宋 Song · 诗 Poem
上享郊庙 禋郊
Offering at the Suburban Temple: The Fire Sacrifice
回仗由黄道，鸣銮入翠宫。
忾思文武侑，诚与地天通。
登陛行裀彻，终祠坐幄空。
风云归绝域，星斗下遥穹。
壝际柴烟白，龛层烛焰红。
气祥书鲁观，福嘏萃尧躬。
海上鸡星动，楼前马队雄。
仆臣殊幸会，独得近重瞳。
Bells jingle as it enters the emerald palace.
With reverence he thinks of King Wen and King Wu accompanying the rite,
Sincerity links the earth with heaven.
Ascending the steps, the woven mats are removed,
After the sacrifice ends, the tent stands empty.
Wind and clouds return to the far borders,
Stars and Dipper descend from the distant vault.
At the altar's edge, the firewood smoke rises white,
In layered shrines, candle flames glow red.
Auspicious vapor is recorded at the Lu Observatory,
Blessings and joys gather upon the sage's person.
On the sea, the Rooster Star stirs,
Before the tower, the horse ranks are grand.
This humble servant is uniquely favored,
To draw near the Double-Pupiled One.
Meaning
This poem describes the grandeur of the imperial suburban sacrifice (郊祀) in the Northern Song dynasty. The emperor returns from the rite, his sincerity reaches heaven, the altar is cleared, auspicious signs appear, and the poet as an attendant expresses gratitude for being close to the ruler.
皇帝祭典的仪仗沿着黄道回转，銮铃鸣响间进入翠绿的宫城。主祭者感慨地追想着文王武王配享于此，一片诚心与天地相通。登上台阶，礼席上的裀褥撤去，祭祀终了，帐幄中显得空寂。风云仿佛归向那极远的天域，星斗垂落于高远的苍穹。祭坛边际，燎柴的烟气洁白升腾；层层神龛之中，烛火红焰摇曳。祥瑞之气被记在观测天象的台观之上，福泽与喜庆都聚集于圣主之身。海上鸡星移动，楼前马队雄壮。作为侍从之臣，我何等荣幸，得以亲近圣颜。
Appreciation
The poem systematically presents the imperial sacrifice scene: the procession's return, the emperor's reverent communion with the ancestral spirits, the solemn removal of ritual mats, the vast cosmic imagery of wind, clouds, and stars, the bright contrast of white smoke and red candle flames, and the auspicious omens recorded by the astronomy bureau. It closes with the poet's personal honor of nearing the emperor. The imagery is grand and orderly, typical of imperial eulogy verse.
【白话串讲】 张方平写郊庙祭祀：“回仗由黄道，鸣銮入翠宫”。“风云归绝域，星斗下遥穹”——“海上鸡星动，楼前马队雄”——他写皇家祭祀的隆重。 【意象与手法】诗以黄道、翠宫、裀席、幄帐、风云、星斗、柴烟、烛焰、鸡星、马队等朝廷祭祀意象层层铺排，色彩上白烟红焰相映，空间上由地及天、由近及远，构成宏大而整饬的郊庙图卷，是典型的应制颂体笔法。 【情感与主旨】表达对郊祀大典的庄重礼赞与对君主的颂美，体现北宋礼乐兴邦的政治理想，以及士大夫得与盛典、近侍清光的荣幸感，整体属庙堂雅颂之音。 【名句点睛】「风云归绝域，星斗下遥穹」以天地为之俯仰写祭祀之通神，气象开阔；「气祥书鲁观，福嘏萃尧躬」将祥瑞与君德绾合，是颂体点题之笔。
Background
Zhang Fangping (1007–1091) served four Song emperors and reached the post of Vice Grand Councilor. The poem records the emperor's personal performance of the suburban sacrifice, a major rite held every three years at the winter solstice. The Renzong emperor emphasized ritual music, and this poem reflects the era's political ideal of ordering the state through ritual, as well as the literati's honor in participating in such grand ceremonies.
