唐 Tang · 诗 Poem
长安古意
Old Feelings of Chang'an
长安大道连狭斜，青牛白马七香车。
玉辇纵横过主第，金鞭络绎向侯家。
龙衔宝盖承朝日，凤吐流苏带晚霞。
百尺游丝争绕树，一群娇鸟共啼花。
游蜂戏蝶千门侧，碧树银台万种色。
复道交窗作合欢，双阙连甍垂凤翼。
梁家画阁中天起，汉帝金茎云外直。
楼前相望不相知，陌上相逢讵相识？
Show full original poem
长安大道连狭斜，青牛白马七香车。
玉辇纵横过主第，金鞭络绎向侯家。
龙衔宝盖承朝日，凤吐流苏带晚霞。
百尺游丝争绕树，一群娇鸟共啼花。
游蜂戏蝶千门侧，碧树银台万种色。
复道交窗作合欢，双阙连甍垂凤翼。
梁家画阁中天起，汉帝金茎云外直。
楼前相望不相知，陌上相逢讵相识？
借问吹箫向紫烟，曾经学舞度芳年。
得成比目何辞死，愿作鸳鸯不羡仙。
比目鸳鸯真可羡，双去双来君不见？
生憎帐额绣孤鸾，好取门帘帖双燕。
双燕双飞绕画梁，罗帷翠被郁金香。
片片行云著蝉鬓，纤纤初月上鸦黄。
鸦黄粉白车中出，含娇含态情非一。
妖童宝马铁连钱，娼妇盘龙金屈膝。
御史府中乌夜啼，廷尉门前雀欲栖。
隐隐朱城临玉道，遥遥翠幰没金堤。
挟弹飞鹰杜陵北，探丸借客渭桥西。
俱邀侠客芙蓉剑，共宿娼家桃李蹊。
娼家日暮紫罗裙，清歌一啭口氛氲。
北堂夜夜人如月，南陌朝朝骑似云。
南陌北堂连北里，五剧三条控三市。
弱柳青槐拂地垂，佳气红尘暗天起。
汉代金吾千骑来，翡翠屠苏鹦鹉杯。
罗襦宝带为君解，燕歌赵舞为君开。
别有豪华称将相，转日回天不相让。
意气由来排灌夫，专权判不容萧相。
专权意气本豪雄，青虬紫燕坐春风。
自言歌舞长千载，自谓骄奢凌五公。
节物风光不相待，桑田碧海须臾改。
昔时金阶白玉堂，即今唯见青松柏。
寂寂寥寥扬子居，年年岁岁一床书。
独有南山桂花发，飞来飞去袭人裾。
Jade carriages cross and pass before the lords' mansions; golden whips follow one another toward the marquises' gates.
Dragons hold canopy-poles that catch the morning sun; phoenixes spit tassels that trail the evening clouds.
A hundred feet of drifting gossamer vie to wind the trees; a flock of pretty birds sing together among the flowers.
Wandering bees and flirting butterflies by the thousand gates; green trees and silver terraces in ten thousand hues.
Covered walks and latticed windows shaped as twin blooms; paired towers joined by eaves hang phoenix wings.
The Liang family's painted pavilions rise to the mid-sky; the Han emperor's golden pillar stands straight beyond the clouds.
Before the towers they gaze yet do not know each other; on the road they meet—how could they be acquainted?
Pray tell, who pipes to the purple mist? Once she learned to dance through her fragrant years.
If I could be a paired flatfish, I would not shrink from death; I would be mandarin ducks and envy not the immortals.
The flatfish and the mandarin ducks are truly to be envied—see you not they go and come in pairs?
I loathe the lonely phoenix embroidered on the bed-curtain; better to paste twin swallows on the door-screen.
Twin swallows fly in pairs around the painted beams; silk curtains and kingfisher quilts breathe calendula scent.
Slips of drifting cloud deck the cicada-wing hair; a slender new moon touches the crow-yellow mark.
Crow-yellow and powder-white she steps from the carriage, coy and graceful, her feeling never the same.
Fair youths on iron-coin dappled steeds; singing girls with coiling-dragon golden hinges.
In the censor's court the crows cry at night; before the judge's gate the sparrows would roost.
