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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

曲江对酒

Drinking Alone by the Winding River (Qujiang Dui Jiu)

杜甫

Du Fu

春景Spring Scene 感慨Reflection / Lament

苑外江头坐不归，水精宫殿转霏微。
桃花细逐杨花落，黄鸟时兼白鸟飞。
纵饮久判人共弃，懒朝真与世相违。
吏情更觉沧洲远，老大徒伤未拂衣。

Beyond the park, by the river's head, I sit and will not return;
the crystal palace halls dissolve into misty haze.
Peach blossoms drift finely down, chasing the willow catkins;
yellow birds now and then fly alongside the white ones.
Long I've drunk, resigned to being cast off by all;
sluggish at court, I am truly at odds with the world.
Official life only makes the far isles seem farther;
old now, in vain I grieve that I have not shaken the dust from my robe.

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Meaning

Du Fu sits by the Qujiang river, drunk and withdrawn, watching spring blossoms fall and birds drift by. The poem confesses his weariness with official life and his half-hearted longing to retire. Through idle spring scene and self-mocking drink, it voices a frustrated scholar's resignation.

苑外江头坐不归，水精宫殿转霏微。桃花细逐杨花落，黄鸟时兼白鸟飞。纵饮久判人共弃，懒朝真与世相违。吏情更觉沧洲远，老大徒伤未拂衣。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The poet sits beyond the park at the river's head and will not go home; the crystal palace blurs into mist. Peach blooms fall finely, chasing willow-down; yellow birds flit with white. He has long drunk, resigned to being abandoned by the world; too sluggish for court, he is truly at odds with it. Official cares only push the hermit isles farther away, and in old age he vainly regrets not having withdrawn. [Structure] The first four lines settle the scene—river, mist, falling blossoms, drifting birds; the last four turn inward to drink, court weariness, and unfulfilled retirement. [Imagery] 'Crystal palace into mist' links imperial splendour to dissolving vision; 'peach chasing willow-down' and 'yellow with white birds' render spring's gentle motion. The closing 'not shaken the dust from my robe' crystallises the unlived retirement. The poem's strength is its calm surface over quiet grievance—leisure used to mask frustration, a hallmark of Du Fu's 'settled and thwarted' (chenyu) manner.

【白话串讲】杜甫写《曲江对酒》：“苑外江头坐不归，水精宫殿转霏微”——“桃花细逐杨花落，黄鸟时兼白鸟飞”——“纵饮久判人共弃，懒朝真与世相违”——“吏情更觉沧洲远，老大徒伤未拂衣”——他坐曲江，写官场的厌倦。【意象与手法】此诗写感慨，以闲适写感慨，是杜甫的名篇。前四句写江头：「苑外江头坐不归，水精宫殿转霏微。桃花细逐杨花落，黄鸟时兼白鸟飞」写苑外江头坐不归、水精宫殿转霏微——写尽江头的霏微；后四句写纵饮：「纵饮久判人共弃，懒朝真与世相违。吏情更觉沧洲远，老大徒伤未拂衣」写纵饮久判人共弃、懒朝真与世相违——写尽久判的纵饮。全诗以闲适写感慨，写尽江头的霏微与久判的纵饮，是杜甫的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写感慨，以闲适写感慨，是杜甫的名篇。此诗为杜甫在长安曲江对酒而作，写其坐对江头的闲愁与纵饮。杜甫困守长安十年，此诗写其失意与疏懒。此诗写苑外江头坐不归，水精宫殿转霏微；桃花细逐杨花落，黄鸟时兼白鸟飞；纵饮久判人共弃，懒朝真与世相违；吏情更觉沧洲远，老大徒伤未拂衣。此诗写江头：苑外江头坐不归，水精宫殿转霏微——写苑外江头坐不归、水精宫殿转霏微，写尽江头的霏微；桃花细逐杨花落，黄鸟时兼白鸟飞——写桃花细逐杨花落、黄鸟时兼白鸟飞，写尽桃花的杨花；纵饮久判人共弃，懒朝真与世相违——写纵饮久判人共弃、懒朝真与世相违，写尽久判的纵饮；吏情更觉沧洲远，老大徒伤未拂衣——写吏情更觉沧洲远、老大徒伤未拂衣，写尽未拂衣的老大。全诗以闲适写感慨——那「水精宫殿转霏微」写尽江头的霏微，「老大徒伤未拂衣」写尽未拂衣的老大，写尽江头的霏微与久判的纵饮，是理解杜甫感慨诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「苑外江头坐不归，水精宫殿转霏微」写江头的霏微；「桃花细逐杨花落，黄鸟时兼白鸟飞」写桃花的杨花；以及全诗以闲适写感慨、以对仗写江景的手法。

