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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

六月二十七日望湖楼醉书

Written While Drunk at Wanghu Tower on the 27th Day of the Sixth Month

苏轼

Su Shi

写景Scenery 山水Landscape 闲适Leisure

黑云翻墨未遮山，白雨跳珠乱入船。
卷地风来忽吹散，望湖楼下水如天。

Black clouds like spilled ink yet haven’t covered the hills,
White raindrops like bouncing pearls tumble into the boat.
A sudden gale from the ground blows them all away,
Below Wanghu Tower, the water mirrors the sky.

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Meaning

This poem captures the fleeting summer storm on West Lake: dark clouds roll in, rain pours down, then a wind blows it away, leaving the lake as calm as the sky.

黑云像打翻的墨汁一样翻滚涌来，还没来得及遮住远方的山峦；白色的雨点像跳动的珍珠，纷纷乱乱地溅入船中。忽然一阵卷地而来的狂风，将乌云和急雨统统吹散；再看那望湖楼下，湖水碧蓝澄澈，宛如长天一般。诗人醉中于西湖望湖楼头即景挥毫，四句写尽一场夏日骤雨由生而灭的全过程：云翻、雨跳、风卷、水如天，动极而归于静，在自然奇景的流转中，见出诗人从容观变、旷达自适的胸襟。

Appreciation

The first two lines use vivid metaphors ('spilled ink' for clouds, 'bouncing pearls' for raindrops) and contrasting colors (black and white) to portray the sudden storm. The last two lines show the rapid change as the wind scatters the rain, ending with a serene view of water and sky merging. The dynamic verbs and sharp contrasts create a cinematic effect, reflecting the poet's carefree spirit.

【白话串讲】黑云像打翻的墨汁，白雨像跳动的珠子砸进船里；一阵风来，云散雨收，望湖楼下水天一色。苏轼把一场急雨，写成了十五分钟的电影。【意象与手法】全诗四句写四景，如电影分镜依次推出云、雨、风、水四个镜头，转换极速、一气流转。比喻精切：「翻墨」以色写云之浓黑翻滚，「跳珠」以珠写雨之晶莹跳动；动词「翻」「跳」「卷」「吹」串联全篇，节奏紧促，而末句陡然放缓为「水如天」的宁静，动静张弛之间对比强烈，极具画面感与音乐性。四句皆写景而无一字抒情，然观变不惊的旷达心境自然流露，正见东坡随物赋形之妙。【情感与主旨】此诗作于宋神宗熙宁五年（1072）六月二十七日，苏轼任杭州通判时，于西湖望湖楼上饮酒醉书，适逢夏日骤雨倏来倏去，遂即景成篇。时王安石变法方行，苏轼因与新党政见不合自请外任，诗中于风云变幻的静观中，见其从容不迫、旷达洒脱的胸襟。【名句点睛】常考「黑云翻墨未遮山，白雨跳珠乱入船」的比喻赏析——「翻墨」「跳珠」以墨汁、珍珠喻云雨，写骤雨之急骤有力；「卷地风来忽吹散」的「忽」字见天气变幻之迅疾；「望湖楼下水如天」以景结情，境界开阔宁静。默写易错字：翻墨、跳珠、卷地、水如天。

Background

Written in 1072 when Su Shi was serving as Vice-Magistrate of Hangzhou. On the 27th day of the sixth lunar month, while drinking at Wanghu Tower, he witnessed a sudden summer storm come and go, and composed this poem in a drunken state. At the time, political reforms were underway, but Su Shi's poem reveals his broad-mindedness and enjoyment of nature.

此诗作于宋神宗熙宁五年（1072）六月二十七日，时年苏轼三十六岁，任杭州通判。诗题中的「醉书」二字点明为酒酣即兴之作：诗人与友人在西湖畔望湖楼上宴饮，适逢夏日骤雨倏来倏去，遂乘醉命笔，即景成篇。本年正值王安石变法雷厉推行之际，苏轼因与新政主政者政见不合，自请外任，先通判杭州，湖山之胜与宦海风波恰成对照，西湖成了他排遣怀抱、随物观化的精神天地。六月二十七日这一天，望湖楼上酒席未散，骤雨忽至：先是黑云翻涌、白雨跳珠，继而卷地风来、云散雨收，湖水复如长天般澄碧，一场夏雨的生灭过程尽收眼底，东坡拈笔一挥而就。此诗与《饮湖上初晴后雨》同写西湖，一写晴雨皆宜之常态，一写骤雨倏忽之变景，是苏轼早期写景七绝的双璧。望湖楼在杭州西湖畔昭庆寺前，为五代吴越钱氏所建，登楼可纵览湖山全貌，是当时西湖第一名胜，此诗即于楼头即景写生，遂成千古名篇。此诗为《六月二十七日望湖楼醉书》五首组诗之第一首，五首分写醉书时所见西湖之湖光山色、骤雨晴霁与夜色月色，而以写骤雨之第一首最为传诵。苏轼一生两度仕杭，与西湖结下不解之缘，后筑苏堤、浚西湖，此诗正是其杭州情缘的最早见证之一，也为日后「欲把西湖比西子」的深情埋下伏笔。

