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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

曲江对雨

Facing Rain at the Winding River (Qujiang Dui Yu)

杜甫

Du Fu

春景Spring Scene 感慨Reflection / Lament

城上春云覆苑墙，江亭晚色静年芳。
林花著雨胭脂湿，水荇牵风翠带长。
龙武新军深驻辇，芙蓉别殿谩焚香。
何时诏此金钱会，暂醉佳人锦瑟旁。

Above the walls, spring clouds cover the park's ramparts;
by the river pavilion, the evening light quiets the year's fragrance.
Forest flowers, kissed by rain, are moist as rouge;
water caltrops, drawn by the wind, trail long emerald bands.
The new Longwu guards are lodged deep by the carriage-roads;
in the hibiscus side-palace, incense burns in vain.
When will an edict summon this Coin Festival again,
that I may briefly drunk recline by a fair one's brocade zither?

Listen

Meaning

Du Fu faces a spring rain at Qujiang and describes the misted park, rain-dark flowers, and wind-bent caltrops. Behind the beauty lies a sigh: the new guards and empty palace mark a changed, anxious court. He longs for the old imperial festival and a moment's oblivion by a zither.

城上春云覆苑墙，江亭晚色静年芳。林花著雨胭脂湿，水荇牵风翠带长。龙武新军深驻辇，芙蓉别殿谩焚香。何时诏此金钱会，暂醉佳人锦瑟旁。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Spring clouds cloak the park wall; at the river pavilion evening light stills the year's scent. Forest flowers wet with rain are like moist rouge; caltrops drawn by wind trail emerald ribbons. The new Longwu guards lodge deep by the roads; in the hibiscus palace incense burns uselessly. When will an edict renew the Coin Festival, that I may briefly drink by a beauty's zither? [Structure] The first four lines are pure rain-scene; the last four shift to court and longing, scene yielding to sigh. [Imagery] 'Spring clouds over the wall' and 'flowers moist as rouge' make the rain luminous; 'burns in vain' and 'when will the edict come' turn beauty into absence. The poem's grace is its 'crafted and deep' (gongli shenwan) surface: a pretty spring picture that, on second reading, mourns a lost golden age.

【白话串讲】杜甫写《曲江对雨》：“城上春云覆苑墙，江亭晚色静年芳”——“林花著雨胭脂湿，水荇牵风翠带长”——“龙武新军深驻辇，芙蓉别殿谩焚香”——“何时诏此金钱会，暂醉佳人锦瑟旁”——他雨中独对曲江——林花著雨胭脂湿。【意象与手法】此诗写春景，以感慨写春景，是杜甫的名篇。前四句写春雨：「城上春云覆苑墙，江亭晚色静年芳。林花著雨胭脂湿，水荇牵风翠带长」写城上春云覆苑墙、江亭晚色静年芳——写尽春云的苑墙；后四句写感慨：「龙武新军深驻辇，芙蓉别殿谩焚香。何时诏此金钱会，暂醉佳人锦瑟旁」写龙武新军深驻辇、芙蓉别殿谩焚香——写尽芙蓉的别殿。全诗以感慨写春景，写尽春云的苑墙与芙蓉的别殿，是杜甫的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写春景，以感慨写春景，是杜甫的名篇。此诗为杜甫在长安曲江遇雨而作，写其雨中江亭的所见与感慨。杜甫困守长安，此诗写其春雨中感时伤世。此诗写城上春云覆苑墙，江亭晚色静年芳；林花著雨胭脂湿，水荇牵风翠带长；龙武新军深驻辇，芙蓉别殿谩焚香；何时诏此金钱会，暂醉佳人锦瑟旁。此诗写春雨：城上春云覆苑墙，江亭晚色静年芳——写城上春云覆苑墙、江亭晚色静年芳，写尽春云的苑墙；林花著雨胭脂湿，水荇牵风翠带长——写林花著雨胭脂湿、水荇牵风翠带长，写尽著雨的胭脂；龙武新军深驻辇，芙蓉别殿谩焚香——写龙武新军深驻辇、芙蓉别殿谩焚香，写尽芙蓉的别殿；何时诏此金钱会，暂醉佳人锦瑟旁——写何时诏此金钱会、暂醉佳人锦瑟旁，写尽佳人的锦瑟。全诗以感慨写春景——那「城上春云覆苑墙」写尽春云的苑墙，「暂醉佳人锦瑟旁」写尽佳人的锦瑟，写尽春云的苑墙与芙蓉的别殿，是理解杜甫春景诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「城上春云覆苑墙，江亭晚色静年芳」写春云的苑墙；「林花著雨胭脂湿，水荇牵风翠带长」写著雨的胭脂；以及全诗以感慨写春景、以对仗写雨中景的手法。

