All poems

唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

始闻秋风

First Hearing the Autumn Wind (Shi Wen Qiu Feng)

刘禹锡

Liu Yuxi

秋景Autumn Scene 咏怀Expressing One's Heart

昔看黄菊与君别，今听玄蝉我却回。
五夜飕飗枕前觉，一年颜状镜中来。
马思边草拳毛动，雕眄青云睡眼开。
天地肃清堪四望，为君扶病上高台。

Last year I watched the yellow chrysanthemum and bid you farewell;
now I hear the dark cicada and I return.
In the fifth watch the soughing wind wakes me by the pillow;
a year's look of age comes in the mirror.
The horse longs for border grass, its curled mane quivering;
the eagle eyes the blue cloud, its sleepy eye opening.
Heaven and earth are clear and still, fit for gazing far;
for you, I climb the high terrace, though ill.

Listen

Meaning

Liu Yuxi marks the autumn wind's return a year after parting from it, and feels his own aged face in the mirror. Yet the horse and eagle stir with heroic vigour, and, though unwell, he climbs the terrace to gaze. The poem turns the usual autumn sorrow into a defiant, vigorous self-assertion.

昔看黄菊与君别，今听玄蝉我却回。五夜飕飗枕前觉，一年颜状镜中来。马思边草拳毛动，雕眄青云睡眼开。天地肃清堪四望，为君扶病上高台。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Last year by the yellow chrysanthemum I bade the wind farewell; now I hear the dark cicada and the wind returns. In the fifth watch the soughing wind wakes me; a year's aging shows in the mirror. The horse thinks of border grass, its curled mane twitching; the eagle eyes the blue cloud, its drowsy eye opening. Clear and still, heaven and earth invite far gazing; for you, wind, I climb the high terrace, though ill. [Structure] The first four lines note the wind's return and the poet's aging; the last four surge with the horse and eagle, closing on ailing but resolute ascent. [Imagery] 'Chrysanthemum farewell' and 'dark cicada return' frame the year; 'horse's mane' and 'eagle's eye' flash with martial vigour; 'climb though ill' crowns feeling with action. The poem inverts the tradition: instead of sorrow, a 'poet-hero' (shi hao) answers autumn with spirit.

【白话串讲】刘禹锡写《始闻秋风》：“昔看黄菊与君别，今听玄蝉我却回”——“五夜飕飗枕前觉，一年颜状镜中来”——“马思边草拳毛动，雕眄青云睡眼开”——“天地肃清堪四望，为君扶病上高台”——秋风又起，他扶病登台——他写老当益壮。【意象与手法】此诗写咏物，以感慨写咏物，是刘禹锡的名篇。前四句写秋声：「昔看黄菊与君别，今听玄蝉我却回。五夜飕飗枕前觉，一年颜状镜中来」写昔看黄菊与君别、今听玄蝉我却回——写尽秋声的归来；后四句写壮怀：「马思边草拳毛动，雕眄青云睡眼开。天地肃清堪四望，为君扶病上高台」写马思边草拳毛动、雕眄青云睡眼开——写尽秋日的壮怀。全诗以感慨写咏物，写尽秋声的归来与秋日的壮怀，是刘禹锡的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写咏物，以感慨写咏物，是刘禹锡的名篇。此诗写刘禹锡闻秋风而作，写秋的归来与自己的壮怀。刘禹锡一生坎坷，晚年犹有壮志，此诗正以秋风写其豪情。此诗写昔看黄菊与秋风相别，今听玄蝉（秋蝉）而秋风复回；五夜（五更）飕飗（风声）枕前可觉，一年颜状镜中来；马思边草而拳毛动，雕眄（斜视）青云而睡眼开；天地肃清堪四望，为君（指秋风）扶病上高台。此诗写秋声：昔看黄菊与君别，今听玄蝉我却回——写昔看黄菊与君别、今听玄蝉我却回，写尽秋声的归来；五夜飕飗枕前觉，一年颜状镜中来——写五夜飕飗枕前觉、一年颜状镜中来，写尽秋声的觉察；马思边草拳毛动，雕眄青云睡眼开——写马思边草拳毛动、雕眄青云睡眼开，写尽秋日的壮怀；天地肃清堪四望，为君扶病上高台——写天地肃清堪四望、为君扶病上高台，写尽扶病的壮怀。全诗以感慨写咏物——那「今听玄蝉我却回」写尽秋声的归来，「为君扶病上高台」写尽秋日的壮怀，写尽秋声的归来与秋日的壮怀，是理解刘禹锡咏物诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「昔看黄菊与君别，今听玄蝉我却回」写秋声的归来；「马思边草拳毛动，雕眄青云睡眼开」写秋日的壮怀；以及全诗以感慨写咏物、以物象写壮怀的手法。

