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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

放言五首·其三

Five Poems on Letting Go (No. 3)

白居易

Bai Juyi

哲理Philosophy 论辩Argument / debate

赠君一法决狐疑，不用钻龟与祝蓍。
试玉要烧三日满，辨材须待七年期。
周公恐惧流言后，王莽谦恭未篡时。
向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知。

I give you a method to resolve your doubts—no need to bore the tortoise or pray the yarrow.
To test jade, burn it a full three days; to know the wood, wait seven years.
The Duke of Zhou feared after the slander spread; Wang Mang was humble before he usurped.
Had they died in those early days, who could ever know their true or false all life long?

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Meaning

Bai Juyi offers a friend a method to resolve doubt without divination: true worth, like true jade or mature timber, reveals itself only with time. He cites the Duke of Zhou, falsely slandered yet later vindicated, and Wang Mang, humbly virtuous before his usurpation, to show that truth and falsehood cannot be judged prematurely. The closing hypothesis—that had either died early, their real nature would remain unknown—affirms the poet's faith that time vindicates the innocent.

赠您一个办法来决断狐疑，不必用钻龟和祝蓍来占卜。试玉要烧满三天，辨材须等七年之期。周公在流言纷起之后，王莽在谦恭尚未篡位之时。假使当初就身死，一生的真伪又有谁知道。

Appreciation

The third of Bai Juyi's 'Five Poems on Letting Go,' a philosophical verse on discerning truth. The first four lines present the method: no divination needed; testing jade and timber takes time. The last four lines argue with history: the Duke of Zhou and Wang Mang show truth is hard to know; the hypothetical close states the theme—truth needs time's test. Using the metaphors of 'testing jade' and 'knowing timber' and the allusions to 'Duke of Zhou' and 'Wang Mang,' the poem argues the principle of 'time discerns the false' layer by layer—Bai's most famous philosophical poem.

【白话串讲】白居易写《放言五首·其三》：“赠君一法决狐疑，不用钻龟与祝蓍”——“试玉要烧三日满，辨材须待七年期”——“周公恐惧流言后，王莽谦恭未篡时”——“向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知”——他说真假要经时间检验。【意象与手法】此诗是白居易《放言五首》之三，写辨人识事的哲理，是白居易哲理诗的名篇。前四句写辨伪的方法：「赠君一法决狐疑，不用钻龟与祝蓍」写不必求神问卜；「试玉要烧三日满，辨材须待七年期」写辨别真伪需待时日。后四句以史例证理：「周公恐惧流言后，王莽谦恭未篡时」以周公、王莽的典故写真伪难辨；「向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知」以假设作结，点明主旨——真伪须待时间的检验。全诗以「试玉」「辨材」的比喻与「周公」「王莽」的典故，层层论证「时间辨伪」的道理，是白居易哲理诗中最著名的一首。【情感与主旨】此诗作于唐宪宗元和十年（815），时白居易因上疏请捕刺杀武元衡的凶手，被贬为江州司马。此诗写于赴江州途中，是《放言五首》之三，与元稹唱和之作。元和五年，元稹被贬江陵，曾作《放言五首》；十年后，白居易亦被贬江州，途中「续其意」而作《放言五首》，此诗即其中之一。诗中「赠君一法决狐疑」的「君」，即指元稹（也泛指同道者）；「试玉要烧三日满，辨材须待七年期」以「试玉」「辨材」写辨别真伪需待时日——白居易自注「真玉烧三日不热」「豫章木生七年而后知」，以玉与木的辨识喻人才与真伪的辨识；「周公恐惧流言后，王莽谦恭未篡时」以史例证理——周公忠心辅政，却遭流言（「管蔡流言」），其忠贞须待日后证明；王莽谦恭下士，却是伪饰（未篡时伪饰谦恭），其奸伪亦须待日后暴露；「向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知」以假设作结——假使周公、王莽当初就死，则周公之忠、王莽之奸，谁能分辨？全诗以辨伪的哲理，写自己被贬的感慨：他自问清白忠直，却遭贬谪，相信「时间会证明一切」——那「试玉」「辨材」的比喻，那「周公」「王莽」的典故，正是他为自己辩白、为历史证明的信心。此诗是白居易哲理诗的巅峰，也是理解其被贬江州时心境的重要作品。【名句点睛】常考“试玉要烧三日满，辨材须待七年期”写辨别真伪需待时日；“向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知”以假设点明时间辨伪的主旨。

