All poems

明 Ming · 诗 Poem

登金陵雨花台望大江

Climbing the Rain Flower Terrace in Jinling to View the Great River

高启

Gao Qi

怀古Nostalgic 山水Landscape

大江来从万山中，山势尽与江流东。
钟山如龙独西上，欲破巨浪乘长风。
江山相雄不相让，形胜争夸天下壮。
秦皇空此瘗黄金，佳气葱葱至今王。
我怀郁塞何由开，酒酣走上城南台。
坐觉苍茫万古意，远自荒烟落日之中来。
石头城下涛声怒，武骑千群谁敢渡。
黄旗入洛竟何祥，铁锁横江未为固。
前三国，后六朝，草生宫阙何萧萧。
英雄乘时务割据，几度战血流寒潮。

The great river comes from amidst ten thousand mountains,
All mountain trends follow the river eastward.
Mount Zhong, like a dragon, alone heads westward,
As if to break the giant waves and ride the long wind.
River and mountain vie for dominance, neither yielding,
Each boasts its scenic splendor to the world.
The First Emperor of Qin vainly buried gold here,
The royal aura still thrives, lush and green.
Why can’t I shake off this stifled gloom?
Drunk, I ascend the terrace south of the city wall.
Sitting, I feel a boundless ancient meaning,
Coming from afar amid the mist and setting sun.
Under Stone City, angry waves roar—
Which warrior band dared cross with a thousand steeds?
The Yellow Flags entering Luo—what omen was that?
Iron chains across the river were no solid defense.
Formerly the Three Kingdoms, later the Six Dynasties—
Grass grows over their palaces, how desolate and chill.
Heroes seized the moment to carve out domains,
How many times did battle blood chill the cold tide?

Listen

Meaning

The poet climbs the Rain Flower Terrace in Jinling, gazes at the Yangtze River, reflects on the grandeur of the landscape and the rise and fall of historical regimes, from the Qin emperor's futile attempt to suppress the royal aura to the wars of the Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties, expressing a deep sense of historical melancholy.

大江从万山之中奔来，山势全都随着江流向东。唯有钟山如游龙独自向西而上，似要冲破巨浪乘长风。江山争雄互不相让，都以形胜之壮夸耀天下。秦始皇空在此埋下黄金，而金陵王气葱葱至今仍为王都。我心怀郁塞何以解开，酒酣登上城南雨花台。静坐间觉苍茫万古之意，从远处荒烟落日中涌来。石头城下波涛怒吼，当年千骑怎敢渡江。黄旗入洛究竟是何吉兆，铁锁横江也未必坚固。前有三国，后有六朝，宫阙上野草丛生何等萧萧。英雄乘时势务求割据，几度战血流入寒潮。

Appreciation

The poem begins with a majestic depiction of the river and mountain as if in mortal combat, then shifts to the poet's personal gloom and historical reflection. The use of vivid imagery (dragon-like mountain, angry waves), allusions (Qin buried gold, iron chains), and a tonal shift from expansive to desolate creates a powerful nostalgic masterpiece.

【白话串讲】高启登上雨花台看长江：大江从万山中奔来，钟山像龙一样要破浪。“坐觉苍茫万古意”——明朝初年，一个天才诗人站在新王朝的起点，看见了历史的苍茫。【意象与手法】此诗艺术在雄阔之景与沉郁之怀交融【情感与主旨】高启（1336—1374），明初诗人，与杨基、张羽、徐贲称“吴中四杰”。此诗写于其登金陵雨花台眺望长江时【名句点睛】若入中高考，重点：一、前四句如何写江山形胜（拟人、动态、对比）

Background

Gao Qi (1336–1374) was a leading poet of the early Ming dynasty, part of the 'Four Talents of Wuzhong.' This poem was written when he climbed the Rain Flower Terrace in Jinling (Nanjing) and viewed the Yangtze. Jinling had been the capital of six dynasties and briefly the early Ming capital before the court moved north. The poet, contemplating the natural splendor and historical conflicts, blends his personal frustration with the tragic fate of heroes and the impermanence of power. Gao Qi himself was later executed, lending a prescient gloom to the poem.