Background

Liu Yuxi (772–842), courtesy name Mengde of Luoyang, was a Tang writer and philosopher hailed as the 'Poet Hero' (shi hao), linked with Liu Zongyuan as 'Liu and Liu' and with Bai Juyi as 'Liu and Bai'. His life was turbulent—exiled for decades for a satirical poem—yet his late years kept a stubborn vigour. This regulated verse greets the returning autumn wind personified as an old companion. Rather than mourn, Liu answers with the martial stir of horse and eagle and a climb despite illness, a signature of his unbroken will.

此诗写咏物，以感慨写咏物，是刘禹锡的名篇。刘禹锡（772—842），字梦得，洛阳人，唐代文学家、哲学家，有「诗豪」之称，与柳宗元并称「刘柳」，与白居易并称「刘白」。此诗写刘禹锡闻秋风而作，写秋的归来与自己的壮怀。刘禹锡一生坎坷，晚年犹有壮志，此诗正以秋风写其豪情。此诗写昔看黄菊与秋风相别，今听玄蝉（秋蝉）而秋风复回；五夜（五更）飕飗（风声）枕前可觉，一年颜状镜中来；马思边草而拳毛动，雕眄（斜视）青云而睡眼开；天地肃清堪四望，为君（指秋风）扶病上高台。此诗写秋声：「昔看黄菊与君别，今听玄蝉我却回」写昔看黄菊与君别、今听玄蝉我却回——写尽秋声的归来（昔看黄菊与君别，今听玄蝉我却回）；「五夜飕飗枕前觉，一年颜状镜中来」写五夜飕飗枕前觉、一年颜状镜中来——写尽秋声的觉察（五夜飕飗枕前觉，一年颜状镜中来）；「马思边草拳毛动，雕眄青云睡眼开」写马思边草拳毛动、雕眄青云睡眼开——写尽秋日的壮怀（马思边草拳毛动，雕眄青云睡眼开）；「天地肃清堪四望，为君扶病上高台」写天地肃清堪四望、为君扶病上高台——写尽扶病的壮怀（天地肃清堪四望，为君扶病上高台）。全诗以感慨写咏物，写尽秋声的归来与秋日的壮怀，是理解刘禹锡咏物诗的重要篇章。

Art

The art works on four lines. First, season-as-return: 'last year's chrysanthemum farewell / now the cicada, I return' frames the wind as a recurring friend across the year. Second, hearing-for-wind: 'fifth watch soughing wakes me by the pillow' catches autumn through sound in the dark. Third, creature-for-spirit: 'horse longs for border grass, mane quivering; eagle eyes blue cloud, eye opening' uses animals to flash heroic readiness. Fourth, direct utterance: 'for you I climb the high terrace, though ill' states resolve plainly. The poem moves from heard-wind to seen-vigour to acted-climb; its 'heroic and natural' (haojian ziran) manner overturns the usual autumn lament.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以季节写归来。「昔看黄菊与君别」以季节写归来——那「黄菊」「玄蝉」写尽春秋的季节，以季节写尽秋声的归来。其二，以听觉写秋声。「五夜飕飗枕前觉」以听觉写秋声——那「飕飗」写尽枕前的风声，以听觉写尽秋声的觉察。其三，以物象写壮怀。「马思边草拳毛动」以物象写壮怀——那「马思边草」「雕眄青云」写尽马雕的物象，以物象写尽秋日的壮怀。其四，以直抒写壮怀。「为君扶病上高台」以直抒写壮怀——那「扶病上高台」写尽扶病的壮怀，以直抒写尽秋日的壮怀。此外，此诗前四句写秋声的归来，后四句写秋日的壮怀，由闻及望，正是咏物诗「以秋写志」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以感慨写咏物，写尽秋声的归来与秋日的壮怀，是刘禹锡的代表作。此诗还善于以「五夜飕飗枕前觉」的「五夜」写秋声之深夜——那「五夜」「枕前觉」写尽深夜闻秋，正是以时写声，以「五夜」写尽秋声的觉察。又善以「天地肃清堪四望」的「肃清」「四望」写天地之廓清——天地肃清堪四望，正见秋高气爽可纵目四望，以「四望」写尽扶病的壮怀。