Background

Du Fu (712–770), courtesy name Zimei, style Shaoling Ye Lao, is the 'Sage of Poetry', ranked with Li Bai as 'Li and Du'. Around 758–759 he endured a decade of frustrated service in Chang'an; this poem belongs to his Qujiang group written when hope of office had soured. Qujiang was the capital's pleasure park; sitting there half-drunk, Du Fu reflects on his stalled career and half-formed wish to retire. The work captures a civil servant's weariness and the pull of the hermit life he never quite embraced.

此诗写感慨，以闲适写感慨，是杜甫的名篇。杜甫（712—770），字子美，自号少陵野老，祖籍襄阳，生于河南巩县，唐代伟大的现实主义诗人，与李白并称「李杜」，被尊为「诗圣」。此诗为杜甫在长安曲江对酒而作，写其坐对江头的闲愁与纵饮。杜甫困守长安十年，此诗写其失意与疏懒。此诗写苑外江头坐不归，水精宫殿转霏微；桃花细逐杨花落，黄鸟时兼白鸟飞；纵饮久判人共弃，懒朝真与世相违；吏情更觉沧洲远，老大徒伤未拂衣。此诗写江头：「苑外江头坐不归，水精宫殿转霏微」写苑外江头坐不归、水精宫殿转霏微——写尽江头的霏微（苑外江头坐不归，水精宫殿转霏微）；「桃花细逐杨花落，黄鸟时兼白鸟飞」写桃花细逐杨花落、黄鸟时兼白鸟飞——写尽桃花的杨花（桃花细逐杨花落，黄鸟时兼白鸟飞）；「纵饮久判人共弃，懒朝真与世相违」写纵饮久判人共弃、懒朝真与世相违——写尽久判的纵饮（纵饮久判人共弃，懒朝真与世相违）；「吏情更觉沧洲远，老大徒伤未拂衣」写吏情更觉沧洲远、老大徒伤未拂衣——写尽未拂衣的老大（吏情更觉沧洲远，老大徒伤未拂衣）。全诗以闲适写感慨，写尽江头的霏微与久判的纵饮，是理解杜甫感慨诗的重要篇章。

Art

The art unfolds in four moves. First, plain sketch: 'beyond the park, by the river's head, I sit and will not return' states the stance without ornament. Second, paired imagery: 'peach blossoms drift finely, chasing willow catkins' against 'yellow birds fly with white' uses tight parallelism to render spring's small motions. Third, direct utterance: 'long I've drunk, resigned to being cast off' and 'sluggish at court, truly at odds with the world' speak the grievance plainly. Fourth, closural reflection: 'official life makes the isles seem farther' and 'old, in vain I grieve not to have withdrawn' weigh career against retirement. The poem moves scene-to-feeling, its leisurely surface carrying a thwarted core—typical of Du Fu's regulated verse.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以白描写江头。「苑外江头坐不归」以白描写江头——那「水精宫殿转霏微」写尽江头的霏微，以白描写尽江头的霏微。其二，以对仗写落花。「桃花细逐杨花落」以对仗写落花——那「黄鸟时兼白鸟飞」写尽白鸟的飞，以对仗写尽桃花的杨花。其三，以直抒写纵饮。「纵饮久判人共弃」以直抒写纵饮——那「懒朝真与世相违」写尽懒朝的相违，以直抒写尽久判的纵饮。其四，以感慨写老大。「老大徒伤未拂衣」以感慨写老大——那「吏情更觉沧洲远」写尽沧洲的吏情，以感慨写尽未拂衣的老大。此外，此诗前四句写江头的霏微，后四句写久判的纵饮，由景及情，正是感慨诗「以闲写慨」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以闲适写感慨，写尽江头的霏微与久判的纵饮，是杜甫的代表作。此诗还善于以「水精宫殿转霏微」的「转霏微」写宫殿之迷蒙——那「水精宫殿」写尽水精的宫殿，正是以霏写微，以「转霏微」写尽江头的霏微。又善以「吏情更觉沧洲远」的「更觉」写沧洲之更远——吏情更觉沧洲远，正见吏情觉远的写照，以「更觉」写尽未拂衣的老大。

Allusions

'Crystal palace' (shuijing gongdian) names Qujiang's waterside halls; 'misty haze' (feiwei) evokes dissolving mist. 'Peach blossom' and 'willow catkin' are spring staples (cf. Cui Hu's 'peach still smiles in spring wind'); 'yellow bird' recalls Li Bai's 'willow catkins gone, orioles cry'. 'Far isles' (cangzhou) is the conventional retreat of the retired official; 'shake the dust from one's robe' (fu yi) means to leave office and withdraw. Du Fu adapts these common images to voice a personal, half-ironic weariness with public life.