高启（1336—1374），字季迪，号青丘子，长洲（今江苏苏州）人，明初诗人，与杨基、张羽、徐贲并称「吴中四杰」。此诗作于明初，具体年月无确考，然就诗中所写金陵之形胜与怀古之思看，当是高启客居金陵、登临雨花台时所作。元末天下大乱，群雄并起，朱元璋以金陵为根本，最终混一天下，于洪武元年（1368）建立明朝，定都金陵。高启生当元明易代之际，亲历战乱与兴亡，其登雨花台而望大江，触目所见，是「江山相雄」的形胜，涌上心头的，却是自三国六朝以来「英雄乘时务割据，几度战血流寒潮」的兴亡之慨。雨花台在金陵城南，相传梁武帝时云光法师讲经于此，天雨花如雪，故名，其地势高敞，可俯瞰大江与钟山，是金陵登临怀古的胜地。高启此诗，即借登临之景，抒发对历史割据、战血相流的深沉感慨，笔力雄健而意绪苍茫，是其怀古七古的代表作。值得一提的是，高启后因魏观案牵连，于洪武七年（1374）被腰斩，年仅三十九岁，其诗中的苍茫与郁塞，或亦暗伏着对时局的某种隐忧。高启以元末遗民而仕新朝，对「英雄割据」「战血流寒潮」的感慨，既是对六朝旧事的凭吊，也未尝不暗含着对当世群雄争鼎、杀伐未息的现实关照，故此诗的苍茫，实是时代之苍茫与个人之忧惧的交织。此诗遂于登临怀古之外，别具一种身处易代之际的历史清醒，这也是它超越一般流连光景的登临诗，而具有深刻史识的原因。

Art

The poem's artistry lies in its fusion of grand landscape with profound historical sentiment. The first four lines personify the river and mountain in dynamic struggle (dragon vs. eastward flow). The middle section shifts to the poet's sitting meditation, where 'boundless ancient meaning' arises from mist and sunset. The use of specific allusions (Qin's gold, iron chains) and contrast between the roaring waves and the desolate palaces deepens the tragic tone. The irregular line length and shifting rhymes evoke Li Bai's free-spirited style.

此诗的艺术，在雄阔之景与沉郁之怀的交融。前八句极写金陵江山之壮：大江自万山奔来，山势尽随江东去，唯钟山如龙、独向西上，一江一山、一东一西，以「江山相雄不相让」七字总括其争胜之势，复以「形胜争夸天下壮」点出金陵的帝都气象。写景全用拟人与动态——「来从」「尽与」「独西上」「欲破」「乘长风」「不相让」「争夸」，山与江皆如活物，纵横捭阖，气势逼人。第九至十六句转入怀古：秦皇埋金、王气葱葱，石头城下涛声怒、武骑千群谁敢渡，黄旗入洛、铁锁横江，一组组六朝兴亡的旧事，如潮水般涌来，遂使前文的壮景转为「草生宫阙何萧萧」的荒凉。末四句以「英雄乘时务割据，几度战血流寒潮」收束，把历史的兴亡浓缩为「战血流寒潮」的沉痛画面。全诗以「我怀郁塞何由开，酒酣走上城南台」为转捩，前半写景之壮，后半写怀之悲，壮景与悲怀相反相成，正是高启「以雄阔写苍凉」的笔法。沈德潜评其诗「超逸清俊」，此诗则于清俊之外，更多一层沉郁顿挫。全诗以「酒酣走上城南台」为界，前写江山之壮、后写兴亡之悲，壮者愈壮、悲者愈悲，而「苍茫万古意，远自荒烟落日之中来」两句，又以烟、日的苍茫之色，把江山的雄与历史的悲绾为一体，遂使全诗于雄阔之中，透出一种深远的荒凉。

Allusions

'The First Emperor of Qin vainly buried gold' refers to the legend that Qin Shi Huang buried gold and jade at Mount Zhong to suppress Jinling's 'royal aura' (wang qi), but the aura persisted. 'Yellow Flags entering Luo' alludes to the prophecy that a ruler from the southeast (Sun Hao of Wu) would become emperor; he attempted to fulfill it by marching north with yellow flags but was defeated. 'Iron chains across the river' refers to the Wu kingdom's defense against Jin forces by placing iron chains in the Yangtze, which were burned by the Jin admiral Wang Jun. These allusions all underscore the futility of trying to secure power in this historically contested land.

