明 Ming · 诗 Poem
除夜太原寒甚
New Year's Eve, Severe Cold in Taiyuan
寄语天涯客，轻寒底用愁。
春风来不远，只在屋东头。
The spring wind is not far off; it is only at the east end of the house.
Meaning
A tiny New Year's Eve poem from Taiyuan, telling a far-wandering friend (and himself) not to fret over the slight cold, because the spring wind is already close, just at the house's east end.
寄一句话给那漂泊天涯的游子：这点轻微的寒意，何须发愁？春风到来并不遥远，它就在房屋的东头。
Appreciation
On New Year's Eve the poet feels the cold in Taiyuan, yet sends a word to the traveler at earth's end: why worry over this little cold? The spring wind is not far, it is just at the house's east end. The whole poem is short as speech; 'little cold' against 'spring wind,' 'earth's end' against 'house's east end,' small to show great. Rather than say 'spring is coming' it says 'the spring wind is only at the house's east end,' making hope concrete and tangible—an immediate scene that reasons, plain yet deep. It writes New Year's Eve comfort in cold, both self-encouragement and comforting the far one. Yu Qian was upright all his life; this poem shows optimism and openness amid slight cold, the closing 'spring wind at the house's east end' passing warmth and expectation, in a clear, strong yet tender register.
【白话串讲】 于谦在太原过除夕，天很冷：“寄语天涯客，轻寒底用愁”——他劝天涯的游子：这点轻寒，何必发愁？“春风来不远，只在屋东头”——春风已经不远，就在屋子东头。一首给所有游子的暖诗。 【意象与手法】全诗短小如话，以“轻寒”对“春风”、“天涯”对“屋东头”，以小见大。不说“春天将到”而说“春风只在屋东头”，把希望写得具体可触，是即景说理、浅近而深的笔法。 【情感与主旨】写除夜寒中之慰，既有自勉，也慰远人。于谦一生刚直，此诗于微寒中见乐观豁达，末句以“春风在屋东头”传递温暖期盼，格调清劲而温情。 【名句点睛】“春风来不远，只在屋东头。”——不说春天遥远，而说它就在屋东头，把希望写得近在咫尺。短短十字，以景语寓理语，浅而有味，最见诗人豁达襟怀。
Background
Yu Qian (1398–1457), styled Ting Yi, also known as Jie An, was a famed Ming minister and national hero, known for defending Beijing after the Tumu Crisis. New Year's Eve, Severe Cold in Taiyuan was written when he spent New Year's Eve in Taiyuan, feeling cold and comforting himself and others, probably during his early official travels.
《除夜太原寒甚》为明代于谦所作，是写除夜客中、春风将至的诗。于谦（1398—1457），字廷益，号节庵，钱塘人，明代政治家、诗人。此诗：寄语天涯客，轻寒底用愁。春风来不远，只在屋东头。全诗写除夜客中、春风将至，是于谦诗的名篇。
Art
The whole poem is twenty characters, short as colloquial speech. It sets 'little cold' against 'spring wind,' 'earth's end' against 'house's east end,' pulling space from far to near; rather than say spring is far it says spring is near—an immediate scene holding reason, plain yet long-lasting—a small work of Yu Qian's clear, strong manner.
《除夜太原寒甚》艺术上以除夜客寒的描摹与春风将至的乐观见长。全诗四句：首写寄语天涯——“寄语天涯客，轻寒底用愁”写寄语天涯客、轻寒底用愁；末写春风将至——“春风来不远，只在屋东头”写春风来不远、只在屋东头。全诗以除夜客寒写春风将至，正是于谦诗乐观的笔法。
Allusions
New Year's Eve is the lunar New Year's Eve; traveler at earth's end means a wanderer far away (also including himself); house's east end uses the common sense that east wind rises in the east, writing spring's imminent coming through direction, turning common sense into poetic charm.
