖边，穿越千年，仍在诉说着红藕的妓船。

Prosody

Form A regulated poem of the leaving (qi yan lü shi)诗·七言律诗

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the regulated poem that carries the tender attachment.七律，押「弦」「年」「船」「边」韵（下平一先），一韵到底，音节明快

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the attachment: the level opening with the leaving, the turning with the scenes, and the close's fall with the lakeside.此诗为七言律诗，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节明快，正合送别的明快。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its attachment: the cadences of the regulated poem, and the close — 'jiu zhong nan bie shi hu bian' — falls with the lakeside, the sound of the attachment of the leaving poet.此诗为七言律诗，八句——「征途行色惨风烟，祖帐离声咽管弦。翠黛不须留五马，皇恩只许住三年。绿藤阴下铺歌席，红藕花中泊妓船。处处回头尽堪恋，就中难别是湖边」，押「先」韵（弦、年、船、边），一韵到底，音节明快。全诗以眷恋写送别：前四句写风烟的征途（征途行色惨风烟、皇恩只许住三年），后四句写红藕的妓船（绿藤阴下铺歌席、就中难别是湖边）。八句短章，前写离声，后写湖边，以「就中难别是湖边」写尽难别的湖边，正见白居易「通俗」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以明快的语调读「祖帐离声咽管弦」的离声，以眷恋的语调读「就中难别是湖边」的湖边，结句要读得明快而有余韵，方能传达出白居易的明白如话。白居易律诗以「通俗」著称，此诗正是其送别诗的典范。

Line by line

处处回头尽堪恋，就中难别是湖边

At every turn of the head, all is worth clinging to; of all, hardest to leave is the lake shore.

处处回头尽堪恋，就中难别是湖边。

Looking back again and again, every place is worth keeping; hardest to part with of all is the lakeside.

此二句是全诗写眷恋的核心，以处处回头尽堪恋写尽堪恋，以就中难别是湖边写难别是湖边，写尽难别的湖边，是千古名句。「处处回头尽堪恋」写处处回头尽堪恋——那「处处回头」写处处回头，「尽堪恋」写尽堪恋，写尽处处回头的眷恋；「就中难别是湖边」写就中难别是湖边——那「就中难别」写就中难别，「是湖边」写是湖边，写尽难别的湖边。这句的深意在于：它以「处处回头尽堪恋」的尽堪恋与「就中难别是湖边」的难别是湖边，写尽难别的湖边——处处回头尽堪恋，那「处处回头尽堪恋」写尽处处回头的眷恋——处处回头尽堪恋，正是处处堪恋的写照，那「尽堪恋」写尽难别的湖边；就中难别是湖边，那「就中难别是湖边」写尽难别的湖边——就中难别是湖边，正是湖边难别的写照，那「是湖边」写尽难别的湖边；那「处处回头尽堪恋」写尽处处回头的眷恋，那「就中难别是湖边」写尽难别的湖边，一写处处，一写湖边，写尽难别的湖边——处处堪恋而湖边难别，正是眷恋的写照；此二句以处处、湖边写尽难别的湖边，也让此二句成为全诗写眷恋的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「处处回头都值得留恋，其中最难以离别的是湖边」，则失其明白；唯以「处处回头尽堪恋」写尽堪恋、「就中难别是湖边」写难别是湖边，写尽难别的湖边，也让此二句成为全诗写眷恋的核心。

These lines are the heart of attachment, looking back everywhere yet the lake hardest to leave. 'At every turn all worth clinging to' writes the general reluctance to leave Hangzhou; 'of all, hardest the lake shore' singles out West Lake as the center of the love. The narrowing from 'everywhere' to 'the lake shore' concentrates the affection. If stated as 'every place is worth missing, especially the lake,' the clarity would fade; only through 'at every turn' and 'of all' does the special tenderness for the lake emerge.

征途行色惨风烟，祖帐离声咽管弦

The road ahead looks bleak in wind and mist; the farewell tent, the parting music, the flutes and strings choke.

征途行色惨风烟，祖帐离声咽管弦。

The traveler's face is bleak in wind and haze; beside the farewell pavilion, the pipes and strings choke with parting sounds.