Background

Written in the tenth year of Yuanhe (815), the third of Bai Juyi's 'Five Poems on Letting Go.' In the sixth month of 815, Prime Minister Wu Yuanheng was assassinated by a regional warlord's assassin; Bai, then a junior official, was first to memorialize for the murderer's capture, but was attacked for 'overstepping' and slandered (his mother died falling in a well, yet he wrote poems on 'flowers' and 'new wells,' deemed improper), and demoted to Military Advisor of Jiangzhou. On the way from Chang'an to Jiangzhou, recalling Yuan Zhen's 'Five Poems on Letting Go' written five years earlier when demoted to Jiangling, Bai 'continued its intent' and wrote his own. 'I give you a method'—'you' refers to Yuan Zhen. 'Test jade... seven years'—Bai's own note: 'true jade stays cool after three days' burning; 'the Zhang tree matures only after seven years.' 'The Duke of Zhou feared after the slander'—the Duke aided King Cheng; Guan and Cai spread rumors he would usurp; later vindicated. 'Wang Mang was humble before he usurped'—before seizing the throne he was modest and virtuous, exposed only after. Both show truth needs time. 'Had they died early'—a hypothesis affirming time's judgment. The poem voices Bai's demotion grievance: he trusts time will prove his innocence. It is the peak of Bai's philosophical poetry.

此诗作于唐宪宗元和十年（815），是白居易《放言五首》之三。元和十年六月，宰相武元衡在上朝途中被藩镇刺客刺杀，白居易时任太子左赞善大夫，率先上疏请捕刺客，却因此被政敌攻击「越职言事」，又因其母看花坠井而死而作《赏花》《新井》诗，被诬为「有伤名教」，遂被贬为江州司马。白居易自长安赴江州途中，想起五年前（元和五年）元稹被贬江陵时所写的《放言五首》，遂「续其意」而作《放言五首》，此诗即其中之一。诗中「赠君一法决狐疑」的「君」指元稹（也泛指同道者）；「试玉要烧三日满，辨材须待七年期」句，白居易自注：「真玉烧三日不热，豫章木生七年而后知。」——试玉要烧满三日（真玉经火烧三日不热），辨材须等七年（豫章木生七年方成材可辨），以「试玉」「辨材」写辨别人才与真伪需要时间；「周公恐惧流言后，王莽谦恭未篡时」以史例证理——周公旦辅佐成王，管叔、蔡叔散布流言说他欲篡位，周公避居东都，后成王悔悟迎回，其忠贞终被证明；王莽在篡汉之前，谦恭下士、礼贤节俭，伪饰得如同圣贤，直到篡位才暴露其奸。这两例一忠一奸、一真一伪，都说明真伪须待时间的检验；「向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知」以假设作结——假使周公、王莽当初就身死，则周公之忠、王莽之奸，谁能分辨？此诗以辨伪的哲理，写白居易被贬的感慨：他自问忠直无过，却遭贬谪，遂以「时间会证明一切」自宽自解。此诗是白居易哲理诗的巅峰，也是理解其被贬江州时心境与「以理自遣」精神的核心作品。

