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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

登岳阳楼

On Yueyang Tower

杜甫

Du Fu

登临Ascending a Height 忧国Worry for the Nation 家国Home and Country

昔闻洞庭水，今上岳阳楼。
吴楚东南坼，乾坤日夜浮。
亲朋无一字，老病有孤舟。
戎马关山北，凭轩涕泗流。

Long have I heard of Dongting's vast expanse,
Today I ascend Yueyang's tower to glance.
The southeast lands of Wu and Chu are split,
The sun and moon on the swelling waves float.
No word from kith or kin reaches me here,
Old and ill, I have but a lonely boat.
War drums still sound north of the mountain pass,
Leaning on rail, I shed tears that amass.

Listen

Meaning

The poet, having long heard of Dongting Lake's magnificence, finally ascends Yueyang Tower. He describes the lake as splitting the lands of Wu and Chu, with the sun and moon floating on its waves. Then he turns to his personal solitude—no news from relatives, old and sick, accompanied only by a lonely boat. Finally, he thinks of the ongoing wars in the north, and weeps by the railing.

从前就听说洞庭湖的浩渺，今日终于登上岳阳楼纵目远望。洞庭之水仿佛把东南的吴楚两地从中劈开，天地日月星辰就在这浩荡波涛中日夜浮动。可环顾自身，亲戚朋友竟无半点音书，年老多病的我只伴着一叶孤舟飘零。此刻北方关山一带仍是兵戈扰攘，我倚着窗轩，不禁涕泪横流。

Appreciation

The poem opens with a contrast between past and present, then presents a grand view of Dongting Lake. The middle couplets shift to personal isolation, and the ending expands to national sorrow. The grand scenery highlights the poet's personal grief, creating a powerful emotional impact.

【白话串讲】五十多岁的杜甫，拖着病体登上岳阳楼，看到“吴楚东南坼，乾坤日夜浮”——洞庭湖大得把天地都浮起来了。可再大的湖，也装不下他的孤独：亲朋无一字，老病有孤舟。【意象与手法】全诗八句四联，起承转合分明而流转自如。首联以「昔闻」「今上」对举蓄势，颔联「吴楚东南坼，乾坤日夜浮」以巨笔写洞庭，炼「坼」「浮」二字撑起宇宙般的境界，乃杜诗气象之极；颈联忽转「亲朋无一字，老病有孤舟」，由极壮跌入极悲，以景之阔反衬身之孤；尾联「戎马关山北，凭轩涕泗流」再拓开去，收束于家国之泪。大开大阖，沉郁顿挫【情感与主旨】此诗作于唐代宗大历三年（768）冬，杜甫晚年漂泊至岳州（今岳阳）。时安史之乱虽平，而藩镇割据、吐蕃侵扰，战乱频仍；诗人年老多病、衣食无着，寄身孤舟。登楼远眺，面对壮景与离乱，百感交集，遂成此五律名篇，是其晚年气象浑沦的代表作【名句点睛】常考「吴楚东南坼，乾坤日夜浮」中「坼」「浮」的炼字之妙及其意境之壮阔雄浑；理解景壮情悲的对比反衬手法；把握「昔闻」「今上」所寄寓的迟暮漂泊之感

Background

Written in the winter of 768, during Du Fu's late years of wandering. The An Lushan Rebellion was over, but regional wars and Tibetan incursions continued. Du Fu, old and ill, lived on a boat. Ascending the tower, he was overwhelmed by the view and his own circumstances.

此诗作于唐代宗大历三年（768）冬，杜甫五十七岁，正漂泊于岳州（今湖南岳阳）。其时安史之乱虽已平定，然余波未息：吐蕃连年入寇，一度攻陷长安，代宗仓皇出奔；回纥、党项不时骚扰，藩镇割据已成积重之势，关山以北戎马未靖。杜甫自夔州出峡，辗转江陵、公安，衣食无着，疾病缠身，唯一叶孤舟为家。值此乱离之世，诗人登临洞庭湖畔的岳阳楼，远眺湖山，顿生身世飘零之悲与家国难安之痛，百感交集，遂成此五律名篇。岳阳楼本因唐开元年间张说谪守岳州时重修而著称，李白、孟浩然皆有题咏，孟浩然「气蒸云梦泽，波撼岳阳城」尤称绝唱；杜甫此作后来居上，气象最为雄浑，与其晚年《登高》并称双璧，是其沉郁顿挫风格的典范，也是中国登临诗中写壮阔境界的极致之作。写景之雄、抒情之切，皆千古罕匹，故后世评家推为岳阳楼题咏第一，历代选本莫不收录，其影响之深远可见一斑。

Art

The poem is a five-character regulated verse with a clear structure: the first couplet sets up anticipation, the second couplet paints a colossal scene, the third turns personal, and the fourth expands to national sorrow. The characters 'che' (split) and 'fu' (float) are especially powerful.