Dimly the vermilion city fronts the jade road; far off the green canopies vanish beyond the golden dike.
West of Du Mound they sling pellets and fly falcons; west of the Wei Bridge they fetch pills and borrow blades.
All invite the swordsman with his lotus sword, and lodge together at the singing girl's peach-and-plum path.
At dusk the singing house wears purple silken skirts; one clear note from her mouth, and fragrance fills the air.
In the north hall, night after night, her beauty is like the moon; on the south path, morning after morning, the riders are like clouds.
South path and north hall join the northern quarter; five intersections and three roads command the three markets.
Weak willows and green locusts brush the ground as they droop; fair vapor and red dust rise dark into the sky.
The Han gold-and-iron guards come with a thousand horsemen; emerald tu-su wine and parrot-cups.
Silken jacket and jeweled belt unbound for you; Yan songs and Zhao dances opened for you.
Apart, there are the grand called general and minister, who turn the sun and roll back the sky, yielding to none.
Their spirit has ever crushed Guan Fu; their monopoly of power brooks no Chancellor Xiao.
Monopolizing power, their spirit is truly heroic; green dragons and purple swallows sit in the spring breeze.
They say their songs and dances shall last a thousand years; they think their pride and luxury surpass the Five Lords.
The seasons and scenes do not wait for man; the mulberry fields and blue sea change in an instant.
What once were golden steps and white-jade halls—now only green pines and cypresses are seen.
Lonely, deserted, the dwelling of Master Yang; year after year but a single bed of books.
Only on South Mountain the cassia blooms; they fly to and fro and brush against one's robe.
Meaning
Through the borrowed voice of Han Chang'an, the poem lavishly displays the city's splendor and its demimonde, then suddenly turns to utter desolation—power and pleasure all vanish, leaving only pines and a solitary scholar's books—meditating on the fleetingness of glory.
长安的大道连通着小巷斜街，青牛白马驾着七香宝车往来不绝。玉辇纵横驰过主公府第，金鞭络绎奔向王侯之家。龙衔宝盖承托朝日，凤吐流苏披带晚霞。百尺游丝争绕树梢，一群娇鸟共啼花间。游蜂戏蝶在千门侧飞舞，碧树银台映出万种颜色。复道交窗雕作合欢，双阙连甍垂下凤翼。梁家画阁凌空而起，汉帝金茎直入云外。楼前相望却不相知，陌上相逢岂能相识？试问那吹箫升入紫烟的，曾是学舞度过的芳年。能成比目何辞一死，愿作鸳鸯不羡神仙。比目鸳鸯真可羡慕，可你不见它们双去双来？最憎帐额绣着孤鸾，爱取门帘贴上双燕。双燕双飞绕画梁，罗帷翠被泛着郁金香。片片行云贴着蝉鬓，纤纤初月点上鸦黄。鸦黄粉白从车中走出，含娇带态风情万种。妖童骑铁连钱宝马，娼妇盘龙金屈膝。御史府中乌鸦夜啼，廷尉门前雀鸟将栖。隐隐朱城临玉道，遥遥翠幰没金堤。杜陵北挟弹飞鹰，渭桥西探丸借客。都邀侠客持芙蓉剑，共宿娼家桃李蹊。娼家日暮紫罗裙，清歌一曲口吐氛氲。北堂夜夜人美如月，南陌朝朝骑马似云。南陌北堂连着北里，五剧三条控三市。弱柳青槐垂地轻拂，佳气红尘暗天而起。汉代金吾千骑前来，翡翠屠苏鹦鹉杯。罗襦宝带为你解下，燕歌赵舞为你展开。另有豪华号称将相，转日回天互不相让。意气从来压倒灌夫，专权决不容萧相。专权意气本豪雄，青虬紫燕坐沐春风。自言歌舞长传千载，自谓骄奢凌驾五公。节物风光不相等待，桑田碧海须臾改易。昔时金阶白玉堂，如今唯见青松柏。寂寂寥寥扬子居，年年岁岁一床书。独有南山桂花发，飞来飞去袭人衣裾。
Appreciation
The poem opens with the splendor of Chang'an, piling up carriages, pavilions, drifting gossamer, and pretty birds, then the aristocratic and dissolute life. The second half turns sharply: the proud and the swordsmen all end in 'mulberry fields become sea in an instant,' and the golden halls of yesterday are now only green pines. It closes with the lonely dwelling of Yang Xiong and the cassia of South Mountain, a stark contrast. Beneath the surface of metropolitan manners lies a clear-eyed insight that prosperity passes and power does not last.
