清 Qing · 诗 Poem
过许州
Passing Through Xuzhou
到处陂塘决决流，垂杨百里罨平畴。
行人便觉须眉绿，一路蝉声过许州。
A hundred li of drooping willows veil the flat fields;
The traveler feels his beard and brows turn green;
Through cicada song he passes the state of Xuzhou.
Meaning
A cheerful record of passing through Xuzhou, where ponds, willows, and cicadas soak the traveler in green, expressing delight in the central-plains countryside.
到处是池塘渠水决决流淌，百里垂柳掩映着平坦的田野。行路的人便觉得胡须眉毛都染上了绿意，一路蝉声里经过了许州。
Appreciation
The poem blends sound (gurgling water) and sight (willows veiling flat fields), then springs its fresh surprise: the traveler feels his beard and brows turn green. This synesthetic touch makes the green palpable and playful. The mood is bright and unburdened, a clear celebration of a watery, willowy landscape. Its charm is in the sudden, personal turn at the close.
【白话串讲】 “到处陂塘决决流，垂杨百里罨平畴”——沈德潜过许州：池塘水流，垂杨百里。“行人便觉须眉绿，一路蝉声过许州”——他一路走，觉得连眉毛都绿了，蝉声伴他过许州。夏日的绿意写得生动。 【意象与手法】以“决决”写水声，“垂杨百里罨平畴”设色，“须眉绿”以通感写绿意浸人，清新喜人。 【情感与主旨】写途经许州所见水乡绿意，流露对中原田园清景的喜悦与畅快。 【名句点睛】“行人便觉须眉绿”——以通感写绿意之浓，新奇俏皮。
Background
Shen Deqian was a Qing-dynasty poetic theorist (spokesman of the 'style and tone' school); this quatrain records what he saw passing through Xuzhou (today Xuchang, Henan).
《过许州》为清代沈德潜所作，是写过许州、陂塘蝉声的诗。沈德潜（1673—1769），字确士，号归愚，长洲人，清代诗人、诗论家。此诗：到处陂塘决决流，垂杨百里罨平畴。行人便觉须眉绿，一路蝉声过许州。全诗写过许州、陂塘蝉声，是沈德潜诗的名篇。
Art
Sound (gurgling) and sight (willows, fields) combine; the phrase 'beard and brows turn green' is a fresh synesthesia.
《过许州》艺术上以陂塘垂杨的描摹与一路蝉声的清新见长。全诗四句：首写陂塘垂杨——“到处陂塘决决流，垂杨百里罨平畴”写到处陂塘决决流、垂杨百里罨平畴；末写须眉蝉声——“行人便觉须眉绿，一路蝉声过许州”写行人便觉须眉绿、一路蝉声过许州。全诗以陂塘垂杨写一路蝉声，正是沈德潜诗清新的笔法。
Allusions
Allusions in 'Passing Xuzhou' run through 'the pond,' 'the gurgling stream' (jue jue), 'the drooping willows,' 'the haze covering the level fields,' 'the green of beard and brows,' 'cicadas singing all the way,' and 'passing Xuzhou.' 'The gurgling stream' recalls the old phrase 'gurgling spring water'; each image -- pond, willow, green haze, cicada song -- is simply what it names. The poem renders a journey through Xuzhou with fresh clarity, its allusions natural and its purity self-evident -- the manner of Shen Deqian's verse.
《过许州》用典在“陂塘”“决决流”“垂杨”“罨平畴”“须眉绿”“一路蝉声”“过许州”。“陂塘”写陂塘（池塘）；“决决流”用决决之典（决决溪泉）；“垂杨”写垂杨；“罨平畴”写罨平畴（覆盖平田）；“须眉绿”写须眉绿；“一路蝉声”写一路蝉声；“过许州”写过许州。全诗以这些意象写过许州、陂塘蝉声，用典自然而清新自见，正是沈德潜诗的笔法。
Commentary
Critics say it is 'clear and elegant in style, good at writing the open fields of the central plains.'
《过许州》是沈德潜诗的名篇，也是清诗中写田园风光的代表作。此诗写过许州、陂塘蝉声，向为论者称道。论者多赏其陂塘垂杨的描摹与一路蝉声的清新——“到处陂塘决决流，垂杨百里罨平畴”用决决之典写到处陂塘决决流、垂杨百里罨平畴，清新之极；“行人便觉须眉绿，一路蝉声过许州”写行人便觉须眉绿、一路蝉声过许州，更见其妙。沈德潜为格调派领袖，诗亦清雅，此诗正是其代表——以陂塘垂杨写一路蝉声，正是其诗风。
Prosody
Line by line
到处陂塘决决流，垂杨百里罨平畴。
Everywhere the ponds ripple and flow; hanging willows for a hundred li drape the level fields.
