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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

喜雪

Joy in Snow

张方平

Zhang Fangping

山水Landscape 田园Pastoral 边塞Frontier 愁思Melancholy

愆阳干岁事，斋殿轸予忧。
默为斯民祷，心从六事求。
同云俄蔽景，盈尺忽呈休。
淅沥千琼树，峥嵘万玉楼。
尘氛开紫宙，气象露皇州。
雕鹗精神劲，松筠操禀优。
边庭伤久戍，农亩庆来麰。
咨尔臣邻地，常期九叙修。

The untimely warmth harms the year's work;
In the fastness hall, my heart aches with care.
Silently I pray for the people,
My mind seeks through the Six Matters.
The unified clouds suddenly veil the sun,
A foot of snow auspiciously appears.
Drizzling on a thousand jade trees,
Lofty rise ten thousand jade towers.
Dust and haze open to the purple dome,
The imperial city's countenance is revealed.
Eagles and falcons, spirit vigorous,
Pines and bamboos, integrity excellent.
The frontier grieves for long garrison,
Farmlands rejoice for the coming wheat.
Alas, you ministers and neighbors,
Ever hope the Nine Works are ordered.

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Meaning

This poem expresses joy over a timely snow after a dry winter. The poet, from a ruler's perspective, worries about the farming calendar, prays sincerely, and then celebrates the snow as an auspicious sign. He describes the snowy landscape, praises the fortitude of eagles and pines, and finally turns to frontier soldiers and future harvests, urging his ministers to maintain good governance.

冬天的暖气失了节度，妨害了一年的农事；斋居的殿里，这件事让我心里发痛。默默地替百姓祈祷，把心思放在商汤当年自责的那六件事上反躬求索。忽然间阴云连成一色，把日光全遮住了；转眼积雪已深一尺，天意呈出了一份吉庆。千树挂雪，淅沥有声，如琼枝摇动；万楼积白，峥嵘高耸，像玉阙层叠。尘土的气息被这场雪洗净，天宇为之开朗；京城的气象，也在一片素白里显露出来。雕和鹗在寒气中精神更见刚劲，松和竹的操守本来就格外坚贞。只是想到边地将士久戍苦寒，心里不忍；而田亩间将有大麦的丰收，可以称庆。告诉你们这些为臣为邻的人吧：我常盼望的，是九项事功件件都得到治理。

Appreciation

The poem begins with anxiety over drought, moves through prayer, and then releases into delight as snow arrives. The imagery of jade trees and jade towers is vivid, while the eagle and pine couplet subtly praises the moral fiber expected of ministers. The closing admonition to officials grounds the joy in practical governance, making this a work of statesmanship rather than mere nature description.

【白话串讲】张方平写《喜雪》：“愆阳干岁事，斋殿轸予忧”——天旱让他忧虑。“同云俄蔽景，盈尺忽呈休”——忽然下雪了。“淅沥千琼树，峥嵘万玉楼”——“边庭伤久戍，农亩庆来麰”——他高兴，因为瑞雪兆丰年，边军和农人都受益。【意象与手法】全诗以一场雪串起天时、物色、人格、民生四层。写雪不着雪字，只用琼树、玉楼、盈尺、淅沥、峥嵘诸语从旁托出，是咏物的正路。俄与忽两个副词把久旱的沉闷一举撞开，长篇排律因此有了转折之势。雕鹗与松筠一联最见用心，看似写鸟写树，实则写朝廷所望于臣子的骨力，比体过渡而不着痕迹。【情感与主旨】题曰喜雪，而通篇的重量并不在喜。前有愆阳之忧，中有六事之责，后有久戍之伤，喜只是这一串忧念中间的一次松动。诗末以尚书语作结，把一场好雪归到九功惟叙的治道上去，可见作者所关心的始终是钱谷甲兵、麦收边饷这些实事，而非雪景本身。【名句点睛】淅沥千琼树，峥嵘万玉楼一联，以千万铺张，以琼玉设色，一耳一目，声色俱到，是全诗最经得起单看的句子。边庭伤久戍，农亩庆来麰一联则以一伤一庆并置，在应制喜雪的场合插进一句痛语，使全篇免于一味谐媚，气骨由此立住。

Background

Zhang Fangping (1007–1091), courtesy name Andao, was a Song dynasty statesman known for his expertise in frontier affairs and financial administration. This poem likely responds to an imperial composition on the occasion of a timely snow after a prayer for rain. In the Song dynasty, emperors would fast and pray during winter droughts, and upon snow, courtiers would offer celebratory verses. The poem adopts the imperial voice, as indicated by 'my heart aches' and 'you ministers,' and reflects the institutional and political context of court poetry.

