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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

送别

Seeing Off

王之涣

Wang Zhihuan

送别Farewell 杨柳Willow

杨柳东风树，青青夹御河。
近来攀折苦，应为别离多。

Willows, trees caressed by the eastward wind, stand green, flanking the Imperial Canal;
Of late they have been broken and plucked to suffering - surely because partings have been many.

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Meaning

By the Imperial Canal the willows are green in the spring wind, yet they are broken and plucked raw - because so many have parted here. The poet never names his own grief, but lets the willows' suffering stand for the weight of constant farewell.

杨柳东风树，青青夹御河。近来攀折苦，应为别离多。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Green willows by the canal are ceaselessly broken for parting gifts; the poet infers that so many leave because the plucking hurts so. [Structure] The first couplet paints the place; the second turns the willows' pain into a measure of partings. [Imagery] 'Willow' puns with 'stay': to break a willow is to beg the traveler to remain. 'Imperial Canal' names a busy Chang'an farewell spot. The move from scene to 'surely because' is classic indirect feeling - the object states the emotion, not the self.

【白话串讲】王之涣写《送别》：“杨柳东风树，青青夹御河”——“近来攀折苦，应为别离多”——杨柳近来被攀折得厉害，因为离别的人太多了——折柳送别。【意象与手法】此诗写送别之地杨柳的攀折之苦，是王之涣的名篇。前两句「杨柳东风树，青青夹御河」写杨柳——「杨柳东风树」写东风吹拂的杨柳，「青青夹御河」写青青杨柳夹着御河；后两句「近来攀折苦，应为别离多」写攀折之苦——「近来攀折苦」写近来杨柳被人攀折得很苦，「应为别离多」写应该是因为别离太多了。全诗以杨柳写送别，以攀折写离情，借物抒情，短短二十字写尽送别的感慨，正是王之涣「含蓄蕴藉」诗风的代表。【情感与主旨】此诗写送别之地的杨柳与离情。古人有折柳送别的习俗——「柳」与「留」谐音，折柳相赠，寓挽留之意。此诗写御河（长安城外的河，即渭水支流，亦指御沟）两岸的杨柳：东风吹拂的杨柳，青青地夹着御河；近来被人攀折得很苦，应该是因为别离太多了。诗人以杨柳的攀折写送别——那「攀折苦」写杨柳被折之苦，实是写送别之多、离情之重；那「应为别离多」点出攀折苦的原因——别离太多了，所以攀折太苦。诗人不直写自己的离情，而以杨柳的攀折写送别之多，以物写情，含蓄蕴藉。全诗以杨柳写送别，以攀折写离情，正是王之涣「景入理势」诗风的本领。【名句点睛】常考「近来攀折苦，应为别离多」以杨柳攀折写送别之多、离情之重；折柳送别的习俗（「柳」谐「留」）；「青青夹御河」的写景；以及全诗以物写情、借杨柳写送别的含蓄笔法。

Background

Wang Zhihuan (688-742), courtesy name Jiling, of Jinyang (modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), was a renowned High Tang frontier poet; only six poems survive, yet each is fine. This one watches the willows by the Imperial Canal (a Chang'an waterway) and reflects on the custom of breaking willow branches at parting - 'willow' sounding like 'stay,' a gift that begs the friend to remain. Rather than state his own sorrow, the poet has the willows bear it, an 'utter not a word, yet gain all the grace' manner suited to his restrained style.

