清 Qing · 诗 Poem
芦沟
Lugou
芦沟南望尽尘埃，木脱霜寒大漠开。
天海诗情驴背得，关山秋色雨中来。
茫茫阅世无成局，碌碌因人是废才。
往日英雄呼不起，放歌空吊古金台。
Heaven-and-sea poetic feeling gained upon a donkey's back; pass-and-mountain autumn hues come with the rain.
Vast, I read the world and find no settled game; busy, dependent on others, I am a wasted talent.
Past heroes cannot be summoned; I sing aloud and vainly mourn the ancient Golden Terrace.
Meaning
Written at Lugou Bridge, the poem faces the cold autumn desert and reflects on a life of drifting dependence and unfulfilled promise. It closes by invoking the Golden Terrace of worthy seekers, voicing the poet's sorrow at talents unrecognized. Desolate and stirring, it is a representative work of Zhang Wentao.
芦沟南望尽尘埃，木脱霜寒大漠开。天海诗情驴背得，关山秋色雨中来。茫茫阅世无成局，碌碌因人是废才。往日英雄呼不起，放歌空吊古金台。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] South from Lugou lies only dust; bare trees and frost open the desert. Poetic feeling comes on a donkey's back, autumn hues with the rain. Reading the world he finds no fixed course; dependent on men, he is a wasted talent. Past heroes will not rise; he sings and mourns the old Golden Terrace. [Structure] The first couplet sets the desolate scene; the second turns to the poet's inspiration; the third speaks his frustration directly; the close invokes the Golden Terrace to voice unrecognized worth. [Imagery] Dust and frost paint vastness; the donkey's back and autumn rain show the literatus's charm; 'no settled game' and 'wasted talent' state his grievance plainly. [Famous Lines] 'Heaven-and-sea poetic feeling gained upon a donkey's back' shows the scholar's delight; 'no settled game... wasted talent' states his grievance.
【白话串讲】 张问陶写《芦沟》：“芦沟南望尽尘埃，木脱霜寒大漠开”——“天海诗情驴背得，关山秋色雨中来”——“茫茫阅世无成局，碌碌因人是废才”——“往日英雄呼不起，放歌空吊古金台”——他写芦沟——天海诗情驴背得。 【意象与手法】 “芦沟南望尽尘埃，木脱霜寒大漠开”以尘埃霜寒写苍茫；“天海诗情驴背得，关山秋色雨中来”以驴背得诗写文人雅趣；“茫茫阅世无成局，碌碌因人是废才”以直抒写愤懑；结以“放歌空吊古金台”以金台典写怀才不遇。苍凉怀古、沉郁言志。 【情感与主旨】 过芦沟桥怀古咏怀之作，写关山秋色的苍茫与阅世无成、因人碌碌的愤懑，吊古金台寄寓怀才不遇之慨，是张问陶诗中的代表作。 【名句点睛】 常考“天海诗情驴背得，关山秋色雨中来”以驴背得诗写文人雅趣；“茫茫阅世无成局，碌碌因人是废才”以无成局废才写愤懑。
Background
Zhang Wentao (1764–1814), courtesy name Zhongye, style Chuanshan, of Suining in Sichuan, was a Qing poet who rose to prefect of Laizhou. This is a meditation written while passing Lugou. The first couplet faces south from the bridge into dust and the opening desert; the second finds poetic feeling on a donkey's back and autumn in the rain; the third laments reading the world with no settled course, a wasted talent through dependence; the close sings vainly for past heroes at the Golden Terrace. Desolate and stirring, it is a celebrated piece, often reprinted.
《芦沟》为清代诗人张问陶所作诗。张问陶（1764—1814），字仲冶，号船山，四川遂宁人，清代诗人，官至莱州知府。此诗写怀古咏怀，为过芦沟之作。诗中「芦沟南望尽尘埃，木脱霜寒大漠开」写芦沟南望尽尘埃，木脱霜寒大漠开；「天海诗情驴背得，关山秋色雨中来」写天海诗情驴背得，关山秋色雨中来；「茫茫阅世无成局，碌碌因人是废才」写茫茫阅世无成局，碌碌因人是废才；「往日英雄呼不起，放歌空吊古金台」写往日英雄呼不起，放歌空吊古金台。张问陶此诗以怀古咏怀、放歌空吊古金台写其怀古之情，苍凉怀古，是张问陶诗中的名篇。此篇《芦沟》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。此篇《芦沟》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。
Art
The poem's art is its desolate antique mood, 'writing feeling through autumn.' Eight lines in four couplings move from the dust south of Lugou to the donkey's back, then to the grievance, and close at the Golden Terrace. The opening couplet sets the scene; the second finds feeling; the third states frustration; the close mourns antiquity. The whole carries feeling through autumn, from desolation to solemnity—a fine regulated verse, concise and deep, achieving much in little.
