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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

泊船瓜洲

Mooring at Guazhou

王安石

Wang Anshi

乡愁Homesickness 写景Scenery 炼字Word Refinement

京口瓜洲一水间，钟山只隔数重山。
春风又绿江南岸，明月何时照我还？

Between Jingkou and Guazhou a single stream lies;
Mount Zhong is just beyond a few green hills.
The spring wind has greened the southern shore again.
When will the bright moon shine on my return?

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Meaning

The poet, moored at Guazhou, is separated from his hometown by only a narrow river and a few hills, yet he cannot return. The spring wind once again greens the southern bank, and he asks the moon when it will shine on his homeward journey.

京口与瓜洲只隔着一道江水，钟山也仅仅相距几重山峦。春风又一次吹绿了江南的堤岸，天边的明月啊，你何时才能照着我回到故乡的怀抱？

Appreciation

The poem uses simple geographical description to express deep longing. The character 'green' (绿) is a famous example of word refinement, turning a static adjective into a vivid verb. The final rhetorical question 'When will the bright moon shine on my return?' leaves a lingering melancholy.

【白话串讲】王安石停船瓜洲，望着几重山外的钟山老家，写下“春风又绿江南岸”——据说他为一个“绿”字改了十几遍。一个字的推敲，让这首小诗成了炼字的经典。【意象与手法】即景即情，语浅意深。"绿"字是古典诗歌炼字典范【情感与主旨】王安石（1021—1086）北宋著名政治家、文学家，主持"熙宁变法" 【名句点睛】必考"绿"字炼字之妙：形容词活用作动词，生动写出春风吹绿江南的动态与生机，是古典诗歌炼字典范

Background

Wang Anshi (1021–1086), a prominent Northern Song politician and writer, led the Xining Reforms. This poem was written around 1075 during spring, when he was recalled from Jiangning (Nanjing) to the capital for a second term as chancellor. Moored at Guazhou, he longed for his reclusive life at Mount Zhong, reflecting his inner conflict between political duty and a desire for retirement.

《泊船瓜洲》为北宋王安石晚年之作，历来系年有二说。一说作于熙宁八年（一〇七五年）二月，王安石第二次拜相、奉诏自江宁赴京途经瓜洲之时；一说作于罢相之后。瓜洲在今江苏扬州南、长江北岸，与南岸镇江（古京口）隔水相望，王安石的故居钟山（今南京紫金山）亦在江南。诗人泊舟于此，北望京口、南念钟山，地理上的咫尺反衬出心理上的牵绊。此诗值得注意的是版本异文：据洪迈《容斋随笔》载，吴中士人家藏其草，初云『到江南岸』，圈去『到』字注曰『不好』，改为『过』，又圈去而改为『入』，旋改为『满』，凡如是十许字，始定为『绿』。这一炼字记载使本诗成为古典诗歌推敲字眼的经典案例。在文学传统上，它上承谢灵运『池塘生春草』之自然、李白『春风桃李花开日』之明丽，下开南宋江湖诗派即景写心一脉，是唐宋七绝由盛唐气象转向宋人理趣与情韵交融的缩影。历来论者亦常以『绿』字印证宋人炼字之风，认为此诗虽写乡愁，却以工致字眼见宋调面貌，与唐人天然有别。其篇幅虽短，而地理、节候、归思三层意蕴交叠，足为王安石七绝情韵兼胜之代表，故能超越时代而传诵不衰。元人方回《瀛奎律髓》虽以江西诗眼论之，亦不能不叹其『绿』字之工；后世诗话与语文课本反复征引，更使此诗沉淀为中华文化中乡愁书写的原型意象之一，其影响力早已溢出文学批评而进入集体记忆。

Art

The poem blends scenery and emotion, using precise language. The character 'green' (绿) is exemplary: used as a verb, it vividly depicts the wind turning the land green. The first two lines use 'only a river' and 'just a few hills' to show the closeness of home, heightening the yearning. The final question is evocative, expressing the poet's helplessness and longing.

