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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

送李副使赴碛西官军

Seeing Off Vice-Envoy Li to the Qixi Army

岑参

Cen Shen

送别Farewell 边塞Frontier

火山六月应更热，赤亭道口行人绝。
知君惯度祁连城，岂能愁见轮台月。
脱鞍暂入酒家垆，送君万里西击胡。
功名只向马上取，真是英雄一丈夫。

In the sixth month Volcano should be yet hotter; at Red Pavilion Pass no traveler passes.
I know you are used to crossing Qilian fortress—how could you grieve at the moon over Luntai?
Dismount and step into the wineshop a while; I see you off ten thousand li west to smite the Hu.
Fame is won only from the saddle; truly you are a hero, a real man.

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Meaning

A rousing frontier farewell to Vice-Envoy Li, who is marching west to the Qixi army. Cen Shen paints the brutal road but insists on his friend's seasoned hardiness, ending with the high-Tang creed that glory is taken from horseback—a celebration of martial manhood.

火山六月应更热，赤亭道口行人绝。知君惯度祁连城，岂能愁见轮台月。脱鞍暂入酒家垆，送君万里西击胡。功名只向马上取，真是英雄一丈夫。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Cen Shen sends Vice-Envoy Li to the Qixi army. He opens with the fiery Volcano Road in the sixth month and the empty Red Pavilion Pass, then notes Li's familiarity with Qilian, asks how he could mourn the Luntai moon, toasts him in a wineshop, and hails his westward march and the fame won on horseback. [Structure] Lines 1–2 describe the harsh road; 3–4 affirm Li's seasoned courage; the close crowns him a hero. Public fortitude outweighs private sorrow. [Imagery] Volcano, Red Pavilion Pass, Luntai moon stock the western frontier with heat, emptiness, and a defiant moon. [Tone] This is Cen Shen's 'strange diction, rugged form': heroic, buoyant, male. The poem is a manifesto of high-Tang martial spirit.

【白话串讲】岑参写《送李副使赴碛西官军》：“火山六月应更热，赤亭道口行人绝”——“脱鞍暂入酒家垆，送君万里西击胡”——“功名只向马上取，真是英雄一丈夫”——他说功名要在马上取——他写边塞的豪情。【意象与手法】此诗写送别李副使赴碛西从军，以豪语写送别，是岑参的名篇。前四句「火山六月应更热，赤亭道口行人绝」写征程的艰苦，「知君惯度祁连城，岂能愁见轮台月」写李副使的惯历边塞；后四句「脱鞍暂入酒家垆，送君万里西击胡」写送别饯行，「功名只向马上取，真是英雄一丈夫」写从戎的豪情。全诗以豪语写送别，写尽万里从戎的豪情，正是岑参「语奇体峻」诗风的本领。【情感与主旨】此诗写送别李副使赴碛西（今新疆一带）官军（军中任职）。李副使是高适、岑参的友人，岑参在安西北庭幕府任职时送别。此诗写送别李副使赴碛西从军：火山（今新疆吐鲁番的火焰山）六月应更热，赤亭道口行人绝——写征程的艰苦；知君惯度祁连城，岂能愁见轮台月——写李副使惯历边塞，岂能愁见轮台（今新疆轮台，唐轮台为边塞重镇）的月亮；脱鞍暂入酒家垆，送君万里西击胡——写脱鞍暂入酒家饯行，送君万里西击胡虏；功名只向马上取，真是英雄一丈夫——写功名只在马上取，真是英雄大丈夫。全诗以豪语写送别，以「功名只向马上取」写从戎求取功名的豪情，以「真是英雄一丈夫」写对李副使的赞美，写尽万里从戎的豪情，正是岑参边塞诗豪迈本色的代表。【名句点睛】常考「功名只向马上取，真是英雄一丈夫」写从戎求取功名的豪情；「火山六月应更热，赤亭道口行人绝」写征程的艰苦；「知君惯度祁连城，岂能愁见轮台月」写李副使的惯历边塞；以及全诗以豪语写送别、直抒胸臆的手法。

Background

Cen Shen (c. 715–770), from Jiangling, was a leading high-Tang frontier poet, paired with Gao Shi as 'Gao and Cen.' Twice stationed beyond the passes, he knew frontier life firsthand. This poem sees off friend Vice-Envoy Li (a military deputy) to the Qixi army (in today's Xinjiang). It names Volcano (Turpan's Flame Mountain), Red Pavilion Pass (Shanshan), Qilian, and Luntai to map the western march. In the high Tang, scholars flocked to the frontier for glory; Cen Shen here writes that ambition into a farewell, hailing Li as a hero who takes fame from the saddle—an essential document of the era's martial mindset and of Cen Shen's frontier verse.