Background

Du Fu wrote this during his stalled years in Chang'an, when he would sit by Qujiang in rain. The 'new Longwu guards' refer to the imperial army reorganised after the rebellion; 'Coin Festival' (Money Feast) was an Tang court entertainment under Xuanzong. The poem thus layers a quiet spring scene over a politically changed, anxious capital. As with his other Qujiang lyrics, Du Fu uses the park as a screen for reflection on lost splendour and his own powerless longing.

此诗写春景，以感慨写春景，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遇雨而作，写其雨中江亭的所见与感慨。杜甫困守长安，此诗写其春雨中感时伤世。此诗写城上春云覆苑墙，江亭晚色静年芳；林花著雨胭脂湿，水荇牵风翠带长；龙武新军深驻辇，芙蓉别殿谩焚香；何时诏此金钱会，暂醉佳人锦瑟旁。此诗写春雨：「城上春云覆苑墙，江亭晚色静年芳」写城上春云覆苑墙、江亭晚色静年芳——写尽春云的苑墙（城上春云覆苑墙，江亭晚色静年芳）；「林花著雨胭脂湿，水荇牵风翠带长」写林花著雨胭脂湿、水荇牵风翠带长——写尽著雨的胭脂（林花著雨胭脂湿，水荇牵风翠带长）；「龙武新军深驻辇，芙蓉别殿谩焚香」写龙武新军深驻辇、芙蓉别殿谩焚香——写尽芙蓉的别殿（龙武新军深驻辇，芙蓉别殿谩焚香）；「何时诏此金钱会，暂醉佳人锦瑟旁」写何时诏此金钱会、暂醉佳人锦瑟旁——写尽佳人的锦瑟（何时诏此金钱会，暂醉佳人锦瑟旁）。全诗以感慨写春景，写尽春云的苑墙与芙蓉的别殿，是理解杜甫春景诗的重要篇章。

Art

The art has four strands. First, scene-painting: 'spring clouds cover the park wall' sets a misted frame. Second, tight parallelism: 'forest flowers, moist as rouge' answers 'caltrops, trailing emerald bands', flower against water, colour against colour. Third, plain record of the present: 'the new Longwu guards lodge deep' notes the changed garrison without comment. Fourth, closural longing: 'when will the edict summon the Coin Festival' and 'briefly drunk by the zither' turn scene into yearning. The poem moves rain-to-sigh; its polished surface (gongli) carries a deep, indirect lament—a model of Du Fu's 'crafted and deep' manner.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以写景写春雨。「城上春云覆苑墙」以写景写春雨——那「江亭晚色静年芳」写尽江亭的晚色，以写景写尽春云的苑墙。其二，以对仗写雨中。「林花著雨胭脂湿」以对仗写雨中——那「水荇牵风翠带长」写尽水荇的翠带，以对仗写尽著雨的胭脂。其三，以写实写新军。「龙武新军深驻辇」以写实写新军——那「芙蓉别殿谩焚香」写尽芙蓉的别殿，以写实写尽芙蓉的别殿。其四，以感慨写盛时。「何时诏此金钱会」以感慨写盛时——那「暂醉佳人锦瑟旁」写尽佳人的锦瑟，以感慨写尽佳人的锦瑟。此外，此诗前四句写春云的苑墙，后四句写芙蓉的别殿，由景及慨，正是春景诗「以雨写慨」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以感慨写春景，写尽春云的苑墙与芙蓉的别殿，是杜甫的代表作。此诗还善于以「城上春云覆苑墙」的「覆苑墙」写春云之覆墙——那「城上春云」写尽城上的春云，正是以覆写云，以「覆苑墙」写尽春云的苑墙。又善以「江亭晚色静年芳」的「静年芳」写晚色之静芳——江亭晚色静年芳，正见晚色静芳的写照，以「静年芳」写尽著雨的胭脂。

Allusions

'Spring cloud' and 'park wall' frame the imperial grounds; 'rouge' (yanzhi) likens wet petals to a woman's paint (cf. 'rouge tears'). 'Water caltrop' (shuixing) echoes the Songs' 'floating-heart and caltrop'. 'Longwu new army' names the Tang imperial guard; 'Coin Festival' cites Xuanzong's money-feast. 'Brocade zither' (jinse) evokes Li Shangyin's famous zither and the compliments of court life. Du Fu gathers these to contrast a lovely spring with an absent, unrecoverable golden age.