Art

The poem consists of four scenes—clouds, rain, wind, water—transitioning rapidly like film shots. The metaphors are striking: 'spilled ink' captures the dense black clouds, 'bouncing pearls' the swift raindrops. The verbs 'roll', 'jump', 'roll up', 'blow' create a dynamic rhythm that abruptly slows to the calm image of water like sky. This contrast between movement and stillness enhances the pictorial effect.

全诗四句写四景，如电影分镜依次推出云、雨、风、水四个镜头，转换极速，一气流转。首句「黑云翻墨未遮山」写雨前乌云翻涌，「未遮山」三字极见分寸，写出黑云初起、尚未来得及遮住山峦的瞬间，雨势之骤由此可见。次句「白雨跳珠乱入船」正面写雨，「跳珠」喻雨之晶莹跳动，「乱」字写雨点纷杂，船舷上水珠迸溅之态如在目前，一黑一白、一云一雨，色彩对比鲜明。第三句「卷地风来忽吹散」陡然一转，写狂风卷地而来，将乌云急雨尽数吹散，「忽」字见天气变幻之迅疾，转折利落，不留痕迹。结句「望湖楼下水如天」写雨霁天晴，湖水澄碧如天，境界豁然开朗。全诗以动词「翻」「跳」「卷」「吹」串联，节奏紧促，而末句陡然放缓为水如天的宁静，动静张弛之间对比强烈，极具画面感与音乐性。四句皆写景而无一字抒情，然诗人从容观变、旷达自适的心境自然流露，正见东坡随物赋形、触处皆春的高超笔力。尤妙在虚实相生：云、雨、风皆动景而实写，水如天则静景而虚化，以虚收实，余味无穷；「未遮山」之未、「忽吹散」之忽，两个虚字一收一放，写出骤雨欲来未至、既至忽止的节律，正是苏轼「出新意于法度之中」的体现。

Allusions

The 'spilled ink' metaphor for clouds follows a tradition from Han Yu's poetry. 'Bouncing pearls' for raindrops alludes to Bai Juyi's line 'big and small pearls falling into a jade plate.' Wanghu Tower was built during the Five Dynasties period. The poem uses minimal literary allusion, relying on direct description to showcase Su Shi's observational skill.

此诗即景信笔，少用典而纯以白描状景，然数处比喻暗承前代诗脉。「翻墨」以墨汁倾翻喻乌云，承唐人写骤雨「天宇忽开霁」一类笔意，以浓黑写云之翻涌，使乌云有了重量与动势；「跳珠」状雨点迸溅，化用白居易《琵琶行》「大珠小珠落玉盘」之珠喻，把雨声雨态写得有声有色、晶莹圆转。望湖楼为西湖名胜，五代吴越国所建，白居易守杭时亦有湖楼听雨之作，东坡此诗于楼头写骤雨，与白氏西湖诗遥相呼应。全诗四句四景，以白描为主，取眼前景、写眼前事，不堆砌典故，而「未遮山」「水如天」等语又自然含浑成气象，正见苏轼「出新意于法度之中，寄妙理于豪放之外」的创作主张。通篇无一僻典，而意象精切、气韵飞动，以自然天工胜于人工雕琢，是宋诗以俗为雅、随物赋形理论的生动实践。「水如天」亦承王勃《滕王阁序》「秋水共长天一色」的江天一色之境，而化赋为诗，更见凝练；白居易守杭时「未能抛得杭州去，一半勾留是此湖」，苏轼继其踪而写西湖骤雨，两代诗人于湖上遥相唱和，亦为西湖文学一段佳话。全诗以白描为主而暗含用事，正是东坡「无一字无来历，然不使人觉」的高明处。

Commentary

Ji Yun of the Qing dynasty praised this poem for its natural charm and vivid depiction of movement. Modern scholar Chen Yan remarked that the phrases 'spilled ink' and 'bouncing pearls' paint the sudden rain so vividly that others could not achieve it.