此诗写送别李副使赴碛西（今新疆一带）官军（军中任职），是岑参的名篇。岑参（约715—770），江陵（今湖北荆州）人，盛唐著名边塞诗人，与高适并称「高岑」。岑参两度出塞，曾在安西、北庭等地幕府任职，对边塞风光与军旅生活有深切的体验。李副使是岑参的友人，「副使」指节度副使或军中副职，李副使赴碛西官军任职。此诗写送别：火山（今新疆吐鲁番的火焰山）六月应更热，赤亭道口（赤亭，今新疆鄯善一带的驿站）行人绝——写征程的艰苦；知君惯度祁连城（今甘肃张掖一带），岂能愁见轮台月——写李副使惯历边塞，岂能愁见轮台的月亮；脱鞍暂入酒家垆，送君万里西击胡——写脱鞍暂入酒家饯行，送君万里西击胡虏；功名只向马上取，真是英雄一丈夫——写功名只在马上取，真是英雄大丈夫。盛唐士人多赴边塞从军求取功名，岑参此诗正以「功名只向马上取」写从戎求取功名的豪情，以「真是英雄一丈夫」写对李副使的赞美，全诗以豪语写送别，写尽万里从戎的豪情，是理解盛唐从戎心态与岑参边塞诗的重要篇章。

Art

Four strategies. First, scene for hardship: 'Volcano in the sixth month should be hotter; at Red Pavilion Pass no traveler passes' renders the western road's heat and desolation. Second, a rhetorical question for seasoned courage: 'I know you are used to crossing Qilian… how could you grieve at the Luntai moon' asserts Li's veteran calm. Third, a toast for parting: 'dismount and step into the wineshop… I see you off ten thousand li west to smite the Hu' makes the banquet the leave-taking. Fourth, a heroic close: 'fame is won only from the saddle; truly a hero, a real man' ends on bold declaratives. The poem moves from scene to exhortation; its single word 'only' and the word 'truly' seal a high-Tang martial creed with rugged confidence.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以写景写艰苦。前两句「火山六月应更热，赤亭道口行人绝」写征程的艰苦——那「火山六月应更热」写火山六月更热，「赤亭道口行人绝」写赤亭道口无人行，以写景写尽西行征程的艰苦。其二，以反问写惯历。「知君惯度祁连城，岂能愁见轮台月」写李副使惯历边塞——那「惯度祁连城」写惯于翻越祁连城，「岂能愁见轮台月」以反问写岂能愁见轮台的月亮，以反问写尽李副使惯历边塞、不畏艰苦的豪情。其三，以饯行写送别。「脱鞍暂入酒家垆，送君万里西击胡」写脱鞍暂入酒家饯行——那「脱鞍暂入酒家垆」写解鞍入酒家，以饯行写送别，「送君万里西击胡」写送君万里西击胡虏，写尽万里从戎的壮行。其四，以豪语收束。「功名只向马上取，真是英雄一丈夫」以豪语写从戎——那「功名只向马上取」写功名只在马上求取，「真是英雄一丈夫」写真是英雄大丈夫，以豪语写尽从戎求取功名的豪情与对李副使的赞美，以豪语收束，余韵豪迈。四重手法，使此诗以豪语写送别，写尽万里从戎的豪情，正是岑参「语奇体峻」诗风的本领。

Allusions

The language sits in frontier and martial tradition. 'Volcano' recalls Cen Shen's own 'Volcano looms at Red Pavilion mouth' and the topos of frontier heat. 'Red Pavilion' names a western post. 'Qilian' (the Qilian range) and 'Luntai' (a Tang frontier garrison in Xinjiang) evoke the military border; Luntai also appears in Cen Shen's 'At Luntai's east gate I see you off' and in Lu You's 'still I'd guard Luntai.' 'Wineshop' evokes 'a foreign girl tends the jar' and parting cups. 'Smite the Hu' and 'fame from the saddle' belong to the 'seek glory on horseback' tradition (contrast 'I care not for noble rank, only calm seas'). 'Hero, a real man' echoes 'why not bear the Wu hook' (Li He). Cen Shen thus marshals volcano, Qilian, Luntai, and the saddle-creed into a bold, frontier farewell.