张方平（一〇〇七至一〇九一），字安道，晚号乐全居士，应天府宋城人。少时家贫无书，从人借三史读之，一览成诵；举茂材异等，历知昆山、睦州、益州，两度出任三司使，官至参知政事，谥文定，苏轼为撰墓志。他在朝以论边事、精财计著称，本传记其陈平戎之策、论茶盐钞法之弊，一生用力处多在钱谷甲兵这类实务。读这首喜雪，须先记住他这一副面目，才明白诗的收束为何落在麦收与边戍上，而不落在雪的姿态上。北宋以农立国，冬雪关系麦收，朝廷因此有祈雪之礼。冬月久暖无雪，天子便斋居别殿，减膳彻乐，遣官祷于天地宗庙社稷；一旦得雪，有司上表称贺，或赐宴，或唱和赋诗。仁宗一朝屡因冬旱下诏责躬求言，士大夫应制之作甚多，此诗即产生在这样的制度气氛里。诗的口吻颇可推究。斋殿轸予忧的予，咨尔臣邻地的尔，都是人主语气，与臣子自述不合，当是应和御制喜雪之作而代原唱立言，或径以拟作视之。宋人唱和依原唱口吻发声并不罕见。也正因是代言，全诗的忧与喜都摆在朝廷这一层：忧的是岁事，祷的是斯民，喜的是来麰，伤的是久戍，告诫的是臣邻。它是一篇有制度背景、有政务内容的诗，而非文人赏雪的小品。理解到这一层，末句常期九叙修才不至于被读成套语。

Art

The poem is a five-character extended regulated verse (pailü) of sixteen lines. It moves through distinct temporal phases: worry, prayer, snow arrival, snowy scenes, moral symbolism, and final admonition. The use of paired couplets is skillful, especially 'Drizzling on a thousand jade trees' and 'Lofty rise ten thousand jade towers,' which appeal to both sound and sight. The pivot from natural description to human concern is achieved through metaphor, as eagles and pines represent resolute character. The poem maintains a serious, dignified tone throughout, avoiding mere flattery.

十六句排律最怕板滞，此诗的解法是把时间切成小段，一段一转，推着往前走。开头两句写旱，愆阳干岁事是外面的天时，斋殿轸予忧是里面的心事，一外一内先立起格局；接两句写祷，默为斯民祷是行事，心从六事求是反躬，一行一思又是一层；再两句写雪来，再两句写雪景，再两句写雪后气象，再两句由物色转人格，再两句转民生，末两句才落到告诫。八联无一联停在原处，所以篇幅虽长而气不散。写雪只用淅沥千琼树、峥嵘万玉楼一联，却抵得上通篇。千与万是数目上的铺张，琼与玉是质地上的比拟，淅沥属耳，峥嵘属目，一联之内声色兼备，而始终不肯说出雪字，是咏物诗不犯题的老规矩。上句取细碎低柔之声，下句取高峻洪亮之势，两句的音色也恰好相反相成。最见心思的是雕鹗精神劲、松筠操禀优。前面一直在写天写雪，此处忽然写鸟写树，其实写的是人：雕鹗迎寒而愈健，松筠受冻而不改，所指是朝廷所望于臣子的风骨。由天时说到人事，中间不加一字解释，全凭比体过渡，这是排律中段最容易松掉的地方，作者偏在此处安了一副骨架。末联收在咨尔臣邻地、常期九叙修，用尚书的语汇作结，把一场雪归到治道上去。而更要紧的是收束之前那一联：边庭伤久戍，农亩庆来麰。喜雪之作最易堕入颂圣，此诗却在喜的正中间插入一句伤，使全篇的调子由谐媚转为郑重。一伤一庆并列于同一联，两种情绪彼此牵制，正是这首应制诗还能读的原因。

Allusions

The poem draws on classical texts: 'untimely warmth' (愆阳) from the Zuozhuan; the 'Six Matters' (六事) from Shang Tang's self-blame during a drought; 'unified clouds' (同云) from the Book of Songs; 'coming wheat' (来麰) also from the Book of Songs, referring to wheat as a gift from Hou Ji; and 'Nine Works' (九叙) from the Shangshu, meaning the orderly accomplishment of all governmental duties. These allusions root the poem in Confucian political thought, emphasizing self-reflection and good governance.