此诗为苏轼西湖题材名篇，历来评家推崇其写骤雨之传神。清代纪昀评苏诗谓此首「天趣洋溢，工于写动态」，点出全诗以动写景、一气流转的特点。近人陈衍《宋诗精华录》评「翻墨」「跳珠」四字「写骤雨如画，他人不能道」，以为炼字精绝、状物入神。全诗四句二十八字，将一场夏雨的生起、急骤、吹散、放晴完整再现，与《饮湖上初晴后雨》并称东坡西湖双璧。此诗的价值不仅在其写景之工，更在其以旷达胸襟观照自然之变：骤雨倏来倏去，恰如宦海风波之起落无端，而诗人立于楼头，静观其变，风雨过后湖天一色，正见东坡「一蓑烟雨任平生」式的从容。诗中动静相生、张弛有度的章法，与「翻墨」「跳珠」等精切比喻，至今仍被视作写景诗的典范，屡入选各类教材，成为苏轼早期诗风由清丽走向豪放之间的重要见证。钱锺书《宋诗选注》论苏轼诗风，特标其比喻「丰富、新鲜和贴切」，此诗「翻墨」「跳珠」正为显例，以寻常物事写骤雨奇观，比喻精切而自然天成。近人又有以「镜头感」论此诗者，谓四句如四格画面，云起、雨落、风卷、天青，蒙太奇式地再现一场夏雨，正是其历久弥新、雅俗共赏的原因。此诗与《饮湖上初晴后雨》至今仍为杭州西湖的文化名片，镌刻于湖山之间，代代传诵。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (jueju)七言绝句（七绝，仄起首句入韵式）

Rhyme Mountains, boat, sky (level tone, Xiaping Yixian rhyme)首句「山」属上平十五删，为借邻韵（孤雁出群格）；「船」「天」属下平一先，删、先为邻韵通押

Tone pattern First line starts with level tone and rhymes仄起平收，首句入韵；全诗四句两联，前两句写骤雨骤至，后两句写风过雨霁

Reading note Improvised while drunk, this poem captures the fleeting West Lake storm, with novel metaphors and a lively rhythm.此诗为七言绝句，二十八字，属近体诗中最短小的体裁。首句「黑云翻墨未遮山」仄起平收，押平声韵，格律为仄仄平平仄仄平，起势沉实；「山」属上平十五删，「船」「天」属下平一先，删、先为邻韵，首句借邻韵而押，即所谓「孤雁出群格」，在唐人七绝中多有先例，苏轼用之不觉其异。全诗两句一意，前两句写骤雨骤至，后两句写风过雨霁，结构上先合后开：三句「卷地风来忽吹散」一「吹」转合，四句「望湖楼下水如天」一「如」放开，章法紧峭。声律上，前两句入声字（黑、墨、白、入）密集，音调短促，与骤雨之急促相应；后两句入声字减少，「吹散」「如天」以平声收束，音节舒展，与雨霁之宁静相谐，声情与辞情浑然一体，最宜诵读，是七绝中写景名篇的典范。

Line by line

黑云翻墨未遮山

Black clouds like spilled ink haven’t yet covered the hills—depicting the dark, rolling clouds before the storm.

乌云像打翻的墨汁般翻滚涌来，还没来得及遮住远方的山峦。

Black clouds like spilled ink roll up, not yet veiling the hills.

首句写骤雨将至的瞬间。「翻墨」以墨汁倾翻喻乌云，既写云色之浓黑，又写其翻滚涌动的态势，赋乌云以重量与动势；「未遮山」三字更见炼字之妙，写出黑云初起、正欲笼罩山峦而尚未遮尽的一刹那，雨势之骤、天色之变尽在其中。诗人不写雨而先写云，以云的翻涌蓄足声势，为次句雨点之「跳」作铺垫。黑云翻墨，色调浓重，与下句「白雨跳珠」的明亮恰成对比，一暗一明，骤雨之奇观由此展开。首句以动写静、以色蓄势，起笔即抓住骤雨将至的最具张力的瞬间，是苏轼「状难写之景，如在目前」的典型笔墨。

The opening line writing the sudden-rain's-about-to-arrive instant. The spilled-ink's using the overturned ink for the black clouds, at once writing the cloud-color's thick-black, and its rolling-undulation's momentum, granting the black cloud the weight-and-motion; the not-yet-veiling-the-hills three words' the more seeing the character-refining wonder, writing the black-cloud's first-rising's about-to-veil-the-hills-and-yet-not-fully's split second, the rain's suddenness and sky's change all within. The poet's not writing the rain and yet first writing the cloud, using the cloud's rolling's full-force-storing, storing the ground for the second line's rain-drop's leap. The black-cloud-spilled-ink, the tone's heavy, with the below's white-rain-leaping-pearl's brightness's contrast, one-dark-one-bright, the sudden-rain's wonder hence unfolding. The opening using motion for stillness and color for momentum, the opening's seizing the sudden-rain's-about-to-arrive's most tense instant, Su Shi's depict-the-hard-to-depict-scene-as-in-present-eye typical brush.

