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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

长安遇冯著

Encountering Feng Zhu in Chang'an

韦应物

Wei Yingwu

友情Friendship 感怀Reflection 写景Scenery

客从东方来，衣上灞陵雨。
问客何为来，采山因买斧。
冥冥花正开，飏飏燕新舞。
昨别今已春，鬓丝生几缕。

A traveler comes from the east, his coat stained with Baling rain.
I ask him why he comes: to gather wood he buys an ax.
Deeply hidden flowers are blooming, lightly the swallows dance.
Since we parted last year, spring has come again; how many white hairs on your temples?

Listen

Meaning

A friend arrives from the east, his clothes still damp with rain from Baling. When asked why he has come, he says he is going to gather wood and has bought an ax. In the quiet shade, flowers are blooming; gently, young swallows are dancing. Since we parted yesterday, now it is spring again, and a few white hairs have grown on your temples.

友人从东方而来，衣衫上还带着灞陵的雨痕。问他因何而来，他说是进山采樵，特来买斧。冥冥之中百花正自盛放，飏飏之际新燕翩翩起舞。仿佛昨日才分别，如今又已逢春，你鬓边又添了几缕白发。

Appreciation

This poem records a reunion with an old friend. The first four lines are like casual conversation, noting the friend's arrival from the east and his purpose. The last four lines turn to the spring scene, using the joyful imagery to contrast with the sigh of time passing. The poem is plain in language but rich in emotion.

【白话串讲】老朋友冯著从东方来，衣服上还带着灞陵的雨。韦应物问：你来做啥？他说：来山里买斧子开荒。两个故人重逢，春天正开，鬓角却添了白发。【意象与手法】诗以问答结构展开，前四句如叙家常：「衣上灞陵雨」以细节写故人风尘，「采山因买斧」以对话见率真；后四句写景转情，「冥冥花正开，飏飏燕新舞」以叠字写盎然春意，「鬓丝生几缕」于明媚中忽作岁月之叹。【情感与主旨】韦应物（737—约792）与冯著交契甚深，集中赠冯著诗多首。此诗约作于代宗大历年间，时韦应物在长安，冯著自关东来访。诗写故人重逢之喜与岁月催人之慨，白描自然、语淡情浓，典型韦苏州「澄淡精致」之风。【名句点睛】常考：①「衣上灞陵雨」的细节描写作用——以雨痕写故人风尘仆仆、情谊真切；②「冥冥」「飏飏」叠字写春的妙处；③「昨别今已春，鬓丝生几缕」由乐入哀的情感转折。

Background

Wei Yingwu (737–c. 792) was a close friend of Feng Zhu. This poem was written when Feng came to Chang'an from the east. The poem records their meeting; 'rain on Baling' indicates his journey, and 'buying an ax for gathering wood' explains his purpose, showing the frankness of Tang friendship.

韦应物（737—约792），京兆长安人，中唐诗人，世称「韦苏州」，诗风澄淡精致，与王维、孟浩然并称山水田园诗派后劲。韦氏早年任侠恃宠，后折节读书，历任滁州、江州、苏州刺史，官途清简，诗亦如其人。冯著为韦应物挚友，生平事迹不详，尝官著作郎，工诗，与韦应物、刘长卿等交游，韦集中赠冯著诗凡数首（如《送冯著受李广州署为录事》《寄冯著》等），足见二人交契之深。此诗约作于代宗大历年间，时韦应物在长安任职，冯著自关东来游，故题曰「长安遇冯著」。诗以「衣上灞陵雨」点其来路，「采山因买斧」述其来意，寥寥数语写尽故人重逢的亲切家常，也可见中唐士人宦游交游、往来于京师与乡野之间的生活情态。全诗以白描叙旧、以淡语写情，正是韦应物「发纤秾于简古，寄至味于淡泊」诗风的典型呈现。韦应物早年以三卫郎事玄宗，恃恩纵逸，安史乱后折节读书，遂成澄淡诗风，其身世转折正是「由豪入淡」的典型。此诗作于长安，写与故人重逢，诗中「衣上灞陵雨」的细节、「采山因买斧」的对话，皆是中唐士人日常交游的实录，可与白居易《问刘十九》等书信式诗作并观，见中唐诗生活化、日常化之一斑，今人多选入教材，作为理解韦应物诗风与唐代友情的入门篇目。

Art

The poem uses a question-and-answer structure. The first four lines are like daily conversation, with details and dialogue showing sincerity. The last four lines shift to spring scenery with reduplicatives like 'mingming' and 'yangyang' creating a light, graceful atmosphere. The plain description conveys deep emotion, typical of Wei Yingwu's clear and refined style.