全诗用典皆出经传，密而不奥，句句都能落到实处。愆阳出左传昭公四年申丰论藏冰之语：冬无愆阳，夏无伏阴。愆是过失、失节，愆阳即冬季反暖、阳气失其常度。以此二字开篇，一下点明久暖无雪的病根，比直说天旱要沉重得多。心从六事求本商汤桑林之祷。古书记商汤遭七年大旱，以六事自责，问政不节与、民失职与、宫室荣与、女谒盛与、苞苴行与、谗夫昌与。祷雨而先责己，是儒家灾异观的根本；诗中把六事二字直接嵌入，等于宣告这场祈祷不是求于天，而是反求于己。同云出诗经小雅信南山：上天同云，雨雪雰雰。同云谓阴云弥合、天色一色，是雪前之象。以经语写天候，既典重又准确。盈尺忽呈休用古人以雪深占岁的旧说，农谚有雪深一尺、麦收一石之类。休训美善、吉庆，呈休即天意显出吉兆。紫宙、皇州皆指天宇与京城，属唐宋应制诗的习用语，与斋殿、臣邻同属庙堂语汇。农亩庆来麰的来麰即诗经周颂思文的贻我来牟，来指小麦，牟即大麦，古语以来牟并称五谷之嘉种。以来麰代麦，把一场雪与后稷贻麦的祝愿接到了一起。咨尔臣邻地出尚书益稷，舜与禹相戒有臣哉邻哉之语，谓左右辅弼。咨是发端的叹词，气象庄重。常期九叙修出尚书大禹谟：六府三事允治，万世永赖，时乃功；九功惟叙，九叙惟歌。九功指水火金木土谷六府与正德利用厚生三事，九叙即九功各得其序。以此收束，把喜雪由天时之庆提到治功之望，用典与立意合成一处。

Commentary

What makes this poem stand out among courtly snow verses is its moments of genuine weight: the line about seeking through the Six Matters turns prayer inward, and the couplet on frontier hardship inserts a somber note into a poem of celebration. Zhang Fangping, a man of practical affairs, sees not only beauty in snow but also its meaning for harvests and soldiers. The final admonition to ministers elevates the poem from mere nature imagery to political philosophy, reflecting the author's lifelong concern with real governance.

喜雪赋雪一路，自谢惠连雪赋以下便有两副写法：一副重物色，务在体物之工；一副重政事，务在感应之理。唐宋应制的喜雪诗多属后者，动辄以瑞应颂圣，套语相因，往往一览而尽。张方平此作亦在这一传统之中，其所以还禁得起读，在于它保留了两处不肯敷衍的地方：一是心从六事求，把祈祷的方向由天转回人身；二是边庭伤久戍，把喜的场面临时压住，让一句冷话插进来。这两处都不是应制诗必须有的东西，却是作者本色。历代唐宋诗选本少录张方平，原因大略有二。他生当欧阳修、梅尧臣倡导诗文革新之际，风格上不立门户，既无梅之峭硬，亦无欧之宏放；又多作交游酬赠与说理之篇，警句不多，难以脱口传诵。其诗名远逊于政声，本传重其识量与议论，苏轼撰墓志亦极称其虑事之远，独于诗少所称说。然而以他的经历读这首诗，别有一层意味。两任三司使的人，看一场雪的眼光与词客不同：词客看见琼树玉楼，他看见的是麦与麰、戍与饷。全诗十六句，物色只占四句，其余尽是忧、祷、望、戒，比例本身就说明了作者的重心。宋人诗以议论见长而每失于枯，此诗的补救办法是把议论压在经语里，用愆阳、六事、来麰、九叙这些成词托住，不作空谈。若与苏轼雪后书北台壁二首对读，分别更清楚。苏轼写雪，通篇在句法上使气力，尚拗峭，逞才思；张方平写雪，句法平稳，力气全用在事理的层次上。一个是诗人的雪，一个是宰执的雪。就艺术论苏为高，就此体论张亦不失其分。