此诗写送别之地的杨柳与离情，是王之涣的名篇。王之涣（688—742），字季凌，并州晋阳（今山西太原）人，盛唐著名边塞诗人，其诗以《登鹳雀楼》《凉州词》最为著名。王之涣生平事迹记载甚少，其诗作多已散佚，仅存六首，然首首皆精品。此诗写送别：古人有折柳送别的习俗，「柳」与「留」谐音，折柳相赠，寓挽留、留念之意。此诗写御河（长安城外流经的河）两岸的杨柳：东风吹拂的杨柳，青青地夹着御河；近来被人攀折得很苦，应该是因为别离太多了。诗人以杨柳的攀折写送别之多、离情之重——那「攀折苦」写杨柳被人攀折之苦，实是写送别之频繁、离情之深重；那「应为别离多」以推测之辞点出攀折苦的原因——因为别离太多，所以攀折太苦。诗人不直写自己的离情，而以杨柳的攀折写送别，以物写情，含蓄蕴藉，正是「不着一字，尽得风流」的写法。此诗虽仅二十字，却是理解唐人折柳送别习俗与王之涣诗风的重要篇章。

Art

The art has four moves. First, scene as opening: 'willows, trees in the east wind' and 'green, flanking the canal' set the farewell place with spring life. Second, willow-breaking as parting: 'of late broken to suffering' names the custom and its hurt. Third, conjecture as feeling: 'surely because partings have been many' infers the cause, a musing tone. Fourth, object-for-self: the poem never says 'I grieve' but lets the plucked willows voice it. The subtle trick is transferring human sorrow onto the trees - willows feel no pain, yet 'broken to suffering' because the poet does; 'surely because' then lays the cause on frequent parting. Self and object merge, indirect and lasting.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以写景起笔。前两句「杨柳东风树，青青夹御河」写送别之地的杨柳——那「杨柳东风树」写东风吹拂的杨柳，「青青夹御河」写青青杨柳夹着御河，以「青青」写杨柳的生机，「夹御河」写杨柳夹岸的景致，写尽送别之地的风光。其二，以折柳写送别。「近来攀折苦」写杨柳近来被人攀折得很苦——那「攀折」写折柳送别的习俗，「苦」写攀折之苦，以杨柳的攀折暗写送别之多。其三，以推测点离情。「应为别离多」以「应为」的推测之辞，点出攀折苦的原因——别离太多了；那「应为」写推测，也写诗人对送别之多的感慨。其四，以物写情。全诗不直写离情，而以杨柳的攀折写送别，借物抒情——那攀折苦的杨柳，正是送别之多的见证，也是离情之重的象征。四重手法，使此诗以杨柳写送别，以攀折写离情，正是王之涣「含蓄蕴藉」诗风的本领。尤其值得玩味者，此诗不说「人送别多」，而说「杨柳攀折苦」，将人的离情移到杨柳身上，正是「移情」手法的妙用——杨柳无感，因攀折而苦，实是诗人因送别而苦；那「应为别离多」更以推测之辞，把攀折苦的原因归于别离多，看似为杨柳代言，实是借杨柳写尽人间送别之频繁与离情之深重，物我交融，含蓄隽永。

Allusions

The language rests on the willow-and-farewell tradition. 'Willow' reaches back to 'in those days I went, willows were supple' (Shi Jing, 'Cai Wei') and to 'willows broken bare, flowers flown - ask the traveler, will he return?' and to Wang Wei's 'green, green the willow by the inn.' 'East wind' is the spring wind; 'green flanking the canal' echoes 'green, green the grass by the river' and the Imperial Canal as a Chang'an farewell thoroughfare. 'Broken/plucked' is the willow-gift custom - 'tonight, hearing 'break the willow' in the flute, who does not think of home' (Li Bai). 'Partings many' echoes 'since old times none but parting wounds the heart' (Jiang Yan). The poem inherits Shi Jing willows and High Tang farewell alike.