张方平此诗题作「上享郊庙 禋郊」，所咏为北宋皇帝亲行南郊禋祭之典。禋祭者，以玉帛牲牷升烟而祀上帝，所谓「禋于六宗」「惟馨祀神」是也。北宋承唐制，每三年一郊，皇帝冬至亲祀昊天上帝于圜丘，配以祖宗，礼极隆重。张方平（1007—1091）历仕仁宗、英宗、神宗、哲宗四朝，官至参知政事，屡掌礼典，其集中颇多郊庙、恭谢、锡庆之作，此诗当是随驾侍祠、恭纪盛典之篇。仁宗朝尤重礼乐，郊祀既为报本反始之礼，亦为彰显太平、敷陈符瑞之盛会，故诗中有「气祥书鲁观」「福嘏萃尧躬」之语，既纪实录祥，亦寓颂圣。考宋代郊祀，前期斋戒、陈设、奠玉币、进熟、望燎，仪节繁缛，诗中「登陛行裀彻」「壝际柴烟白」正写升阶布席与望燎焚柴之实景。张方平以直臣著称，而论礼之作独尚典重，盖朝廷雅颂自有体制，不以个人纵横之气夺之。此诗之背景，实即北宋中叶右文政策下礼乐粲然的一帧剪影：皇帝亲郊，百官扈从，祥瑞书于观台，颂声作于掖垣，士大夫于其间既见太平之盛，亦见儒者以礼佐治之理想。
Art
The poem is a pentasyllabic regulated verse in eight couplets, written in the solemn style of temple hymns. Its artistic features include meticulous structure, vivid color contrast (white smoke vs. red flames), precise parallel couplets, and dignified diction drawn from ritual classics. The couplet 'Wind and clouds return to the far borders, / Stars and Dipper descend from the distant vault' shows the poet's ability to expand from concrete ritual action to cosmic vision, elevating the scene from earth to heaven.
此诗为五言排律，十六句八联，属郊庙颂体，其艺术特征在整与丽二字。其一，章法整饬：首联总起还宫，二联写诚通天地，三四联铺陈礼容与天象，五联写燎烟烛焰之色，六联写祥瑞福泽，七联写星象仪卫，尾联收以侍臣近圣。由仪式而天地，由天地而祥瑞，由祥瑞而人臣，层层推展，次序井然，绝无潦草。其二，设色丽密：诗中白烟、红焰、翠宫、星斗，冷暖相济，于庄穆中见绚烂，是唐以来郊庙歌辞的设色传统。其三，对仗精工：八联皆对，且多用当句对与流水对，如「风云归绝域，星斗下遥穹」以天地对举，「气祥书鲁观，福嘏萃尧躬」以瑞应君德绾合，工稳而不呆滞。其四，用字典重：「忾思」取《礼记》忾闻之意，写祭者感通先王；「裀」「幄」「壝」「龛」皆礼家专名，见其熟于典制。须指出，此类应制颂诗以称美为职，张方平虽以风骨立身，至此亦入廊庙体段，故其动人处在气象而不在性情——读其「风云归绝域」之开阔，可想见当时卤簿之盛，而难求其个人悲慨。这正是颂体之边界，亦宋人朝廷之作与个人之诗分途之一证。
Allusions
The poem employs several allusions: 'King Wen and King Wu accompanying the rite' refers to the practice of pairing ancestral kings with Heaven in sacrifice; 'Yellow Path' puns on the emperor's path, implying the ruler follows the middle way; 'Lu Observatory' alludes to the ancient state of Lu's astronomical platform where auspicious signs were recorded; 'sage's person' likens the emperor to the legendary sage-king Yao; 'Double-Pupiled One' refers to Shun, who was said to have double pupils in his eyes, a mark of imperial virtue.
诗中用典与礼制、祥瑞故实相缠，凡数处可指。一、「文武侑」用文王、武王配享之制。周人郊祀后稷以配天，宗祀文王于明堂以配上帝，后世帝王郊天必以祖配，宋太祖、太宗、真宗递配圜丘，诗中「忾思文武侑」即写主祭追念配享之祖考，兼及周文周武之德，「侑」者配食、助祭也。二、「黄道」本天文家谓日行之轨，诗中借指帝王所行御道，暗含天子行中道之意，与「翠宫」对举，见威仪。三、「鲁观」用鲁国观台之典。《左传》有公登观台以望而书气祥之事，鲁设观台以候灾祥，诗中「气祥书鲁观」即以鲁之观台代指本朝司天监、观象台之属，谓祥气之现载于台官之书。四、「尧躬」以尧比况当朝皇帝，谓福嘏萃于圣躬，乃颂体惯例，犹称圣主如尧。五、「重瞳」用舜目重瞳之典，以代指皇帝，《史记》称舜目盖重瞳子，后世遂以重瞳为帝王异相之称。六、「鸡星」为星官名，主时或主候，「海上鸡星动」写星象应礼而动，属祥瑞叙事。诸典皆不离郊祀、祥瑞、君德三端，恰见颂体用典典而不僻、丽而有则。
Commentary
Compared with Tang dynasty imperial poems like Wang Wei's morning audience piece, Zhang Fangping's work is less ornate and more grounded in ritual detail. It embodies the Song dynasty preference for order, learning, and restrained grandeur. While it lacks personal emotion, it excels in structural propriety and sincere ritual feeling, illustrating the distinct character of Song court poetry.
