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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

送友人入蜀

Seeing a Friend Off to Shu

李白

Li Bai

送别Farewell 蜀道Shu Road

见说蚕丛路，崎岖不易行。
山从人面起，云傍马头生。
芳树笼秦栈，春流绕蜀城。
升沉应已定，不必问君平。

It is said the road of Can Cong is rugged, not easy to travel.
Mountains rise before your very face, clouds spring up beside the horse's head.
Fragrant trees enfold the Qin plank-road, spring streams wind around the Shu city.
Your rise and fall is already fixed—no need to consult Junping.

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Meaning

A five-character regulated verse in which Li Bai sees a friend off on the perilous road into Shu (Sichuan). He blends a warning about the rugged route with philosophical consolation, telling his friend that worldly fortune is already determined and there is no need to consult the diviner. The poem pairs vivid high-mountain imagery with a calm, detached farewell.

见说蚕丛路，崎岖不易行。山从人面起，云傍马头生。芳树笼秦栈，春流绕蜀城。升沉应已定，不必问君平。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The poet reports that the road of Can Cong is rugged and hard to travel, then paints the towering Shu landscape where mountains rise before the traveler's face and clouds spring beside the horse's head. Fragrant trees enfold the Qin plank-roads and spring streams circle the Shu city, before the close turns to consolation: one's fortunes are predetermined, so there is no need to ask Junping the diviner. [Structure] The first six lines build the physical danger of the route; the last couplet shifts to moral comfort, the classic 'scene first, solace after' shape of a farewell. [Imagery] 'Mountains rise before the face, clouds spring at the horse's head' is the celebrated line, fusing hyperbole and personification to make the road feel oppressively close. The balanced antithesis of 'fragrant trees' against 'spring stream' sets beauty against peril. [Tone] The poem is at once majestic and open-hearted; its comfort reveals Li Bai's detached ease toward official fortune.

【白话串讲】李白写《送友人入蜀》：“见说蚕丛路，崎岖不易行”——“山从人面起，云傍马头生”——“芳树笼秦栈，春流绕蜀城”——“升沉应已定，不必问君平”——他说得失早已注定，不必去问占卜——他写蜀道之难与劝慰。【意象与手法】此诗写送别，以蜀道写送别，是李白的名篇。前六句写蜀道：「见说蚕丛路，崎岖不易行。山从人面起，云傍马头生。芳树笼秦栈，春流绕蜀城」写见说蚕丛路、崎岖不易行、山从人面起、云傍马头生——写尽蜀道的崎岖；后二句写宽慰：「升沉应已定，不必问君平」写升沉应已定、不必问君平——写尽对友人的宽慰。全诗以蜀道写送别，写尽蜀道的崎岖与对友人的宽慰，是李白的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写送别，以蜀道写送别，是李白的名篇。此诗为李白送友人入蜀而作。友人将经蜀道入蜀，李白以蜀道之崎岖相告，而以「升沉应已定」相慰。此诗写蜀道：见说蚕丛路，崎岖不易行——写见说蚕丛路、崎岖不易行，写尽蜀道的崎岖；山从人面起，云傍马头生——写出从人面起、云傍马头生，写尽蜀道的高险；芳树笼秦栈，春流绕蜀城——写芳树笼秦栈、春流绕蜀城，写尽蜀道的春景；升沉应已定，不必问君平——写升沉应已定、不必问君平，写尽对友人的宽慰。全诗以蜀道写送别——那「山从人面起，云傍马头生」写尽蜀道的崎岖，「不必问君平」写尽对友人的宽慰，写尽蜀道的崎岖与对友人的宽慰，是理解李白送别诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「山从人面起，云傍马头生」写蜀道的高险；「芳树笼秦栈，春流绕蜀城」写蜀道的春景；以及全诗以蜀道写送别、以景写情的手法。

Background

Li Bai (701–762), styled Taibai, was the supreme Romantic poet of the Tang, honored as the 'Poet Immortal.' This poem was written when a friend was about to travel the Shu Road into Sichuan; Li Bai, then in Chang'an, warns of the road's difficulty yet comforts him with 'your rise and fall is already fixed.' The Shu Road had been famously dreaded since Li Bai's own 'Hard Is the Road to Shu'; here the danger is tempered by a strangeness of beauty. The friend, perhaps driven by career, is sent off with both candor about the peril and a sage's calm about ambition.