此二句是全诗写离声的核心，以征途行色惨风烟写惨风烟，以祖帐离声咽管弦写咽管弦，写尽风烟的征途，是千古名句。「征途行色惨风烟」写征途行色惨风烟——那「征途行色」写征途行色，「惨风烟」写惨风烟，写尽风烟的征途；「祖帐离声咽管弦」写祖帐离声咽管弦——那「祖帐离声」写祖帐离声，「咽管弦」写咽管弦，写尽离声的管弦。这句的深意在于：它以「征途行色惨风烟」的惨风烟与「祖帐离声咽管弦」的咽管弦，写尽风烟的征途——征途行色惨风烟，那「征途行色惨风烟」写尽风烟的征途——征途行色惨风烟，正是行色惨淡的写照，那「惨风烟」写尽风烟的征途；祖帐离声咽管弦，那「祖帐离声咽管弦」写尽离声的管弦——祖帐离声咽管弦，正是离声呜咽的写照，那「咽管弦」写尽风烟的征途；那「征途行色惨风烟」写尽风烟的征途，那「祖帐离声咽管弦」写尽离声的管弦，一写征途，一写祖帐，写尽风烟的征途——行色惨淡而离声呜咽，正是离别的写照；此二句以征途、祖帐写尽风烟的征途，也为下文的皇恩作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写离声的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「征途上的行色惨淡在风烟中，饯行的帐幕里离别的歌声呜咽着管弦」，则失其凝练；唯以「征途行色惨风烟」写惨风烟、「祖帐离声咽管弦」写咽管弦，写尽风烟的征途，也让此二句成为全诗写离声的核心。

These lines are the heart of parting sound, the bleak road and the choking farewell music. 'Bleak in wind and mist' writes the traveler's haggard look against the dusty road; 'the farewell tent' is the canopy raised for the send-off, and the 'choking' flutes and strings write the music itself breaking with grief. Sight and sound—the bleak road, the sobbing instruments—together draw the formal sorrow of departure. If stated as 'the road is bleak and the farewell music weeps,' the compression would fade; only through 'choke' applied to the instruments does the grief become audible.

Study

Word focus

咽 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「祖帐离声咽管弦」之「咽」字是写离声关键词，一个「咽」字写尽风烟的征途。咽者，呜咽、哽咽也。白居易以「祖帐离声咽管弦」写离声，这个「咽」字至少有双重意味：其一，写声之咽——那「祖帐离声咽管弦」写祖帐离声咽管弦，那「咽」字写尽离声的管弦——咽管弦，正是管弦呜咽的写照，那「咽」字写尽离声的管弦；其二，写情之悲——那「咽」字更是写悲——咽，正见别离凄楚的悲音，那「咽」字写尽白居易的眷恋。以「咽」字写离声，正是白居易写送别的枢纽——若换作「断」「鸣」等字，则或失其与「祖帐离声」「咽管弦」的配合，或失其写咽的意味；唯「咽」字，以祖帐离声咽管弦写尽管弦之呜咽与别离之悲音，与「征途行色惨风烟」的风烟相合，写尽风烟的征途，也让「祖帐离声咽管弦」成为全诗写离声的名句。

堪 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「处处回头尽堪恋」之「堪」字是写眷恋关键词，一个「堪」字写尽处处回头的眷恋。堪者，可堪、值得也。白居易以「处处回头尽堪恋」写眷恋，这个「堪」字至少有双重意味：其一，写恋之堪——那「处处回头尽堪恋」写处处回头尽堪恋，那「堪」字写尽处处回头的眷恋——堪恋，正是值得留恋的写照，那「堪」字写尽处处回头的眷恋；其二，写情之深——那「堪」字更是写深——堪，正见眷恋之深重，那「堪」字写尽白居易的眷恋。以「堪」字写眷恋，正是白居易写送别的枢纽——若换作「可」「足」等字，则或失其与「处处回头」「尽堪恋」的配合，或失其写堪的意味；唯「堪」字，以处处回头尽堪恋写尽回头之堪恋与眷恋之深重，与「就中难别是湖边」的湖边相合，写尽难别的湖边，也让「处处回头尽堪恋」成为全诗写眷恋的名句。