此诗的用语深植于春景与感慨传统。「春云」令人想到「春云」写春云的意象——也令人想到「春云碧色」的意象；「苑墙」令人想到「苑墙」写宫苑墙的意象——也令人想到「苑墙高下」的意象；「胭脂」令人想到「胭脂」写胭脂色的意象——也令人想到「胭脂泪」的意象；「水荇」令人想到「水荇」写水草的意象——也令人想到「参差荇菜」（《诗经》）的意象；「龙武新军」令人想到「龙武新军」写龙武军的意象——唐禁军，也令人想到「龙武军」的意象；「金钱会」令人想到「金钱会」写金钱宴会的意象——唐玄宗开元金钱会，也令人想到「金钱会」的意象。全诗化用春云、苑墙、胭脂、水荇、龙武新军、金钱会的意象典故，以感慨写春景，正是杜甫「沉郁」而善对仗、承春景传统写感慨之本领。「胭脂」令人想到「胭脂」写胭脂色的意象——也令人想到「胭脂泪」的意象；「锦瑟」令人想到「锦瑟」写锦瑟的意象——也令人想到「锦瑟无端五十弦」（李商隐）的意象，以锦瑟写感慨。

Commentary

The poem is celebrated as a fine spring-scene lyric and a representative Tang treatment of Qujiang in rain. Qing critics called it 'lament through spring scene, crafted and deep'. Modern readers prize 'forest flowers, moist as rouge; caltrops trailing emerald bands' as its famous couplet. With 'Drinking Alone by Qujiang' it forms a paired reading—one by wine, one by rain. For today's reader it opens Du Fu's spring verse, where rain-darkened rouge still speaks of a beauty (and age) now unreachable.

此诗历来被推为杜甫春景诗的名篇，也是唐诗写曲江对雨的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以感慨写春景，工丽深婉」；近人更指出「林花著雨胭脂湿，水荇牵风翠带长」写著雨的胭脂，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春云的苑墙与芙蓉的别殿——那城上，那春云，那覆苑墙，那江亭，那晚色，那静年芳，那林花，那著雨，那胭脂湿，那水荇，那牵风，那翠带长，那龙武新军，那深驻辇，那芙蓉，那别殿，那谩焚香，那何时，那诏此，那金钱会，那暂醉，那佳人，那锦瑟旁，都写尽了杜甫笔下的曲江对雨；那「暂醉佳人锦瑟旁」更以感慨写尽佳人的锦瑟。此诗与杜甫《曲江对酒》「苑外江头坐不归」同为曲江名篇，一写「纵饮久判人共弃」的对酒，一写「林花著雨胭脂湿」的对雨；一写酒，一写雨。两诗对读，可见杜甫曲江诗的两种境界。对于今日读者，此诗是理解杜甫春景诗的窗口，也是唐诗写曲江对雨的经典——那著雨的胭脂，穿越千年，仍在诉说着佳人的锦瑟。

Prosody

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

Rhyme Rhymes on the 'yang' vowels (qiang, fang, chang, xiang, pang) in the level tone, one rhyme throughout.七律，押「墙」「芳」「长」「香」「旁」韵（下平七阳），一韵到底，音节工丽

Tone pattern A heptasyllabic regulated poem in level tone, single rhyme; its polished, lingering music suits the crafted spring scene.此诗为七言律诗，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节工丽，正合春景的工丽。

Reading note An eight-line qiyan lüshi: '城上春云覆苑墙…暂醉佳人锦瑟旁.' It rhymes throughout on the 'yang' category. The first four lines paint the rain-misted park, the last four turn to court and longing. Read '林花著雨胭脂湿' with crafted grace and close '暂醉佳人锦瑟旁' with wistful lingering.此诗为七言律诗，八句——「城上春云覆苑墙，江亭晚色静年芳。林花著雨胭脂湿，水荇牵风翠带长。龙武新军深驻辇，芙蓉别殿谩焚香。何时诏此金钱会，暂醉佳人锦瑟旁」，押「阳」韵（墙、芳、长、香、旁），一韵到底，音节工丽。全诗以感慨写春景：前四句写春云的苑墙（城上春云覆苑墙、水荇牵风翠带长），后四句写芙蓉的别殿（龙武新军深驻辇、暂醉佳人锦瑟旁）。八句短章，前写春雨，后写感慨，以「暂醉佳人锦瑟旁」写尽佳人的锦瑟，正见杜甫「沉郁」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以工丽的语调读「林花著雨胭脂湿」的春雨，以感慨的语调读「何时诏此金钱会」的金钱，结句要读得工丽而有余韵，方能传达出杜甫的工丽深婉。杜甫律诗以「沉郁」著称，此诗正是其春景诗的典范。

