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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

长沙过贾谊宅

Passing by Jia Yi's Residence in Changsha

刘长卿

Liu Changqing

怀古Huaigu (Musing on the Past) 贬谪Banzhe (Relegation)

三年谪宦此栖迟，万古惟留楚客悲。
秋草独寻人去后，寒林空见日斜时。
汉文有道恩犹薄，湘水无情吊岂知。
寂寂江山摇落处，怜君何事到天涯。

Three years an exile, you lingered here,
For ages leaving but a wanderer's tear.
In autumn grass I seek your vanished trace,
In cold woods see the setting sun's last grace.
Even wise Han Wendi's grace was light,
Xiang's heedless waters know not your plight.
In this bleak land where leaves fall and winds sigh,
I pity you—why came you to earth's rim to lie?

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Meaning

Jia Yi was exiled as Grand Tutor to Changsha for three years, leaving a legacy of sorrow for all exiled scholars. The poet visits the ruined residence alone, seeing only autumn grass and a cold forest in the setting sun. Even the enlightened Emperor Wen of Han treated Jia Yi ungenerously; the Xiang River, devoid of feeling, cannot understand Jia's elegy for Qu Yuan. Amidst the desolate landscape, the poet laments Jia Yi's fate—and his own.

贾谊被贬在这里做了三年长沙王太傅，千百年来，只留下迁谪楚地之人的悲凉。秋草萋萋中，我独自寻访他离去后的遗迹；寒林萧瑟里，空见夕阳斜照的光景。汉文帝本是圣明的君主，对他的恩遇尚且浅薄；湘水无情，又怎知当年贾谊凭吊屈原的心意？在这寂寂江山、草木摇落的地方，我怜惜你——究竟为了什么，竟流落到这天涯海角。

Appreciation

**Background**: Liu Changqing suffered repeated exiles. Passing Jia Yi's residence in Changsha, he identified with Jia Yi, who was slandered and demoted, dying in despair. The poem laments both Jia's fate and his own. **Interpretation**: The first couplet sets the tone of grief. The second uses bleak scenery to convey solitude. The third contrasts the 'enlightened' emperor's ingratitude. The last couplet pities Jia but actually pities the poet himself. **Art**: The autumn grass, cold forest, and setting sun evoke exile loneliness. The words 'alone', 'in vain', and 'still' are carefully chosen. The poem mourns Jia to mourn the self, a masterpiece of Tang huaigu poetry.

【白话串讲】刘长卿经过长沙的贾谊故居：“三年谪宦此栖迟，万古惟留楚客悲”。“汉文有道恩犹薄”——汉文帝算有道之君，对贾谊却这么刻薄。“寂寂江山摇落处，怜君何事到天涯”——他怜贾谊，也是怜自己。【意象与手法】首联“三年谪宦此栖迟，万古惟留楚客悲”以贾谊贬长沙起，直点“悲”字，统领全篇【情感与主旨】刘长卿因性格刚直，屡遭诬陷，曾两遭贬谪（南巴尉、睦州司马等），一生仕途蹭蹬【名句点睛】中高考常赏其“怀古伤今”“景中寓悲”与“沉郁”风格。常考

Background

Liu Changqing, upright and outspoken, was twice falsely accused and exiled (to Nanba as commandant and to Muzhou as adjutant). This poem was likely written on his way to exile or during his tenure as commandant of Nanba, when he passed Changsha and visited the residence of Jia Yi. Jia Yi, a brilliant young Han minister, was slandered and demoted to Grand Tutor of Changsha for three years. Though later recalled, he never attained high office and died frustrated. Liu Changqing identified with Jia Yi, using the past to lament the present, expressing shared grief over exile. It is a famous Tang poem of huaigu and lament over demotion.