Art

Four levels. First, the question-answer conception: 'I give you a method to resolve your doubts, no need to bore the tortoise or pray the yarrow' opens as if presenting a precious method, drawing the reader in. Second, apt metaphor: 'test jade... know timber' uses concrete jade/wood discernment to figure abstract truth/talent discernment. Third, contrasting allusions: 'the Duke of Zhou feared... Wang Mang was humble' sets the loyal against the traitor, one true one false, jointly proving the principle. Fourth, the hypothetical close: 'had they died early, who could know' pushes the reasoning to its extreme, also hinting Bai's self-vindication. These make it the peak of Bai's philosophical verse.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个层面解析。其一，以问答启题的构思。「赠君一法决狐疑，不用钻龟与祝蓍」以「赠君一法」的赠物口吻起笔，仿佛要赠给朋友一个宝贵的办法——「决狐疑」写其效用，「不用钻龟与祝蓍」写其不必求神问卜，一个「赠」字、一个「不用」，开篇便引人入胜，欲知其法。其二，比喻的贴切。「试玉要烧三日满，辨材须待七年期」以「试玉」「辨材」为喻——试玉须烧三日（白居易自注「真玉烧三日不热」），辨材须待七年（自注「豫章木生七年而后知」），以具体的玉、木的辨识，喻抽象的真伪、人才的辨识，比喻贴切而意味深长。其三，典故的对照。「周公恐惧流言后，王莽谦恭未篡时」以周公、王莽对举——周公忠而被谤（管蔡流言），王莽奸而伪饰（未篡时谦恭），一忠一奸、一真一伪，两个典故形成对照，共同说明「真伪难辨、须待时日」的道理。其四，以假设写理的收束。「向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知」以「向使」的假设作结——假使当初就死，则真伪谁辨？这一假设，把前文的道理推向极致，也暗含白居易为自己辩白、相信时间证明的深意。四重手法层层推进，使此诗成为白居易哲理诗的巅峰。

Allusions

'Bore the tortoise and pray the yarrow'—two ancient divination methods, Bai says resolve doubt without them, echoing the Shi Jing's divination tradition. 'Test jade three days' derives from 'true jade stays cool after three days' burning'; 'know timber seven years' from 'the Zhang tree matures after seven years'—both write that discerning truth takes time, like the Analects' 'only when winter comes do we know the pine and cypress fade last.' 'The Duke of Zhou feared after the slander' uses the Duke's exoneration (Shang Shu, Shi Ji); 'Wang Mang was humble before he usurped' uses Wang's hypocrisy (Han Shu). One loyal one traitor, true and false in perfect contrast. 'Had they died early' echoes the Shi Ji's 'death is heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather' and Ruan Ji's lament. The poem weaves Analects, Shang Shu, Shi Ji allusions to argue through analogy and history.

此诗的意象与典故深植于辨伪与咏史的智慧传统。「钻龟与祝蓍」写占卜——钻龟（钻灼龟甲以占卜）与祝蓍（祝祷蓍草以占卦）是古代两种占卜方法，白居易以「不用钻龟与祝蓍」写决狐疑不必求神问卜，令人想到《诗经》「尔卜尔筮，体无咎言」的卜筮传统与《楚辞》「索琼茅以筳篿兮，命灵氛为余占之」的占卜意象。「试玉要烧三日满」化用「真玉烧三日不热」的说法（白居易自注），古代以火烧试玉之真伪，令玉三日不热者方为真玉；「辨材须待七年期」化用「豫章木生七年而后知」的说法——豫章（樟树）生七年方成材，其材质方可辨识。这两个比喻，写辨别真伪需待时日，令人想到《论语》「岁寒，然后知松柏之后凋也」的「待时辨质」传统。「周公恐惧流言后」用周公旦之典——周公辅佐成王，管叔、蔡叔散布流言（「管蔡流言」）说他将篡位，周公避居东都（洛邑），成王悔悟迎回，周公的忠贞终被证明（事见《尚书·金縢》《史记·鲁周公世家》），后人以此典写「忠而被谤」；「王莽谦恭未篡时」用王莽之典——王莽在篡汉前，谦恭下士、克己复礼，伪饰如圣贤（「王莽谦恭未篡时」即其伪饰时期），篡位后才暴露奸伪（事见《汉书·王莽传》），白居易以此典写「奸而伪饰」，与周公之典一忠一奸、一真一伪，形成绝妙的对照，令人想到王安石《周公》诗对周公的辩护与历代「辨伪」的咏史传统。「向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知」以假设写理，令人想到《史记》「人固有一死，或重于泰山，或轻于鸿毛」与阮籍「时无英雄，使竖子成名」的感慨。全诗化用《论语》《尚书》《史记》的典故与传统，以比喻写理、以史例证理，正是白居易「以诗说理」的本领。