到处陂塘决决流，垂杨百里罨平畴。
Everywhere the pond-dams ripple and flow; a hundred li of trailing willows drape the level fields.
首用决决之典写到处陂塘决决流、垂杨百里罨平畴，是全诗写陂塘垂杨的起点。“到处陂塘决决流”用决决之典写到处陂塘决决流——“到处陂塘决决流”用决决溪泉之典写到处陂塘、决决而流——到处陂塘决决流；“垂杨百里罨平畴”写垂杨百里罨平畴——“垂杨百里罨平畴”写垂杨百里、覆盖平畴——垂杨百里罨平畴。二句写到处陂塘决决流、垂杨百里罨平畴：到处陂塘决决流，垂杨百里罨平畴。以“到处陂塘决决流”用决决之典写到处陂塘、决决而流，以“垂杨百里罨平畴”写垂杨百里、覆盖平畴，正是沈德潜诗写陂塘垂杨的起点——陂塘决决，垂杨平畴。
The opening uses the allusion to the rippling flow, writes the ponds flowing everywhere and the willows draping the fields, the starting point of the ponds and willows. Everywhere the ponds ripple and flow uses the allusion to the rippling springs, writes the ponds everywhere flowing with a purl. Hanging willows for a hundred li drape the level fields writes the hundred li of willows covering the plain. Two lines: the ponds rippling everywhere, the willows draping the fields. Writing through the allusion the ponds' purling flow, writing the willow-lined plain for a hundred li, exactly the starting point of Shen Deqian's ponds and willows — the ponds rippling, the willow-draped plain.
行人便觉须眉绿，一路蝉声过许州。
The traveler feels his beard and brows turned green; all along the road, cicada song carries him through Xuzhou.
行人便觉须眉绿，一路蝉声过许州。
The traveler suddenly feels beard and eyebrows turned green; to the song of cicadas all along the way, he passes through Xuzhou.
末写行人便觉须眉绿、一路蝉声过许州，是全诗写一路蝉声的归结。“行人便觉须眉绿”写行人便觉须眉绿——“行人便觉须眉绿”写行人便觉得须眉皆绿——行人便觉须眉绿；“一路蝉声过许州”写一路蝉声过许州——“一路蝉声过许州”写一路蝉声、行过许州——一路蝉声过许州。二句写行人便觉须眉绿、一路蝉声过许州：行人便觉须眉绿，一路蝉声过许州。以“行人便觉须眉绿”写行人觉绿、须眉皆染，以“一路蝉声过许州”写一路蝉声、行过许州，正是沈德潜诗写一路蝉声的归结——行人须眉绿，蝉声过许州。
The close writes the traveler feeling his beard and brows green, the cicada song along the road through Xuzhou, the resolution of the road's cicada song. The traveler feels his beard and brows turned green says the traveler feels as though beard and brows were all green. All along the road, cicada song carries him through Xuzhou says the cicadas singing the whole way, passing through Xuzhou. Two lines: the traveler feeling green, beard and brows dyed; the road's cicada song, passing through Xuzhou. Writing the traveler's sense of green, beard and brows dyed, writing the cicada song along the way and the passage through Xuzhou, exactly the resolution of the cicada song — beard and brows green, the cicada song through Xuzhou.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
张问陶《阳湖道中》写风迥五两月逢三、双桨平波水接蓝，与本诗同为清诗写行旅田园。差异在情境：过许州写陆行田园；阳湖道中写舟行水上。一写“陆”之绿，一写“舟”之蓝。两者并读，可见清诗写行旅田园的两种情境。
滁州西涧 On the West Stream at Chuzhou 韦应物 · 同为诗写田园水景，一写蝉声过许州一写涧边幽草，一明一闲 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
韦应物《滁州西涧》写独怜幽草涧边生、春潮带雨晚来急，与本诗同为诗写田园水景。差异在情致：过许州写一路明快；滁州西涧写涧边闲适。一写“行”之快，一写“涧”之静。两者并读，可见诗写田园水景的两种情致。
苔 Moss 袁枚 · 同为清诗写田园小景，一写蝉声过许州一写苔花如米，一明一微 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
袁枚《苔》写白日不到处、青春恰自来，与本诗同为清诗写田园小景。差异在情致：过许州写田园明丽；苔写苔花微小自开。一写“明”之快，一写“微”之妙。两者并读，可见清诗写田园小景的两种情致。