【白话串讲】 “长安大道连狭斜，青牛白马七香车”——卢照邻写长安的繁华：大道连着小巷，宝马香车。“龙衔宝盖承朝日，凤吐流苏带晚霞”——“节物风光不相待，桑田碧海须臾改”——他写尽长安的盛与衰。 【意象与手法】 铺排渲染极尽宫体之丽，却以“节物风光不相待”一句陡转，由丽转哀。借古（汉）写今（唐），以长安之盛衰寄兴亡之慨，是初唐长篇歌行的典型章法。 【情感与主旨】 表面写长安风气，内里是对繁华易逝、权势难久的清醒洞察，末联归隐之想已开盛唐山水田园之先声。 【名句点睛】 “得成比目何辞死，愿作鸳鸯不羡仙”——写尽世间对成双眷侣的艳羡；而“寂寂寥寥扬子居，年年岁岁一床书”则以清寂反衬浮华，余韵悠长。
Background
Lu Zhaolin was one of the Four Paragons of the Early Tang. Borrowing Han Chang'an to depict Tang's capital in full splendor and dissipation, the poem hints a sigh over rise and fall; it was likely written during the Gaozong reign and is his representative long ballad.
《长安古意》为唐代卢照邻所作，是写长安繁华、盛衰之慨的七言古诗。卢照邻（约635—约689），字升之，号幽忧子，范阳人，唐代诗人（初唐四杰之一）。此诗写长安大道繁华、王侯骄奢、娼家侠客、盛衰之变，是卢照邻诗的名篇。
Art
It uses the fu style to spread out the myriad aspects of Chang'an; the diction is gorgeous, close to palace poetry, yet the scope is grand and the transitions natural. From extreme splendor to extreme ruin, the structure opens and closes on a grand scale, setting the pattern for the Early Tang long seven-character ancient-style poem.
《长安古意》艺术上以长安繁华的描摹与盛衰之慨的深沉见长。全诗六十七句，层层写来：前写长安大道繁华——“长安大道连狭斜，青牛白马七香车”写长安大道、七香车，玉辇金鞭写王侯之盛，梁家画阁、汉帝金茎写豪贵之奢；中写娼家侠客——“娼家日暮紫罗裙，清歌一啭口氛氲”写娼家夜夜、清歌，北堂夜夜、南陌朝朝写日夜繁华；后写盛衰之变——“节物风光不相待，桑田碧海须臾改”写桑田碧海、须臾之改，“昔时金阶白玉堂，即今唯见青松柏”写金阶玉堂、唯见青松，末以“寂寂寥寥扬子居，年年岁岁一床书”写扬雄寂居。全诗以长安繁华写盛衰之慨，正是卢照邻诗深沉的笔法。
Allusions
The Liang family refers to Liang Ji (Eastern Han imperial in-law, famously lavish); the golden pillar refers to Emperor Wu of Han's bronze pillar holding the dew-catcher; Master Yang refers to Yang Xiong, symbol of the solitary scholarly writer; the flatfish and mandarin ducks symbolize devoted pairs.
《长安古意》用典在“梁家画阁”“汉帝金茎”“比目鸳鸯”“灌夫”“萧相”“扬子居”“南山桂”。“梁家画阁”写东汉梁冀之宅；“汉帝金茎”写汉武帝承露金茎；“比目鸳鸯”写比目鱼鸳鸯鸟（喻同心）；“灌夫”写汉灌夫（骄纵）；“萧相”写汉萧何（相国）；“扬子居”写扬雄寂居；“南山桂”写南山桂花。全诗以这些典故写长安繁华、盛衰之慨，用典繁富而深沉自见，正是卢照邻诗的笔法。
Commentary
The Ming scholar Hu Yinglin praised it as an Early Tang ballad with 'rise-and-fall within its ornament'; the Qing scholar Shen Deqian called it 'one continuous surge, yet with clear divisions.'