Commentary

Long hailed as Bai Juyi's most famous philosophical poem and source of the immortal lines 'test jade three days' and 'had they died early, who could know.' Qing critics praised it as 'arguing through poetry, simple yet deep.' Its special value: it writes the deepest philosophy in the plainest language—'test jade three days, know timber seven years' uses everyday metaphor for the profound 'discerning people'; 'the Duke of Zhou feared, Wang Mang was humble' uses two historical contrasts for the universal dilemma of 'truth hard to know'; 'had they died early' pushes philosophy to the extreme. Written on Bai's way to demotion, the metaphors and allusions are both general principle and self-vindication—he trusts time will prove everything. This 'consoling self with reason' embodies his contentment-and-harmony attitude. With the other 'Five Poems on Letting Go' and 'Song of Everlasting Sorrow,' it forms the core of Bai's Jiangzhou-period poetry. For readers it is a window into his demotion mind and the 'discern-the-false' wisdom, and a model of 'arguing through poetry.'

此诗历来被推为白居易哲理诗中最著名的一首，也是「试玉要烧三日满，辨材须待七年期」「向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知」等千古名句的出处。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以诗说理，深入浅出」，近人更指出此诗以周公、王莽的典故写「真伪须待时间检验」的哲理，是白居易被贬江州时「以理自遣」的自我开解。在文学史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以最通俗的语言写最深刻的哲理——「试玉要烧三日满，辨材须待七年期」，以「烧玉」「辨材」的日常比喻写「辨人」的深奥道理；「周公恐惧流言后，王莽谦恭未篡时」，以两个对举的历史典故写「真伪难辨」的普遍困境；「向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知」，更以假设把哲理推向极致。此诗写于白居易被贬江州途中，那「试玉」「辨材」的比喻、「周公」「王莽」的典故，既是泛论哲理，也是为自己辩白——他自问忠直，却遭贬谪，遂相信「时间会证明一切」。这种「以理自遣」的精神，正是白居易「知足保和」人生态度的体现。此诗与《放言五首》其他诸首及《长恨歌》等，共同构成了白居易江州时期诗歌的核心。对于今日读者，此诗是理解白居易被贬心境与「辨伪」智慧的窗口，也是感受中国诗歌「以诗说理」传统的典范——那烧三日的玉、待七年的材、惧流言的周公、伪谦恭的王莽，穿越千年，仍在提醒着每一个时代「真伪须待时间检验」的道理。

Prosody

Form Seven-character regulated verse (oblique-register opening, first line does not enter rhyme)七言律诗（仄起首句不入韵）

Rhyme Rhymes with the upper-level zhi rhyme; rhyme words 'doubt' (yi), 'yarrow' (shi), 'period' (qi), 'time' (shi), 'know' (zhi). First line does not enter rhyme; the zhi sound is long, fitting the composed argumentative style.押上平四支韵，韵脚为「疑」「蓍」「期」「时」「知」。首句不入韵，「疑」字仄声起（上平四支平声），韵脚皆属支部，韵音悠长，正合其说理的从容风格。

Tone pattern Standard seven-regulated-verse tonal pattern, with neat antithesis, composed syllables.赠君一法决狐疑，仄平仄仄仄平平；不用钻龟与祝蓍，仄仄平平仄仄平；试玉要烧三日满，仄仄仄平平仄仄；辨材须待七年期，仄平平仄仄平平；周公恐惧流言后，平平仄仄平平仄；王莽谦恭未篡时，平仄平平仄仄平；向使当初身便死，仄仄平平平仄仄；一生真伪复谁知，仄平平仄仄平平。全诗平仄合于七律格律，对仗精工，音节从容。