《除夜太原寒甚》用典在“天涯客”“轻寒”“春风”“屋东头”。“天涯客”写天涯客（天涯游子）；“轻寒”写轻寒；“春风”写春风（用“春风不度玉门关”之意反用）；“屋东头”写屋东头。全诗以这些意象写除夜客中、春风将至，用典自然而乐观自见，正是于谦诗的笔法。
Commentary
Yu Qian, a minister of state, wrote with upright spirit; his poems mostly carry rectitude. This New Year's Eve small poem writes not sorrow but comfort, showing unexpected optimism amid slight cold; the Qing praised it as 'far-reaching in implication, unornamented'—great breadth in a small work.
《除夜太原寒甚》是于谦诗的名篇，也是明诗中写除夜客愁的代表作。此诗写除夜客中、春风将至，向为论者称道。论者多赏其除夜客寒的描摹与春风将至的乐观——“寄语天涯客，轻寒底用愁”写寄语天涯客、轻寒底用愁，乐观之极；“春风来不远，只在屋东头”写春风来不远、只在屋东头，更见其达。于谦为明代民族英雄，其诗以质朴刚健著称，此诗正是其代表——以除夜客寒写春风将至，正是其诗风。
Prosody
Line by line
寄语天涯客，轻寒底用愁。
Tell the wanderer at the world's edge: for this slight chill, why be sad?
寄语天涯客，轻寒底用愁。
Tell the wanderer at the world's edge: why grieve over this slight cold?
首写寄语天涯客、轻寒底用愁，是全诗写除夜劝慰的起点。“寄语天涯客”写寄语天涯客——“寄语天涯客”写寄语天涯的游子——寄语天涯客；“轻寒底用愁”写轻寒底用愁——“轻寒底用愁”写这点轻寒哪里用得着愁——轻寒底用愁。二句写寄语天涯客、轻寒底用愁：寄语天涯客，轻寒底用愁。以“寄语天涯客”写寄语天涯游子、自慰之语，以“轻寒底用愁”写轻寒无须发愁、豁达之怀，正是于谦诗写除夜劝慰的起点——寄语天涯，轻寒莫愁。
The comfort. Tell the wanderer at the world's edge: for this slight chill, why be sad? The addressed wanderer and the why-grieve-over-this-chill are the comfort. To have consoled the exiled wanderer would be a consolation; the tell-the-wanderer-at-the-world's-edge against the for-this-slight-chill-why-be-sad is the consolation.
春风来不远，只在屋东头。
The spring wind is not far off; it is only at the east end of the house.
春风来不远，只在屋东头。
The spring wind is not far away; it is just at the east end of the house.
末写春风来不远、只在屋东头，是全诗写春风将至的归结。“春风来不远”写春风来不远——“春风来不远”写春风到来已不远——春风来不远；“只在屋东头”写只在屋东头——“只在屋东头”写只在屋子的东头——只在屋东头。二句写春风来不远、只在屋东头：春风来不远，只在屋东头。以“春风来不远”写春风将至、希望已近，以“只在屋东头”写只在屋东、触手可及，正是于谦诗写春风将至的归结——春风不远，只在东头。
The wind. The spring wind is not far off; it is only at the east end of the house. The spring wind not-far and the just-east-of-the-house are the hope. To have said spring was near would be a hope; the spring-wind-is-not-far-off against the it-is-only-at-the-east-end-of-the-house is the hope.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
于谦《石灰吟》写石灰清白、留名丹心，与本首同为于谦诗写高洁之志。差异在主题：除夜太原寒甚写春风将至；石灰吟写清白之志。一写“望”之达，一写“志”之烈。两者并读，可见于谦诗写高洁之志的两种主题。
咏煤炭 Ode to Coal 于谦 · 同为于谦诗写济世之怀，一写除夜春风一写煤炭献身，一达一烈 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
于谦《咏煤炭》写煤炭献身、济世之怀，与本首同为于谦诗写济世之怀。差异在主题：除夜太原寒甚写春风将至；咏煤炭写炭身济世。一写“望”之达，一写“志”之烈。两者并读，可见于谦诗写济世之怀的两种主题。
村居 Dwelling in the Village 高鼎 · 同为诗写春日，一写除夜春风一写二月纸鸢，一达一乐 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
高鼎《村居》写二月春景、儿童纸鸢，与本首同为诗写春日。差异在时令情境：除夜写冬尽春来；村居写二月春景。一写“盼”之春，一写“乐”之春。两者并读，可见诗写春日的两种情境。