Allusions

'Yellow chrysanthemum' echoes Tao Yuanming's 'pick chrysanthemum by the east hedge'; 'dark cicada' (xuanchan) is the late-autumn cricket-voice (cf. Liu Yong's 'cold cicada'). 'Soughing wind' (souliu) is onomatopoeia for autumn's rush. 'Border grass' and 'curled mane' picture the war-horse (cf. 'north wind bends grass, cattle low'); 'blue cloud' cites the idiom of high ambition ('straight to the blue cloud'). Liu Yuxi bends these to a vigorous, anti-sentimental autumn—his 'poet-hero' answer to Song Yu's .

此诗的用语深植于咏物与感慨传统。「黄菊」令人想到「黄菊」写菊花的意象——也令人想到「采菊东篱下」（陶渊明）的意象；「玄蝉」令人想到「玄蝉」写秋蝉的意象——也令人想到「寒蝉凄切」（柳永）的意象；「飕飗」令人想到「飕飗」写风声的象声——也令人想到「秋风萧瑟」的意象；「边草」令人想到「边草」写边地之草的意象——也令人想到「北风吹草低见牛羊」的意象；「拳毛动」令人想到「拳毛」写马毛的意象——也令人想到「拳毛騧」的意象；「青云」令人想到「青云」写高空的意象——也令人想到「直上青云」的意象。全诗化用黄菊、玄蝉、飕飗、边草、拳毛、青云的意象，以感慨写咏物，正是刘禹锡「诗豪」而善物象、承咏秋传统写壮怀之本领。「玄蝉」令人想到「玄蝉」写秋蝉的意象——也令人想到「蝉声渐老」（宋人）的意象；「边草」令人想到「边草」写边地之草的意象——也令人想到「春风吹又生」的意象，以边草写骏马思归之壮。「青云」令人想到「青云」写高空的意象——也令人想到「老骥伏枥，志在千里」（曹操）的意象，以青云写雕鹰之望。

Commentary

The poem is ranked a Liu Yuxi 'object-expression' masterpiece and a representative Tang vigorous-autumn lyric. Qing critics called it 'expression through object, heroic and natural'. Modern readers prize 'horse longs for border grass, mane quivering; eagle eyes blue cloud, eye opening' as its famous couplet. With his 'Autumn Poem' ('since old times autumn sorrow is lone') it forms a paired reading—one a crane in clear sky, one a wind-borne climb. For today's reader it opens Liu's unbroken spirit, where autumn becomes a call to vigour, not grief.

此诗历来被推为刘禹锡咏物诗的名篇，也是唐诗写秋壮怀的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以感慨写咏物，豪健自然」；近人更指出「马思边草拳毛动，雕眄青云睡眼开」写秋日的壮怀，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秋声的归来与秋日的壮怀——那昔看，那黄菊，那与君别，那今听，那玄蝉，那我却回，那五夜，那飕飗，那枕前觉，那一年，那颜状，那镜中来，那马思，那边草，那拳毛动，那雕眄，那青云，那睡眼开，那天地的肃清，那堪四望，那为君，那扶病，那上高台，都写尽了刘禹锡笔下的始闻秋风；那「为君扶病上高台」更以直抒写尽秋日的壮怀。此诗与刘禹锡《秋词》（「自古逢秋悲寂寥」）同为咏秋名篇，一写「晴空一鹤排云上」的秋日（秋词），一写「马思边草拳毛动」的秋风（始闻秋风）；又与宋玉《九辩》「悲哉秋之为气也」的悲秋传统一脉相承，而刘禹锡反其道写秋之壮，可见中国诗写秋的两种传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解刘禹锡咏物诗的窗口，也是唐诗写秋壮怀的经典——那扶病登台的秋风，穿越千年，仍在诉说着秋日的壮怀。

Prosody

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

Rhyme Rhymes on the 'hui' vowels (hui, lai, kai, tai) in the level tone, one rhyme throughout.七律，押「回」「来」「开」「台」韵（上平十灰），一韵到底，音节豪健

Tone pattern A heptasyllabic regulated poem in level tone, single rhyme; its heroic, full music suits the vigorous feeling.此诗为七言律诗，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节豪健，正合咏物的豪健。