全诗八句四联，起承转合分明而流转自如。首联以「昔闻洞庭水，今上岳阳楼」对举，写四十年闻其名而今日始登其楼，时空跨度极大，蓄势于写景之前，一开篇即见沉郁之气，「昔」「今」二字暗含一生的奔波与蹉跎。颔联「吴楚东南坼，乾坤日夜浮」以巨笔写洞庭，一「坼」字如巨斧劈分吴楚，状湖势之壮阔；一「浮」字写乾坤日月托浮于波涛之上，化静为动，赋予湖水吞吐宇宙的伟力，是杜诗气象之极，也是全诗由景入情的枢纽。颈联忽转，「亲朋无一字，老病有孤舟」以极平淡的口吻写极深沉的悲凉，由极壮跌入极悲，以景之阔反衬身之孤，章法大开大合；「无一字」「有孤舟」对举，一无一有，乱离之痛尽在其中。尾联「戎马关山北，凭轩涕泗流」再拓开去，将个人之悲纳入家国之痛，以老泪纵横收束全篇。景之壮与情之悲互为反衬，由景而情、由情而天下，情感沉郁顿挫，是杜甫以壮景写悲情登峰造极之作，千载之下犹觉其气象迫人。

Allusions

The line 'Wu Chu southeast are split' alludes to the geographical division of the ancient states; 'heaven and earth float night and day' draws on the vastness of Dongting as in Meng Haoran's poem, but Du Fu's version is even more grand.

「吴楚东南坼」暗含地理分野之实：洞庭地处吴楚之交，古有吴头楚尾之说，诗人以「坼」写湖势如裂，仿佛一刀劈分两地，九州山川尽入眼底。「坼」本为裂开之意，常见于写土地崩裂，杜甫移以状水，化静为动，赋予湖水以劈分山河的伟力，是炼字的极致。「乾坤日夜浮」化用《庄子》浑茫气象与孟浩然「气蒸云梦泽，波撼岳阳楼」的意境而更进一层，由「蒸」「撼」的动态推进为「浮」的宇宙感，赋予洞庭吞吐日月星辰的伟力，境界较孟诗更为宏阔。「孤舟」暗承古来江海扁舟的意象，然杜甫之意不在隐逸，而在以舟写漂泊无依之实。「戎马」本指兵马，暗含《左传》「戎马不驾」之典与汉魏以来边塞诗写战乱的传统，以二字点出北疆烽火。全诗用典不着痕迹，化地理、神话与前人诗境于一炉，深得杜诗无一字无来处而又浑然天成的妙处，正见杜诗熔铸百家、自成一家的本色，其意象之壮，亦为后世登临诗所祖述。

Commentary

Liu Kezhuang of the Song Dynasty said: 'Among poems on Yueyang Tower, Du Fu's is the most grand.' Hu Yinglin of the Ming Dynasty praised its majestic style. 'Che' and 'fu' are considered the best words to describe Dongting.

宋代刘克庄《后村诗话》称：「岳阳楼赋咏多矣，……至杜老『吴楚东南坼，乾坤日夜浮』，气象始大。」以为此联一出，前人登楼之作皆黯然失色。明人胡应麟《诗薮》更推其宏丽为五律之极，谓「杜气压孟」，以为杜甫此作气格远超孟浩然《望洞庭湖赠张丞相》。方回《瀛奎律髓》录此诗于登览类，誉为「岳阳楼绝唱」；王嗣奭《杜臆》则评其「以胸中浩然之气，运此雄浑之笔，非雕琢所能至」。历代诗话皆以「坼」「浮」二字为炼字典范，评其写洞庭千古无出其右。此诗之价值不仅在其雄浑气象，更在其将个人身世之感与家国兴亡之痛熔铸一炉，为登临怀远之作树立了景壮情悲的最高范式，故能超越一时一地，成为乱离时代民族精神的写照，千载之下，读者犹能感到一个伟大诗人在时代乱离中孤独而高大的身影，其价值历久弥新，实为中国诗歌精神的不朽丰碑，诗史地位不可动摇，故历千载而愈见其伟。

Prosody

Form Five-character regulated verse (仄起首句不入韵)五言律诗（仄起首句不入韵式）

Rhyme Ends with 'lou', 'fu', 'zhou', 'liu' (rhyme group 'you')押下平十一尤韵：楼、浮、舟、流，一韵到底，韵脚皆平声，声调舒缓悠长