此诗写送别，以蜀道写送别，是李白的名篇。李白（701—762），字太白，号青莲居士，又号谪仙人，祖籍陇西成纪（今甘肃秦安），生于碎叶城，唐代浪漫主义诗人，被誉为「诗仙」。此诗为李白送友人入蜀而作。友人将经蜀道入蜀，李白以蜀道之崎岖相告，而以「升沉应已定」相慰。此诗写蜀道：「见说蚕丛路，崎岖不易行」写见说蚕丛路、崎岖不易行——写尽蜀道的崎岖（见说蚕丛路，崎岖不易行）；「山从人面起，云傍马头生」写出从人面起、云傍马头生——写尽蜀道的高险（山从人面起，云傍马头生）；「芳树笼秦栈，春流绕蜀城」写芳树笼秦栈、春流绕蜀城——写尽蜀道的春景（芳树笼秦栈，春流绕蜀城）；「升沉应已定，不必问君平」写升沉应已定、不必问君平——写尽对友人的宽慰（升沉应已定，不必问君平）。全诗以蜀道写送别，写尽蜀道的崎岖与对友人的宽慰，是理解李白送别诗的重要篇章。此诗约作于李白长安时期送友人入蜀之际。蜀道自古以来艰险难行，李白《蜀道难》曾极写其险，此诗则于险中见雄奇之美。友人将入蜀，或为仕途所驱，李白以「升沉应已定，不必问君平」相慰，正见其旷达的处世态度，也暗含对仕途浮沉的感慨。

Art

The art of the poem works on four levels. First, metonymy through allusion: 'the road of Can Cong' evokes the mythic founder of Shu, lending the route ancient weight. Second, hyperbole for height: 'mountains rise before the face, clouds spring at the horse's head' makes cliff and mist press upon the traveler, the verbs 'rise' and 'spring' lending sudden life. Third, tight antithesis for spring beauty: 'fragrant trees' against 'spring stream,' 'Qin plank-road' against 'Shu city,' one hill one water, one trestle one town, softening the dread with loveliness. Fourth, discursive consolation: 'rise and fall are fixed—no need to ask Junping' turns the close into philosophy. The first six lines render the road's ruggedness; the last two offer comfort—danger then solace—the standard 'scene then advise' of the farewell genre.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以借代写蜀道。「见说蚕丛路」以借代写蜀道——那「蚕丛」用蚕丛开蜀之典写蜀道，以借代写尽蜀道的久远。其二，以夸张写高险。「山从人面起，云傍马头生」以夸张写高险——那「人面起」「马头生」写尽山云的逼人，以夸张写尽蜀道的高险。其三，以对仗写春景。「芳树笼秦栈，春流绕蜀城」以对仗写春景——那「芳树」「春流」写尽蜀道的春景，以对仗写尽蜀道的美景。其四，以议论写宽慰。「升沉应已定，不必问君平」以议论写宽慰——那「升沉已定」「不必问君平」写尽对命运的看破，以议论写尽对友人的宽慰。此外，此诗前六句写蜀道的崎岖，后二句写对友人的宽慰，由险及慰，正是送别诗「先写景后劝慰」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以蜀道写送别，写尽蜀道的崎岖与对友人的宽慰，是李白的代表作。此诗还善于以「芳树笼秦栈，春流绕蜀城」的工对写蜀道之美——那「芳树」对「春流」，「秦栈」对「蜀城」，一山一水、一栈一城，写尽蜀道艰险之外的美景，正是以美景冲淡险意的写法。又善以「应已定」三字写宿命——升沉应已定，一个「应」字写尽对命运的默许，也使全诗于雄奇中见旷达。

Allusions

The diction is steeped in the Shu-Road and farewell traditions. 'Can Cong' cites the legend (in Yang Xiong's 'Annals of the Kings of Shu') of the first king who taught silkworm culture and opened Shu, also recalled in Li Bai's 'Hard Is the Road to Shu' ('Can Cong and Yu Fu, who founded the state, how dim and distant'). 'Qin plank-road' refers to the wooden trestles between Qin and Shu, evoking 'cloud-linked plank-roads.' 'Junping' cites Yan Junping, a Han hermit of Chengdu who told fortunes; the phrase 'no need to ask Junping' inverts the divination topos into detachment. The whole poem inherits the Shu-Road line while turning it to a friend's departure, displaying Li Bai's bold, allusion-rich hand.