《长沙过贾谊宅》为中唐诗人刘长卿所作。刘长卿（约726—约786），字文房，河间人，中唐诗人，有“五言长城”之称。此诗写诗人路过长沙贾谊故居时的凭吊之作：贾谊为汉文帝时名臣，因遭谗言被贬为长沙王太傅，三年谪居于此；刘长卿自身亦因遭谗而屡被贬谪，过贾谊宅而感同身受。全诗以秋草寒林写宅之荒凉，以汉文湘水写贾谊之不遇，寄托自身的贬谪之悲，是刘长卿咏史怀古的名篇。

Art

The first couplet, 'Three years an exile…/…a wanderer's tear,' opens directly with the word 'grief,' setting the tone. The second couplet describes the poet seeking Jia's remains alone, using 'autumn grass,' 'cold forest,' and 'setting sun' to create a bleak mood; 'alone' and 'in vain' emphasize solitude. The third couplet uses a reversal: even a wise emperor's favor was meager, and the river knows nothing of the elegy. The final couplet ends with a rhetorical question, appearing to pity Jia but actually pitying the self. The scene and emotion merge; the tone is deep and melancholy.

《长沙过贾谊宅》艺术上以咏史与自伤的融合见长。全诗八句，层层写来：首联写贾谊之谪——“三年谪宦此栖迟，万古惟留楚客悲”写其谪居三年、楚客之悲；颔联写宅之荒凉——“秋草独寻人去后，寒林空见日斜时”写秋草寒林、人去日斜；颈联写贾谊之不遇——“汉文有道恩犹薄，湘水无情吊岂知”写有道之君恩犹薄、无情之湘水不鉴其吊；尾联写自伤——“寂寂江山摇落处，怜君何事到天涯”写江山摇落、君到天涯。全诗以贾谊之谪写自身之谪，咏史而自伤，含蓄深婉，正是刘长卿“五言长城”的风格。

Allusions

'Jia Yi's residence' and 'the grief of a Chu exile' allude to Jia Yi's exile to Changsha and his crossing the Xiang River to write the 'Fu on Grieving for Qu Yuan.' The poet visits the residence and grieves for Jia—a direct huaigu act. 'Wise Han Wendi' refers to Emperor Wen, a supposedly wise ruler, yet he still treated Jia Yi poorly; this alludes to the story of 'Emperor Wen leaning forward at midnight' (Records of the Grand Historian) but then heeding slanders. 'Xiang's heedless waters know not your plight' echoes Jia Yi's own elegy to Qu Yuan, creating a cycle: the mourner is also mourned. The allusions are apt and profound.

《长沙过贾谊宅》用典在“楚客”“湘水”“吊”。贾谊曾被贬长沙（古楚地），故称“楚客”；贾谊过湘水曾作《吊屈原赋》，以屈原自况，故“湘水无情吊岂知”写其吊屈原而湘水无知；“汉文有道恩犹薄”写汉文帝虽称有道而对贾谊恩犹薄，暗讽当世。全诗以贾谊之事写自身之遇，用典贴切而寄意深远。刘长卿自以遭谗被贬同于贾谊，过贾谊宅而吊古伤今，正是咏史诗“借古人之酒杯，浇自己之块垒”的写法。

Commentary

Liu Changqing called himself the 'Great Wall of Five-Character Poetry' and excelled at regulated verse. This huaigu poem lamenting exile has been praised as 'a piece of pitying talent, shared grief through the ages.' Tang Ruxun in his Tangshi Jie commented, 'Using Jia Yi to express his own feelings, poignant and profound.' Modern critics often compare it with Liu Zongyuan's 'Ascending Liuzhou City Tower' and Du Fu's 'Poems on Historical Sites' as representative works of Tang poets using ancient sites to express their sorrow over exile—mournful yet deep.