此诗的用语深植于感慨与闲适传统。「水精宫殿」令人想到「水精宫殿」写水晶宫殿的意象——曲江水精殿，也令人想到「水晶帘」的意象；「霏微」令人想到「霏微」写迷蒙的意象——也令人想到「烟霏露结」的意象；「桃花」令人想到「桃花」写桃花的意象——也令人想到「桃花依旧笑春风」（崔护）的意象；「杨花」令人想到「杨花」写杨花的意象——也令人想到「杨花落尽子规啼」（李白）的意象；「沧洲」令人想到「沧洲」写隐逸之地的意象——也令人想到「沧洲趣」的意象；「拂衣」令人想到「拂衣」写拂袖归隐的意象——也令人想到「拂衣归去」的意象。全诗化用水精宫殿、霏微、桃花、杨花、沧洲、拂衣的意象典故，以闲适写感慨，正是杜甫「沉郁」而善白描、承感慨传统写闲适之本领。「沧洲」令人想到「沧洲」写隐逸之地的意象——也令人想到「沧洲趣」的意象；「拂衣」令人想到「拂衣」写拂袖归隐的意象——也令人想到「拂衣归去」的意象，以拂衣写归隐。

Commentary

The poem is prized as a fine example of Du Fu's reflective lyrics and a representative Tang treatment of drinking by Qujiang. Qing critics called it 'lament expressed through leisure, settled and thwarted'. Modern readers note 'peach blossoms drift finely… yellow birds fly with white' as its famous couplet. With Du Fu's 'Two Qujiang Poems' ('a single petal flown lessens the spring') it forms a pair of Qujiang works—one cherishing spring, one drowning care. For today's reader it opens his court-weary voice, where the river mist still speaks of a retirement never taken.

此诗历来被推为杜甫感慨诗的名篇，也是唐诗写曲江对酒的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以闲适写感慨，沉郁顿挫」；近人更指出「桃花细逐杨花落，黄鸟时兼白鸟飞」写桃花的杨花，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以八句的七律写尽江头的霏微与久判的纵饮——那苑外，那江头，那坐不归，那水精宫殿，那转霏微，那桃花，那细逐，那杨花落，那黄鸟，那时兼，那白鸟飞，那纵饮，那久判，那人共弃，那懒朝，那真与世相违，那吏情，那更觉，那沧洲远，那老大，那徒伤，那未拂衣，都写尽了杜甫笔下的曲江对酒；那「老大徒伤未拂衣」更以感慨写尽未拂衣的老大。此诗与杜甫《曲江二首》「一片花飞减却春」同为曲江名篇，一写「且看欲尽花经眼」的曲江二首，一写「纵饮久判人共弃」的曲江对酒；一写惜春，一写纵饮。两诗对读，可见杜甫曲江诗的连贯。对于今日读者，此诗是理解杜甫感慨诗的窗口，也是唐诗写曲江对酒的经典——那江头的霏微，穿越千年，仍在诉说着未拂衣的老大。

Prosody

Form Seven-character regulated verse (Qiyan Lüshi, 七言律诗)诗·七言律诗

Rhyme Rhymes on the 'wei' vowels (wei, fei, wei, yi) in the level tone, one rhyme throughout.七律，押「微」「飞」「违」「衣」韵（上平五微），一韵到底，音节顿挫

Tone pattern A heptasyllabic regulated poem in level tone, single rhyme; its measured, slightly halted music suits the thwarted reflection.此诗为七言律诗，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节顿挫，正合感慨的顿挫。

