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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

赠荷花

The, Presented, to, the, Lotus

李商隐

Li Shangyin

咏物Object poem 荷花Theme

世间花叶不相伦，花入金盆叶作尘。
惟有绿荷红菡萏，卷舒开合任天真。
此花此叶常相映，翠减红衰愁杀人。

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Meaning

A poem of the lotus and the companionship, written by Li Shangyin. In the world the flowers and the leaves not compared equally, the flowers entering the gold basins the leaves becoming the dust — the comparison of the opening. Only the green lotus the red hibiscus, the rolling and the unfolding the opening and the closing leaving to the nature — the lotus of the middle. And the close's this flower this leaf always reflecting each other, the green fading the red decaying the sorrow killing the man — the close's sorrow. The poem is the lotus and the companionship: the comparison, the nature, and the close's sorrow.

世间花叶不相伦，花入金盆叶作尘。惟有绿荷红菡萏，卷舒开合任天真。此花此叶常相映，翠减红衰愁杀人。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] In, the, world, the, flowers, and, the, leaves, not, compared, equally, the, flowers, entering, the, gold, basins, the, leaves, becoming, the, dust. Only, the, green, lotus, the, red, hibiscus, the, rolling, and, the, unfolding, the, opening, and, the, closing, leaving, to, the, nature. This, flower, this, leaf, always, reflecting, each, other, the, green, fading, the, red, decaying, the, sorrow, killing, the, man. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the comparison of the flowers and the leaves with the dust, through the lotus of the rolling and the unfolding, to the close's the sorrow of the fading. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the sorrow: this flower this leaf always reflecting each other, and the close's the green fading the red decaying the sorrow killing the man — the lotus gathered in the companionship and the close's sorrow. [Emotional Tone] Comparing, tender, and sorrowful: the poem is the dust, the nature and the close's sorrow.

【白话串讲】李商隐写《赠荷花》：“世间花叶不相伦，花入金盆叶作尘”——“惟有绿荷红菡萏，卷舒开合任天真”——“此花此叶常相映，翠减红衰愁杀人”——他写荷花——花叶相映、开合天真——他写共处相守。【意象与手法】此诗写荷花，以咏物写感慨，是李商隐的名篇。前二句写他花：「世间花叶不相伦，花入金盆叶作尘」写世间花叶不相伦、花入金盆叶作尘——写尽世间的花叶；中二句写荷花：「惟有绿荷红菡萏，卷舒开合任天真」写惟有绿荷红菡萏、卷舒开合任天真——写尽荷花的天然；后二句写感慨：「此花此叶常相映，翠减红衰愁杀人」写此花此叶常相映、翠减红衰愁杀人——写尽荷花的相映。全诗以咏物写感慨，写尽世间的花叶与荷花的相映，是李商隐的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写荷花，以咏物写感慨，是李商隐的名篇。此诗写荷花与荷叶的相映，寄托对美好事物的怜惜。此诗以花叶关系起兴：世间花叶不相伦，花入金盆叶作尘——写世间花叶不相伦、花入金盆叶作尘，写尽世间的花叶；惟有绿荷红菡萏，卷舒开合任天真——写惟有绿荷红菡萏、卷舒开合任天真，写尽荷花的天然；此花此叶常相映，翠减红衰愁杀人——写此花此叶常相映、翠减红衰愁杀人，写尽荷花的相映。全诗以咏物写感慨——那「花入金盆叶作尘」写尽世间的花叶，「翠减红衰愁杀人」写尽荷花的相映，写尽世间的花叶与荷花的相映，是理解李商隐咏物诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「世间花叶不相伦，花入金盆叶作尘」写世间的花叶；「此花此叶常相映，翠减红衰愁杀人」写荷花的相映；以及全诗以咏物写感慨、以花叶喻人事的手法。

Background

Li Shangyin (c. 813-858), the poet of the Tang, wrote this 'The, Presented, to, the, Lotus' of the lotus and the companionship — the companionship of the flower and the leaf. The comparison of the flowers and the leaves, and the close's the sorrow of the fading — the poem gathers the tenderness of the poet, the pity of the companionship. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the lotus.