Tone pattern The first couplet follows a pattern of oblique and level tones, and the second couplet is strictly parallel.首句「昔闻洞庭水」仄平平平仄，次句「今上岳阳楼」平仄仄平平，仄起仄收、仄起平收交替；中二联对仗精工，「吴楚」对「乾坤」、「东南坼」对「日夜浮」、「亲朋」对「老病」、「无一字」对「有孤舟」，词性、结构、语义皆工。

Reading note The grand imagery in the second couplet contrasts sharply with the personal isolation in the third, exemplifying Du Fu's technique of using scenery to emphasize emotion.此诗为五言律诗典范，平仄严整而气韵流动。仄起首句不入韵式，首联叙事以起，颔联写景以承，颈联抒情以转，尾联忧国以合，起承转合脉络分明。中二联一写湖景、一写身世，一阔一狭、一壮一悲，对仗之中暗藏情感的张力，景愈壮而情愈悲。韵脚「楼、浮、舟、流」皆属尤韵，悠扬绵长，与登楼远眺、思绪万千的怅惘之情相谐。杜甫晚年律诗以律细而气浑著称，此诗可为其证：字字合律而不见斧凿之痕，对仗工稳而气脉贯通，沉郁顿挫的抒情风格在严整的格律中获得最大的张力，是中国五律史上气象最宏阔、情感最深沉的篇章之一，也是后世学习五律章法与炼字的经典范本，历来为诗话所重。

Line by line

昔闻洞庭水，今上岳阳楼。

Long have I heard of Dongting's waters, today I ascend Yueyang Tower. This opening contrasts past and present, expressing a life's fulfillment tinged with belated sorrow.

从前就听说洞庭湖的浩渺，今日终于登上岳阳楼纵目远望。

Of old I heard of the waters of Dongting; today at last I climb the Yueyang Tower.

「昔闻」与「今上」形成时间上的对照，四十余年闻其名而不得一见，今日始登其楼，夙愿得偿之际，迟暮飘零之感亦随之涌来。「闻」与「上」一虚一实，写尽向往之久与登临之迟；「昔」「今」二字暗含一生的奔波与蹉跎。两句叙事，不写洞庭之景而先写登临之情，欲写壮景，先蓄远势，正是杜诗大开大合笔法在开篇的体现，也为下文洞庭壮景与身世悲慨预作铺垫，一开篇即见沉郁顿挫的笔力。

Of old I heard and today at last I climb form a time contrast: for more than forty years hearing its name yet never seeing, today at last climbing the tower, the long wish fulfilled, yet the feeling of late age and drifting surges with it. The words heard and climb, one void one real, writing to the full the long longing and the late ascent; the two words of old and today secretly holding a lifetime's wander and wasted years. The two lines narrate, not writing Dongting's scenery but first writing the climb's feeling, before writing the grand scenery first gathering the far force, exactly Du's open-and-close brush in the opening, and laying a ground for the later Dongting grandeur and the personal grief, the opening at once showing the brooding and measured stroke.

吴楚东南坼，乾坤日夜浮。

The southeast lands of Wu and Chu are split, the sun and moon float on the waves. The words 'split' and 'float' create a colossal image of the lake.

洞庭之水仿佛把东南的吴楚两地从中劈开，天地日月星辰就在这浩荡波涛中日夜浮动。

It rends Wu and Chu to the southeast; heaven and earth float on it day and night.

此联以巨笔写洞庭，气象冠绝古今。「坼」字写湖势如裂，仿佛一刀劈分吴楚两地，状地理之壮阔，笔力千钧；「浮」字写天地日月星辰托浮于波涛之上，化静为动，赋予湖水吞吐宇宙的伟力。十字之内，洞庭之浩渺、境界之雄浑尽收眼底，是杜甫以气象胜的代表句，也是全诗由景入情的枢纽，与后文小小的孤舟形成巨幅反差——天地愈大，孤舟愈小；湖水愈浮，身世愈沉，景与情的张力于此达到顶点。

This couplet writes Dongting in the grand brush, the air peerless through the ages. The word rends writes the lake's force as if splitting, as if one stroke dividing Wu and Chu, depicting the grand geography, the stroke a thousand catties. The word float writes heaven, earth, sun, moon, and stars buoyed on the billows, turning stillness to motion, giving the lake the might to swallow the universe. Within ten characters, Dongting's vastness and the realm's grandeur all in view, the representative line of Du's winning through air, and the hinge of the whole's turning from scenery to feeling, forming a great contrast with the later tiny lone boat - the vaster heaven and earth, the smaller the lone boat; the more the water floats, the heavier the lot, the tension of scenery and feeling reaching its peak.

