宋 Song · 诗 Poem
咏柳
On the Willow
乱条犹未变初黄，倚得东风势便狂。
解把飞花蒙日月，不知天地有清霜。
But leaning on the east wind's power it grows wild.
It knows to use its flying catkins to veil the sun and moon,
Not knowing that heaven and earth hold a clear frost.
Meaning
The poet uses the willow as a metaphor for petty men who ride the wind of power and swagger for a time, yet know not the retribution that awaits.
杂乱的柳条还没变成初春的嫩黄，倚仗着东风便张狂起来。它懂得用漫天飞絮遮掩日月，却不知天地间还有凛冽的清霜在等着。
Appreciation
Unlike He Zhizhang's celebratory willow, this one is a portrait of arrogance. The personification builds step by step—'leaning,' 'wild,' 'knows to,' 'not knowing'—each verb tightening the likeness to a climber who mistakes borrowed wind for strength. The final line delivers the cold verdict: a frost waits in heaven and earth. The satire is restrained yet pointed, the 'clear frost' a chilling image of inevitable reckoning.
【白话串讲】 曾巩咏柳：“乱条犹未变初黄，倚得东风势便狂”——柳条刚借到东风就张狂。“解把飞花蒙日月，不知天地有清霜”——它以为飞花能遮天蔽日，却不知天地自有清霜。借物讽世，骂的就是那些得势小人。 【意象与手法】以柳喻得势小人，拟人（倚、狂、解、不知）层层递进，以“清霜”喻终将到来的惩罚。 【情感与主旨】借咏柳讽刺那些倚仗权势、张狂一时而不知危亡将至的小人，含警世之意。 【名句点睛】“不知天地有清霜”——以自然之霜喻世事之惩罚，冷峻警策。
Background
Zeng Gong was one of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song. This poem uses the willow to satirize petty men riding the winds of power.
《咏柳》为宋代曾巩所作，是写柳条狂舞、暗讽小人的诗。曾巩（1019—1083），字子固，建昌南丰人，宋代文学家、政治家。此诗：乱条犹未变初黄，倚得东风势便狂。解把飞花蒙日月，不知天地有清霜。全诗写柳条狂舞、暗讽小人，是曾巩诗的名篇。
Art
Entrusts meaning to the object (tuo wu yan zhi); personified satire, writing the man through the willow.
《咏柳》艺术上以柳条狂舞的描摹与暗讽小人的理趣见长。全诗四句：首写乱条倚风——“乱条犹未变初黄，倚得东风势便狂”写乱条犹未变初黄、倚得东风势便狂；末写飞花清霜——“解把飞花蒙日月，不知天地有清霜”写解把飞花蒙日月、不知天地有清霜。全诗以柳条狂舞写暗讽小人，正是曾巩诗理趣的笔法。
Allusions
Allusions in 'Ode to the Willow' run through 'the tangled twigs,' 'the first yellow,' 'the east wind,' 'the force of frenzy,' 'flying blossoms veiling sun and moon,' and 'the clear frost.' 'The clear frost' draws on the killing frost of autumn in old poetry. The poem lets the wildly dancing willow secretly satirize petty men, its allusions natural and its principle self-evident -- the manner of Zeng Gong's verse.
《咏柳》用典在“乱条”“初黄”“东风”“势便狂”“飞花蒙日月”“清霜”。“乱条”写乱条（纷乱柳条）；“初黄”写初黄；“东风”写东风；“势便狂”写势便狂；“飞花蒙日月”写飞花蒙日月；“清霜”用清霜之典（秋霜肃杀）。全诗以这些意象写柳条狂舞、暗讽小人，用典自然而理趣自见，正是曾巩诗的笔法。
Commentary
Critics called it 'gentle yet rich in satire, attaining the intent of the "wind" poets.'
《咏柳》是曾巩诗的名篇，也是宋诗中写讽喻理趣的代表作。此诗写柳条狂舞、暗讽小人，向为论者称道。论者多赏其柳条狂舞的描摹与暗讽小人的理趣——“乱条犹未变初黄，倚得东风势便狂”写乱条犹未变初黄、倚得东风势便狂，理趣之极；“解把飞花蒙日月，不知天地有清霜”用清霜之典写解把飞花蒙日月、不知天地有清霜，更见其讽。曾巩以散文大家著称，诗亦以理趣见长，此诗正是其代表——以柳条狂舞写暗讽小人，正是其诗风。
Prosody
Line by line
乱条犹未变初黄，倚得东风势便狂。
The tangled branches have not yet turned their first yellow; borrowing the east wind's power, they run riot.