此诗的用语深植于送别与蜀道传统。「蚕丛」令人想到「蚕丛」用蚕丛开蜀之典——传说蚕丛为蜀国先王，开蜀道，也令人想到「蚕丛及鱼凫」（李白《蜀道难》）的意象；「崎岖」令人想到「崎岖」写山路难行的意象——也令人想到「蜀道之难，难于上青天」（李白）的意象；「秦栈」令人想到「秦栈」写栈道的意象——秦蜀间架木为栈，也令人想到「栈道连云」的意象；「蜀城」令人想到「蜀城」写成都的意象——也令人想到「锦官城」的意象；「君平」令人想到「君平」用严君平之典——严遵字君平，汉代蜀人，善卜，也令人想到「问卜」的意象。全诗化用蚕丛、崎岖、秦栈、蜀城、君平的意象典故，以蜀道写送别，正是李白「豪放」而善用典、承蜀道传统写送别之本领。「蚕丛」典出扬雄《蜀王本纪》——蜀之先王名蚕丛，教民蚕桑，为蜀国之始；李白《蜀道难》「蚕丛及鱼凫，开国何茫然」亦用此典。「君平」典出《汉书·王贡两龚鲍传》——严君平隐居成都卖卜，日阅数人，得百钱足以自养，李商隐《井络》亦及此。李白以「不必问君平」写不必问卜，正承此典而翻出旷达。

Commentary

Long ranked among Li Bai's finest farewells and a Tang model for writing the Shu Road, the poem draws high praise: Qing critics noted its 'majestic strangeness' in using the road for a leave-taking, and modern readers single out 'mountains rise before the face, clouds spring at the horse's head' as the key line. Its special worth lies in compressing, within eight lines, the whole Shu landscape—Can Cong's road, the ruggedness, the face-rising hills, the horse-head clouds, the fragrant trees, the plank-road, the spring stream, the Shu city, the fixed fortune, the diviner—into one farewell. It stands beside 'Hard Is the Road to Shu' as a twin treatment of the route: one a long ancient-style ode, this a brief regulated verse; and it continues the Wang Wei line of parting cups, showing how Tang poets turned departure into art.

此诗历来被推为李白送别诗的名篇，也是唐人写蜀道的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以蜀道写送别，雄奇俊逸」；近人更指出「山从人面起，云傍马头生」写蜀道的高险，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以八句的五律写尽蜀道的崎岖与对友人的宽慰——那蚕丛路，那崎岖，那山从人面起，那云傍马头生，那芳树，那秦栈，那春流，那蜀城，那升沉，那君平，都写尽了李白笔下的蜀道；那「不必问君平」更以议论写尽对友人的宽慰。此诗与李白《蜀道难》（「噫吁嚱，危乎高哉」）同为写蜀道名篇，一写「蜀道之难，难于上青天」的蜀道难（蜀道难），一写「山从人面起，云傍马头生」的送别（送友人入蜀）；一写古体长歌，一写五律短章；又与王维「劝君更尽一杯酒」的送别传统一脉相承，可见中国诗写送别的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解李白送别诗的窗口，也是中国诗写蜀道的经典——那马头生的云，穿越千年，仍在诉说着蜀道的崎岖。

Prosody

Form Five-character regulated verse (wu lu)诗·五言律诗

Rhyme Rhymes on xing, sheng, cheng, ping (Lower-Level Geng category), one rhyme sustained throughout, with a majestic, open sound.五律，押「行」「生」「城」「平」韵（下平八庚），一韵到底，音节雄奇

Tone pattern A five-character regulated verse, level-toned rhyme sustained throughout; the sound matches the majestic strangeness of the Shu Road.此诗为五言律诗，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节雄奇，正合蜀道的雄奇。