此诗艺术上以「苍凉怀古、以秋写情」见长。全诗共八句四联，由芦沟南望尽尘埃而天海诗情驴背得而茫茫阅世无成局。起「芦沟南望尽尘埃，木脱霜寒大漠开」写芦沟南望尽尘埃：芦沟南望尽尘埃，木脱霜寒大漠开；「天海诗情驴背得，关山秋色雨中来」写天海诗情驴背得：天海诗情驴背得，关山秋色雨中来；「茫茫阅世无成局，碌碌因人是废才」写茫茫阅世无成局：茫茫阅世无成局，碌碌因人是废才；结「往日英雄呼不起，放歌空吊古金台」写放歌空吊古金台：往日英雄呼不起，放歌空吊古金台。全诗以秋写情，由芦沟南望尽尘埃而放歌空吊古金台，苍凉怀古，是张问陶诗中的名篇。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。
Allusions
The lines draw on place and allusion: 'Lugou' is the Lugou Bridge; 'Golden Terrace' refers to King Zhao of Yan's terrace built to recruit worthies. The poet weaves these seamlessly, making the antique grief real—a model of melting antiquity into the present. Such restrained allusion shows learning without ostentation.
诗中「芦沟南望尽尘埃木脱霜寒大漠开」「天海诗情驴背得关山秋色雨中来」「茫茫阅世无成局碌碌因人是废才」「往日英雄呼不起放歌空吊古金台」等语，皆含典故故实。「芦沟南望尽尘埃木脱霜寒大漠开」用芦沟之典（芦沟即芦沟桥），写芦沟南望尽尘埃木脱霜寒大漠开；「天海诗情驴背得关山秋色雨中来」写天海诗情驴背得关山秋色雨中来；「茫茫阅世无成局碌碌因人是废才」写茫茫阅世无成局碌碌因人是废才；「往日英雄呼不起放歌空吊古金台」用金台之典（金台写燕昭王筑台招贤），写往日英雄呼不起放歌空吊古金台。诗人用芦沟、金台之典入诗，不着痕迹，而把怀古咏怀之情写得真切可感，是善于熔铸典故的体现。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。
Commentary
This 'Lugou' is Zhang Wentao's desolate antique meditation on dust south of the bridge, feeling on the donkey's back, no settled course, and mourning the Golden Terrace. The opening faces the dust and opens the desert; the second finds feeling on the donkey's back and autumn in the rain; the third laments no settled game and a wasted talent; the close sings vainly for past heroes. That closing line is the poem's pivot, voicing antique sorrow. Desolate and stirring, feeling carried by autumn, it is a gem of his work—truth, scene, and reason fused, embodying the classical ideal of saying much in little.
这首《芦沟》，是张问陶写怀古咏怀之作，写芦沟南望尽尘埃、天海诗情驴背得、茫茫阅世无成局、放歌空吊古金台之情，苍凉怀古。起「芦沟南望尽尘埃，木脱霜寒大漠开」——芦沟南望尽尘埃，木脱霜寒大漠开。写芦沟南望尽尘埃：芦沟南望尽尘埃、木脱霜寒大漠开——尽尘埃、大漠开；「天海诗情驴背得，关山秋色雨中来」——天海诗情驴背得，关山秋色雨中来。写天海诗情驴背得：天海诗情驴背得、关山秋色雨中来——驴背得、雨中来；「茫茫阅世无成局，碌碌因人是废才」——茫茫阅世无成局，碌碌因人是废才。写茫茫阅世无成局：茫茫阅世无成局、碌碌因人是废才——无成局、是废才；结「往日英雄呼不起，放歌空吊古金台」——往日英雄呼不起，放歌空吊古金台。写放歌空吊古金台：往日英雄呼不起、放歌空吊古金台——呼不起、吊古金台。这「往日英雄呼不起，放歌空吊古金台」，是全诗之结：以放歌空吊古金台写其怀古。全诗苍凉怀古，以秋写情，正是张问陶诗中的名篇。
Prosody
Line by line
芦沟南望尽尘埃，木脱霜寒大漠开。
South from Lugou all I see is dust; trees bare, frost cold, the great desert opens.