张方平诗在宋初诸家中不以藻丽见长，而此首郊庙颂作却极见典重，可与其《乐全集》中论礼、论乐之文合观。宋人论郊庙之乐，每重中和雅正，方回《瀛奎律髓》朝庙类所尚正此类庄雅之作。南宋陈振孙《直斋书录解题》评张氏文明白简易，移评此诗之体段亦通——虽为颂体，却不堆砌诡谲之辞，唯以次序、设色、对仗见功。清人编《宋诗钞》于张方平收诗不多，而郊庙诸篇独存，可见四库馆臣亦以朝廷雅音视之。与唐之郊庙歌辞（如《乐府诗集》所载《郊祀歌》《明堂歌》）相较，张诗去汉魏之古奥、远初唐之宏肆，而近本朝之平实，正是宋调以理法胜在颂体中的折射。又，此诗与王维、白居易所撰郊庙、朝会应制诗同属一体，而张方平直笔多于虚讽，较少王维九天阊阖式的富丽想象，亦少白氏新乐府的讽谕之志，纯以记盛为的。读此诗宜置于北宋礼乐文章之大背景下，方见其价值不在一联一句之巧，而在整篇体段之合度、礼意之肫诚——此即庙堂之作所以异于江湖吟咏者也。
Prosody
Line by line
回仗由黄道，鸣銮入翠宫。
The returning procession follows the emperor's path, and with bells ringing, enters the emerald palace. The 'Yellow Path' puns on both the astronomical ecliptic and the imperial road, implying the ruler's righteous course.
皇帝祭典的仪仗沿着黄道回转，銮铃鸣响间进入翠绿的宫城。
The imperial guard turns along the Yellow Road; with tinkling bells it enters the emerald palace.
此联为全诗起手，写郊祀既毕、帝驾还宫。妙在「黄道」二字作双关：天文家以黄道为日行之道，诗人移以指天子御路，暗含王者行中道、履至正之意，与下句「翠宫」的葱郁颜色对举，未写仪卫而威仪已具。鸣銮之「銮」本指车马悬铃，以声写行，使人想见卤簿徐动、佩玉鸣鸾之盛。两句一由道而入宫，空间由外而内，由动而静，于叙事中已收拾起一篇「还宫」的总纲。张方平此等起法不尚奇险，而以体制之正、气象之宏先声夺人，正应郊庙大礼庄重温厚的底色，非个人行旅酬唱可比。
This couplet opens the poem, writing the emperor's return to the palace after the suburban sacrifice. The beauty lies in the double sense of the Yellow Road: astronomers call the ecliptic the path of the sun, and the poet transfers it to the emperor's road, secretly meaning that the sovereign walks the middle way and treads the utmost rectitude; set against the emerald palace's lush color, the majesty is present though no guard is described. The tinkling bells, the bells hanging on the chariot, write the procession in sound, letting one imagine the slow moving retinue and the ringing of jade pendants. The two lines move from road to palace, space from outside to in, from motion to stillness, gathering within the narrative the whole outline of the return. Fangping's opening does not seek the strange or dangerous; with the rectitude of its form and the grandeur of its air it seizes the reader first, suiting the solemn, warm ground tone of the great suburban rite - no personal journey or matching verse.
风云归绝域，星斗下遥穹。
Wind and clouds withdraw to the farthest realms; stars and Dipper descend from the distant sky, symbolizing the cosmic resonance of the sacrifice.
风云仿佛归向那极远的天域，星斗垂落于高远的苍穹。
Wind and cloud retire to the farthest realms; the stars hang low from the distant vault.
此联是全诗最开阔的一处。上句写风云敛归天边绝远之域，下句写星斗低垂、仿佛下临遥穹，以天地为之俯仰写祭祀通神之境。一个「归」字把流动的风云收束到极远，一个「下」字把高悬的星斗拉近到人寰，一放一收之间，祭坛上的燎烟烛焰遂与整个宇宙呼应。张方平以直笔见长，这里却生出阔大的想象，可见颂体逢重大题材时亦能舒展。较之专写礼容的「登陛」「终祠」二联，此联跳出具体仪节，从空间上把人间的典礼提升到天人之际，是诗中由实入虚的关键一笔，气象近盛唐而应制，而措语仍宋人本色。
This couplet is the poem's broadest place. The first writes wind and cloud gathering back to the farthest edge of the sky; the second writes the stars hanging low, as if descending on the distant vault, using the bending of heaven and earth to write the realm where sacrifice communes with the gods. The word retires gathers the moving wind and cloud to the far edge; the word down brings the high-hung stars close to the human world; between the release and the gathering, the ritual fire and candles on the altar echo the whole universe. Fangping is known for a straight brush, yet here a broad imagination rises, showing that the ode, on a great subject, can unfold. Compared with the couplets describing the ritual bearing and the final sacrifice, this leaps out of the specific ceremonies and raises the human rite in space to the meeting of heaven and man - the key stroke from solid to void, its air near the High Tang, yet its phrasing still Song in nature.