全诗以问答结构展开，前四句如叙家常，后四句即景抒情，章法自然天成。首联「客从东方来，衣上灞陵雨」不写欢迎之词，而以「衣上灞陵雨」这一细节写故人风尘仆仆——灞陵在长安东郊，为送别之地，雨痕沾衣，一路行来，可见其来路之远、情谊之切，一句而情态毕现。颔联「问客何为来，采山因买斧」以问答入诗，直录口语，率真亲切，「采山买斧」语带诙谐，似说生计之艰，实见二人无话不谈的深交。颈联「冥冥花正开，飏飏燕新舞」转写春景，叠字联绵，暗含久别重逢正当好春的喜悦。尾联「昨别今已春，鬓丝生几缕」于明媚春景中忽作岁月之叹：以「昨」对「今」写时光之速，以「鬓丝生几缕」写老之将至，语极平淡而情极深沉。全诗由叙事而写景而抒情，环环相扣，白描自然，无一句藻饰而情味自足，最能体现韦应物「澄淡精致」的独特风格。此诗之妙还在「以虚写实」与「以淡写浓」：前四句不写重逢之喜，而写来路之雨痕、买斧之答语，故人相见的亲切自在言外；后四句不写久别之情，而写花燕之新、鬓丝之增，岁月之感尽在景中。通篇无一「喜」字「愁」字，而喜愁皆具，正是韦应物「发纤秾于简古，寄至味于淡泊」的具体实践，与王维「君问穷通理，渔歌入浦深」的含蓄同一机杼。

Allusions

Baling is the tomb of Emperor Wen of Han, a farewell spot east of Chang'an. The phrase 'gather wood and buy an ax' alludes to the I Ching and the Book of Songs, hinting at a life of seclusion or livelihood, showing the poet's light-heartedness and genuine friendship.

「灞陵」即霸陵，汉文帝陵墓所在，位于长安城东，唐时为长安东郊送别之地，唐人诗多咏之（如李白「年年柳色，灞陵伤别」），此处以「衣上灞陵雨」点出冯著自东方来、经灞陵而沾雨，既写来路之实，又暗含送别古意与怀古之情。「采山因买斧」暗用《易经·系辞下》「刳木为舟，剡木为矢」的取木于山之意，实则以日常劳作写生计或隐逸之志，语带自嘲诙谐，而真率之性自见。此外「冥冥」「飏飏」皆叠字，前者写花开之幽深静穆，后者写燕舞之轻扬飘逸，得《诗经》「桃之夭夭」「杨柳依依」叠字状物之神。全诗用典不着痕迹，皆融化于家常对话与自然景物之中，正合韦应物「平淡中有至味」的艺术追求。「灞陵雨」之外，诗中「东方」亦非泛称：冯著自关东来，长安在东郊之外，一「东」一「灞陵」，来路方位井然，可见韦诗用字之准。又「冥冥」二字，古诗写幽深已有先例，韦应物以之写花开，化「幽暗」为「幽静」，赋予旧词以新境，正见其善用常语而自出新意，此亦唐人「以故为新」的一种表现。

Commentary

Wei's collection is known for its plainness. Liu Chenweng of the Song Dynasty commented, 'The lines "mingming flowers are blooming, yangyang swallows dance" are scene words that are also emotion words, showing Wei's true nature.' Tan Yuanchun said, 'The four words "I ask why he comes" make us see the smiling conversation.' Later critics often praise Wei's 'clear and refined' style, and this poem best exemplifies his technique of expressing richness through simplicity.

韦应物为中唐山水田园诗的代表，其诗以「澄淡精致」著称，苏轼尝评「韦应物诗，发纤秾于简古，寄至味于淡泊」。此诗为其赠友名篇，宋人刘辰翁评：「『冥冥花正开，飏飏燕新舞』景语即是情语，韦公本色。」《唐诗归》谭元春谓「『问客何为来』四字，如见相对笑语」，赞其白描之传神。白居易《与元九书》亦称韦苏州「歌行，才丽之外，颇近兴讽」，虽就歌行而言，然此诗之淡而有味、言近意远，正可印证。就交游诗而言，此作以家常语写真性情，不事雕琢而深挚感人，与杜甫《赠卫八处士》的「人生不相见，动如参与商」同属以重逢写交情的名篇，而一沉郁一淡雅，各极其妙，可见唐代友谊诗风格的多元。就中唐诗坛而言，韦应物与大历十才子同时而风格自异：十才子多写应酬雅集、工于近体，韦诗独以五古写山水田园、淡泊自守，故后世以「韦柳」并称，推为陶渊明之后田园诗的正宗。此诗虽非田园题材，而「淡而有味」的品格正与其田园诸作相通，足见韦诗风格之一贯；今人读此诗，可悟友谊诗的最高境界不在铺陈情感，而在家常言语中见真情。