Reading note An eight-line qiyan lüshi: '苑外江头坐不归…老大徒伤未拂衣.' It rhymes throughout on the 'wei' category. The first four lines paint the misty river scene, the last four turn to drink and retirement. Read '水精宫殿转霏微' with measured calm and close '老大徒伤未拂衣' with resigned regret.此诗为七言律诗，八句——「苑外江头坐不归，水精宫殿转霏微。桃花细逐杨花落，黄鸟时兼白鸟飞。纵饮久判人共弃，懒朝真与世相违。吏情更觉沧洲远，老大徒伤未拂衣」，押「微」韵（微、飞、违、衣），一韵到底，音节顿挫。全诗以闲适写感慨：前四句写江头的霏微（苑外江头坐不归、黄鸟时兼白鸟飞），后四句写久判的纵饮（纵饮久判人共弃、老大徒伤未拂衣）。八句短章，前写江头，后写纵饮，以「老大徒伤未拂衣」写尽未拂衣的老大，正见杜甫「沉郁」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以顿挫的语调读「水精宫殿转霏微」的江头，以感慨的语调读「老大徒伤未拂衣」的老大，结句要读得顿挫而有余韵，方能传达出杜甫的沉郁顿挫。杜甫律诗以「沉郁」著称，此诗正是其感慨诗的典范。

Line by line

桃花细逐杨花落，黄鸟时兼白鸟飞

Peach blossoms drift finely down, chasing the willow catkins;<br>yellow birds now and then fly alongside the white ones.

桃花细逐杨花落，黄鸟时兼白鸟飞。

Peach blossoms follow close on the falling poplar catkins; yellow birds now and then fly together with the white birds.

此二句是全诗写落花的核心，以桃花细逐杨花落写杨花落，以黄鸟时兼白鸟飞写白鸟飞，写尽桃花的杨花，是千古名句。「桃花细逐杨花落」写桃花细逐杨花落——那「桃花细逐」写桃花细逐，「杨花落」写杨花落，写尽杨花的落；「黄鸟时兼白鸟飞」写黄鸟时兼白鸟飞——那「黄鸟时兼」写黄鸟时兼，「白鸟飞」写白鸟飞，写尽白鸟的飞。这句的深意在于：它以「桃花细逐杨花落」的杨花落与「黄鸟时兼白鸟飞」的白鸟飞，写尽桃花的杨花——桃花细逐杨花落，那「桃花细逐杨花落」写尽杨花的落——桃花细逐杨花落，正是桃花逐花落的写照，那「杨花落」写尽桃花的杨花；黄鸟时兼白鸟飞，那「黄鸟时兼白鸟飞」写尽白鸟的飞——黄鸟时兼白鸟飞，正是黄白鸟飞的写照，那「白鸟飞」写尽桃花的杨花；那「桃花细逐杨花落」写尽杨花的落，那「黄鸟时兼白鸟飞」写尽白鸟的飞，一写落花，一写飞鸟，写尽桃花的杨花——桃花逐落而黄白鸟飞，正是江头的写照；此二句以落花、飞鸟写尽桃花的杨花，也为下文的纵饮作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写落花的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「桃花细密地追逐杨花落下，黄鸟时和着白鸟飞」，则失其工整；唯以「桃花细逐杨花落」写杨花落、「黄鸟时兼白鸟飞」写白鸟飞，写尽桃花的杨花，也让此二句成为全诗写落花的核心。

The two lines are the core of the poem's falling blossoms, writing the poplar fall through peach blossoms follow close on the falling poplar catkins and the white birds' flight through yellow birds now and then fly together with the white birds, exhausting the peach and poplar. Peach blossoms follow close on the falling poplar catkins is precisely the picture of the blossoms chasing each other down; yellow birds now and then fly together with the white birds precisely the picture of the yellow and white birds. The deep meaning: the blossoms chasing down and the yellow and white birds flying, precisely the picture of the river bank. One writes the falling blossoms, one the flying birds, exhausting the peach and poplar. Were it said plainly the peach blossoms finely chase the poplar catkins falling, yellow birds now and then fly with white birds, the finish would be softened; only through the blossoms and the birds is the falling exhausted, preparing the later long drinking and making the lines the core of the poem.

纵饮久判人共弃，懒朝真与世相违

Long I've drunk, resigned to being cast off by all;<br>sluggish at court, I am truly at odds with the world.

纵饮久判人共弃，懒朝真与世相违。

Drinking deep, I have long resigned myself to being cast off by all; loath to attend court, I am truly at odds with the age.