芦沟南望尽尘埃，木脱霜寒大漠开。
Looking south from Lukou, all is dust and haze; the trees stripped bare in the frosty cold, and the great desert opens wide.
起句写芦沟南望尽尘埃，起笔即见其芦沟。「芦沟南望尽尘埃」用芦沟之典写芦沟南望尽尘埃，「芦沟南望」写芦沟南望、「尽尘埃」写尽尘埃；「木脱霜寒大漠开」写木脱霜寒大漠开，「木脱霜寒」写木脱霜寒、「大漠开」写大漠开。一句写芦沟南望尽尘埃木脱霜寒大漠开，以芦沟南望尽尘埃写尽尘埃、以木脱霜寒大漠开写大漠开，写尽芦沟南望尽尘埃、木脱霜寒大漠开之情。以沟起兴，苍凉而怀古，是「以沟起兴」的妙笔。
The opening writes looking south from Lukou, all is dust and haze, the Lukou visible from the first stroke. Looking south from Lukou, all is dust and haze uses the allusion to the Lukou Bridge, looking south the gaze, all dust the haze. The trees stripped bare in the frosty cold, and the great desert opens wide: stripped of leaves and frost-bound, the desert opening. One line: south from Lukou, all dust; trees bare in frost, the desert unrolled. Writing the dust of the southern gaze, and the opening desert in the frost, exhausts the feeling. Rising on the crossing, desolate and given to remembrance of the past, the finest stroke of rising on the bridge.
天海诗情驴背得，关山秋色雨中来。
Heaven-and-sea poetic feeling gained upon a donkey's back; pass-and-mountain autumn hues come with the rain.
天海诗情驴背得，关山秋色雨中来。
The poetry of heaven and sea is won on a donkey's back; the autumn colors of the passes come through the rain.
此句写天海诗情驴背得，是全诗写天海之态的关键。「天海诗情驴背得」写天海诗情驴背得，「天海诗情」写天海诗情、「驴背得」写驴背得；「关山秋色雨中来」写关山秋色雨中来，「关山秋色」写关山秋色、「雨中来」写雨中来。一句写天海诗情驴背得关山秋色雨中来，以天海诗情驴背得写驴背得、以关山秋色雨中来写雨中来，写尽天海诗情驴背得、关山秋色雨中来之情。以秋写景，苍凉而怀古，是「以秋写景」的点睛之笔。
The line writes the poetry of heaven and sea is won on a donkey's back, the key to the poem's writing of the heaven-sea mood. The poetry of heaven and sea is won on a donkey's back: heaven-and-sea poetry the wide inspiration, won on a donkey's back the humble seat. The autumn colors of the passes come through the rain: the passes' autumn the season at the frontier, come through the rain the weather. One line: the poetry of heaven and sea won on the donkey, the passes' autumn in the rain. Writing the verse won on the donkey's back, and the autumn colors arriving through the rain, exhausts the feeling. Writing scene through autumn, desolate and given to remembrance, the crowning stroke.
茫茫阅世无成局，碌碌因人是废才。
Vast, I read the world and find no settled game; busy, dependent on others, I am a wasted talent.
茫茫阅世无成局，碌碌因人是废才。
Having watched the world in vain, I have achieved nothing; busy and dependent on others, I am a wasted talent.
此句写茫茫阅世无成局，是全诗写阅世之态的关键。「茫茫阅世无成局」写茫茫阅世无成局，「茫茫阅世」写茫茫阅世、「无成局」写无成局；「碌碌因人是废才」写碌碌因人是废才，「碌碌因人」写碌碌因人、「是废才」写是废才。一句写茫茫阅世无成局碌碌因人是废才，以茫茫阅世无成局写无成局、以碌碌因人是废才写是废才，写尽茫茫阅世无成局、碌碌因人是废才之情。以世写情，苍凉而怀古，是「以世写情」的点睛之笔。
The line writes having watched the world in vain, I have achieved nothing, the key to the poem's writing of the years of watching. Having watched the world in vain, I have achieved nothing: watching the world through the vast years, achieved nothing the failure. Busy and dependent on others, I am a wasted talent: busy and following others, a discarded talent. One line: watching the world to no end, a waste of a man dependent on others. Writing the watching that came to nothing, and the wasted talent that follows others, exhausts the feeling. Writing feeling through the world, desolate and given to remembrance, the crowning stroke.