此诗写荷花，以咏物写感慨，是李商隐的名篇。李商隐（约813—约858），字义山，号玉谿生，怀州河内（今河南沁阳）人，唐代诗人，与杜牧并称「小李杜」，与温庭筠并称「温李」。此诗写荷花与荷叶的相映，寄托对美好事物的怜惜。此诗以花叶关系起兴：花入金盆，叶作尘土，唯荷花荷叶相映成趣；然翠减红衰之时，又令人愁杀。此诗写他花：「世间花叶不相伦，花入金盆叶作尘」写世间花叶不相伦、花入金盆叶作尘——写尽世间的花叶（世间花叶不相伦，花入金盆叶作尘）；「惟有绿荷红菡萏，卷舒开合任天真」写惟有绿荷红菡萏、卷舒开合任天真——写尽荷花的天然（惟有绿荷红菡萏，卷舒开合任天真）；「此花此叶常相映，翠减红衰愁杀人」写此花此叶常相映、翠减红衰愁杀人——写尽荷花的相映（此花此叶常相映，翠减红衰愁杀人）。全诗以咏物写感慨，写尽世间的花叶与荷花的相映，是理解李商隐咏物诗的重要篇章。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the sorrow. The comparison opens: in, the, world, the, flowers, and, the, leaves, not, compared, equally — the flowers and the leaves of the not compared; the, flowers, entering, the, gold, basins, the, leaves, becoming, the, dust — the leaves of the dust. The lotus follows: only, the, green, lotus, the, red, hibiscus — the green lotus of the red hibiscus; the, rolling, and, the, unfolding, the, opening, and, the, closing, leaving, to, the, nature — the rolling and the unfolding of the nature; this, flower, this, leaf, always, reflecting, each, other — the reflecting of each other. And the close gathers the sorrow: the, green, fading, the, red, decaying, the, sorrow, killing, the, man — the sorrow of the killing the man — the comparison, the companionship and the close's sorrow, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以对照写花叶。「世间花叶不相伦」以对照写花叶——那「不相伦」写尽花叶的悬殊，以对照写尽世间的花叶。其二，以白描写他花。「花入金盆叶作尘」以白描写他花——那「入金盆」「作尘」写尽花荣叶枯，以白描写尽世间的花叶。其三，以铺陈写荷花。「卷舒开合任天真」以铺陈写荷花——那「卷舒开合」写尽荷的卷舒，以铺陈写尽荷花的天然。其四，以直抒写感慨。「翠减红衰愁杀人」以直抒写感慨——那「愁杀人」写尽翠减红衰的愁，以直抒写尽荷花的相映。此外，此诗前二句写世间的花叶，后四句写荷花的相映，由他花及荷花，正是咏物诗「托物言志」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以咏物写感慨，写尽世间的花叶与荷花的相映，是李商隐的代表作。此诗还善于以「任天真」三字写荷花的天然——不说荷花之美，而说卷舒开合一任天真，以「任」字写其不假雕饰的本性，正见李商隐咏物而能得其神理。又善以「翠减红衰」四字写荷花的迟暮——翠减、红衰，以色之衰写花之老，正见其以色彩写时序的手法，使咏物与叹逝融为一体。

Allusions

'The red hibiscus' (hong han dan) is the red hibiscus — the hibiscus of the red, the lotus of the middle; 'the rolling and the unfolding' (juan shu) are the rolling and the unfolding — the rolling of the unfolding, the nature of the middle.

此诗的用语深植于咏荷与感慨的传统。「金盆」令人想到「金盆」写盆的意象——金盆为华贵的器皿，也令人想到「金盆洗手」的意象；「绿荷红菡萏」令人想到「绿荷红菡萏」写荷花的意象——菡萏为荷花的别称，也令人想到「接天莲叶无穷碧，映日荷花别样红」（杨万里）的意象；「卷舒开合」令人想到「卷舒开合」写荷叶的意象——也令人想到「荷叶罗裙一色裁」（王昌龄）的意象；「天真」令人想到「天真」写天然的意象——《庄子》「礼者，世俗之所为也；真者，所以受于天也」，也令人想到「清水出芙蓉，天然去雕饰」（李白）的意象；「翠减红衰」令人想到「翠减红衰」写花衰的意象——也令人想到「绿肥红瘦」（李清照）的意象。全诗化用金盆、绿荷、菡萏、卷舒、天真、翠减红衰的意象，以咏物写感慨，正是李商隐「深情绵邈」而善咏物、承咏荷传统写感慨的本领。「菡萏」为荷花的古称，《诗经·陈风·泽陂》「彼泽之陂，有蒲菡萏」，李商隐以「绿荷红菡萏」写荷，正承《诗经》咏荷的传统。又「天真」出自《庄子·渔父》「礼者，世俗之所为也；真者，所以受于天也」，以「任天真」写荷花之天然，正见李商隐以道家语入诗的雅致。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Li Shangyin's poems of the lotus, quoted for the comparison of its opening and the tenderness of its close. The green lotus of the red hibiscus, and the reflecting of each other, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's pity: the lotus gathered in the companionship, to the close's sorrow.