Line by line

林花著雨胭脂湿，水荇牵风翠带长

Forest flowers, kissed by rain, are moist as rouge;<br>water caltrops, drawn by the wind, trail long emerald bands.

林花著雨胭脂湿，水荇牵风翠带长。

The forest flowers, rain-wet, are like moist rouge; the water- floating plants, drawn by the wind, trail long green ribbons.

此二句是全诗写春雨的核心，以林花著雨胭脂湿写胭脂湿，以水荇牵风翠带长写翠带长，写尽著雨的胭脂，是千古名句。「林花著雨胭脂湿」写林花著雨胭脂湿——那「林花著雨」写林花著雨，「胭脂湿」写胭脂湿，写尽著雨的胭脂；「水荇牵风翠带长」写水荇牵风翠带长——那「水荇牵风」写水荇牵风，「翠带长」写翠带长，写尽水荇的翠带。这句的深意在于：它以「林花著雨胭脂湿」的胭脂湿与「水荇牵风翠带长」的翠带长，写尽著雨的胭脂——林花著雨胭脂湿，那「林花著雨胭脂湿」写尽著雨的胭脂——林花著雨胭脂湿，正是花雨胭脂的写照，那「胭脂湿」写尽著雨的胭脂；水荇牵风翠带长，那「水荇牵风翠带长」写尽水荇的翠带——水荇牵风翠带长，正是荇风翠带的写照，那「翠带长」写尽著雨的胭脂；那「林花著雨胭脂湿」写尽著雨的胭脂，那「水荇牵风翠带长」写尽水荇的翠带，一写林花，一写水荇，写尽著雨的胭脂——花雨胭脂而荇风翠带，正是雨中的写照；此二句以林花、水荇写尽著雨的胭脂，也为下文的龙武作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写春雨的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「林中的花沾着雨水像胭脂般湿润，水中的荇菜被风吹动像翠绿的带子长长」，则失其工丽；唯以「林花著雨胭脂湿」写胭脂湿、「水荇牵风翠带长」写翠带长，写尽著雨的胭脂，也让此二句成为全诗写春雨的核心。

The two lines are the core of the poem's spring rain, writing the moist rouge through the forest flowers, rain-wet, are like moist rouge and the long green ribbon through the water-floating plants, drawn by the wind, trail long green ribbons, exhausting the rain-wet rouge. The forest flowers, rain-wet, are like moist rouge is precisely the picture of the flowers in rain; the water-floating plants, drawn by the wind, trail long green ribbons precisely the picture of the wind-torn ribbons. The deep meaning: the flowers' rain-rouge and the plants' wind-ribbons, precisely the picture of the rain. One writes the forest flowers, one the water plants, exhausting the rain-wet rouge. Were it said plainly the forest flowers touching the rain are like moist rouge, the water plants pulled by the wind like long green ribbons, the finish would be softened; only through the moist rouge and the long ribbon is the spring rain exhausted, preparing the later Longwu and making the lines the core of the poem.

何时诏此金钱会，暂醉佳人锦瑟旁

When will an edict summon this Coin Festival again,<br>that I may briefly drunk recline by a fair one's brocade zither?

何时诏此金钱会，暂醉佳人锦瑟旁。

When will the decree come for the money-feast again, that I may, for a while, be drunk by the fair one's embroidered zither?