Reading note Eight lines of five characters, rhyming on the Geng category (xing, sheng, cheng, ping) without a shift, with a majestic tone. The first six lines render the road's ruggedness (face-rising hills, horse-head clouds); the last two comfort the friend (fixed fortune, no need for Junping). Read the high danger with a full voice and the close with open ease, letting the final line linger.此诗为五言律诗，八句——「见说蚕丛路，崎岖不易行。山从人面起，云傍马头生。芳树笼秦栈，春流绕蜀城。升沉应已定，不必问君平」，押「庚」韵（行、生、城、平），一韵到底，音节雄奇。全诗以蜀道写送别：前六句写蜀道的崎岖（山从人面起、云傍马头生），后二句写对友人的宽慰（升沉应已定、不必问君平）。八句长篇，前写蜀道，后写宽慰，以「不必问君平」写尽对友人的宽慰，正见李白「豪放」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以雄奇的语调读「山从人面起」的高险，以旷达的语调读「不必问君平」的宽慰，结句要读得雄奇而有余韵，方能传达出李白的雄奇俊逸。李白律诗以「俊逸」著称，此诗正是其送别律诗的典范。

Line by line

山从人面起，云傍马头生

Mountains rise before your very face, clouds spring up beside the horse's head.

山从人面起，云傍马头生。

The mountains rise from before the face; the clouds breed beside the horse's head.

此二句是全诗写高险的核心，以山从人面起写出，以云傍马头生写云，写尽蜀道的高险，是千古名句。「山从人面起」写出从人面起——那「山从人面」写出从人面，「起」写起，写尽山势的逼人；「云傍马头生」写云傍马头生——那「云傍马头」写云傍马头，「生」写生，写尽云雾的环绕。这句的深意在于：它以「山从人面起」的山与「云傍马头生」的云，写尽蜀道的高险——山从人面起，那「山从人面起」写尽山势的逼人——山从人面起，正是山高路险的写照，那「人面起」写尽蜀道的高险；云傍马头生，那「云傍马头生」写尽云雾的环绕——云傍马头生，正是身在云中的写照，那「马头生」写尽蜀道的高峻；那「山从人面起」写尽山势的逼人，那「云傍马头生」写尽云雾的环绕，一写出，一写云，写尽蜀道的高险——山逼人面而云生马头，正是蜀道高危的写照；此二句以山、云写尽蜀道的高险，也为后文的秦栈春流作对比，也让此二句成为全诗写高险的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「蜀道又高又险」，则失其奇警；唯以「山从人面起」写出、「云傍马头生」写云，写尽蜀道的高险，也让此二句成为全诗写高险的核心。

These two lines are the core of the whole's writing height and peril, using the mountains rise from before the face for the rising mountains and the clouds breed beside the horse's head for the clouds, writing to the full the height and peril of the Shu road, the famous line of a thousand ages. The mountains rise from before the face writes the mountain's pressing on the man; the clouds breed beside the horse's head writes the clouds wrapping the horse. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the mountains of the mountains rise from before the face and the clouds of the clouds breed beside the horse's head to write to the full the height and peril of the Shu road - the mountains rising from the face, exactly the picture of the high and perilous road; the clouds breeding beside the horse's head, exactly the picture of being within the clouds. One writing mountains, one writing clouds, writing to the full the high peril of the Shu road. These two lines write to the full the height and peril of the Shu road through mountains and clouds, set a contrast for the later Qin plank road and spring stream, and make them the core of the whole's height and peril and a famous line of a thousand ages. If one instead directly said the Shu road is high and perilous, one would lose the startling freshness; only writing the rising mountains through the mountains rise from before the face and the clouds through the clouds breed beside the horse's head, writing to the full the height and peril of the Shu road, makes these two lines the core of the whole's height and peril.

升沉应已定，不必问君平

Your rise and fall is already fixed—no need to consult Junping.

升沉应已定，不必问君平。

Rise or fall should already be decreed; no need to ask Junping.