此诗用典皆切金陵史实。「秦皇空此瘗黄金」，用秦始皇埋金镇王气之说。《太平御览》引《金陵图》云，秦始皇东巡，望气者言金陵有天子气，故「埋金玉杂宝于钟山」以压之，金陵之名即由此来。高启着一「空」字，谓秦皇埋金徒劳，而金陵王气「葱葱至今王」，暗写此地终究成就帝都。「黄旗入洛」，用三国孙吴末主孙皓事。时有「黄旗紫盖见于东南」之谶，孙皓以为天命在己，欲入洛阳称帝，结果反为晋所灭，「竟何祥」三字，讥其谶语之虚妄。「铁锁横江」，用西晋王濬伐吴事。吴人于长江险要处以铁锁横江以拒晋师，王濬作火炬烧断铁锁，楼船直下石头城，吴遂亡，「未为固」三字，谓天险不足恃。「前三国，后六朝」，概括自孙吴历东晋、宋、齐、梁、陈的六代兴亡。诸典皆取金陵一地的兴亡旧事，层层叠加，遂使「王气」之虚、「天险」之不足恃、「英雄割据」之终归尘土，一一昭然。意象上，「大江」「钟山」「石头城」「寒潮」等，皆金陵怀古诗的经典意象，高启熔铸史事与山水于一炉，正是其「怀古而不隔」的功夫。高启用典，皆取金陵本地之史，秦皇埋金、孙皓入洛、王濬铁锁，事事与金陵相关，故读来如数家珍，毫无隔膜；而「佳气葱葱至今王」一句，更以「至今」二字，把历史拉到眼前，使怀古与现实呼吸相通，此即其「不隔」的要诀。又「钟山如龙独西上」一句，化用诸葛亮「钟山龙蟠，石头虎踞」的旧评而赋以动态，使「龙蟠」之喻由静态的形容变为奔腾的实写，正是高启「以古为新」而能翻旧语为活景的明证。

Commentary

Critics have praised this poem as one of the finest nostalgic poems of the Ming dynasty. Zhao Yi of the Qing dynasty remarked that Gao Qi's 'talent and spirit are outstanding, and his rhythm sonorous.' Shen Deqian in *Ming Poetry Selection* noted its 'powerful momentum, approaching Li Bai.' The poem is often compared to Li Bai's 'On Phoenix Terrace at Jinling' for its fusion of landscape and history, and to王安石's 'Fragrant Laurel·Nostalgia at Jinling' for its somber reflection on dynastic cycles.

高启在明代诗坛的地位极高，被推为「明初四杰」之首，后世论明诗者，多以高启为一代之冠。沈德潜《明诗别裁集》评高启，谓「季迪诗才气豪健，一洗元末纤秾之习」，又评此诗「一气转阖，有长江大河之势」，正点出其雄健奔放的风貌。纪昀《四库全书总目提要》论高启，称「启天才高逸，实踞明一代诗人之上」，虽是对其诗的总评，亦可移观此篇。这首《登金陵雨花台望大江》，历来被视为高启七古怀古的压卷之作，与李白《登金陵凤凰台》、刘禹锡《西塞山怀古》等并置于金陵怀古诗的谱系之中。在选本收录方面，此诗常入《明诗别裁集》《明诗综》及各类历代诗选，为明清怀古七古的必选篇目。论者多赏其前八句写江山的雄阔笔力与后八句写兴亡的沉郁之思，以为「壮景」与「悲怀」的相反相成，正是此诗高于一般登临怀古之作处。此诗的影响，还在于它确立了「以江山形胜写历史兴亡」的怀古范式，对后世的金陵怀古书写，如清人咏明孝陵诸作，皆有启发。自高启此诗出，金陵怀古遂有「以江山形胜写历史兴亡」的一路，其雄阔的笔力与沉郁的史思，成为后世同类题材追摹的标的，影响所及，直至清初遗民诗人的金陵凭吊之作，可见其范式意义之深远。要之，此诗以金陵一地为经、以六代兴亡为纬，织就了一幅雄阔而苍茫的历史画卷，其「江山」与「兴亡」的双重书写，遂成为后世金陵怀古乃至一切登临怀古之作难以绕过的范本。

Prosody

Form 七言古诗 (seven-character old-style verse, song style)七言古诗（七古，共十六句，两句一意，四句一转韵）

Rhyme Varied rhymes (east, yang, yu, etc.) with irregular shifts通篇转韵：前四句押平声东韵（中、东、风），次四句转去声漾韵（让、壮）兼平声阳韵（王），再转平声灰韵（台、来），又转去声遇韵（怒、渡、固），末转平声萧韵（朝、萧、潮），凡五转

Tone pattern Old-style verse without strict tonal patterns, free and forceful七言古体，以气势行文而不拘近体格律，「大江来从万山中」等句一气贯注，长短相间（末二句前杂三字句「前三国，后六朝」），声调由雄阔而沉郁，跌宕顿挫