此诗艺术之妙首在空间的层层递进与情感的螺旋收束。前两句『京口瓜洲一水间，钟山只隔数重山』纯写地理，以『一水间』『数重山』将瓜洲、京口、钟山三处串为一线，看似极近，实则以近写远、以地之近反衬归乡之难，为末句『还』字埋下伏笔。后两句由叙事转入写景抒情，『春风又绿江南岸』以极平常之景写极不平静之心，『又』字暗含年光流转、去国未归的怅惘。全诗章法上起承转合分明：起句设点，承句拓境，转句以景融情，合句以问收束，戛然而止而余味悠长。修辞上除炼字外，多用白描，不着丽藻而境界自出。意象选择上，『春风』『江南』『明月』皆传统思乡符号，经诗人组合，浅语中见深致，体现了宋诗『看似寻常最奇崛，成如容易却艰辛』的美学追求。更可注意者，四句之中前三句皆用地名与物象铺排，至末句方点出『我』之归思，由物及人、由景及情，结构极见经营。这种以景引情、以地问心的布局，使二十八字容纳了空间之广与时间之长，堪称七绝章法经济的典范。

Allusions

Jingkou (modern Zhenjiang), Guazhou (a ferry on the north bank of the Yangtze), and Mount Zhong (Zijin Mountain, Nanjing) are real places, the latter being Wang Anshi's retired home. 'Green' (绿) as a verb is adapted from Tang poets like Qiu Wei, but Wang perfected it. 'When will the bright moon shine on my return?' continues the tradition of moonlit homesickness, especially Li Bai's style.

本诗用典极淡，却处处可见意象传统的渊源。『明月』句化用李白《静夜思》『举头望明月，低头思故乡』及谢庄《月赋》『隔千里兮共明月』的明月怀远传统，以问月之辞写归思，是对前贤语典的暗袭与翻新。『绿』字虽为自铸，其修辞渊源则可上溯至『春风又绿』之意象群——丘迟《与陈伯之书》有『暮春三月，江南草长』，王维《送别》有『春草年年绿，王孙归不归』，皆以草色之绿喻归期；王安石以形容词作使动动词，使『绿』兼具色彩与动态，遂成千古独造。版本异文亦涉及训诂之争：或谓『绿』字本于《楚辞·招隐士》『王孙游兮不归，春草生兮萋萋』之青绿色调，或谓受李白『东风已绿瀛洲草』启发。无论所本何在，『绿』字以一字尽春风吹拂、生机萌动之态，后世奉为炼字典范，历代诗话论之不绝。亦有注家指出，『京口』『瓜洲』『钟山』三地皆实指，而非泛写，这种以真实地理入诗的做法，正见宋人尚理、重实的风气，与唐人好用典故虚写不同。

Commentary

Song dynasty Hong Mai's 'Rongzhai Essays' records Wang Anshi's process of refining the word 'green': he first used 'arrived' (到), then changed to 'passed' (过), 'entered' (入), 'filled' (满), and finally settled on 'green' (绿). Ming poet Xie Zhen also praised this, establishing its canonical status in Chinese poetics.

自南宋以来，此诗评点不绝。《容斋随笔》详记其炼字过程，开后世以『绿』字论诗之先河；明人杨慎《升庵诗话》称其『炼字高妙』；清人沈德潜《唐诗别裁》虽录唐音，亦推此作情韵兼胜。在传播史上，它因篇幅短小、意象清通而极早进入童蒙诵读，与《静夜思》并列为人皆能诵的思乡名篇。其经典地位尤赖『绿』字确立：自王安石后，『绿』作为春风的动词用法被反复模拟，却终无能出其右者。近代以来，它更因『炼字』考点成为语文教育中的必讲篇目，承载了古典诗歌语言锤炼的范式意义。值得注意的是，也有论者（如清人贺裳）认为末句『明月何时照我还』稍涉直白，然正因其浅近，方使全诗雅俗共赏。总体而言，此诗以二十八字浓缩地理、节候、归思三层意蕴，在宋诗以理胜的整体风气中独标情韵，堪称王荆公七绝压卷之一。其所以能动人千古，终在将政治家的抱负与诗人的乡愁熔于一炉，使一时一地之泊舟，化为普世之归思。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (level-tone starting with rhyme on first line)七言绝句（七绝）