此诗的用语深植于边塞从戎与传统。「火山」令人想到今新疆吐鲁番的火焰山——「火山突兀赤亭口」（岑参《火山云歌送别》），也令人想到「火山六月应更热」的边塞炎热意象；「赤亭」令人想到今新疆鄯善一带的驿站名——「赤亭多飘风」，也令人想到边塞驿站的意象；「行人绝」令人想到「千山鸟飞绝」的无人意象，也令人想到「绝域」的边远；「祁连城」令人想到今甘肃张掖一带的祁连城——「祁连山」作为边塞的意象，也令人想到「祁连」写边塞山地的传统；「轮台」令人想到今新疆轮台——唐轮台为北庭都护府辖下的边塞重镇，令人想到「轮台东门送君去，去时雪满天山路」（岑参《白雪歌送武判官归京》）的轮台意象，也令人想到「僵卧孤村不自哀，尚思为国戍轮台」（陆游《十一月四日风雨大作》）的轮台报国意象；「酒家垆」令人想到「垆」写酒店的意象——「胡姬当垆」，也令人想到「垆头」的饮酒饯行；「西击胡」令人想到「击胡」写讨伐胡虏的意象，也令人想到「万里长征人未还」的征戍；「功名只向马上取」令人想到「马上取功名」的从戎传统——「功名只向马上取，真是英雄一丈夫」正是盛唐从戎求功名的豪语，令人想到「封侯非我意，但愿海波平」的从戎抱负，也令人想到「万里觅封侯」的从戎传统；「英雄一丈夫」令人想到「丈夫」写大丈夫的意象——「男儿何不带吴钩，收取关山五十州」（李贺《南园》），也令人想到「大丈夫」的豪迈传统。全诗化用火山、赤亭、祁连、轮台、马上取功名的边塞传统意象，以豪语写送别，正是岑参「语奇体峻」、盛唐从戎心态的本领。

Commentary

Long esteemed as a Cen Shen masterwork and a representative high-Tang martial farewell, it won Qing praise for 'farewell in heroic language, grand and strange.' Moderns cite 'fame is won only from the saddle; truly a hero, a real man' as a perennial line. Its worth is compacting ten-thousand-li martial ardor into eight lines—every image (the June volcano, the empty pass, the Luntai moon, the wineshop toast, the saddle-fame, the hero) belongs to the high-Tang soldier-scholar. Paired with Cen Shen's 'Snow Song' (on strange snow) and Li He's 'Southern Garden' (on martial yearning), it shows Tang frontier verse at its most confident. For today's readers it opens the era's martial mindset and Cen Shen's frontier art—the saddle-creed still speaking across a millennium.

此诗历来被推为岑参的名篇，也是盛唐送别从戎诗的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以豪语写送别，雄浑奇逸」；近人更指出「功名只向马上取，真是英雄一丈夫」写从戎求取功名的豪情，是千古名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以八句的短章写尽万里从戎的豪情——那六月的火山，那绝人行的赤亭道口，那惯度祁连城的李副使，那轮台的月亮，那酒家的饯行，那万里西击胡的壮行，那马上取功名的豪情，那英雄一丈夫的赞美，都写尽了盛唐士人从戎的豪情与岑参对友人的赞美；那「功名只向马上取」更写尽盛唐从戎求取功名的时代精神。此诗与岑参的《白雪歌送武判官归京》同为边塞送别名篇，一写送别的奇雪，一写送别的豪情；又与李贺《南园》（「男儿何不带吴钩」）同为写从戎的名篇，可见唐人从戎求取功名的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解盛唐从戎心态与岑参边塞诗的窗口，也是中国诗写送别从戎的经典——那马上取功名的豪情，穿越千年，仍在诉说着盛唐士人万里从戎的英雄气概。

Prosody

Form Poem · seven-character quatrain (qijue), with a mid-poem rhyme shift诗·七言绝句

Rhyme The first two lines rhyme on the 'yue' category (entering tone: re, jue); the last two shift to the 'yu' category (level tone: hu, fu)—a shifting scheme that gives a bold, unrestrained music.押平声虞韵（热/绝、城/月、垆/胡、夫），前两句一韵，后转韵，音节奔放

Tone pattern A four-line seven-character quatrain; oblique-opening, level-closing, with a rapid, pressing rhythm that turns heroic within its urgency.此诗为七言绝句，四句，前写征程，后写豪情。全诗仄起平收，节奏紧促，于紧促中见豪迈。