此诗的用语深植于杨柳与送别的传统。「杨柳」令人想到「昔我往矣，杨柳依依」（《诗经·小雅·采薇》）的杨柳意象——杨柳自《诗经》起就是离别相思的象征；也令人想到「柳条折尽花飞尽，借问行人归不归」的折柳送别传统；更令人想到「渭城朝雨浥轻尘，客舍青青柳色新」（王维《送元二使安西》）的送别杨柳意象。「东风吹拂」令人想到「东风」作为春风的意象，也令人想到「等闲识得东风面」的春意象。「青青夹御河」令人想到「青青河畔草」的青草意象，也令人想到「御河」作为长安宫苑河渠的意象——御河两岸，正是古人送别的繁华之地。「攀折」令人想到「折柳送别」的习俗——「柳」与「留」谐音，折柳赠别，寓挽留之意，令人想到「此夜曲中闻折柳，何人不起故园情」（李白《春夜洛城闻笛》）的折柳意象，也令人想到「柳条折尽」的送别传统；「别离多」令人想到「多情自古伤离别」（柳永《雨霖铃》）的别离意象，也令人想到「黯然销魂者，唯别而已矣」（江淹《别赋》）的别情传统。全诗化用杨柳、折柳、御河、别离的传统意象，以杨柳写送别，正是王之涣承《诗经》杨柳传统、启盛唐送别诗的本领。

Commentary

Long held a Wang Zhihuan signature and a Tang willow-farewell model, it earned the Qing note 'willows for parting, indirect and full.' Modern readers prize the object-voiced feeling of 'broken to suffering.' In four short lines it captures a farewell place and its ache, set beside his 'Climb the Stork Tower' (philosophy) and the Shi Jing / Wang Wei willow line. For today it opens the Tang custom of willow-parting and his restrained manner - the suffering willows still speak of parting across a thousand years.

此诗历来被推为王之涣的名篇，也是唐人折柳送别诗的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以杨柳写送别，含蓄蕴藉」；近人更指出「近来攀折苦，应为别离多」借物抒情，以攀折写离情，是此诗的高妙处。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以二十字的短章写尽送别的感慨——那东风吹拂的杨柳，那青青夹岸的御河，那近来攀折的苦，那别离之多的推测，都写尽了送别之地的风光与离情；那「应为别离多」更写尽送别之多的感慨。此诗与王之涣的《登鹳雀楼》（「欲穷千里目，更上一层楼」）同为五绝名篇，一写登楼哲理，一写折柳送别；又与《诗经·采薇》「杨柳依依」、《送元二使安西》「客舍青青柳色新」一脉相承，可见杨柳送别诗的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解唐人折柳送别习俗与王之涣诗风的窗口，也是中国诗写送别的经典——那攀折苦的杨柳，穿越千年，仍在诉说着送别之多的离情。

Prosody

Form Poem - five-character quatrain (wujue)诗·五言绝句

Rhyme Rhymes with the level-tone Ge category (the rhyme words he, duo); two lines one rhyme, the level tone long, fitting the drawn-out parting.押平声歌韵（河、多），两句一韵，平韵悠长，正合离情的悠长

Tone pattern A five-character quatrain, four lines in two couplets: scene first, feeling after. Level-opening, level-closing; measured, plain yet indirect.此诗为五言绝句，四句两联，前写景，后写情。全诗平起平收，节奏从容，于平易中见含蓄。

Reading note A five-character quatrain, four lines: first two paint the scene (willows in east wind; green flanking the canal), last two the feeling (broken to suffering; surely partings many). Level-tone Ge rhyme, he/duo sustained, matching lingering farewell. Front scene, back feeling; the willows' plucking voices the parting. Read the scene calmly, the 'suffering' with feeling, the close indirect with an echo - Wang Zhihuan's restraint in a farewell model.此诗为五言绝句，四句：前两句写景（杨柳东风树，青青夹御河），后两句写情（近来攀折苦，应为别离多）。押平声歌韵，韵脚「河、多」皆平声，悠长舒缓，正合离情的悠长。全诗以杨柳写送别——首句「杨柳东风树」写东风吹拂的杨柳，次句「青青夹御河」写杨柳夹岸，三句「近来攀折苦」写攀折之苦，结句「应为别离多」以推测点出原因，起承转合，一气呵成。此诗最见王之涣五绝的「含蓄蕴藉」：前二句写景、后二句写情，以杨柳的攀折写送别，借物抒情。诵读此诗，宜以从容的语调读「杨柳东风树」的写景，以感慨的语调读「近来攀折苦」的柳苦，结句「应为别离多」要读得含蓄而有余韵，方能传达出王之涣的离情。王之涣五绝以「含蓄」著称，此诗正是其送别五绝的典范。

Line by line

杨柳东风树，青青夹御河

Willows, trees caressed by the eastward wind, stand green, flanking the Imperial Canal.