Reading note An early Ming masterpiece in the song style, echoing Li Bai's boldness.《登金陵雨花台望大江》为七言古诗，体制宏大，凡十六句，用韵随情而转，凡五变。前四句「中」「东」「风」押平声东韵，音色洪亮开阔，正合写大江奔流、钟山腾跃的雄阔气象；「让」「壮」转去声漾韵，「王」转平声阳韵，去声的短促与平声的悠长相间，如江山争雄之激荡；「台」「来」转平声灰韵，音声转而低回，恰与「我怀郁塞」的沉郁心绪相合；「怒」「渡」「固」转去声遇韵，韵脚短促顿挫，如涛声之怒、铁锁之断；末「朝」「萧」「潮」转平声萧韵，音色清越而悠远，与「草生宫阙」「战血流寒潮」的荒凉苍茫相表里。句式上，全诗以七言为主，末段「前三国，后六朝」杂入三字短句，破七言之整，如一声长叹，收束六代兴亡。这种「随情转韵、以韵传情」的用韵法，使全诗的声情随登临所见、怀古所感而起伏跌宕，是七古「声与情谐」的典范之作。尤其「前三国，后六朝」两个三字短句，破七言之整，如一声长叹自肺腑中出，将六代兴亡压缩于六字之间，声之短促与史之悠长形成奇妙的张力，读来令人扼腕，正是高启以声律驾驭历史的点睛之笔。

Line by line

大江来从万山中，山势尽与江流东

The great river comes from ten thousand mountains; all the mountain ranges follow the river eastward.

大江从万山之中奔来，山势全都随着江流向东

The great river comes out from ten thousand mountains; the mountain ranges all follow the river's eastward flow.

此二句开篇即写大江之来势，气象雄浑。「来从万山中」，以「万山」写大江之源远流长，一个「来」字，写长江自群山之中奔涌而出之势，如见其劈山穿峡、奔腾万里；「山势尽与江流东」，则以「尽」字写万山皆随江东去，仿佛群山列队、争相奔赴，与江水同其方向。两句一写江之奔来，一写山之东去，江与山互为呼应，构成了一个「万山奔江、江流带山」的磅礴画面。高启以「来」「东」两个动态词，把静止的山写活了，使开篇即有「气吞万里」之势，为全诗定下雄阔的基调。

The river. The great river comes from ten thousand mountains; all the mountain ranges follow the river eastward. The river from the ten thousand mountains and the ranges following east are the opening grandeur. To have described the Yangtze from the mountains would be scenery; the great-river-comes-from-ten-thousand-mountains against the all-the-mountain-ranges-follow-the-river-eastward is the scenery.

钟山如龙独西上，欲破巨浪乘长风

Only the Bell Mountain rises westward like a dragon, as if to break the great waves and ride the long wind.

唯有钟山如游龙独自向西而上，似要冲破巨浪乘长风

Zhongshan, alone, climbs westward like a dragon, as if to break the huge waves and ride the long wind.

此二句写钟山，是前四句写景的转折与点睛。众山皆东去，唯钟山「独西上」，一个「独」字，写出钟山之特立不群；「如龙」二字，以龙喻山，既状其蜿蜒起伏之势，又暗含「钟山龙蟠」的帝都气象，诸葛亮曾叹金陵「钟山龙蟠，石头虎踞」，此正用其意。「欲破巨浪乘长风」，化用《宋书·宗悫传》「愿乘长风破万里浪」之典，写钟山如龙欲破江浪、乘风而上，其势之雄，竟似要与大江一争高下。两句以拟人写山，赋予钟山以龙的气魄与人的志向，遂使「江山相雄不相让」的总括有了着落，是全诗写景最见笔力处。

The dragon. Only the Bell Mountain rises westward like a dragon, as if to break the great waves and ride the long wind. The single mountain going west (the dragon-pan钟山) and the Zong Que wind-and-waves allusion are the city's defense. To have described the dragon-shaped hill would be scenery; the only-the-Bell-Mountain-rises-westward-like-a-dragon against the as-if-to-break-the-great-waves-and-ride-the-long-wind is the scenery.

秦皇空此瘗黄金，佳气葱葱至今王

The Qin emperor vainly buried gold here; the fine aura, lush and dense, still makes a royal city to this day.

秦始皇空在此埋下黄金，而金陵王气葱葱至今仍为王都

The Qin Emperor vainly buried gold here; the fine aura, lush and dense, is still a royal seat to this day.