《长沙过贾谊宅》是刘长卿咏史怀古的名篇，也是唐诗中以贾谊自况的代表作。此诗过贾谊宅而咏其谪，实为自伤身世，含蓄深婉，向为论者称道。论者多赏其“汉文有道恩犹薄，湘水无情吊岂知”的写法——以“有道”写汉文犹薄待贾谊，以“无情”写湘水不鉴其吊，对仗工整而含意深远；“秋草独寻人去后，寒林空见日斜时”写宅之荒凉，更见苍茫。刘长卿一生两遭贬谪，此诗正是其贬谪之悲的写照，也是“五言长城”的代表作。

Prosody

Form Seven-character regulated verse (qiyan lüshi)七言律诗

Rhyme Rimes in Pingshuiyun: shangping sizhi (chi, bei, shi, zhi) with 'ya' (here 'rim') also in that group; the characters 迟, 悲, 时, 知, 涯 all belong to the same rime category (支佳通押)《长沙过贾谊宅》为七言律诗，八句，押平声韵。此诗用韵：迟、悲、时、知、涯（支部），一韵到底，音节沉郁。七律句式整饬，宜于写咏史怀古。

Tone pattern First line enters the rime, level-tone starting level-tone ending七言律诗以声调抑扬、对仗工整见长。此诗首联写谪居，音节低回；颔联写宅景，音节苍茫；颈联发议论，音节顿挫；尾联写凭吊，音节深沉。全诗以平韵贯底，声调随咏史自伤的内容起伏，是七律中沉郁顿挫的一路。

Reading note A heptasyllabic lüshi with the first line rimed, strict tonal pattern, and a mournful cadence.《长沙过贾谊宅》为七言律诗，是刘长卿咏史怀古的名篇。此诗过贾谊宅而咏其谪，实为自伤身世：三年谪宦写其困顿，秋草寒林写宅之荒凉，汉文湘水写其不遇，怜君何事写其无辜。全诗咏史与自伤融为一体，含蓄深婉。刘长卿一生两遭贬谪，此诗正是其贬谪之悲的写照，也是“五言长城”之外七律的代表作。

Line by line

三年谪宦此栖迟，万古惟留楚客悲。

Three years of exile here he lingered; through all ages it leaves only the Chu traveler's grief.

贾谊谪居此地三年，栖迟于此；万古以来，只留下楚客的悲慨。

Jia Yi lived here in exile three years, lingering on; through the ages it leaves only the Chu traveler's grief.

首联写贾谊之谪与楚客之悲。“三年谪宦此栖迟”写其谪居三年——“三年谪宦”写贾谊贬为长沙王太傅，“栖迟”写其困顿留滞；“万古惟留楚客悲”写其悲之久远——“万古”写时间之久，“惟留楚客悲”写只留下楚客之悲。二句以“三年”写谪居之久，以“万古”写悲之长远：贾谊三年谪居，其悲却流传万古。以“栖迟”写谪居之困，以“楚客”写其客居楚地之悲，正是咏史诗的开篇——由贾谊之谪写到其悲之长存，为全诗的凭吊张本。

The opening couplet writes Jia Yi's exile and the Chu traveler's grief. Three years of exile here he lingered writes his three years of banishment - three years of exile writing Jia Yi demoted to the Tutor of the King of Changsha, lingered writing his distressed stay. Through all ages it leaves only the Chu traveler's grief writes the lasting of his grief - all ages writing the long time, leaves only the Chu traveler's grief writing the grief's remnant. The two lines write through three years the length of the exile, through all ages the far-reaching grief: Jia Yi exiled three years, yet his grief flowing through the ages. Writing the exile's distress through lingered, writing his grief at dwelling in Chu through the Chu traveler, exactly the historical poem's opening - from Jia Yi's exile to the lasting of his grief, laying a ground for the whole's mourning.

秋草独寻人去后，寒林空见日斜时。

Alone I seek, after the man has gone, through autumn grass; in the cold woods I see, in vain, the sun slanting.

秋草之中独自寻觅，斯人已去；寒林之间空见，日已西斜。

Alone I seek the place after the man has gone, through autumn grass; in the cold woods I see but the slanting sun.