Reading note An oblique-opening, first-line-non-rhyming seven-regulated verse in level zhi rhyme, strict and neat with fine antithesis—a model of Bai's 'arguing through poetry.' Four couplets: first presents the method, second the metaphor, third the historical proof, fourth the hypothetical close. Read the front with composed tone, the third couplet with steady tone, the close with deep tone, especially 'had they died early' with lingering depth, to convey Bai's 'consoling self with reason.' Bai's poetry is known as 'understood even by old women'; this is his representative of 'simple yet deep' argumentative seven-regulated verse.此诗是仄起首句不入韵的七言律诗，押平声支韵，格律严整，对仗精工，是白居易七律中「以诗说理」的名篇。全诗四联结构分明：首联写方法的提出（赠君一法、不用钻龟祝蓍），颔联写辨伪的比喻（试玉烧三日、辨材待七年），颈联写历史的例证（周公惧流言、王莽伪谦恭），尾联写假设的收束（向使身便死、真伪复谁知）。前两联写方法与比喻，后两联写例证与推演，章法井然。声调上，全诗以平声支韵为韵脚，韵音悠长，配合「试玉」「辨材」的从容说理，全篇音节从容而不失力度。诵读此诗，宜以从容的语调读前两联的方法与比喻，以沉着的语调读颈联的史例，以深沉的语调读尾联的假设，尤其「向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知」一句，要读得意味深长，方能传达出白居易「以理自遣」的深意。白居易诗以「老妪能解」著称，此诗正是其七律中「深入浅出」说理的代表。

Line by line

试玉要烧三日满，辨材须待七年期。

To test jade, burn it a full three days; to know the wood, wait seven years. (Note: Famous lines presenting the method of 'discerning the false'—using 'test jade' and 'know timber' as metaphors that discerning truth and recognizing talent both require time: not known at a glance, not known in a moment, but needing the patience of 'three days' burning' and 'seven years' waiting.' Also Bai's own self-vindication: he trusts he is true jade and fine timber, time will prove it; the present injustice is only time not yet arrived.)

试玉要烧满三天，辨材须等七年之期。

To test jade, burn it for three full days; to judge the timber, wait the seven-year term.

这两句是全诗写「辨伪」方法的名句，也是千古名句，以「试玉」「辨材」的比喻写辨别真伪须待时日，深入浅出。「试玉要烧三日满」写试玉之法——要辨别玉的真伪，须把它放在火上烧满三日（白居易自注「真玉烧三日不热」），真玉经火烧三日而不热，伪玉则否——「烧三日满」写辨玉须待足够的时日；「辨材须待七年期」写辨材之法——要辨别树木的材质，须等它生长七年（自注「豫章木生七年而后知」），豫章木生七年方成材，其材质方可辨识——「待七年期」写辨材须待足够的时间。两句以「试玉」「辨材」两个比喻，写辨别真伪、识别人才都需要时间：真伪不是一眼能辨的，人才不是一时能识的，都需要「烧满三日」「待满七年」的耐心与等待。这两句的深意在于：它既是泛论「辨伪」的哲理，也是白居易的自白——他相信自己如真玉、如豫章，终会被时间证明；而眼前的不白之冤，只是时间未到。以「试玉」「辨材」的日常比喻写深刻的哲理，正是白居易「深入浅出」的本领，也让这两句成为千古名句——那烧三日的玉、待七年的材，成了后世「辨人识事」的经典比喻。