Reading note An eight-line qiyan lüshi: '昔看黄菊与君别…为君扶病上高台.' It rhymes throughout on the 'hui' category. The first four lines note the wind's return and the poet's aging, the last four surge with horse and eagle and close on ailing ascent. Read '马思边草拳毛动' with heroic vigour and close '为君扶病上高台' with resolute, full tone.此诗为七言律诗，八句——「昔看黄菊与君别，今听玄蝉我却回。五夜飕飗枕前觉，一年颜状镜中来。马思边草拳毛动，雕眄青云睡眼开。天地肃清堪四望，为君扶病上高台」，押「灰」韵（回、来、开、台），一韵到底，音节豪健。全诗以感慨写咏物：前四句写秋声的归来（昔看黄菊与君别、一年颜状镜中来），后四句写秋日的壮怀（马思边草拳毛动、为君扶病上高台）。八句短章，前写秋声，后写壮怀，以「为君扶病上高台」写尽秋日的壮怀，正见刘禹锡「诗豪」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以豪健的语调读「马思边草拳毛动」的壮怀，以雄浑的语调读「为君扶病上高台」的登台，结句要读得豪健而有余韵，方能传达出刘禹锡的豪健自然。刘禹锡律诗以「诗豪」著称，此诗正是其咏物诗的典范。

Line by line

马思边草拳毛动，雕眄青云睡眼开

The horse longs for border grass, its curled mane quivering;<br>the eagle eyes the blue cloud, its sleepy eye opening.

马思边草拳毛动，雕眄青云睡眼开。

The horse, longing for frontier grass, stirs its curly coat; the falcon, glancing at the blue clouds, opens its sleepy eyes.

此二句是全诗写壮怀的核心，以马思边草拳毛动写拳毛动，以雕眄青云睡眼开写睡眼开，写尽秋日的壮怀，是千古名句。「马思边草拳毛动」写马思边草拳毛动——那「马思边草」写马思边草，「拳毛动」写拳毛动，写尽马思的拳毛；「雕眄青云睡眼开」写雕眄青云睡眼开——那「雕眄青云」写雕眄青云，「睡眼开」写睡眼开，写尽雕眄的睡眼。这句的深意在于：它以「马思边草拳毛动」的拳毛动与「雕眄青云睡眼开」的睡眼开，写尽秋日的壮怀——马思边草拳毛动，那「马思边草拳毛动」写尽马思的拳毛——马思边草，正是骏马思归的写照，那「拳毛动」写尽秋日的壮怀；雕眄青云睡眼开，那「雕眄青云睡眼开」写尽雕眄的睡眼——雕眄青云，正是雕鹰望云的写照，那「睡眼开」写尽秋日的壮怀；那「马思边草拳毛动」写尽马思的拳毛，那「雕眄青云睡眼开」写尽雕眄的睡眼，一写马思，一写雕眄，写尽秋日的壮怀——马思边草而雕眄青云，正是壮心不老的写照；此二句以马、雕写尽秋日的壮怀，也让此二句成为全诗写壮怀的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「马想回到边地吃草，雕睁眼望着青云，都很有精神」，则失其豪健；唯以「马思边草拳毛动」写拳毛动、「雕眄青云睡眼开」写睡眼开，写尽秋日的壮怀，也让此二句成为全诗写壮怀的核心。

The two lines are the core of the poem's high spirit, writing the stirring coat through the horse, longing for frontier grass, stirs its curly coat and the opened eyes through the falcon, glancing at the blue clouds, opens its sleepy eyes, exhausting the autumn's high spirit, an immortal line. The horse, longing for frontier grass, stirs its curly coat is precisely the picture of the fine horse's longing; the falcon, glancing at the blue clouds, opens its sleepy eyes precisely the picture of the falcon gazing at the clouds. One writes the horse, one the falcon, exhausting the undying high heart. Were it said plainly the horse longs to return to the frontier grass, the falcon opens its eyes gazing at the blue clouds, both full of spirit, the boldness would be softened; only through the stirring coat and the opened eyes is the autumn's high spirit exhausted, making the lines the core of the poem.

昔看黄菊与君别，今听玄蝉我却回

Last year I watched the yellow chrysanthemum and bid you farewell;<br>now I hear the dark cicada and I return.

昔看黄菊与君别，今听玄蝉我却回。

Once, seeing the yellow chrysanthemums, I parted from you; now, hearing the dark cicada, I return.