Prosody

Form Five-character ancient verse (imitated yuefu)五言古诗（拟乐府问答体）

Rhyme Pingshui rhyme, departing tone (yu, fu, wu, lü)平水韵·上声七麌（雨、斧、舞、缕），一韵到底

Tone pattern Ancient style, not constrained to tonal patterns古体不拘平仄，五言八句，前四句问答、后四句写景抒情

Reading note A five-character ancient poem resembling a folk song with question and answer, plain and natural, representative of Wei's clear and refined style.此诗为五言古诗，体制上不属近体律绝，而近乐府民歌的问答体。全诗八句，押上声七麌韵，「雨、斧、舞、缕」一韵到底，仄声韵脚短促低回，与诗中年华流逝的怅惘情调暗相呼应。句法上前四句纯用散行问答（客从东方来……问客何为来……），口语句式入诗，自然流利，得汉乐府「感于哀乐，缘事而发」之神；后四句转入对仗写景，「冥冥花正开，飏飏燕新舞」叠字相对、工稳而不板滞，古诗中偶见对句而情韵自足。韦应物此类五古不事雕琢、以气驭辞，开中唐「大历诗风」澄淡一脉，与王维五言的静美、孟浩然五言的清远并立而各具面目，是唐人五言古诗从盛唐气象转入中唐淡远的关键一环，此诗正可作为其「澄淡精致」风格的标本。

Line by line

客从东方来，衣上灞陵雨。

A traveler comes from the east; on his clothes the rain of Baling.

友人从东方而来，衣上还带着灞陵的雨痕。

My friend comes from the east; his clothes still bear the rain of Baling.

首联以细节白描写故人风尘，是全诗的起笔之妙。不写寒暄问候，而以「衣上灞陵雨」一个细节写冯著行色——灞陵在长安东郊，雨痕沾衣，说明其长途跋涉、冒雨而来，来路之远与情谊之切俱在不言中。句中「灞陵」暗含送别古意，为故人重逢的场景平添一层历史感；「衣上」二字将抽象的「风尘」化为可感的物象，正是韦应物「以细节传神」的白描功力。

The opening couplet draws the old friend's road dust in a plain detail, the fine start of the whole. Not writing greetings, but using the detail of on his clothes the rain of Baling to write Feng Zhu's road - Baling in the eastern suburbs of Chang'an, the rain on the clothes showing the long trek through the rain, the distance of the road and the warmth of the friendship both in the unspoken. The word Baling secretly carries the ancient parting feeling, adding a layer of history to the reunion; the words on his clothes turn the abstract road dust into a tangible image, exactly Wei Yingwu's plain-drawing craft of conveying spirit through detail.

问客何为来，采山因买斧。

I ask the traveler why he came; to gather firewood in the hills, he says, and buy an axe.

问他因何而来，他说是进山采樵，特来买斧。

I ask why he has come; he answers that he gathers wood in the hills, and has come to buy an axe.

以对话入诗，率真自然，是此诗最具生活气息的一联。「问客何为来」直录口语，如闻其声，见出二人相见即问、无话不谈的亲密；「采山因买斧」写冯著之答，语带诙谐——采山需斧，特来置办，似说生计之琐事，却暗含山林隐逸之志，与「山中宰相」式的自嘲异曲同工。一问一答之间，挚友重逢的亲切家常、中唐士人交游的情态宛然纸上，可见韦诗「如叙家常」的本色。

Using dialogue in poetry, frank and natural, this is the couplet most full of life. I ask the traveler why he came directly records the colloquial speech, as if hearing the voice, showing the intimacy of the two asking at once and talking of everything. To gather firewood in the hills, he says, and buy an axe writes Feng's answer, the words carrying humor - gathering wood needs an axe, come especially to buy it, as if speaking of the small matters of livelihood, yet secretly lodging the will to forest reclusion, the same art as the mountain prime minister's self-mockery. Between the question and answer, the warm homeliness of old friends' reunion and the middle-Tang scholar's associations are vivid on the paper, showing Wei's plain tone like household talk.