Reading note A seven-character quatrain of four lines—'Volcano in the sixth month… truly a hero, a real man'—whose first couplet rhymes on the entering-tone 'yue' category (re, jue) and whose second couplet shifts to the level-tone 'yu' category (hu, fu). The quickened rhythm mirrors the urgent march; oblique-opening, level-closing, its pressing beat turns buoyant and martial at the close. Read the final couplet with rousing, confident force to catch Cen Shen's 'strange diction, rugged form.'此诗为七言绝句，四句：前两句写征程（火山六月应更热，赤亭道口行人绝），后两句写豪情（知君惯度祁连城，岂能愁见轮台月）。然全诗实为八句（写征程、写惯历、写饯行、写豪情），当为七言古诗的变体或送别短章——「脱鞍暂入酒家垆，送君万里西击胡；功名只向马上取，真是英雄一丈夫」写饯行与豪情。押仄声屑韵（热、绝）与平声虞韵（城、月、垆、胡、夫），转韵，音节奔放，正合豪情的奔放。全诗以豪语写送别——首句「火山六月应更热」写征程之热，次句「赤亭道口行人绝」写征程之艰，三句「知君惯度祁连城」写惯历，结句「岂能愁见轮台月」写豪情，加之「功名只向马上取，真是英雄一丈夫」的豪语，一气呵成。诵读此诗，宜以紧促的语调读「火山六月应更热」的征程，以豪迈的语调读「功名只向马上取」，结句「真是英雄一丈夫」要读得豪迈而有力，方能传达出岑参的豪情。岑参七绝以「语奇体峻」著称，此诗正是其送别从戎短章的典范。

Line by line

功名只向马上取，真是英雄一丈夫

Fame is won only from the saddle; truly you are a hero, a real man.

功名只在马上求取，真是英雄大丈夫。

Fame and rank are won only on horseback; you are truly a hero, a man among men.

此联是全诗的高潮，以豪语写从戎求取功名的豪情，是千古名句。「功名只向马上取」写功名只在马上求取——那「功名只向马上取」写功名只在鞍马征战中求取，写尽从戎求取功名的豪情；「真是英雄一丈夫」写真是英雄大丈夫——那「真是」写尽赞叹，「英雄一丈夫」写英雄大丈夫，写尽对李副使的赞美。这句的深意在于：它以「功名只向马上取」的豪语与「真是英雄一丈夫」的赞叹，写尽盛唐从戎的豪情——功名只在马上求取，那「只向马上取」写尽从戎求取功名的决然与豪情——不求文墨功名，只求鞍马征战、万里立功，正是盛唐士人从戎的时代精神；真是英雄大丈夫，那「真是英雄一丈夫」写尽对李副使的赞美——万里西击胡，功名马上取，正是英雄大丈夫的作为；那「只向马上取」写尽从戎的决然与豪情，那「英雄一丈夫」写尽英雄的气概，以豪语写尽盛唐从戎求取功名的豪情与对李副使的赞美。若换作直说「你去立功吧」，则失其豪迈；唯以「功名只向马上取」写从戎豪情、「真是英雄一丈夫」写英雄气概，以豪语写尽送别从戎的豪情，也让此联成为全诗的高潮与千古名句。

This couplet is the climax of the whole, writing the bold feeling of seeking fame through arms in bold words, the famous line of a thousand ages. Fame and rank are won only on horseback writes seeking fame only in saddle and battle, writing to the full the bold feeling of arms. You are truly a hero, a man among men writes the praise of Vice Commissioner Li. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the bold words of fame and rank are won only on horseback and the praise of you are truly a hero, a man among men to write to the full the High Tang boldness of arms - not seeking literary fame, but only seeking merit in saddle and battle ten thousand li, exactly the age's spirit of the High Tang scholar in arms. The words won only on horseback write to the full the resolve and boldness; the hero, a man among men writes to the full the hero's spirit. One writing the resolve of arms, one writing the hero's spirit, writing to the full through bold words the High Tang boldness of seeking fame through arms and the praise of Vice Commissioner Li. If one instead directly said go win merit, one would lose the boldness; only writing the boldness of arms through fame and rank are won only on horseback and the hero's spirit through you are truly a hero, a man among men, writing to the full through bold words the boldness of seeing a man off to arms, makes this couplet the climax of the whole and a famous line of a thousand ages.

知君惯度祁连城，岂能愁见轮台月

I know you are used to crossing Qilian fortress—how could you grieve at the moon over Luntai?

知你惯于翻越祁连城，岂能愁见轮台的月亮。

I know you are used to crossing the Qilian walls; how could the moon over Luntai bring you grief?