颔联写宅之荒凉，是全诗写景的名联。“秋草独寻人去后”写寻访之景——“秋草”写宅之荒芜，“独寻”写诗人独自寻访，“人去后”写贾谊已去；“寒林空见日斜时”写所见之景——“寒林”写秋林萧瑟，“空见”写只见，“日斜时”写日已西斜。二句以“秋草”“寒林”写宅之荒凉，以“人去后”“日斜时”写时之已逝：秋草萋萋，斯人已去；寒林寂寂，日已西斜。以“独寻”写凭吊之诚，以“空见”写斯人之杳，荒凉之景与凭吊之情交融，正是刘长卿“以景写情”的笔法。

The jaw couplet writes the dwelling's desolation, the famous couplet of the whole's scenery. Alone I seek, after the man has gone, through autumn grass writes the seeking scene - autumn grass writing the dwelling's overgrowth, alone I seek the poet's lone visit, after the man has gone Jia Yi's departure. In the cold woods I see, in vain, the sun slanting writes the seen scene - cold woods writing the autumn woods' bleakness, in vain I see writing the empty sight, the sun slanting the westering light. The two lines write through autumn grass and cold woods the dwelling's desolation, through after the man has gone and the sun slanting the time's passing: the autumn grasses rank, the man gone; the cold woods silent, the sun slanting. Writing the sincerity of mourning through alone I seek, writing the man's vanishing through in vain I see, the desolate scenery and the mourning feeling fused, exactly Liu Changqing's brush of writing feeling through scenery.

汉文有道恩犹薄，湘水无情吊岂知。

Though Emperor Wen was a wise ruler, his grace was yet thin; the Xiang River is pitiless - how should it know the mourning?

汉文帝虽称有道，对贾谊的恩遇尚且如此薄；湘水本无情，贾谊的凭吊它又岂能知道？

Though Emperor Wen was a wise sovereign, his grace to Jia Yi was yet thin; the Xiang River is pitiless - how should it know your lament?

颈联写贾谊之不遇，是全诗议论的名联。“汉文有道恩犹薄”写汉文之薄恩——“汉文”指汉文帝，虽称有道，而“恩犹薄”写其对贾谊的恩遇仍薄；“湘水无情吊岂知”写湘水之无情——“湘水”写贾谊吊屈原之处，“无情”写湘水无知，“吊岂知”写其吊祭无人知晓。二句以“有道”写汉文犹薄待，以“无情”写湘水不鉴其吊：有道之君尚薄恩，无情之水岂知吊，贾谊之不遇、之孤独尽在其中。这一联议论精警，既是咏贾谊，亦是自伤——刘长卿自以遭谗被贬，同于贾谊之不遇。以“有道”与“无情”对举，含意深远，正是刘长卿咏史诗的功力。

The neck couplet writes Jia Yi's ill fortune, the famous couplet of the whole's argument. Though Emperor Wen was a wise ruler, his grace was yet thin writes Emperor Wen's thin grace - Emperor Wen meaning Emperor Wen of Han, though called wise, yet his grace was yet thin writing the favor's scantness. The Xiang River is pitiless - how should it know the mourning? writes the Xiang's pitilessness - the Xiang River the place where Jia Yi mourned Qu Yuan, pitiless writing the river's unknowing, how should it know the mourning writing the lament unknown. The two lines write through wise ruler that Emperor Wen yet treated him thinly, through pitiless that the Xiang cannot recognize his lament: a wise sovereign yet thin in grace, a pitiless water yet knowing not the mourning, Jia Yi's ill fortune and loneliness all within. This couplet's argument is incisive, at once singing Jia Yi and wounding the self - Liu Changqing, himself slandered and demoted, like Jia Yi's ill fortune. Setting wise ruler against pitiless, the meaning far-reaching, exactly Liu Changqing's power in historical song.

寂寂江山摇落处，怜君何事到天涯。

Where the hills and rivers fall silent and the leaves fall, I pity you - why, oh why, did you come to the world's edge?