此二句是全诗写感慨的核心，以何时诏此金钱会写金钱会，以暂醉佳人锦瑟旁写锦瑟旁，写尽佳人的锦瑟，是千古名句。「何时诏此金钱会」写何时诏此金钱会——那「何时诏此」写何时诏此，「金钱会」写金钱会，写尽金钱的会；「暂醉佳人锦瑟旁」写暂醉佳人锦瑟旁——那「暂醉佳人」写暂醉佳人，「锦瑟旁」写锦瑟旁，写尽佳人的锦瑟。这句的深意在于：它以「何时诏此金钱会」的金钱会与「暂醉佳人锦瑟旁」的锦瑟旁，写尽佳人的锦瑟——何时诏此金钱会，那「何时诏此金钱会」写尽金钱的会——何时诏此金钱会，正是何时诏会的写照，那「金钱会」写尽佳人的锦瑟；暂醉佳人锦瑟旁，那「暂醉佳人锦瑟旁」写尽佳人的锦瑟——暂醉佳人锦瑟旁，正是醉倒锦瑟的写照，那「锦瑟旁」写尽佳人的锦瑟；那「何时诏此金钱会」写尽金钱的会，那「暂醉佳人锦瑟旁」写尽佳人的锦瑟，一写金钱，一写锦瑟，写尽佳人的锦瑟——何时金钱而醉倒锦瑟，正是感慨的写照；此二句以金钱、锦瑟写尽佳人的锦瑟，也让此二句成为全诗写感慨的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「何时下诏举办金钱盛会，暂且醉倒在佳人的锦瑟旁边」，则失其深婉；唯以「何时诏此金钱会」写金钱会、「暂醉佳人锦瑟旁」写锦瑟旁，写尽佳人的锦瑟，也让此二句成为全诗写感慨的核心。

The two lines are the core of the poem's meditation, writing the money-feast through when will the decree come for the money-feast again and the embroidered zither through that I may, for a while, be drunk by the fair one's embroidered zither?, exhausting the fair one's zither. When will the decree come for the money-feast again? is precisely the picture of the asking for the feast; that I may, for a while, be drunk by the fair one's embroidered zither? precisely the picture of the drunken by the zither. The deep meaning: the money-feast unknown when, the drunken by the zither, precisely the picture of the meditation. One writes the money, one the zither, exhausting the fair one's zither. Were it said plainly when will the decree summon the money-feast, that I may be drunk a while beside the beauty's zither, the tact would be softened; only through the money-feast and the embroidered zither is the meditation exhausted, making the lines the core of the poem.

Study

Word focus

湿 Shi ('moist, wet'): it shows petals damp with rain, like rouge. The word captures the fine, tender touch of spring rain on flowers and anchors the colour image. 「林花著雨胭脂湿」之「湿」字是写春雨关键词，一个「湿」字写尽著雨的胭脂。湿者，湿润、沾湿也。杜甫以「林花著雨胭脂湿」写春雨，这个「湿」字至少有双重意味：其一，写花之湿——那「林花著雨胭脂湿」写林花著雨胭脂湿，那「湿」字写尽著雨的胭脂——胭脂湿，正是胭脂沾湿的写照，那「湿」字写尽著雨的胭脂；其二，写雨之细——那「湿」字更是写细——湿，正见春雨润花的细腻，那「湿」字写尽杜甫的写景。以「湿」字写春雨，正是杜甫写春景的枢纽——若换作「润」「沾」等字，则或失其与「林花著雨」「胭脂湿」的配合，或失其写湿的意味；唯「湿」字，以林花著雨胭脂湿写尽胭脂之沾湿与春雨之细腻，与「水荇牵风翠带长」的翠带相合，写尽著雨的胭脂，也让「林花著雨胭脂湿」成为全诗写春雨的名句。

谩 Man ('in vain, futile'): it means the incense burns uselessly. It carries a sigh that the empty palace rites are meaningless now, voicing quiet regret for a lost age. 「芙蓉别殿谩焚香」之「谩」字是写感慨关键词，一个「谩」字写尽芙蓉的别殿。谩者，徒然、空自也。杜甫以「芙蓉别殿谩焚香」写感慨，这个「谩」字至少有双重意味：其一，写香之谩——那「芙蓉别殿谩焚香」写芙蓉别殿谩焚香，那「谩」字写尽芙蓉的别殿——谩焚香，正是空自焚香的写照，那「谩」字写尽芙蓉的别殿；其二，写情之叹——那「谩」字更是写叹——谩，正见盛时难再的慨叹，那「谩」字写尽杜甫的感慨。以「谩」字写感慨，正是杜甫写春景的枢纽——若换作「空」「徒」等字，则或失其与「芙蓉别殿」「谩焚香」的配合，或失其写谩的意味；唯「谩」字，以芙蓉别殿谩焚香写尽焚香之徒然与盛时之难再，与「何时诏此金钱会」的金钱相合，写尽芙蓉的别殿，也让「芙蓉别殿谩焚香」成为全诗写感慨的名句。