此联写李副使的惯历边塞，以反问写不畏艰苦的豪情。「知君惯度祁连城」写知你惯于翻越祁连城——那「知君」写对友人的了解，「惯度祁连城」写惯于翻越祁连城，写尽李副使惯历边塞的阅历；「岂能愁见轮台月」写岂能愁见轮台的月亮——那「岂能」以反问写岂能，「愁见轮台月」写愁见轮台的月亮，以反问写岂会愁见边塞之月。这句的深意在于：它以「知君惯度祁连城」的了解与「岂能愁见轮台月」的反问，写尽李副使不畏艰苦的豪情——知你惯于翻越祁连城，那「惯度祁连城」写尽李副使惯历边塞、久经征战的阅历；岂能愁见轮台的月亮，那「岂能」以反问写岂会忧愁——边塞之月，常人见之生愁，而李副使惯历边塞，岂会愁见轮台的月亮？那「岂能愁见」以反问写尽李副使不畏艰苦、惯历边塞的豪情；「惯度祁连城」与「岂能愁见轮台月」的呼应，写尽李副使的阅历与豪情，也为下文「功名只向马上取」的赞美作铺垫。若换作直说「你很熟悉边塞」，则失其豪迈；唯以「知君惯度祁连城」写阅历、「岂能愁见轮台月」的反问写豪情，写尽李副使的不畏艰苦，也让此联成为全诗写李副使的关键。

This couplet writes Vice Commissioner Li's long familiarity with the frontier, using a question to write the boldness of fearing no hardship. I know you are used to crossing the Qilian walls writes the understanding of the friend, writing to the full Vice Commissioner Li's experience of the frontier. How could the moon over Luntai bring you grief writes the question, asking how the frontier moon could bring grief. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the understanding of I know you are used to crossing the Qilian walls and the question of how could the moon over Luntai bring you grief to write to the full Vice Commissioner Li's boldness of fearing no hardship - used to crossing the Qilian walls, writing to the full his long years of border and battle. How could the moon over Luntai bring you grief: the frontier moon breeds grief in ordinary men, yet Vice Commissioner Li, long used to the border, how could it bring grief? The question writes to the full his boldness of fearing no hardship. The echo of used to crossing the Qilian walls and how could the moon over Luntai bring you grief writes to the full his experience and boldness, and lays a ground for the later praise of fame and rank are won only on horseback. If one instead directly said you know the frontier well, one would lose the boldness; only writing experience through I know you are used to crossing the Qilian walls and boldness through the question how could the moon over Luntai bring you grief, writing to the full Vice Commissioner Li's fearlessness, makes this couplet the key of the whole's writing him.

Study

Word focus

惯 'Guan' (used to, accustomed) in 'I know you are used to crossing Qilian fortress.' It conveys Li's deep frontier experience—both his seasoned travels and his calm composure before hardship, the keynote of his veteran courage. 「知君惯度祁连城」之「惯」字是写阅历的关键字，一个「惯」字写尽李副使的惯历边塞。惯者，习惯、惯于也。岑参以「惯度」写李副使，这个「惯」字至少有双重意味：其一，写阅历之深——那「惯度祁连城」写惯于翻越祁连城，那「惯」字写尽李副使惯历边塞、久经征战的阅历；其二，写从容之态——那「惯」字更是写从容——惯于度边塞，故不以为苦，那「惯」字写尽李副使面对艰苦的从容。以「惯」字写阅历，正是岑参写李副使的枢纽——若换作「曾」「常」等字，则或失其惯熟的意味，或失其与「岂能愁见轮台月」的呼应；唯「惯」字，以一字写尽惯历边塞的阅历与从容，与「岂能愁见轮台月」的反问相合，写尽李副使不畏艰苦的豪情，也让「知君惯度祁连城」成为全诗写李副使的关键。

只 'Zhi' (only, merely) in 'Fame is won only from the saddle.' A single 'only' asserts that glory comes by arms alone, sealing the high-Tang martial creed with decisive, heroic finality. 「功名只向马上取」之「只」字是写决然的关键字，一个「只」字写尽从戎求取功名的决然。只者，只、仅也。岑参以「只向马上取」写功名，这个「只」字至少有双重意味：其一，写唯一之路——那「功名只向马上取」写功名只在马上求取，那「只」字写尽求取功名唯一从戎之路的决然；其二，写豪情之盛——那「只」字更是写豪情——不求文墨，只求马上取功名，那「只」字写尽从戎求取功名的豪情。以「只」字写决然，正是岑参收束全诗的枢纽——若换作「须」「当」等字，则或失其与「马上取」的配合，或失其决然；唯「只」字，以一字写尽功名只在马上求取的决然与豪情，与「真是英雄一丈夫」的赞叹相合，写尽盛唐从戎的时代精神，也让「功名只向马上取」成为千古名句。