东风吹拂的杨柳树，青青地夹着御河。

Willows in the east wind, their green lining the Imperial River.

此联写送别之地的杨柳，以写景起笔，为全诗立景。「杨柳东风树」写东风吹拂的杨柳树——那「杨柳」写送别之地的杨柳，「东风树」写东风吹拂的树，写尽春风吹拂杨柳的景致；「青青夹御河」写青青杨柳夹着御河——那「青青」写杨柳的青翠，「夹御河」写杨柳夹岸而生，写尽御河两岸杨柳成行的风光。这句的深意在于：它以「杨柳」「东风」「青青」「御河」的意象，写尽送别之地的风光——东风吹拂，杨柳青青，夹着御河两岸，那「杨柳」自《诗经》「昔我往矣，杨柳依依」起就是离别相思的象征，那「御河」是长安送别的繁华之地，那「青青」写杨柳的生机，也暗写送别时的春景；杨柳夹岸、青翠可爱，正是送别之地的典型风光，也为下文的「攀折」埋下伏笔——杨柳青青，正是被攀折的对象。若换作直说「河边有柳树」，则失其含蓄；唯以「杨柳东风树」写柳、「青青夹御河」写景，写尽送别之地的风光，也让此联成为全诗送别之景的开篇。

This couplet writes the willows at the place of parting, starting from scenery to establish the scene of the whole. The willows in the east wind writes the willows blown by the east wind, writing to the full the scenery of spring wind on the willows; their green lining the Imperial River writes the green willows bordering the Imperial River, writing to the full the row of willows on both banks of the Imperial River. The deep meaning of this line lies in that it uses the imagery of willows, east wind, green, and Imperial River to write to the full the scenery of the parting place: the east wind blowing, the willows green, lining the two banks of the Imperial River. The willow since the Book of Songs' long ago when I set out, the willows drooping has been the symbol of parting and longing; the Imperial River is the prosperous place of parting in Chang'an; the green writes the willow's life and secretly writes the spring scenery at parting; the willows lining the banks, green and lovely, exactly the typical scenery of the parting place, and lays a ground for the later breaking - the willows green are exactly the object to be broken. If one instead directly said there are willows by the river, one would lose the reserve; only writing the willows through the willows in the east wind and the scenery through their green lining the Imperial River, writing to the full the parting place's scenery, makes this couplet the opening of the whole's parting scene.

近来攀折苦，应为别离多

Of late they have been broken and plucked to suffering - surely because partings have been many.

近来攀折得很苦，应该是因为别离太多了。

Lately they have suffered so much breaking; it must be that partings are so many.

此联是全诗的点睛之笔，以攀折写离情，借物抒情。「近来攀折苦」写近来杨柳攀折得很苦——那「近来」写近来，「攀折」写折柳送别的习俗，「苦」写攀折之苦，写尽杨柳被折之苦；「应为别离多」写应该是因为别离太多了——那「应为」以推测之辞写原因，「别离多」写别离太多，点出攀折苦的原因。这句的深意在于：它以「攀折苦」与「别离多」的因果，写尽送别之多的感慨——杨柳近来被人攀折得很苦，应该是因为别离太多了；那「攀折苦」写尽杨柳被折之苦，实是写送别之频繁、离情之深重，那「应为别离多」以推测之辞点出原因——因为别离太多，所以攀折太苦；诗人不直写自己的离情，而以杨柳的攀折写送别，借物抒情——那攀折苦的杨柳，正是送别之多的见证，也是离情之重的象征；「应为别离多」的推测之辞，更写尽诗人对送别之多的感慨与无奈。若换作直说「送别的人太多了」，则失其含蓄；唯以「攀折苦」写柳之苦、「应为别离多」的推测写离情，借物抒情写尽送别之多，也让此联成为全诗的点睛之笔。