Prosody

Form Five-character Extended Regulated Verse (五言排律)五言排律

Rhyme Rhymes in the level tone, category XI You (下平十一尤), eight rhymes: 忧, 求, 休, 楼, 州, 优, 麰, 修. The first line is not rhymed, which is standard.押下平十一尤，一韵到底，共八韵：忧、求、休、楼、州、优、麰、修。首句愆阳干岁事以仄声收，不入韵，为五言常格。麰、修二字在尤韵中稍僻，用于长篇后段，正见作者押险韵而不吃力。

Tone pattern Follows the pattern of the 'rising' tone scheme with the first line not rhymed. The tonal alternation and parallelism conform to the rules of regulated verse; each couplet from the third onward is parallel.大体依五言平起首句不入韵式。首句愆阳干岁事为平平平仄仄，次句斋殿轸予忧为平仄仄平平，一联相对；以下逐联相粘，无失粘失对之病。中间六联皆用对仗，符合排律通体属对的定则；同云俄蔽景一联以副词对副词，雕鹗精神劲一联以名物对名物，边庭伤久戍一联以地对地、以动词对动词，工稳而不呆。

Reading note The poet varies rhythm by using words like 'suddenly' (俄, 忽) and sounds of alliterative compounds. The rhyme vowels shift from deep to open and back, mirroring the emotional arc from worry to relief and final seriousness.此诗音律上的着眼处，是长篇如何避免声调的平匀。十六句一韵到底，若句句合调，读到中段必生疲态；作者的办法是在虚字与联绵词上求变化。同云俄蔽景、盈尺忽呈休一联，俄为平声而绵长，忽为入声而短截，同在第三字的位置，一慢一快，节奏顿然改观。淅沥千琼树、峥嵘万玉楼一联，则以两个联绵词的音色相形：淅沥皆齿音细声，气流碎而轻，如雪落枝头；峥嵘皆开口洪声，气流张而满，如楼阁矗立。字义所写与字音所拟合成一处，是五言中不易得的效果。韵部的选择也与题旨相称。尤韵收音在幽合之间，口形内敛，声气不外扬，宜于写忧思与郑重之情，不宜于写豪纵。忧、求二字起韵，先把一篇的沉重定住；中经休、楼、州、优四韵渐趋开朗，与雪后气象相应；末以麰、修收束，声音重新压低，落回治道之望。八韵的音色由沉入朗、又由朗返沉，恰是全诗情绪的曲线。节奏上，五言的标准停顿是二三，此诗十六句无一句破格：愆阳——干岁事，边庭——伤久戍，咨尔——臣邻地。前二字立主，后三字下判断，句句如此，稳重而不促迫。正因骨架规整，俄、忽、伤、庆这几个虚字与动词才显得格外触目，成为通篇的着力点。

Line by line

同云俄蔽景，盈尺忽呈休。

The untimely warmth harms the year's work — the abnormal winter heat damages agricultural affairs, setting the stage for concern.

忽然间阴云连成一色，把日光全遮住了；转眼积雪已深一尺，天意呈出了一份吉庆。

Uniform clouds suddenly veil the sun; in a moment a foot of snow reveals the auspicious sign.