亲朋无一字，老病有孤舟。

No word from kith or kin, old and ill, I have but a lonely boat. This abrupt turn from grand scenery to personal solitude heightens the pathos.

环顾自身，亲戚朋友竟无半点音书，年老多病的我只伴着一叶孤舟飘零。

Of kinsmen and friends, not one word; old and sick, I have only a lone boat.

由壮景急转个人悲境，章法上大开大合。「无一字」写音书断绝，乱离之中亲友星散、消息杳然；「有孤舟」写老病之身唯以一叶孤舟为家，漂泊无依。「无」与「有」对举，一无一有，反衬出天地愈大、自身愈孤的凄凉。以「一」字两现串联，无一字之无与有孤舟之有对照，更见天地虽大、知己无人的孤独，平淡数字之中，藏着杜甫晚年最深的创痛，为结句的家国之悲埋下伏笔。

From the grand scenery abruptly turning to the personal grief, the structure open and close. Not one word writes the letters' severance, in the war and exile the friends and kin scattered, the news gone; I have only a lone boat writes the old sick body with only a lone boat as home, drifting without support. The words not and have set against each other, one not one have, setting off the desolation of the vaster heaven and earth and the lonelier self. The word one appearing twice linking, the not one word's not against the lone boat's have, the more showing the loneliness of though heaven and earth are vast, not one kindred soul; within the plain numbers lies Du's deepest wound of his later years, laying a ground for the closing line's family-state grief.

戎马关山北，凭轩涕泗流。

War horses north of the mountain pass, leaning on the rail, I shed tears. The poem ends with national concern, expanding personal grief to the wider world.

此刻北方关山一带仍是兵戈扰攘，我倚着窗轩，不禁涕泪横流。

Warhorses north of the passes; leaning on the rail, my tears flow down.

结句由一身之悲推及天下之忧。「戎马关山北」写吐蕃入寇、京师震动，战火在北疆蔓延，家国之忧悬于心头；「凭轩涕泗流」以一「流」字收束，老泪纵横之中，个人的孤舟之悲与家国的兵戈之痛叠合为一。全诗至此，个人的泪与天下的泪合而为一，沉郁顿挫的风格在此达到高潮，由景而情、由情而天下，堪称五律收束的典范，令人掩卷长叹。

The closing line pushes from the personal grief to the world's concern. Warhorses north of the passes writes the Tubo invasion and the capital's shock, the war spreading on the northern border, the family-state concern hanging on the heart. Leaning on the rail, my tears flow down closes with the single word flow, amid the old tears running, the personal lone-boat grief and the family-state war-pain overlaying as one. The whole here, the personal tears and the world's tears as one, the brooding and measured style reaching its climax, from scenery to feeling, from feeling to the world, the model of the five-character regulated verse's close, making one close the book and sigh long.

Study

Word focus

坼 split open; vividly depicts the lake's force splitting the lands. 「吴楚东南坼」之「坼」训裂开，本是写土地开裂的冷僻字，杜甫以之状洞庭水势，仿佛一柄巨斧劈分吴楚两地，将地理的壮阔凝于一字，笔力千钧，远胜「分」「割」等常字。此字以动写静、以小写大，赋予静态的湖面以惊天动地的力度，是杜诗炼字力能扛鼎的典型，历代评家无不叹服。且「坼」为仄声，置于句中，声情斩截，与湖势崩裂之象相合，字音与字义相得益彰，后世论杜诗气象，必举此字为例。

浮 float; conveys the dynamic motion of the entire world on the waves. 「乾坤日夜浮」之「浮」写乾坤日月仿佛托浮于波涛之上，以动写大，使静态的湖水生出宇宙般的动荡感与吞吐感。「浮」字本写轻物在水上漂流，杜甫移以写天地日月，化重为轻、化静为动，与「坼」字一裂一浮，共同撑起全诗雄浑无匹的意境。且「浮」为平声，悠长舒展，与「坼」之仄声一收一放，音节上亦见章法，声情与辞情相凑，写出洞庭气象之宏阔与宇宙般的吞吐之力。

孤 lonely; emphasizes the poet's isolation and contrasts with the vastness of the lake. 「老病有孤舟」之「孤」字是全诗情感之眼。天地之大（乾坤日夜浮）与一舟之小（有孤舟）形成巨幅对照，个人的渺小、漂泊、无依尽在此字；「孤」又与上句「无一字」呼应，写尽乱离中举目无亲的凄凉。此字以大字衬小情、以广景衬孤怀，正是杜诗以景写情、以壮衬悲的典型手法，为尾联凭轩涕泗的悲慨蓄足气势，一字见出千钧之力。