往日英雄呼不起，放歌空吊古金台。
Past heroes cannot be summoned; I sing aloud and vainly mourn the ancient Golden Terrace.
往日英雄呼不起，放歌空吊古金台。
The heroes of old will not be called back; I sing aloud, in vain, mourning the ancient Golden Terrace.
结句写放歌空吊古金台，是全诗立意的落点。「往日英雄呼不起」写往日英雄呼不起，「往日英雄」写往日英雄、「呼不起」写呼不起；「放歌空吊古金台」用金台之典写放歌空吊古金台，「放歌空吊」写放歌空吊、「古金台」写古金台。一句写往日英雄呼不起放歌空吊古金台，以往日英雄呼不起写呼不起、以放歌空吊古金台写古金台，写尽往日英雄呼不起、放歌空吊古金台之情。以台写情，苍凉而怀古，是全诗最动人处，也是「以台写情」的点睛之笔。
The close writes I sing aloud, in vain, mourning the ancient Golden Terrace, where the poem's meaning comes to rest. The heroes of old will not be called back: the heroes of days gone by, not to be summoned. I sing aloud, in vain, mourning the ancient Golden Terrace uses the allusion to the Golden Terrace of King Zhao of Yan, built to gather worthies; singing aloud the open song, the ancient Golden Terrace the site. One line: the old heroes cannot be called, the song chanted over the ancient terrace in vain. Writing the heroes who will not rise, and the vain mourning at the old terrace, exhausts the feeling. Writing feeling through the terrace, desolate and given to remembrance, the most moving passage of the poem, the crowning stroke.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Su Shi's 'Prelude to Water Melody' ('men have sorrow and joy, parting and meeting; the moon is bright or dim') is a famous Song lyric of broad detachment; Zhang Wentao's 'Lugou' mourns past heroes at the Golden Terrace with 'no settled game.' Both voice antique reflection: Su on parting with breadth, Zhang on vanished heroes with desolation. One Su's ease, one Zhang's bleakness—two ways of finding antiquity in feeling.
苏轼《水调歌头·明月几时有》「人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全」，写怀古感怀、苍凉旷达，是宋词长调的名篇；张问陶《芦沟》则以「往日英雄呼不起，放歌空吊古金台」「茫茫阅世无成局」写古金台、无成局。两诗同写怀古感怀、苍凉旷达：一写人有悲欢离合、以悲欢写离合，一写往日英雄呼不起放歌空吊古金台、以金台写怀古；一为苏轼之旷达、一为张问陶之苍凉，并读正可见诗写「怀古感怀」的两种笔法，皆于怀古之中见苍凉。
八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天 Tune: 'Eight Beats of Ganzhou' — 'To the Rustling Dusk Rain on the River Sky' 柳永 · 同写雨里凝望、苍凉清丽，一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、一写天海诗情驴背得关山秋色雨中来，皆于雨里之中见凝望 Both gaze in the rain, desolate and clear—one in dusk rain, one in autumn rain on the passes.Liu Yong's 'Eight Beats of Ganzhou' ('to the rustling dusk rain washing the river sky') is a famous Song lyric of travel; Zhang Wentao's 'Lugou' finds 'autumn hues come with the rain' on pass and mountain. Both gaze in the rain with desolation: Liu in dusk rain, Zhang in autumn rain on the passes. One Liu's crispness, one Zhang's bleakness—two ways of watching in the rain.
柳永《八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天》「对潇潇暮雨洒江天，一番洗清秋」，写雨里凝望、苍凉清丽，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；张问陶《芦沟》则以「天海诗情驴背得，关山秋色雨中来」「木脱霜寒大漠开」写雨中来、大漠开。两诗同写雨里凝望、苍凉清丽：一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、以暮雨写清秋，一写天海诗情驴背得关山秋色雨中来、以关山写怀古；一为柳永之清丽、一为张问陶之苍凉，并读正可见诗写「雨里凝望」的两种笔法，皆于雨里之中见凝望。