这一联是全诗的关节，久旱的沉闷到此被一举撞开。妙处全在俄与忽两个副词。同云本是诗经里的成语，写云气弥合、天色一色，句子本身很静；加一个俄字，静景立刻有了速度，云像是一瞬间合拢的。盈尺是数目，本无动静可言；加一个忽字，一尺深雪仿佛是眼睛一闭一睁之间堆起来的。两个虚字都用在第三字上，位置相同，力度相当，读来如两记短鼓，把前面四句的迟滞节奏一下打散。更要紧的是蔽与呈的对照。蔽是遮掩，把日光收去；呈是显露，把吉兆送来。天先夺去光明，随即给出更大的许诺，一夺一予之间，祈祷者的心情由紧到松，全在这十个字里完成。作者不写自己如何欢喜，只写云怎样合、雪怎样积，喜意反而更实在。

This couplet is the poem's hinge, where the long drought's stagnation is suddenly broken open. The beauty lies wholly in the two adverbs suddenly and in a moment. Uniform clouds is a phrase from the Book of Songs, writing the sky sealed in one color; the line itself is still, but add suddenly and the still scene takes on speed, the clouds closing as if in an instant. A foot of snow is a measure, in itself motionless; add in a moment and the foot-deep snow seems to pile up between one blink and the next. Both empty words sit in the third position, equal in force, reading like two short drums that scatter the lagging rhythm of the four lines before. More crucial is the contrast between veil and reveal: veil hides away the sunlight; reveal brings the omen. Heaven first takes the light, then gives a larger promise; between taking and giving, the suppliant's heart moves from tight to loose, all done in these ten words. The author writes not his own delight but how the clouds close and the snow piles, and the joy is the more solid for it.

淅沥千琼树，峥嵘万玉楼。

In the fastness hall, my heart aches with care — in the purification chamber, the imperial heart is pained, adopting the ruler's voice.

千树挂雪，淅沥有声，如琼枝摇动；万楼积白，峥嵘高耸，像玉阙层叠。

A thousand coral trees drip and whisper; ten thousand jade towers rise steep.

写雪而通篇不出雪字，这一联是主要的承担者。淅沥是拟声的联绵字，齿音细碎，写的是雪粒落在枝叶上的声响，属耳；峥嵘是形容高峻的联绵字，开口洪大，写的是楼阁积白之后棱角分明的样子，属目。上句柔而下句刚，上句近而下句远，一联之内视听兼备、远近相形，咏物的功夫都在这里。琼与玉两个字用得不奢。它们不是随手取来的美称：琼指赤玉，色泽温润，正合树身雪痕的斑驳；玉指白璧，光洁整片，正合楼面积雪的连绵。千与万的铺张则把一城之雪写足，与前联盈尺的实测互为表里，一虚一实。此联若单独摘出，可当一幅雪后城郭图看；放回全篇，它又只是整篇论政之文中的一段布景，位置分明，不越其分。

This couplet is the main bearer of writing snow without once using the word snow. Drip and whisper is an onomatopoeic lian绵 word, its dental hissing light, writing the sound of snow grains on the branches, belonging to hearing; rise steep is a lian绵 word describing height, its open mouth broad, writing the angular forms of towers loaded with white, belonging to sight. The first line is soft, the second hard; the first near, the second far - in one couplet hearing and sight are complete, near and far set off each other, and all the craft of object-poem is here. Coral and jade are used without luxury: coral means red jade, its hue warm, suiting the mottled snow on the trees; jade means white jade, its surface smooth, suiting the unbroken snow on the roofs. The thousand and ten thousand spread the city's snow to the full, answering the measured foot of the last couplet, one void one solid. Taken alone, the couplet is a city-after-snow painting; placed back in the poem, it is but a stage-setting in the whole political argument, its place clear and not overstepping.

边庭伤久戍，农亩庆来麰。

Silently I pray for the people — the prayer is offered without ceremony, directly for the common folk.

想到边地将士久戍苦寒，心里不忍；而田亩间将有大麦的丰收，可以称庆。

The frontier grieves the long garrison; the farmland rejoices in the coming barley.

喜雪诗写到这里才见出作者的分量。一场大雪，对农田是吉兆，对戍卒是苦难：雪深则麦壮，雪深则边地更寒，衣粮转运更艰。同一件事的两面被摆进同一联，上句伤，下句庆，情绪相反而不相碍，这是只有真正管过钱谷边事的人才写得出的对仗。伤与庆两个字都放在第三字，位置对得极稳，语气却一沉一扬。伤字在前，庆字在后，看似以喜收束，但久戍二字已在读者心里留下寒意，喜也就喜得不轻松。宋代西北屯戍之苦，士大夫多有言者，作者本人屡陈边事，此句非泛设之语。应制之作能于颂美的场合插入一句实录，全诗的可信便由此建立；后面常期九叙修的期望，也因为有了这一句，才不像官样文章。