This couplet is the poem's eye, writing the parting feeling through the breaking, lending the object to utter the feeling. Lately they have suffered so much breaking writes that lately the willows have been broken sorely, writing to the full the willows' suffering of being broken. It must be that partings are so many writes that it must be because partings are so many, pointing out the cause of the suffering. The deep meaning of this line lies in that it uses the cause and effect of the suffering of breaking and the many partings to write to the full the sigh at the abundance of partings: the willows lately broken sorely by men, it must be because partings are so many. The suffering of breaking writes to the full the willows' pain of being broken, really writing the frequency of parting and the depth of the parting feeling; the it must be that points out the cause in a tone of conjecture - because partings are many, the breaking is sore. The poet does not directly write his own parting feeling, but writes the parting through the willows' breaking, lending the object to utter the feeling: the willow sorely broken is exactly the witness of the abundance of partings, and the symbol of the heavy parting feeling; the conjectural words it must be that further write to the full the poet's sigh and helplessness at the abundance of partings. If one instead directly said there are too many people parting, one would lose the reserve; only writing the willow's pain through the suffering of breaking and the parting feeling through the conjecture it must be that, lending the object to utter the feeling and writing to the full the abundance of partings, makes this couplet the poem's eye.

Study

Word focus

苦 Suffering / pain. In 'broken to suffering,' the single 'suffering' names both the willows' hurt from plucking and the weight of parting - the hinge of object-voiced feeling; with 'partings many' it measures how often farewells occur. 「近来攀折苦」之「苦」字是写离情的关键字，一个「苦」字写尽攀折之痛与离情之重。苦者，痛苦、艰辛也。王之涣以「攀折苦」写杨柳，这个「苦」字至少有双重意味：其一，写杨柳之痛——那「攀折苦」写杨柳被攀折得很苦，那「苦」字写尽杨柳被折之痛，也暗写送别之频繁；其二，写离情之重——那「苦」字更是写离情——攀折苦是因为别离多，那「苦」字写尽送别之多的离情之重，也写尽诗人对送别的感慨。以「苦」字写离情，正是王之涣借物抒情的枢纽——若换作「频」「甚」等字，则或失其与「攀折」的配合，或失其情感的力度；唯「苦」字，以一字写尽攀折之痛与离情之重，与「别离多」的因果相合，写尽送别之多的感慨，也让「近来攀折苦」成为全诗借物抒情的关键。

应 Surely / must be (a conjectural particle). In 'surely because partings have been many,' 'ying' gives the poet's musing inference for the willows' pain, voicing both the cause and a quiet sigh at farewell's frequency. 「应为别离多」之「应」字是写推测的关键字，一个「应」字写尽对送别之多的感慨。应者，应该、想必也。王之涣以「应为」写攀折苦的原因，这个「应」字至少有双重意味：其一，写推测之辞——那「应为别离多」写应该是因为别离太多，那「应」字写诗人对攀折苦原因的推测，写尽思索的意味；其二，写感慨之深——那「应」字更是写感慨——攀折苦应是别离多所致，那「应」字写尽诗人对送别之多的感慨与无奈。以「应」字写推测，正是王之涣收束全诗的枢纽——若换作「因」「是」等字，则或失其推测之辞的含蓄，或失其与「攀折苦」的呼应；唯「应」字，以一字写尽对攀折苦原因的推测与对送别之多的感慨，与「攀折苦」的因果相合，借物抒情写尽离情，也让「应为别离多」成为全诗的点睛之笔。

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