《长安古意》是卢照邻诗的名篇，也是初唐歌行中写长安繁华、盛衰之慨的代表作。此诗写长安繁华、盛衰之慨，向为论者称道。论者多赏其长安繁华的描摹与盛衰之慨的深沉——“长安大道连狭斜，青牛白马七香车”写长安大道、七香车，繁华之极；“梁家画阁中天起，汉帝金茎云外直”用梁家汉帝之典写豪贵之盛，更见其奢；“得成比目何辞死，愿作鸳鸯不羡仙”写愿作鸳鸯、不羡仙，尤见其情；“节物风光不相待，桑田碧海须臾改”写桑田碧海、须臾之改，尤见其慨；“寂寂寥寥扬子居，年年岁岁一床书”写扬子寂居、一床书，尤见其深。卢照邻为初唐四杰之一，此诗正是其代表——以长安繁华写盛衰之慨，正是其诗风。
Prosody
Line by line
长安大道连狭斜，青牛白马七香车。
The great roads of Chang'an run into the winding lanes; green oxen and white horses draw the seven-fragrance carriages.
长安大道连狭斜，青牛白马七香车。
The great ways of Chang'an run into the narrow lanes; blue oxen and white horses draw the seven-scented carriages.
首写长安大道、七香车，是全诗写长安繁华的起点。“长安大道连狭斜”写长安大道连狭斜——“长安大道连狭斜”写长安大道连通小巷斜街——长安大道连狭斜；“青牛白马七香车”写青牛白马七香车——“青牛白马七香车”写青牛白马驾着七香宝车——青牛白马七香车。二句写长安大道、七香车：长安大道连狭斜，青牛白马七香车。以“长安大道连狭斜”写大道连通巷斜、市井繁华，以“青牛白马七香车”写牛马宝车、往来如织，正是卢照邻诗写长安繁华的起点——大道通衢，香车宝马。
The opening writes the great ways of Chang'an and the scented carriages, the starting point of the whole's writing Chang'an's splendor. The great ways of Chang'an run into the narrow lanes writes the broad thoroughfares joining the byways, the bustle of the market. Blue oxen and white horses draw the seven-scented carriages writes the fine carriages with their teams, the coming and going like a weaver's shuttle. The two lines write the great ways and the scented carriages: the broad thoroughfares, the fragrant carriages and fine horses, exactly Lu Zhaolin's starting point of writing Chang'an's splendor.
得成比目何辞死，愿作鸳鸯不羡仙。
Could I be paired as the flounder, I would not shrink from death; I would be the mandarin duck, envying not the immortals.
得成比目何辞死，愿作鸳鸯不羡仙。
Could I be paired as the flounder, I would not shrink from death; I would be the mandarin duck, envying not the immortals.
此二句用比目鸳鸯之典写愿作鸳鸯不羡仙，是全诗写相思之情的深化。“得成比目何辞死”用比目之典写得成比目何辞死——“得成比目何辞死”用比目鱼之典写得成比目、何辞一死——得成比目何辞死；“愿作鸳鸯不羡仙”用鸳鸯之典写愿作鸳鸯不羡仙——“愿作鸳鸯不羡仙”用鸳鸯之典写愿作鸳鸯、不羡神仙——愿作鸳鸯不羡仙。二句写愿作鸳鸯不羡仙：得成比目何辞死，愿作鸳鸯不羡仙。以“得成比目何辞死”用比目鱼之典写得成双对、死亦无辞，以“愿作鸳鸯不羡仙”用鸳鸯之典写愿作鸳鸯、不羡神仙，正是卢照邻诗写相思之情的深化——比目鸳鸯，愿作双栖。
These two lines use the allusions to the flounder and the mandarin duck to write I would be the mandarin duck, envying not the immortals, the deepening of the whole's writing longing. Could I be paired as the flounder, I would not shrink from death uses the flounder allusion to write that, could one be paired, even death is not refused. I would be the mandarin duck, envying not the immortals uses the mandarin duck allusion to write that one would be the paired duck, not envying the immortals. The two lines write the deepening of longing - the flounder and the mandarin duck, wishing to roost as a pair.