The weight of the author appears only when the joy-snow poem reaches here. A heavy snow is an omen for the fields and a hardship for the garrison: deep snow makes the barley strong, but deep snow makes the frontier colder and the transport of grain and clothing harder. The two sides of one event are placed in one couplet, the first grieving, the second rejoicing, the emotions opposite yet not obstructing each other - a parallel only one who has truly handled grain and frontier affairs could write. The words grieve and rejoice both sit in the third position, the match steady, the tone one sinking one rising. Grieve comes first, rejoice after; it seems the piece closes in joy, yet long garrison has left a coldness in the reader's heart, so the joy is not light. The hardship of the Northwest garrison in Song times is often spoken of, and the author himself repeatedly memorialized on frontier affairs; the line is no empty setting. That an official piece can insert a record into a praise occasion establishes the whole poem's credibility; the later hope of a ninefold good harvest is, because of this line, not like a bureaucratic document.

Study

Word focus

忽 Suddenly; a function word expressing surprise and abruptness. Here it conveys the unexpected arrival of snow after prolonged drought, sharpening the emotional shift from worry to joy. 盈尺忽呈休，全联的力气都压在这个忽字上。它不表时间的长短，而表心理上的意外：久旱之中，人对天已不敢期待，雪竟一夜之间深至盈尺，这种既惊且喜的心境，只有忽字承得住。试着换字便知其不可移。若作已，成了平铺的记述，惊喜全失；若作渐，则与上句的俄字相犯，且雪势也弱了；若作果，语气变成料中如此，把前面斋殿之忧、六事之责统统落了空。忽字妙在既非人所预知，也非人所能致，天意的不可测与祈祷者的诚惶，都被它一并收住。它还在声情上帮了忙。忽是入声，短促截断，读到此处气一顿，下面呈休二字才放得开。上句的俄是平声，绵长；下句的忽是入声，紧促。同为副词而声情相反，一慢一快，长篇排律至此才真正提起精神。

劲 Vigorous; firm. Describes the spirited and unyielding character of eagles and falcons in cold weather, metaphorically praising the moral strength expected of officials. 雕鹗精神劲，一个劲字把咏物拗回了咏人。劲是坚挺有力，不是猛，不是雄；猛偏于气势，雄偏于体格，劲则专指内里的那股筋骨之力，可以硬，可以韧，惟不可以软。雪后天寒，众鸟蜷缩，而雕鹗迎寒愈奋，所显的正是这种力。此字的分量还在它与下句禀优的呼应上。劲说的是精神之显，优说的是操守之藏，一显一藏，合成朝廷所望于臣子的两副本领：遇事要有雕鹗之劲，守身要有松筠之贞。作者把这层意思全交给两个形容词去说，自己一句评论也不加。宋人诗中雕鹗常用来喻擢用之才，如借雕鹗以称人之秀出。此处不点明所指，只让它随雪景出现，正是比体的分寸：说得太透，便成谀词；说得如此，才是风骨。

咨 Alas; an interjection used by rulers in the Shangshu when addressing ministers. It lends a solemn, admonishing tone to the final couplet. 咨尔臣邻地的咨，是全诗唯一一个纯粹的语气词，却决定了末联的身份。咨在尚书里是君上呼臣时的发端之叹，如舜之咨禹、咨益，声音一出，尊卑立判。诗中用它，等于把说话人的位置钉在御座之上，全篇的予、尔也因此都有了着落。若换成告、语、谕之类，意思相近而气象全失：告是通知，语是交谈，谕是下令，都太实；咨字里含着一层郑重的叹息，是既命之又望之，命中带情。这正合祈雪初应的场面——天意方才回转，人事尚未可知，人主既欣然又不敢自宽，故以一叹领起最后的告诫。更妙的是它与开篇的轸字遥相照应。轸是心痛，咨是叹息，一在篇首，一在篇末，中间隔着一场大雪与万楼琼玉，而说话人的忧心其实未曾放下。全诗题作喜雪，却以叹词收尾，读来别有一种沉着。

喜雪