白雨跳珠乱入船

White raindrops like bouncing pearls tumble into the boat—vividly describing the rapid and chaotic rain.

白亮的雨点像跳动的珍珠，纷纷乱乱地溅入船中。

White rain like leaping pearls falls in confusion into the boat.

次句正面写雨。「跳珠」以跳动的珍珠喻雨点，既写雨色之白亮晶莹，又写雨势之急骤有力，雨点砸落船板、迸溅弹跳的动态如在目前；「乱」字写雨点纷杂无章，以密集之「乱」状雨势之猛，兼写船上之人躲闪不及的忙乱。「白雨」对「黑云」，色彩对比鲜明，画面感极强。此句把骤雨写得有声有色：珠落之脆响、迸溅之形态俱可感知。一「跳」一「乱」，雨之动态愈显鲜活，是苏轼以一字尽传精神的炼字功夫，历来与「翻墨」并称写雨双绝，为写骤雨的千古名句。

The second line directly writing the rain. The leaping-pearl's using the leaping pearl for the raindrop, at once writing the rain's white-brightness-and-crystal, and the rain's urgency-and-force, the raindrop's smashing-the-boat-plank-and-bouncing's motion as in present eye; the luan word writing the raindrop's mixed-confusion, using the dense luan for the rain's fury, and writing the boat-person's dodge-impossible's bustle. The white-rain and black-cloud's parallel, the color contrast's sharp, the picture quality's extreme. This line writing the sudden rain's sound-and-color: the pearl's brittle sound and the splash's form's both perceivable. One leap and one luan, the rain's motion the more vivid, Su Shi's one-character-transmits-spirit character-refining craft, through-the-ages with the spilled-ink's jointly-called rain-writing double marvels, the sudden-rain's through-the-ages famed line.

卷地风来忽吹散

A gale sweeps from the ground and suddenly blows them away—highlighting the abrupt change of weather.

忽然一阵卷地而来的狂风，将乌云急雨统统吹散。

A ground-sweeping wind suddenly rises and blows all away.

第三句陡转，写雨霁之由。「卷地」写风势之猛，狂风贴着地面席卷而来，极见力度；「忽」字是句眼，写天气变幻之迅疾，前两句蓄足的黑云白雨之势，被一个「忽」字轻轻带过，转折利落、不露痕迹。此句在章法上是全诗的中枢：上承云雨之急骤，下启水天之宁静，一「吹」字使满盘皆活。诗人以「卷地风」为骤雨收场，正是对自然伟力的从容欣赏，风来雨散，干净利落，为结句的豁然开朗蓄势。全诗四句，唯此句见「风」，而风之力足以收拾前文云雨之势，句法之劲峭、转折之迅疾，最见东坡笔力。

The third line's sharp turn, writing the rain's clearing cause. The ground-sweeping writing the wind's fury, the fierce wind's ground-skirling sweeping, the force's extreme; the hu word the line's eye, writing the weather's change's rapidness, the above two lines' full-stored black-cloud-and-white-rain momentum, by the one hu word's lightly carried, the turn's neat and no trace. This line in the craft's the whole poem's hub: above inheriting the cloud-rain's urgency, below opening the water-sky's stillness, the one chui word making the whole board alive. The poet's using the ground-sweeping-wind for the sudden-rain's closing, precisely the natural-force's composed appreciation, the wind's coming and rain's scattering, clean-and-neat, storing the force for the close's open-clear. The whole poem four lines, only this line's seeing the wind, and the wind's force's enough to gather the above's cloud-rain momentum, the syntax's vigor and the turn's rapidness, the most seeing Dongpo's brush power.

望湖楼下水如天

Below Wanghu Tower, the water mirrors the sky—ending with a calm, expansive scene after the storm.

再看望湖楼下，湖水碧蓝澄澈，宛如长天一般。

Below the Wanghu Tower, the water is like the sky.