冥冥花正开，飏飏燕新舞。

In the soft haze the flowers are opening; the swallows are newly dancing on the wing.

冥冥之中百花正自盛放，飏飏之际新燕翩翩起舞。

In the soft dimness the flowers bloom; the swallows are newly dancing, lightly on the wing.

由叙旧转写春景，以叠字写盎然春意，是全诗最见工丽的一联。「冥冥」写花开之幽深静穆，春气氤氲、花色朦胧，境界淡远；「飏飏」写燕舞之轻扬飘逸，新燕试飞、姿态翩然，动感十足。两句对仗工整，叠字联绵，声韵流转如珠。此联妙在以乐景写情：久别重逢，正当好春，花繁燕舞皆是欢愉之象，暗含「重逢可喜」之意，为尾联的岁月之叹作了乐景铺垫。

Turning from the old talk to the spring scene, using reduplicated words to write the abundant spring, this is the couplet most showing wrought beauty. The word soft dimness writes the flowers' deep quiet, the spring air steaming, the flower colors hazy, the realm distant and plain. The word lightly writes the swallows' dancing on the wing, the new swallows trying their flight, the posture graceful, the motion full. The two lines are a wrought parallel, reduplicated and lingering, the rhymes flowing like pearls. The beauty of this couplet lies in writing feeling through a joyous scene: long parted and now reunited, in the very best spring, the lush flowers and dancing swallows are all images of delight, secretly holding the joy of reunion, laying a joyous ground for the tail couplet's sigh at the years.

昨别今已春，鬓丝生几缕。

We parted as if yesterday; now it is spring again, and a few more threads have grown at your temples.

仿佛昨日才分别，如今又已逢春，你鬓边又添了几缕白发。

We parted but yesterday, as it were; now it is spring again, and how many white threads have grown at your temples?

尾联于明媚中忽作流年之叹，是全诗情感的落点。「昨别今已春」以「昨」对「今」，写分别恍如昨日、而转眼又是一春，时光之速令人心惊；「鬓丝生几缕」以白发之添写老之将至，举重若轻——不直说「老了」，而问「生几缕」，关切与怅惘俱在其中。此联由乐景转入哀情，却哀而不伤，平淡语中含深慨，正是韦应物「语淡情浓」的典范，读之令人低回不已。

The closing couplet writes we parted as if yesterday; now it is spring again, and a few more threads have grown at your temples, the landing of the whole's feeling. The words we parted as if yesterday write the illusion of time's brevity after the long separation; now it is spring again writes the season's return, and a few more threads have grown at your temples writes the white hairs. The line writes to the full the feeling of the years' passing and the temples' graying. Closing in a quiet question, the joyous spring set against the graying temples, the reunion's delight and the years' sigh fused, exactly Wei's plain warm craft of ending in reserve.

Study

Word focus

冥冥 deeply hidden; describes the quiet, lush state of flowers 「冥冥花正开」之「冥冥」，写花开之幽深静穆，是全诗炼景入神之笔。「冥冥」本指昏暗幽深，此处写春气氤氲中百花盛放之态，不写花色之艳而写其气之幽，淡中见浓，境界空灵。与下句「飏飏」相对，一静一动、一幽一扬，叠字对仗而声情并茂。此词暗含「幽深莫测」之意，写花之开放似有意而无形，正见韦诗以简淡之语写深微之景的本领，也暗合久别重逢时人事恍惚的微妙心境。

飏飏 lightly flying; describes the graceful dancing of swallows 「飏飏燕新舞」之「飏飏」，状燕舞之轻扬飘逸，是叠字拟态的妙笔。「飏」本指飞扬、飘举，叠用之则写新燕试飞时上下翻飞、轻盈自得之态，如见其影、如闻其声。与「冥冥」对举，前者写花之静放，此写燕之动舞，动静相映，春意盎然。此词取象于日常所见，而能写出「新燕」初试羽翼的娇憨灵动，体物入微，正见韦应物观察之细与下字之准，是「澄淡精致」风格的直接体现。

几缕 a few strands; refers to white hair, implying aging 「鬓丝生几缕」之「几缕」，以发之量写岁月之痕，举重若轻，是全诗最耐咀嚼的字眼。不说「鬓已斑」「发已白」，而问「生几缕」，以极小的数量词写极深的流年之慨——白发尚少，而分别不过一年，可见衰老之速、时光之迫；「几缕」又带问询关切之意，如对故人低语，情味绵长。此二字化浓愁为淡语，深慨寓于平叙，正是韦苏州「寄至味于淡泊」的典型笔法。