节物风光不相待，桑田碧海须臾改。
The seasons and scenes do not wait for man; mulberry fields become blue sea in an instant.
节物风光不相待，桑田碧海须臾改。
The season's sights and the splendor wait for no man; the mulberry fields and the blue seas change in an instant.
此二句用桑田碧海之典写节物风光不相待、桑田碧海须臾改，是全诗写盛衰之变的转折。“节物风光不相待”写节物风光不相待——“节物风光不相待”写节令风物、不相等待——节物风光不相待；“桑田碧海须臾改”用桑田碧海之典写桑田碧海须臾改——“桑田碧海须臾改”用沧海桑田之典写桑田碧海、须臾即变——桑田碧海须臾改。二句写节物风光不相待、桑田碧海须臾改：节物风光不相待，桑田碧海须臾改。以“节物风光不相待”写节令风物、流转不待，以“桑田碧海须臾改”用沧海桑田之典写盛衰之变、须臾改易，正是卢照邻诗写盛衰之变的转折——风光不待，桑田须臾。
These two lines use the allusion of the mulberry fields and blue seas to write that the season's sights wait for no man and the seas change in an instant, the turning of the whole's writing the change of glory and decay. The season's sights and the splendor wait for no man writes that the seasonal scenery does not wait. The mulberry fields and the blue seas change in an instant uses the seas-mulberry-fields allusion to write the transformation in an instant. The two lines write the turning of glory and decay - the splendor waits not, the mulberry fields change in an instant.
寂寂寥寥扬子居，年年岁岁一床书。
Lonely and deserted, the dwelling of Master Yang; year after year but a single bed of books.
寂寂寥寥扬子居，年年岁岁一床书。
Silent and bare, Yangzi's dwelling; year after year, only a couch of books.
末用扬子居之典写寂寂寥寥扬子居、年年岁岁一床书，是全诗写繁华之归的归结。“寂寂寥寥扬子居”用扬子居之典写寂寂寥寥扬子居——“寂寂寥寥扬子居”用扬雄寂居之典写寂寂寥寥的扬雄之居——寂寂寥寥扬子居；“年年岁岁一床书”写年年岁岁一床书——“年年岁岁一床书”写年年岁岁只一床书——年年岁岁一床书。二句写寂寂寥寥扬子居、年年岁岁一床书：寂寂寥寥扬子居，年年岁岁一床书。以“寂寂寥寥扬子居”用扬雄寂居之典写繁华落尽、唯余寂居，以“年年岁岁一床书”写年年岁岁、唯有一床书之淡泊，正是卢照邻诗写繁华之归的归结——繁华尽处，扬子一床书。
The close uses the allusion to Yangzi's dwelling to write silent and bare, Yangzi's dwelling; year after year, only a couch of books, the landing of the whole's writing the return of splendor. Silent and bare, Yangzi's dwelling uses Yang Xiong's secluded dwelling to write that, the splendor fallen, only the quiet dwelling remains. Year after year, only a couch of books writes the plainness of the years with but a couch of books. The two lines write the landing of splendor's return - where the splendor ends, Yangzi's couch of books.
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Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
刘禹锡《乌衣巷》写旧时王谢、繁华易逝，与本首同为写繁华易逝之作。差异在体裁：长安古意为长歌行；乌衣巷为七绝。一写“长”之盛，一写“巷”之旧。两者并读，可见写繁华易逝的两种体裁。
石头城 Stone City 刘禹锡 · 与本首相关联的同类或同作者作品，供对比阅读 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
此处关联刘禹锡《石头城》，与本首在主题、体裁或作者上相关联，可对比阅读以见其同异。
金陵图 A Painting of Jinling 韦庄 · 同为咏帝都怀古之作，一写长安一写金陵，皆深婉 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
刘禹锡《金陵图》咏金陵怀古，与本首同为咏帝都怀古之作。差异在对象：长安古意写长安盛衰；金陵图写金陵旧事。一写“长”之盛，一写“金”之旧。两者并读，可见咏帝都怀古的两种对象。