结句写雨过天晴之景，境界豁然开朗。「水如天」以长天喻湖水，写雨霁之后湖水澄碧明净、水天一色的开阔景象，前文云翻雨跳的喧嚣躁动，至此尽化为宁静澄明。此句以景结情，无一字抒情而诗人旷达自适的心境自在其中：骤雨倏来倏去，正如人生风波之起落无端，而风雨过后湖天一色，正见东坡宠辱不惊、随遇而安的襟怀。全诗由动入静、由急入缓，「如天」二字更将局部之景拓为天地之境，湖与天相接，余味悠长，是苏轼以自然之变写人生之悟的妙笔，亦是全诗四景收束于最开阔处的高明章法。

The closing line writing the rain-passed-and-sky-cleared scene, the realm's suddenly open. The water-like-sky's using the long sky for the lake water, writing the rain-cleared lake's clear-green-and-bright and water-sky-one-color's open scene, the above's cloud-rolling-and-rain-leaping's noise-and-restlessness, to here's all turned into the stillness-and-clarity. This line using the scene's feeling-close, not one word of feeling and yet the poet's open-and-self-content mind's within: the sudden rain's suddenly-comes-and-suddenly-goes, precisely like the life's wind-wave's rising and falling without reason, and the wind-rain's past's lake-sky-one-color, precisely seeing Dongpo's favor-and-disgrace's undisturbed and anywhere-at-peace breast. The whole poem from motion to stillness, from urgency to ease, the like-sky two words' the more expanding the local scene into the heaven-earth realm, the lake and sky's meeting, the aftertaste long, Su Shi's nature's-change-writes-life's-awakening wondrous brush, and the whole poem's four-scene's closing at the most open place's master craft.

Study

Word focus

翻墨 spilled ink (metaphor for black clouds) 「翻墨」是全诗第一个比喻，以打翻的墨汁喻乌云。「翻」字写云之动态，不是静止的堆积，而是翻滚涌动、急速蔓延，赋予乌云以重量与声势；「墨」字写云之颜色，浓黑如墨，色调沉郁厚重。二字合观，乌云由静变动的画面感扑面而来。与「未遮山」相配，更写出黑云骤起、尚未来得及遮蔽山峦的瞬间，雨前之景逼真如画。后人多以「翻墨」写夏云骤变，正自此诗而来。此喻以日常之物状眼前之景，化抽象为具体，深得苏轼「随物赋形」之妙，是宋诗以俗为雅、白描传神的一个典范。炼字精切而不失自然，正是此诗千百年来传诵不衰的重要原因。

跳珠 bouncing pearls (metaphor for white raindrops) 「跳珠」以跳动的珍珠喻雨点，是历来传诵的写雨妙喻。「跳」字写雨点之动态，雨珠砸落船板后迸溅弹跳，活泼灵动；「珠」字写雨点之形态与色泽，晶莹圆润、白亮如珠。「跳珠」与「乱入船」相配，雨点纷乱溅入船舱之景如在目前，声、色、态三者俱全。此喻化用白居易「大珠小珠落玉盘」的珠玉意象，而由听声转为观形，更见视觉的巧思。苏轼善以珠喻雨，其《有美堂暴雨》亦有「跳珠」之语，可见此字实为其写雨的心头好。一「跳」字赋予雨点以生命的活泼，使骤雨不再是可怕的天变，而成了可赏的奇景，精炼传神，千古不易。

乱 chaotically (depicting the disorderly raindrops) 「乱」字写雨点纷杂溅落之态，是全句的传神之笔。雨点本无秩序，「乱」字正写出暴雨倾泻时雨珠密集、此起彼落、纷纷扑入船中的忙乱景象，既见雨势之急骤猛烈，又暗写船上人避雨不及的仓促，画面动态十足。此字看似寻常，实为炼字所得：若作「急」「密」则仅写雨势，唯「乱」字兼写人与雨的交织，使景物有了人的气息。与「跳珠」相配，一跳一乱，雨之动态愈显鲜活。苏轼写景善用虚字点睛，「乱」字正是其「以一字尽传精神」的体现，历代论者多以此为骤雨写生的神采所在，可见寻常字在高手笔下亦能焕发奇彩。

卷地 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「卷地」写风势之猛，狂风贴着地面席卷而来，横扫一切。「卷」字状风之形态，如席卷、如翻卷，写出风力之大、速度之快；「地」字写风之低扫，紧贴地面，更显其势不可当。二字合观，暴风骤至、草木尽偃的画面如在目前。此句「卷地风来忽吹散」是全诗转折的关键，前两句云翻雨跳的声势，皆赖此一阵「卷地风」收拾干净，一「卷」一「吹」，风之威力毕现。后人有「卷地风来」之语写狂风，多自此诗化出。以「卷地」状风，化无形为有形，正是苏轼体物入微、以实写虚的高明处，也见出全诗四句以风为转折枢纽的章法匠心。