此二句是全诗写纵饮的核心，以纵饮久判人共弃写人共弃，以懒朝真与世相违写与世相违，写尽久判的纵饮，是千古名句。「纵饮久判人共弃」写纵饮久判人共弃——那「纵饮久判」写纵饮久判，「人共弃」写人共弃，写尽久判的纵饮；「懒朝真与世相违」写懒朝真与世相违——那「懒朝真」写懒朝真，「与世相违」写与世相违，写尽懒朝的相违。这句的深意在于：它以「纵饮久判人共弃」的人共弃与「懒朝真与世相违」的与世相违，写尽久判的纵饮——纵饮久判人共弃，那「纵饮久判人共弃」写尽久判的纵饮——纵饮久判人共弃，正是纵饮被弃的写照，那「人共弃」写尽久判的纵饮；懒朝真与世相违，那「懒朝真与世相违」写尽懒朝的相违——懒朝真与世相违，正是懒朝违世的写照，那「与世相违」写尽久判的纵饮；那「纵饮久判人共弃」写尽久判的纵饮，那「懒朝真与世相违」写尽懒朝的相违，一写纵饮，一写懒朝，写尽久判的纵饮——纵饮被弃而懒朝违世，正是失意的写照；此二句以纵饮、懒朝写尽久判的纵饮，也为下文的沧洲作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写纵饮的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「纵情饮酒久了，甘愿被人共弃；懒于上朝，真与世道相违背」，则失其沉郁；唯以「纵饮久判人共弃」写人共弃、「懒朝真与世相违」写与世相违，写尽久判的纵饮，也让此二句成为全诗写纵饮的核心。

The two lines are the core of the poem's deep drinking, writing the casting-off through drinking deep, I have long resigned myself to being cast off by all and the being at odds through loath to attend court, I am truly at odds with the age, exhausting the long-resigned deep drinking. Drinking deep, I have long resigned myself to being cast off by all is precisely the picture of the cast-off drinker; loath to attend court, I am truly at odds with the age precisely the picture of the court-loathing dissent. The deep meaning: drinking deep and cast off, loath for court and at odds with the age, precisely the picture of the frustrated. One writes the deep drinking, one the court-loathing, exhausting the resignation. Were it said plainly drinking deep for long, resigned to being cast off; loath to go to court, truly at odds with the world, the somberness would be softened; only through the cast-off drinking and the court-loathing is the frustration exhausted, preparing the later Cangzhou and making the lines the core of the poem.

Study

Word focus

逐 Zhu ('chase, follow'): it shows peach bloom finely pursuing the willow-down. The verb renders spring's small motions with delicate precision and tightens the parallel with the birds. 「桃花细逐杨花落」之「逐」字是写落花关键词，一个「逐」字写尽桃花的杨花。逐者，追逐、相随也。杜甫以「桃花细逐杨花落」写落花，这个「逐」字至少有双重意味：其一，写花之逐——那「桃花细逐杨花落」写桃花细逐杨花落，那「逐」字写尽桃花的杨花——细逐，正是细细相逐的写照，那「逐」字写尽桃花的杨花；其二，写景之细——那「逐」字更是写细——逐，正见花落相逐的细致，那「逐」字写尽杜甫的写景。以「逐」字写落花，正是杜甫写感慨的枢纽——若换作「随」「伴」等字，则或失其与「桃花细逐」「杨花落」的配合，或失其写逐的意味；唯「逐」字，以桃花细逐杨花落写尽杨花之相逐与花落之细致，与「黄鸟时兼白鸟飞」的白鸟相合，写尽桃花的杨花，也让「桃花细逐杨花落」成为全诗写落花的名句。

判 Pan ('resign oneself, be willing'): it means he has long accepted being cast off. It conveys a rueful, decisive surrender to drink and isolation from the world. 「纵饮久判人共弃」之「判」字是写纵饮关键词，一个「判」字写尽久判的纵饮。判者，甘愿、豁出去也。杜甫以「纵饮久判人共弃」写纵饮，这个「判」字至少有双重意味：其一，写饮之判——那「纵饮久判人共弃」写纵饮久判人共弃，那「判」字写尽久判的纵饮——久判，正是久已甘愿的写照，那「判」字写尽久判的纵饮；其二，写情之决——那「判」字更是写决——判，正见纵情豁达的决心，那「判」字写尽杜甫的感慨。以「判」字写纵饮，正是杜甫写感慨的枢纽——若换作「甘」「任」等字，则或失其与「纵饮久判」「人共弃」的配合，或失其写判的意味；唯「判」字，以纵饮久判人共弃写尽共弃之甘愿与纵饮之决然，与「懒朝真与世相违」的懒朝相合，写尽久判的纵饮，也让「纵饮久判人共弃」成为全诗写纵饮的名句。