寂寂的江山，正是草木摇落的时节；怜惜你，为何竟被贬谪到这遥远的天涯？

Where the hills and rivers are silent and the leaves fall, I pity you - why, after all, were you exiled to the world's edge?

尾联写凭吊之情，是全诗的归结。“寂寂江山摇落处”写江山之摇落——“寂寂”写其冷落，“摇落”出《楚辞·九辩》“草木摇落而变衰”，写秋之萧瑟；“怜君何事到天涯”写凭吊之问——“怜君”写怜惜贾谊，“何事到天涯”写为何被贬到天涯。二句由景入情：江山摇落，正合贾谊之悲；怜君到此，亦是自伤身世。以“摇落”写秋之萧瑟，以“怜君”写凭吊之深，以“何事到天涯”写贾谊之无辜被贬。这一收束，把咏史与自伤融为一体：怜贾谊，亦是怜自己；问贾谊，亦是问自己。正是刘长卿过贾谊宅而自伤身世的归结。

The tail couplet writes the mourning feeling, the landing of the whole. Where the hills and rivers fall silent and the leaves fall writes the leaves' falling from the hills and rivers - silent writing the coldness, the leaves fall from the Chuci's nine arguments that plants and trees fall and wither, writing autumn's bleakness. I pity you - why, oh why, did you come to the world's edge? writes the mourning question - I pity you writing the pity for Jia Yi, why did you come to the world's edge writing the demotion to the far edge. The two lines move from scenery to feeling: the hills and rivers' falling leaves suiting Jia Yi's grief; pitying you here also wounding the self's lot. Writing autumn's bleakness through the leaves fall, writing the depth of mourning through I pity you, writing Jia Yi's innocent demotion through why did you come to the world's edge. This close fuses historical song and self-wounding into one: pitying Jia Yi is pitying the self; questioning Jia Yi is questioning the self, exactly Liu Changqing's landing in mourning his own lot as he passes Jia Yi's dwelling.

Study

Word focus

栖迟 to stay, to linger “三年谪宦此栖迟”之“栖迟”，写谪居之困顿留滞，是全诗写贾谊谪居的关键词。“栖迟”本写游息、滞留，此处写贾谊谪居长沙三年、困顿留滞。这一词写谪居之态：不是安居，而是栖迟；不是得意，而是困顿。以“栖迟”写谪宦，正是刘长卿以贾谊自况的笔法——谪居之困顿，正是诗人之所历。

独寻 seek alone “秋草独寻人去后”之“独寻”，写诗人独自寻访贾谊故居，是全诗写凭吊之诚的关键词。“独”写独自，“寻”写寻访——秋草之中，独自寻访。这一词写凭吊之孤独：不是结伴而来，而是独寻；不是随意路过，而是诚心寻访。以“独寻”写凭吊，正是刘长卿写自身贬谪孤独的笔法——独寻贾谊之宅，正是独吊自身之遇。

空见 see in vain “寒林空见日斜时”之“空见”，写只见日斜而不见斯人，是全诗写人去之杳的关键词。“空”写徒然、只，“见”写所见——寒林之间，空见日斜。这一词以“空见”写寻访之无所得：不是未见，而是只见日斜；不是斯人犹在，而是人去宅空。以“空见”写凭吊之怅惘，正是刘长卿“以景写情”的笔法——空见日斜，正是空怀怅惘。

摇落 to wither and fall (of leaves) “寂寂江山摇落处”之“摇落”，写草木凋零，是全诗写秋之萧瑟与贾谊之悲的关键词。“摇落”出《楚辞·九辩》“草木摇落而变衰”，写秋之萧瑟；此处写“江山摇落”，以秋景写贾谊之悲。这一词以“摇落”写江山之萧瑟，既写时之秋，亦写遇之秋——贾谊之遇如草木之摇落，刘长卿之遇亦如草木之摇落。以“摇落”写景兼写情，正是刘长卿咏史诗的深婉笔法。