The two lines are the famous writing of the method of distinguishing the false, and a famous line through the ages, using the testing jade and judging timber similes for the need of time to distinguish truth, deep in meaning yet simple in words. To test jade, burn it for three full days writes the method of testing jade - to distinguish the true jade, one must burn it in the fire for three full days (Bai's own note: true jade burned three days is not hot), the true jade after three days' fire not hot, the false jade otherwise, burn three full days writing the need for sufficient time. To judge the timber, wait the seven-year term writes the method of judging timber - to distinguish the tree's quality, one must wait seven years (his note: the Yu and Zhang woods are known after seven years), the Yu and Zhang wood become timber after seven years, its quality then to be distinguished, wait the seven-year term writing the need for sufficient time. The two lines use the two similes of testing jade and judging timber to write that distinguishing truth and knowing talent both need time: truth and falsehood not seen at one glance, talent not known in a moment, both needing the patience and waiting of burning three full days and waiting the seven years. The deep meaning of the two lines lies in: at once the general philosophy of distinguishing the false, and Bai's own confession - he believes himself like true jade, like the Yu-Zhang wood, at last to be proved by time; the present unjust grievance only the time not yet come. Using the everyday similes of testing jade and judging timber for the deep philosophy, exactly Bai's craft of making the deep simple, making these two lines the age-famous - the jade burned three days and the timber waited seven years, become the classic simile of judging men and things for the ages.

向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知。

Had they died in those early days, who could ever know their true or false all life long? (Note: The closing lines, pushing the philosophy of 'discerning the false' to its extreme with the hypothesis 'had they died early.' It proves time's decisive role: truth is known precisely because the person lived to see vindication; had the Duke died in slander or Wang before usurpation, loyalty and treason would be indistinguishable. Deeper, it is Bai's self-vindication—he believes time will prove his innocence as the Duke's, and expose his slanderers as Wang Mang's. A questioning that reminds every wronged person to trust time's justice.)

假使当初就身死，一生的真伪又有谁知道。

Had they died when first their fame began, who would have known the true and false of their lives?

这两句是全诗的收束之笔，也是千古名句，以「向使」的假设把「辨伪」的哲理推向极致，余味无穷。「向使当初身便死」写假设——假使周公、王莽当初就身死，「向使」二字引出假设，把时间推回到「当初」——那流言初起时的周公，那未篡位时的王莽；「一生真伪复谁知」写结果——那么他们一生的真伪，又有谁能分辨？周公的忠、王莽的奸，都将随其死亡而埋没，无人能知。两句的深意在于：它以假设证明「时间」之于「辨伪」的决定性作用——真伪之所以能辨，正因当事人活到了真相大白之日；假使周公死于流言之中，王莽死于篡位之前，则忠奸不辨、真伪难分。而更深一层，这两句正是白居易的自白：他自问忠直，却遭贬谪，那「向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知」的假设，正是他相信「时间会证明一切」的信心——他相信自己的清白终会如周公般被证明，而那些构陷者终会如王莽般被揭穿。以假设写哲理、以哲理写自白，正是白居易「以诗说理」的深意，也让这两句成为千古名句——那「身便死」「复谁知」的叩问，穿越千年，仍在提醒着每一个含冤者相信时间的公正。

The two lines are the closing stroke of the whole, and a famous line through the ages, using the had assumption to push the philosophy of distinguishing the false to the utmost, the aftertone unending. Had they died when first their fame began writes the assumption - had the Duke of Zhou or Wang Mang died when first their fame began, the two words had introducing the assumption, pushing time back to the beginning - the Duke of Zhou when the rumors first rose, Wang Mang before the usurpation. Who would have known the true and false of their writes the result - then who could distinguish the true and false of their lives? The Duke's loyalty, Wang Mang's treachery, both buried with their death, no one to know. The deep meaning of the two lines lies in: using the assumption to prove time's decisive role in distinguishing the false - truth and falsehood can be distinguished precisely because the parties lived to the day the truth came out; had the Duke died in the rumors, Wang Mang died before the usurpation, then loyal and treacherous undistinguished, true and false hard to tell. And the deeper layer, these two lines are exactly Bai's own confession: he knows himself loyal and upright, yet exiled, the assumption of had they died when first their fame began, who would have known the true and false of their lives? exactly his confidence that time will prove all - he believes his own innocence at last to be proved like the Duke's, and the slanderers at last exposed like Wang Mang. Using the assumption for the philosophy and the philosophy for the confession, exactly Bai's deep meaning of using poetry for reason, making these two lines the age-famous - the question of died when first and who would have known, crossing a thousand years, still reminding every wronged one to believe time's justice.