Rhyme The rhymes belong to the upper level fifteen shān rhyme group: jiān, shān, huán.押平声删韵，间、山、还三字押韵，一韵到底，韵脚疏朗悠远，与思归绵邈之情相协。

Tone pattern Line 1: 京口瓜洲一水间 (píng zè píng píng zè zè píng); Line 2: 钟山只隔数重山 (píng píng zè zè zè píng píng).首句『京口瓜洲一水间』为仄仄平平仄仄平（间作平声），次句『钟山只隔数重山』仄平平仄仄平平，三句『春风又绿江南岸』平平仄仄平平仄，四句『明月何时照我还』平仄平平仄仄平，大体合七绝仄起首句入韵之常格。

Reading note The 28-character poem reads naturally; the third and fourth lines use the word 'green' for refined meaning and a question for lingering emotion, making it a representative quatrain by Wang Anshi.本诗虽为七绝，格律之分析却常让位于炼字之赏，然其声律仍值得留意。首句入韵，间、山、还同属删韵，开口舒缓，读来有江天辽阔、余味不尽之感，与诗人泊舟远望的空间感相生。第三句『又绿』以仄仄收住，陡转第四句平舒之问，声情由敛而放，将归思托向苍茫。整体平仄妥帖，未见拗救，正见宋人七绝法度谨严一面；而其所以动人，终在『绿』字以实词振起全篇，使声律为内容服务，而非内容就范于声律。删韵本属宽缓之韵，与『还』字所寄归思之绵长正相契合，声情与辞意于此高度统一，故虽短章而能低回不尽。

Line by line

京口瓜洲一水间，

Jingkou and Guazhou — a single river between.

京口与瓜洲只隔着一道江水

Jingkou and Guazhou are separated by a single strip of river.

起句以极简省的笔触点明泊舟之地与对岸方位。京口（镇江）与瓜洲分处长江南北，本是一衣带水，诗人偏说『一水间』，看似平淡叙事，实则将空间距离压缩到极致，为下文『只隔数重山』的钟山埋下对照。地理之近与归乡之远形成张力，咫尺江南却因身陷宦途而可望难即，淡淡的起笔里已隐含身不由己的况味，是全诗情感展开的地理支点。『间』字以平声收韵，声情疏朗，恰与江天辽阔之景相生，起笔便定下调子。

The opening marks the mooring place and the opposite bank in the sparsest stroke. Jingkou (Zhenjiang) and Guazhou lie on the north and south of the Yangtze, properly a strip of water apart; the poet says a single river between, seemingly plain narration, yet compressing the spatial distance to the extreme, planting the contrast for the several ranges of hills of Zhongshan below. The nearness of the geography and the distance of the homecoming form the tension: the southland within arm's reach, yet, held by official life, seen and not reached; the light opening already carries the sense of being unable to act for oneself, the geographic pivot of the poem's emotion. The word between ends in the level tone, the sound and feeling sparse and bright, matching the breadth of the river-and-sky scene, the tone fixed at the first stroke.

春风又绿江南岸，

The spring wind has greened the southern shore once more,

春风又一次吹绿了江南的堤岸

The spring wind has once more greened the southern banks of the Yangtze.