乱条犹未变初黄，倚得东风势便狂。
The tangled twigs have not yet assumed their first yellow; leaning on the east wind, they run wild with power.
首写乱条犹未变初黄、倚得东风势便狂，是全诗写柳条狂舞的起点。“乱条犹未变初黄”写乱条犹未变初黄——“乱条犹未变初黄”写纷乱柳条尚未变初黄——乱条犹未变初黄；“倚得东风势便狂”写倚得东风势便狂——“倚得东风势便狂”写倚仗东风、势头便狂——倚得东风势便狂。二句写乱条犹未变初黄、倚得东风势便狂：乱条犹未变初黄，倚得东风势便狂。以“乱条犹未变初黄”写乱条未黄、柳条尚嫩，以“倚得东风势便狂”写倚得东风、势头便狂，正是曾巩诗写柳条狂舞的起点——乱条初黄，倚风便狂。
The opening writes 'the tangled branches have not yet turned their first yellow; borrowing the east wind's power, they run riot,' the starting point of the poem's picture of willow branches dancing wildly. 'The tangled branches have not yet turned their first yellow' writes the disordered twigs not yet yellowing, the willow still tender. 'Borrowing the east wind's power, they run riot' writes relying on the east wind and growing heady with its force. Two phrases: tangled twigs not yet yellow, leaning on the wind then running wild. 'Tangled branches not yet yellow' writes the willow tender and green; 'borrowing the east wind's power, they run riot' writes the headiness of its force. This is precisely the starting point of Zeng Gong's picture of willow branches in wild dance — first yellow twigs, leaning on the wind then running riot.
解把飞花蒙日月，不知天地有清霜。
They know how to shroud sun and moon in flying catkins, but know not that heaven and earth hold bright frost.
解把飞花蒙日月，不知天地有清霜。
They know how to hide sun and moon beneath flying catkins, but never know that heaven and earth have clear frost.
末用清霜之典写解把飞花蒙日月、不知天地有清霜，是全诗写暗讽小人的归结。“解把飞花蒙日月”写解把飞花蒙日月——“解把飞花蒙日月”写能将飞花遮蒙日月——解把飞花蒙日月；“不知天地有清霜”用清霜之典写不知天地有清霜——“不知天地有清霜”写不知天地之间还有清霜——不知天地有清霜。二句写解把飞花蒙日月、不知天地有清霜：解把飞花蒙日月，不知天地有清霜。以“解把飞花蒙日月”写飞花蒙日、一时遮天，以“不知天地有清霜”用清霜之典写不知天地、还有清霜，正是曾巩诗写暗讽小人的归结——飞花蒙日，天地清霜。
The closing uses the allusion of bright frost to write 'they know how to shroud sun and moon in flying catkins, but know not that heaven and earth hold bright frost,' the conclusion of the poem's covert satire of petty men. 'They know how to hide sun and moon beneath flying catkins' writes the ability to screen sun and moon with drifting down. 'Never know that heaven and earth have clear frost' uses the allusion of bright frost to write ignorance of the frost between heaven and earth. Two phrases: catkins shrouding the sun, yet unaware of heaven's frost. 'Hide sun and moon in flying catkins' writes the down veiling the sky for a moment; 'never know that heaven and earth have clear frost' uses the frost allusion for their ignorance that bright frost exists. This is precisely the conclusion of Zeng Gong's covert satire of the petty — catkins veiling the sun, while heaven and earth hold clear frost.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
贺知章《咏柳》写不知细叶谁裁出、二月春风似剪刀，与本首同为咏柳诗。差异在情致：曾巩咏柳写讽喻小人；贺知章咏柳写春风之赞。一写“讽”之刺，一写“赞”之美。两者并读，可见咏柳诗的两种情致。
杨柳枝词 Willow Branch Song 白居易 · 同为咏柳诗，一写飞花蒙日一写一树春风，一讽一咏 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
白居易《杨柳枝词》写一树春风千万枝、嫩于金色软于丝，与本首同为咏柳诗。差异在情致：曾巩咏柳写讽喻小人；白居易杨柳枝词写咏柳之美。一写“讽”之刺，一写“咏”之赞。两者并读，可见咏柳诗的两种情致。
早春呈水部张十八员外 Early Spring Presented to Zhang of the Water Department 韩愈 · 同为诗写春景物候，一写飞花蒙日一写草色遥看，一讽一赏 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
韩愈《早春呈水部张十八员外》写天街小雨润如酥、草色遥看近却无，与本首同为诗写春景物候。差异在情致：曾巩咏柳写讽喻得势；韩愈写早春之赏。一写“讽”之刺，一写“赏”之趣。两者并读，可见诗写春景物候的两种情致。