此二句是全诗写宽慰的核心，以升沉应已定写升沉，以不必问君平写君平，写尽对友人的宽慰，是千古名句。「升沉应已定」写升沉应已定——那「升沉」写升沉，「应已定」写应已定，写尽升沉的已定；「不必问君平」写不必问君平——那「不必」写不必，「问君平」写问君平，写尽不问的劝慰。这句的深意在于：它以「升沉应已定」的升沉与「不必问君平」的君平，写尽对友人的宽慰——升沉应已定，那「升沉应已定」写尽升沉的已定——仕途升沉，应已注定，正是对命运的看破，那「应已定」写尽对友人的宽慰；不必问君平，那「不必问君平」写尽不问的劝慰——不必问卜，正是对友人的劝慰，那「不必」写尽对友人的宽慰；那「升沉应已定」写尽升沉的已定，那「不必问君平」写尽不问的劝慰，一写已定，一写不必，写尽对友人的宽慰——升沉已定而不必问卜，正是达观的写照；此二句以升沉、君平写尽对友人的宽慰，也让此二句成为全诗写宽慰的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「别担心前途」，则失其旷达；唯以「升沉应已定」写升沉、「不必问君平」写君平，写尽对友人的宽慰，也让此二句成为全诗写宽慰的核心。

These two lines are the core of the whole's writing the comfort, using rise or fall should already be decreed for the rise and fall and no need to ask Junping for Junping, writing to the full the comfort to the friend, the famous line of a thousand ages. Rise or fall should already be decreed writes that the official rise and fall should already be fated; no need to ask Junping writes the comfort of not divining, using the allusion to Junping the Han diviner. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the rise and fall of rise or fall should already be decreed and the Junping of no need to ask Junping to write to the full the comfort to the friend - rise or fall already decreed, exactly the picture of seeing through fate; no need to divine, exactly the consolation to the friend. One writing the decree, one writing the not-need, writing to the full the comfort - rise or fall decreed and no need to ask divination, exactly the picture of openness. These two lines write to the full the comfort to the friend through rise and fall and Junping, and make them the core of the whole's comfort and a famous line of a thousand ages. If one instead directly said don't worry about the future, one would lose the openness; only writing rise and fall through rise or fall should already be decreed and Junping through no need to ask Junping, writing to the full the comfort to the friend, makes these two lines the core of the whole's comfort.

Study

Word focus

起 The verb 'rise' in 'mountains rise before the face' is the key to the peril: it makes the cliff suddenly loom over the traveler, a single word conveying how oppressively close the height feels. 「山从人面起」之「起」字是写高险的关键词，一个「起」字写尽山势的逼人。起者，升起、突起也。李白以「山从人面起」写高险，这个「起」字至少有双重意味：其一，写山之起——那「山从人面起」写出从人面起，那「起」字写尽山势的逼人——山从人面起，正是山高路险的写照，那「起」字写尽蜀道的高险；其二，写势之迫——那「起」字更是写迫——起，正见山势的迫近，那「起」字写尽蜀道的危峻。以「起」字写高险，正是李白写蜀道的枢纽——若换作「立」「耸」等字，则或失其与「山从人面」「云傍马头生」的配合，或失其写起的意味；唯「起」字，以山从人面起写尽山势的逼人与山势的迫近，与「云傍马头生」的马头生相合，写尽蜀道的高险，也让「山从人面起」成为全诗写高险的名句。

生 The verb 'spring' in 'clouds spring at the horse's head' catches the mist welling up around the rider; one word renders both the emergence of cloud and the dreamlike peril of the road. 「云傍马头生」之「生」字是写高峻的关键词，一个「生」字写尽云雾的环绕。生者，生长、涌现也。李白以「云傍马头生」写高峻，这个「生」字至少有双重意味：其一，写云之生——那「云傍马头生」写云傍马头生，那「生」字写尽云雾的涌现——云傍马头生，正是身在云中的写照，那「生」字写尽蜀道的高峻；其二，写境之幻——那「生」字更是写幻——生，正见云气的变幻，那「生」字写尽蜀道的缥缈。以「生」字写高峻，正是李白写蜀道的枢纽——若换作「绕」「浮」等字，则或失其与「云傍马头」「山从人面起」的配合，或失其写生的意味；唯「生」字，以云傍马头生写尽云雾的涌现与云气的变幻，与「山从人面起」的人面起相合，写尽蜀道的高峻，也让「云傍马头生」成为全诗写高峻的名句。