此诗历来被推为李商隐咏物诗的名篇，也是唐人咏荷的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以咏物写感慨，托意深婉」；近人更指出「此花此叶常相映，翠减红衰愁杀人」写荷花的相映，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以六句的杂言诗写尽世间的花叶与荷花的相映——那世间，那花叶，那金盆，那尘土，那绿荷，那红菡萏，那卷舒，那开合，那天真，那相映，那翠减红衰，都写尽了李商隐笔下的荷花；那「翠减红衰愁杀人」更以直抒写尽对美好逝去的怜惜。此诗与李商隐《赠荷花》等咏物诗同为名篇，与《蝉》（「本以高难饱」）、《柳》等咏物诗并称，一写「徒劳恨费声」的蝉（蝉），一写「卷舒开合任天真」的荷（赠荷花）；又与周敦颐《爱莲说》「出淤泥而不染」的咏荷传统一脉相承，可见中国文学咏荷的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解李商隐咏物诗的窗口，也是中国诗咏荷的经典——那卷舒开合的荷花，穿越千年，仍在诉说着花叶相映的深情。

Prosody

Form An old poem of the lotus (qi yan gu shi)诗·七言古诗（杂言）

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the old poem that carries the tender sorrow.古体诗，押「尘」「真」「人」韵（上平十一真），音节清婉

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the sorrow: the level opening with the comparison, the turning with the lotus, and the close's fall with the man.此诗为七言古诗，押平声韵，音节清婉，正合咏物的清婉。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its tenderness: the cadences of the old poem, and the close — 'cui jian hong shuai chou sha ren' — falls with the man, the sound of the pity of the lotus poet.此诗为七言古诗，六句——「世间花叶不相伦，花入金盆叶作尘。惟有绿荷红菡萏，卷舒开合任天真。此花此叶常相映，翠减红衰愁杀人」，押「真」韵（尘、真、人），音节清婉。全诗以咏物写感慨：前二句写世间的花叶（世间花叶不相伦、花入金盆叶作尘），中二句写荷花的天然（惟有绿荷红菡萏、卷舒开合任天真），后二句写荷花的相映（此花此叶常相映、翠减红衰愁杀人）。六句短章，前写他花，后写荷花，以「翠减红衰愁杀人」写尽对美好易逝的怜惜，正见李商隐「深情绵邈」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以清婉的语调读「惟有绿荷红菡萏」的荷花，以低回的语调读「翠减红衰愁杀人」的感慨，结句要读得清婉而有余韵，方能传达出李商隐的托意深婉。李商隐咏物诗以「深情绵邈」著称，此诗正是其咏物诗的典范。

Line by line

此花此叶常相映，翠减红衰愁杀人

This flower, this leaf, ever mirroring each other; when the green fades and the red withers, grief kills.

此花此叶常相映，翠减红衰愁杀人。

This flower and this leaf ever shine on each other; when the green wanes and the red decays, it is heart-breaking.

此二句是全诗写感慨的核心，以此花此叶常相映写相映，以翠减红衰愁杀人写衰愁，写尽荷花的相映，是千古名句。「此花此叶常相映」写此花此叶常相映——那「此花此叶」写此花此叶，「常相映」写常相映，写尽花叶的相映；「翠减红衰愁杀人」写翠减红衰愁杀人——那「翠减红衰」写翠减红衰，「愁杀人」写愁杀人，写尽衰败的愁怨。这句的深意在于：它以「此花此叶常相映」的相映与「翠减红衰愁杀人」的衰愁，写尽荷花的相映——此花此叶常相映，那「此花此叶常相映」写尽花叶的相映——此花此叶，常相辉映，正是荷花的写照，那「常相映」写尽花叶的相映；翠减红衰愁杀人，那「翠减红衰愁杀人」写尽衰败的愁怨——翠减红衰，愁杀人，正是红衰翠减的写照，那「愁杀人」写尽对衰败的怜惜；那「此花此叶常相映」写尽花叶的相映，那「翠减红衰愁杀人」写尽衰败的愁怨，一写相映，一写衰愁，写尽荷花的相映——花叶相映而终有衰时，正是对美好易逝的感慨；此二句以相映、衰愁写尽荷花的相映，也让此二句成为全诗写感慨的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「荷花很美但会谢」，则失其深情；唯以「此花此叶常相映」写相映、「翠减红衰愁杀人」写衰愁，写尽荷花的相映，也让此二句成为全诗写感慨的核心。

These two lines are the core of the poem's reflection - a famous line. 'This flower, this leaf, ever mirroring each other' the mutual glow; 'when the green fades and the red withers, grief kills' the withering grief. Flower and leaf in constant reflection, yet the day of green fading and red withering - the grief at beauty's fleetingness.