此二句是全诗写归来的核心，以昔看黄菊与君别写与君别，以今听玄蝉我却回写我却回，写尽秋声的归来，是千古名句。「昔看黄菊与君别」写昔看黄菊与君别——那「昔看黄菊」写昔看黄菊，「与君别」写与君别，写尽昔时的告别；「今听玄蝉我却回」写今听玄蝉我却回——那「今听玄蝉」写今听玄蝉，「我却回」写我却回，写尽今时的归来。这句的深意在于：它以「昔看黄菊与君别」的与君别与「今听玄蝉我却回」的我却回，写尽秋声的归来——昔看黄菊与君别，那「昔看黄菊与君别」写尽昔时的告别——昔看黄菊，正是去年看菊的写照，那「与君别」写尽秋声的归来；今听玄蝉我却回，那「今听玄蝉我却回」写尽今时的归来——今听玄蝉，正是今秋听蝉的写照，那「我却回」写尽秋声的归来；那「昔看黄菊与君别」写尽昔时的告别，那「今听玄蝉我却回」写尽今时的归来，一写昔看，一写今听，写尽秋声的归来——昔别黄菊而今回听蝉，正是秋风复至的写照；此二句以黄菊、玄蝉写尽秋声的归来，也为下文的觉察作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写归来的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「去年秋天你走了，今年秋天你又回来了」，则失其巧思；唯以「昔看黄菊与君别」写与君别、「今听玄蝉我却回」写我却回，写尽秋声的归来，也让此二句成为全诗写归来的核心。

The two lines are the core of the poem's return, writing the parting through once, seeing the yellow chrysanthemums, I parted from you and the return through now, hearing the dark cicada, I return, exhausting the autumn sound's return, an immortal line. Once, seeing the yellow chrysanthemums, I parted from you is precisely the picture of last year's chrysanthemum-viewing; now, hearing the dark cicada, I return precisely the picture of this autumn's cicada. One writes the former viewing, one the present hearing, exhausting the return — the former parting at the chrysanthemums and the present return at the cicada, precisely the picture of the autumn wind's return. Were it said plainly last autumn you left, this autumn you are back, the art would be lost; only through the chrysanthemums and the dark cicada is the return exhausted, preparing the later awakening and making the lines the core of the poem.

Study

Word focus

飕飗 Souliu ('soughing, rustling'): it is onomatopoeia for the autumn wind heard at the pillow. The word catches the season through sound in the dark watch. 「五夜飕飗枕前觉」之「飕飗」是写秋声的关键词，一个「飕飗」写尽枕前的风声。飕飗者，风声、风凉也。刘禹锡以「五夜飕飗枕前觉」写秋声，这个「飕飗」至少有双重意味：其一，写风之飕飗——那「五夜飕飗枕前觉」写五夜飕飗枕前觉，那「飕飗」写尽枕前的风声——飕飗枕前觉，正是风声入枕的写照，那「飕飗」写尽秋声的归来；其二，写秋之动——那「飕飗」更是写动——飕飗，正见秋风骤起的动感，那「飕飗」写尽秋声的觉察。以「飕飗」写秋声，正是刘禹锡写咏物的枢纽——若换作「萧瑟」「飒飒」等词，则或失其与「五夜」「枕前觉」的配合，或失其写飕飗的意味；唯「飕飗」二字，以五夜飕飗枕前觉写尽枕前之风声与秋风之骤起，与「今听玄蝉我却回」的玄蝉相合，写尽秋声的归来，也让「五夜飕飗枕前觉」成为全诗写秋声的名句。

扶 Fu ('lean on, support'): it means he climbs the terrace leaning on his illness. The word shows resolute action despite sickness—will over body. 「为君扶病上高台」之「扶」字是写壮怀的关键词，一个「扶」字写尽扶病的壮怀。扶者，扶助、扶着也。刘禹锡以「为君扶病上高台」写壮怀，这个「扶」字至少有双重意味：其一，写病之扶——那「为君扶病上高台」写为君扶病上高台，那「扶」字写尽扶病的壮怀——扶病上高台，正是带病登台的写照，那「扶」字写尽秋日的壮怀；其二，写志之坚——那「扶」字更是写坚——扶，正见虽病犹登的坚志，那「扶」字写尽刘禹锡的豪情。以「扶」字写壮怀，正是刘禹锡写咏物的枢纽——若换作「带」「抱」等字，则或失其与「为君」「病上高台」的配合，或失其写扶的意味；唯「扶」字，以为君扶病上高台写尽扶病之登台与虽病之坚志，与「马思边草拳毛动」的壮怀相合，写尽秋日的壮怀，也让「为君扶病上高台」成为全诗写壮怀的名句。