此句为全诗诗眼，千古传诵全在『绿』字。形容词作使动动词，将无形的春风写成有形的染色之手，既写出草色回青的色彩，又写出吹拂流动的生机，一字而兼具视觉与动感。『又』字尤不可轻放，它暗示诗人并非初见春绿，而是年复一年客中逢春，归期杳然，于明丽景语中暗藏韶光虚度、故园空望的隐痛。景愈美而情愈苦，正是以乐景写哀情的反衬笔法。据《容斋随笔》载，此字凡易十余次方定，其推敲之苦心，正成就了这一字之千古。

The line is the poem's eye, and its immortal fame rests wholly on the word green. The adjective used as a causative verb writes the intangible spring wind as the tangible hand of dyeing, at once the color of the grass turning green and the motion of the blowing life, one word carrying both sight and motion. The word again especially cannot be lightly set: it hints that the poet is not seeing the spring green for the first time, but meeting spring year by year in exile, the homecoming date unknown, the pain of wasted seasons and the empty gazing at the old home hidden within the bright words. The fairer the scene, the bitterer the feeling, precisely the reverse brush of writing grief through joyous scene. According to the Random Jottings of Rongzhai, this word was changed more than ten times before the settling; the labor of the polishing made the single word immortal.

明月何时照我还？

When will the bright moon shine on my homecoming?

天边的明月啊，你何时才能照着我回到故乡的怀抱？

Bright moon, when will you shine on my return home?

合句以问月作结，将前三句铺排的地理之近、春色之丽骤然收束为一声归叹。明月在传统诗学中本是团圆与远怀的意象，诗人不答归期，只问明月『何时照我还』，把渺茫的希望托付给不可期的天象，含蓄不尽。问而不答，余韵悠长，既见思归之切，亦见身居魏阙、心在钟山的矛盾，是宋人七绝以浅语蕴深情的上乘收束。这一问，将具体的泊舟之愁升华为永恒的乡愁符号，故能穿越时空而人人可感。

The closing ends in the asking of the moon, suddenly gathering the three lines' laid-out geographic nearness and spring brightness into one sigh of return. The bright moon, in traditional poetics, is the image of reunion and far longing; the poet, not answering the homecoming date, only asks the moon when will it shine on my return, committing the uncertain hope to the unforeseeable sky, restrained and unending. The question without answer, the aftertone long, showing at once the eagerness of the return and the contradiction of the court-dwelling heart on Zhongshan, the fine closing of the Song seven-character quatrain's deep feeling in plain words. This question raises the specific grief of the mooring into the eternal symbol of homesickness, hence crossing time and space to move all who read.

Study

Word focus

绿 Adjective used as verb (causative), depicting the dynamic process of the wind turning grass green. Wang Anshi reportedly tried over ten characters before settling on 'green', making it a famous example of word refinement. 『绿』字是古典诗歌炼字的巅峰之例。据洪迈记载，王安石曾改『到』『过』『入』『满』等十余字方定为『绿』。其妙处有三：一在词性活用，以形容词作使动，使春风具有『吹绿』的动作力量；二在感官打通，将季节推移写为可见的色彩漫染，由时间入空间；三在生机灌注，『绿』字自带春回大地、万物复苏的欣荣，恰与诗人政治上起伏、渴望有所作为的心境暗通。一字之易，境界全出，故能卓立千古而不朽。后世虽多有模拟，然终如清人所言，『人人能道而不能至』，足见其不可及。

又 The word 'again' implies that spring comes every year while the poet's return is uncertain, conveying helplessness. 『又』字看似寻常虚字，实为负重之词。它点明『春风绿岸』非初次见闻，而是羁旅客中年复一年的重复体验。重复的春色反衬出重复的等待，归期却始终落空，于是明丽的『又绿』之中便浸透了韶华空老的怅惘。宋诗长于于虚字见力，王安石以一『又』字绾合景与情，使乐景转成哀媒，足见其『看似寻常最奇崛』的造句匠心，不可因其浅近而忽之。正是这个『又』字，把一次偶然的泊舟，写成了半生漂泊的缩影。