此二句转入怀古，以秦始皇埋金镇王气之典，写金陵王气之不衰。「空此瘗黄金」，「空」字最耐寻味——秦皇埋金本为镇压金陵的天子之气，孰料金陵后来仍数度为帝王之都，那埋金之举，遂成一场徒劳。一个「空」字，既讥秦皇之愚，又叹王气之不可掩。「佳气葱葱至今王」，则以「葱葱」二字写王气之郁勃，「至今王」三字，更点出此王气绵延千年、直到明初金陵复为帝都，暗写朱元璋定都金陵之实。两句以秦皇之「空」对王气之「王」，历史的反讽与现实的印证交织，是全诗怀古的精彩起笔。

The gold. The Qin emperor vainly buried gold here; the fine aura, lush and dense, still makes a royal city to this day. The vain buried gold (to suppress the royal aura) and the aura still royal are the historical irony. To have told the gold-burying story would be an allusion; the Qin-emperor-vainly-buried-gold-here against the fine-aura-lush-and-dense-still-makes-a-royal-city-to-this-day is the allusion.

英雄乘时务割据，几度战血流寒潮

Heroes seized the hour and fought to carve out realms; how many times war-blood has flowed into the chill tides.

英雄乘时势务求割据，几度战血流入寒潮

Heroes seized the times and strove for partition; how often war-blood has flowed into the chill tides.

此二句是全诗的收束，也是怀古之思的升华。「英雄乘时务割据」，写历代英雄豪杰乘乱世之机，据金陵而图霸业，「务」字写出其汲汲于割据之状；「几度战血流寒潮」，则以「战血流寒潮」的惨烈画面，写这些割据之争的代价——一次次战争，一次次流血，而战血终随寒潮东去，了无痕迹。此句的深意，在于以「寒潮」的亘古长流，反衬「战血」的转瞬即逝，那些英雄的功业、割据的野心，终将被时间冲刷净尽，唯余寒潮依旧。高启以「血」与「潮」两个意象的并置，把历史的血腥与时间的无情写到了极致，遂使全诗在雄阔之外，又添一层苍凉的彻悟。

The blood. Heroes seized the hour and fought to carve out realms; how many times war-blood has flowed into the chill tides. The heroes' carvings-out and the war-blood flowing into the tides are the historical waste. To have described the blood of the many wars would be a scene; the heroes-seized-the-hour-and-fought-to-carve-out-realms against the how-many-times-war-blood-has-flowed-into-the-chill-tides is the scene.

Study

Word focus

空 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「空」字出于「秦皇空此瘗黄金」，是全诗怀古之思的关键一字。空，是徒劳、白费。秦皇埋金以镇王气，本欲绝金陵之天子气，孰料其后金陵数度为都，埋金之举遂成一场笑话。高启以「空」字写秦皇，既讥其愚妄，又暗含一层历史的讽刺——人力岂能逆天时？埋金镇气，恰如那些妄图永据江山的英雄，终归徒劳。此字还与下句「至今王」的「王」字形成反衬：秦皇之埋金是「空」，金陵之王气却是「至今」犹在，一虚一实、一衰一盛，历史的无常与讽刺，尽在这一个「空」字之中。以「空」字写兴亡，正是怀古诗「以一字寓褒贬」的春秋笔法。

怒 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「怒」字出于「石头城下涛声怒」，是下半段写景与写情交汇的点睛之笔。怒，是波涛之声的汹涌，也是词人情绪的投射。石头城下，大江拍岸，涛声如雷，一个「怒」字，既写江水之湍急、涛声之雄壮，又暗写历史之激荡——那些割据争雄、战血横流的往事，仿佛都随着这怒涛滚滚而来。以「怒」字写涛声，古有先例，如杜甫「高江急峡雷霆斗」，而高启着一「怒」字，更将自然的涛声与历史的悲愤熔铸为一，使「武骑千群谁敢渡」的形胜之险，与「几度战血流寒潮」的兴亡之痛，都在这一「怒」字中有了声与情的共鸣。一字而兼写景之声与怀古之情，正是「怒」字的精妙处。

割据 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「割据」二字出于「英雄乘时务割据」，是全诗怀古之思的落点。割据，是分裂山河、各据一方，高启以此二字总括历代据金陵而图霸业者的所为——三国之孙吴、六朝之东晋宋齐梁陈，无一不是「乘时割据」者。此词的深意，在于它的否定意味：割据者虽雄霸一时，却皆未能久，终被历史淘汰，故「割据」二字，实含对分裂之局、僭越之志的贬抑。高启生当明初一统之世，回望六朝割据，自然生出「分不如合、割据终亡」的历史判断，此二字遂成为全诗「兴亡之叹」的题眼。以「割据」总括六代，再以「战血流寒潮」写其代价，正是高启怀古史识的精到之处。