Study

Word focus

决 'Resolve / decide.' The keyword of the discerning method, one 'jue' shows the method's efficacy, forceful from the opening. It means both 'to decide/disp el'—'resolve doubts' means this method can decisively dispel hesitation (fox-like doubt is hard to solve, yet this method resolves it at one stroke)—and 'to be determined,' writing Bai's confidence in the method: not a 'reference' but a 'doubt-resolving' formula, certain and convincing. 'I give you a method to resolve your doubts' writes both the method's value and its efficacy and Bai's certainty. Replacing with 'jie' or 'shi' would lose the decisive force or the certain tone; only 'jue' captures both efficacy and confidence. 「决」字是写辨伪方法的关键字，一个「决」字写尽方法的效用，开篇便见力量。决者，决断、解决也。白居易以「赠君一法决狐疑」写辨伪之法，一个「决」字，至少有双重意味：其一，写效用之强——「决狐疑」写这方法能「决断」狐疑——狐疑（犹豫不决）本是难解的，这方法却能一举「决」之，一个「决」字写尽方法的果断与有效；其二，写态度的坚定——「决」还有「决断、下定决心」之意，写白居易对辨伪之法的确信——他不是提供一种「参考」，而是给出一个「决狐疑」的法门，语气笃定，令人信服。以「决」写辨伪之法，正是白居易「以诗说理」的开篇艺术：「赠君一法决狐疑」七字，既写出了方法的宝贵（赠君一法），也写出了方法的效用（决狐疑），更写出了态度的笃定（决），开篇便引人入胜。若换作「解」「释」等字，则或失其决断的力量，或失其笃定的语气；唯「决」字，以一字写尽方法的效用与白居易的自信，也让「赠君一法决狐疑」成为全诗有力的起笔。

向使 'Had / if only' (xiang shi: 'xiang' = former/then, 'shi' = suppose). The keyword of the hypothesis, introducing the supposition to push philosophy to the extreme, weighty yet light. It means both 'pushing time back to the early days'—the hypothesis 'had they died early'—and 'the questioning conclusion'—landing on 'who could know,' proving time's decisiveness for discerning truth and hinting Bai's feeling about his own fate. Using 'xiang shi' to introduce hypothesis is Bai's closing art: one supposition gathers all previous lines into the ultimate question 'who could know the true or false.' Replacing with 'tang ruo' or 'jia ru' would lose the archaic flavor or the 'early days' temporal pointing; only 'xiang shi' with ancient phrasing writes hypothesis and philosophy, making the line immortal. 「向使」二字是写假设的关键字，以「向使」引出假设，把哲理推向极致，举重若轻。向使，假使、倘若（「向」是往昔、当初之意，「使」是假使之意）。白居易以「向使当初身便死」写假设，一个「向使」，至少有双重意味：其一，写假设的推演——「向使」把时间推回到「当初」，推演出「当初身便死」的另一种可能——假使周公、王莽当初就死，那么「一生真伪复谁知」——真伪不辨、忠奸难分，以假设写哲理，举重若轻；其二，写结局的叩问——「向使」引出的假设，最终落在「复谁知」的叩问上——真伪无人能知，这一叩问，既证明了「时间」之于「辨伪」的决定性，也暗含白居易对自身遭遇的感慨——他相信时间会证明一切，那「向使」的假设，正是对「时间」的信任。以「向使」写假设，正是白居易「以诗说理」的收束艺术：一个假设，把前文的「试玉」「辨材」「周公」「王莽」全部收拢，推向「真伪谁辨」的终极叩问。若换作「倘若」「假如」等词，则或失其古雅的韵味，或失其「当初」的时间指向；唯「向使」二字，以古语写假设、以推演写哲理，让「向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知」成为千古名句。