气祥书鲁观，福嘏萃尧躬。
The auspicious vapor is recorded at the observatory; blessings gather upon the sage emperor, linking celestial omens with the ruler's virtue.
祥瑞之气被记在观测天象的台观之上，福泽聚集于圣主之身。
Auspicious breath is recorded on the Lu observatory; all blessings gather on the ruler's person.
此联为全篇点题之笔，将前面铺陈的天象、礼容收拢到君德与祥瑞的绾合上。「鲁观」用鲁国观台候祥之典，暗指本朝司天之台，意谓和气所感、嘉祥毕见，皆载于台官之书；「尧躬」以尧比君，谓福与嘏（大福）尽萃于圣躬。两句一外一内、一瑞一德，把郊祀的政治意义说尽：典礼之成，既见上天垂象，更见人君格天。张方平此时身为侍从，措语自当合于颂体，却并非空谀——仁宗朝屡书嘉瑞、重修礼乐，诗中所述皆有实事可征。读此联当知其分量在「书」与「萃」二字：祥瑞被记录，福泽被聚集，皆见典礼之效，而非虚美。
This couplet strikes the poem's theme, gathering the described celestial signs and ritual bearing into the knot of ruler's virtue and auspiciousness. The Lu observatory borrows the allusion to the Lu tower watching for omens, secretly meaning the dynasty's own astronomy tower: as harmony moves men, fair signs appear, all recorded in the officials' scroll. The ruler's person compares the ruler to Yao, meaning blessing and great felicity gather on his sacred person. The two lines, one outer one inner, one sign one virtue, spell out the political meaning of the suburban sacrifice: when the rite is complete, heaven's favor is seen and the ruler's virtue moves heaven. Fangping was then an attendant, and the phrasing suits the ode, yet it is not empty flattery - Renzong's reign repeatedly recorded fair omens and renewed the rites and music, and what the poem describes has facts to show. The weight of the couplet lies in the words recorded and gathered: auspiciousness is written down, blessings are gathered, both showing the rite's effect, not empty praise.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
二诗皆张方平所作，而一体一用悬殊。送苏诗写友人外放，以张翰鲈鱼、阮籍离是非之典慰其远适，语带宋人理遣之趣，是个人交游之作；此首写皇帝亲郊，铺陈礼容天象、祥瑞君德，纯为朝廷雅颂。两相比较，可见张方平诗有「廊庙」与「江湖」两副笔墨：处朝廷则典重整饬、称美必归于上，对友朋则疏朗隽永、以理自遣。同一人而体制之别如此，正说明宋人极重「辞随体异」——颂体不可挟个人纵横之气，赠答不可失友朋恳切之情。合观二者，方见其诗学全貌。
都下别友人 Farewell to a Friend in the Capital 张方平 · 同出张方平，一写南郊盛典一写都门离筵，皆涉「近君」与「远别」 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
此首以「独得近重瞳」收束，写侍臣得近天颜之幸；都下别友人则以「相期复何处，京洛旧风尘」写都门折柳、后会难期。二者一为公典、一为私别，而同出张方平手，皆围绕「在京」与「离京」展开：郊祀诗是因在朝而颂朝，别友诗是因友去而念旧。相较而言，郊祀诗气象宏阔、设色丽密，别友诗则语淡情真、以「市楼新酒醇」的平常物事写聚散。两诗对照，可见张方平在京之作有大小两种声音——对君主、对大典用廊庙之音，对故人、对离筵用疏淡之笔，各得其宜。
和贾舍人早朝大明宫之作 Harmonizing with Attendant Jia's Poem on the Morning Audience at Daming Palace 王维 · 同属朝堂应制，比较盛唐富丽与宋人质实之别 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
王维此诗与张方平郊庙之作同写宫廷盛典，皆朝堂应制之体。然王诗「九天阊阖开宫殿，万国衣冠拜冕旒」「日色才临仙掌动，香烟欲傍衮龙浮」，极写宫殿之弘丽、仪仗之煊赫，想象富而设色浓，是盛唐应制 typical 的堂皇；张诗则多写礼容实景（登陛撤席、燎烟烛焰）与祥瑞实录（气祥书观、福萃君躬），想象敛而措语质。二者高下不在工拙，而在时代风气：唐人应制尚富丽铺张，宋人尚典实序理。张方平此诗去王维之浮艳而存其整饬，正可视为宋调替代唐音于庙堂一体中的缩影。