惟有绿荷红菡萏，卷舒开合任天真

Only the green lotus leaves and the red lotus blossoms, curling and opening, folding and unfolding, follow their true nature.

惟有绿荷红菡萏，卷舒开合任天真。

Only the green lotus leaves and the red lotus blooms, furling and unfurling, closing and opening, follow their natural bent.

此二句是全诗写荷花的核心，以惟有绿荷红菡萏写绿荷，以卷舒开合任天真写天真，写尽荷花的天然，是千古名句。「惟有绿荷红菡萏」写惟有绿荷红菡萏——那「惟有绿荷」写惟有绿荷，「红菡萏」写红菡萏，写尽荷花的红绿；「卷舒开合任天真」写卷舒开合任天真——那「卷舒开合」写卷舒开合，「任天真」写任天真，写尽荷花的天然。这句的深意在于：它以「惟有绿荷红菡萏」的绿荷与「卷舒开合任天真」的天真，写尽荷花的天然——惟有绿荷红菡萏，那「惟有绿荷红菡萏」写尽荷花的红绿——唯有绿荷红花，正是荷花独有的写照，那「红菡萏」写尽荷花的娇艳；卷舒开合任天真，那「卷舒开合任天真」写尽荷花的天然——卷舒开合，一任天真，正是天然去饰的写照，那「任天真」写尽荷花的天然；那「惟有绿荷红菡萏」写尽荷花的红绿，那「卷舒开合任天真」写尽荷花的天然，一写花，一写态，写尽荷花的天然——红绿相映而卷舒天然，正是荷花的写照；此二句以绿荷、天真写尽荷花的天然，也为后二句的相映作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写荷花的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「荷花很好看」，则失其天然；唯以「惟有绿荷红菡萏」写绿荷、「卷舒开合任天真」写天真，写尽荷花的天然，也让此二句成为全诗写荷花的核心。

These two lines are the core of the poem's lotus - a famous line. 'Only the green lotus leaves and the red lotus blossoms' the green and red; 'curling and opening, folding and unfolding, follow their true nature' the natural grace. Only the green leaves and red blooms, furling and opening at will, unadorned - the lotus's natural being.

Study

Word focus

惟 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「惟有绿荷红菡萏」之「惟」字是写荷花的关键词，一个「惟」字写尽荷花的独有。惟者，只有、独也。李商隐以「惟有绿荷红菡萏」写荷花，这个「惟」字至少有双重意味：其一，写荷之独——那「惟有绿荷红菡萏」写惟有绿荷红菡萏，那「惟」字写尽荷花的独有——世间花叶不相伦，唯有荷花花叶相映，那「惟」字写尽荷花的独有；其二，写花之珍——那「惟」字更是写珍——惟，正见荷花的珍贵，那「惟」字写尽荷花的天然。以「惟」字写荷花，正是李商隐写咏物的枢纽——若换作「独」「只」等字，则或失其与「绿荷红菡萏」的配合，或失其写惟的意味；唯「惟」字，以惟有绿荷红菡萏写尽荷花的独有与珍贵，与「卷舒开合任天真」的任天真相合，写尽荷花的天然，也让「惟有绿荷红菡萏」成为全诗写荷花的名句。

任 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「卷舒开合任天真」之「任」字是写天然的关键词，一个「任」字写尽荷花的天然。任者，任凭、听任也。李商隐以「卷舒开合任天真」写荷花，这个「任」字至少有双重意味：其一，写态之任——那「卷舒开合任天真」写卷舒开合任天真，那「任」字写尽卷舒的听任——卷舒开合，一任自然，正是天然去饰的写照，那「任」字写尽荷花的天然；其二，写性之真——那「任」字更是写真——任天真，正见本性的纯真，那「任」字写尽荷花的纯真。以「任」字写天然，正是李商隐写咏物的枢纽——若换作「随」「凭」等字，则或失其与「卷舒开合」「天真」的配合，或失其写任的意味；唯「任」字，以卷舒开合任天真写尽卷舒的听任与本性的纯真，与「惟有绿荷红菡萏」的惟有相合，写尽荷花的天然，也让「卷舒开合任天真」成为全诗写天然的名句。

赠荷花