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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

过华清宫·其三

Passing the Huaqing Palace, No. 3

杜牧

Du Mu

咏史Poem on History 讽喻Satirical Allegory

万国笙歌醉太平，倚天楼殿月分明。
云中乱拍禄山舞，风过重峦下笑声。

All nations drink deep on songs and flutes, drunk on 'great peace'; cloud-propping halls and towers gleam in the clear moon.
An Lushan dances amid the clouds, the beat in wild confusion; the wind over serried ridges carries down their laughter.

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Meaning

Du Mu's third Huaqing Palace quatrain exposes the false peace of the Tianbao era: the empire sings itself drunk while the future rebel An Lushan dances at court to applause. The laughter drifting down the mountain is the sound of a dynasty dancing toward disaster.

万国的笙歌，陶醉于太平；倚天的楼殿，月色分明。云中乱拍，是禄山在起舞；风过重峦，飘来笑声。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Every nation feasts on song and flute, drunk on a false 'great peace'; cloud-high towers gleam in the moon. An Lushan dances wildly among the clouds; the wind over the ridges carries down the laughter. [The Word 'Drunk'] 'Drunk on great peace' is the poem's satirical eye: the whole court is intoxicated by an illusion, and the reader sees what they cannot. [Disaster on Stage] The future rebel is literally on stage, dancing for applause — the catastrophe performs while the audience laughs. 'The wind carries down the laughter' turns joy into an ominous sound.

【白话串讲】杜牧写《过华清宫·其三》：“万国笙歌醉太平，倚天楼殿月分明”——“云中乱拍禄山舞，风过重峦下笑声”——安禄山在云中乱舞，笑声随风飘过重山——他写盛世的荒唐。【意象与手法】此诗是杜牧《过华清宫绝句三首》之三，写玄宗在华清宫纵乐、安禄山入宫起舞的历史，是杜牧咏史诗的名篇。前两句写盛世的纵乐：「万国笙歌醉太平，倚天楼殿月分明」写万国笙歌、楼殿倚天的太平景象。后两句写禄山的献舞：「云中乱拍禄山舞，风过重峦下笑声」写安禄山在云中乱拍起舞、笑声随风飘下，是千古名句。全诗以「醉太平」写盛世的假象，以「禄山舞」写祸根的隐伏，讽刺辛辣而意味深长，是杜牧「以史为鉴」的典范。【情感与主旨】此诗约作于唐文宗大和年间（827-835）或之后，是杜牧《过华清宫绝句三首》之三。唐玄宗天宝年间，表面歌舞升平，实则危机四伏：安禄山身兼三镇节度使，拥兵自重，却以「献舞」等媚态博取玄宗与杨贵妃的欢心。据《旧唐书·安禄山传》等载，安禄山肥胖，体重大而善舞胡旋，曾入宫为玄宗、杨贵妃献舞，杨贵妃认其为「养儿」，玄宗对其宠信不疑。诗中「万国笙歌醉太平」写盛世的纵乐——万国来朝、笙歌处处，都陶醉于太平的假象；「倚天楼殿月分明」写华清宫的壮丽——楼殿倚天、月色分明，写尽盛世的繁华；「云中乱拍禄山舞」写安禄山的献舞——那肥胖的禄山在云中（宫中高处）乱拍起舞，令人想到其善舞胡旋的媚态；「风过重峦下笑声」写笑声的飘散——风过重峦，飘下欢声笑语，那笑声在骊山之间回荡，正是「醉太平」的写照。全诗以「醉太平」与「禄山舞」的对照，写尽盛世的假象与祸根的隐伏——那万国笙歌的太平，正是安禄山献舞的舞台；那「乱拍」的舞姿与「下笑声」的欢愉，正是「渔阳鼙鼓」爆发前最后的纵乐。此诗是杜牧咏史诗中写「盛极而衰」的名篇，与《过华清宫绝句》其他两首共同构成对盛唐衰亡的讽刺。【名句点睛】常考“万国笙歌醉太平，倚天楼殿月分明”写盛世的假象；“云中乱拍禄山舞，风过重峦下笑声”写祸根隐伏，讽刺辛辣。

Background

The third of Du Mu's three Huaqing Palace quatrains, written at the ruins of Xuanzong's palace on Mount Li. Under the Tianbao era (742–756), the Tang appeared at its height — all nations came to court, music filled the capital — yet the crisis was already inside the palace: An Lushan, the obese military governor of Fanyang, had ingratiated himself with Xuanzong and Yang Guifei (who adopted him as her foster son) and danced his whirling barbarian dance for the court's amusement. In 755 he revolted from Yuyang, and the Tang never recovered its glory.

此诗约作于唐文宗大和年间（827-835）或其后，是杜牧《过华清宫绝句三首》之三。杜牧过华清宫遗址，追怀玄宗天宝年间的盛衰，写下《过华清宫绝句三首》，此诗为第三首，专写安禄山入宫献舞的史实。天宝年间，玄宗沉溺声色，安禄山以谄媚得宠：据《旧唐书·安禄山传》载，安禄山体胖腹垂，重三百余斤，却善舞胡旋（胡旋舞，旋转如飞），曾入宫为玄宗与杨贵妃献舞；杨贵妃收其为「养儿」，玄宗对其宠信不疑，甚至听信其「无异志」的谎话。天宝十四载（755），安禄山在渔阳起兵，安史之乱爆发，大唐由盛转衰。诗中「万国笙歌醉太平」写盛世的纵乐——「万国」写万邦来朝（天宝年间四夷宾服），「笙歌」写歌舞升平，「醉太平」写其沉醉于太平的假象——那「醉」字写尽盛世的沉醉与麻木；「倚天楼殿月分明」写华清宫的壮丽——「倚天」写楼殿之高（华清宫在骊山之上，楼殿倚天），「月分明」写月色之明，写尽盛世的繁华与宁静；「云中乱拍禄山舞」写安禄山的献舞——「云中」写宫中高处（如云端），「乱拍」写歌舞的节拍纷乱，「禄山舞」写安禄山在宫中献舞（胡旋舞），那肥胖的禄山在云中乱拍起舞，正是媚主邀宠的丑态；「风过重峦下笑声」写笑声的飘散——「风过重峦」写风过骊山，那「下笑声」写欢声笑语随风飘下，在骊山之间回荡。全诗以「醉太平」与「禄山舞」的对照，写尽盛世的假象与祸根的隐伏：那万国笙歌的太平，正是安禄山献舞的舞台；那「乱拍」的舞姿、「下笑声」的欢愉，正是「渔阳鼙鼓」爆发前最后的纵乐。此诗是杜牧咏史诗中写「盛极而衰」的名篇，与《过华清宫绝句》其他两首共同构成对盛唐衰亡的讽刺。

Art

The poem works in four movements. 'Drunk on great peace' opens with the era's self-deception in one word. The second line's 'cloud-propping towers, clear moon' lays out the splendor — the more beautiful the scene, the deeper the coming fall. 'An Lushan dances amid the clouds' puts the catastrophe itself on stage, dancing. 'The wind carries down their laughter' turns the court's joy into a sound that echoes over the mountains — an amusement that is really an elegy. The progression from splendor to laughter tightens like a spring.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个层面解析。其一，「醉太平」的讽喻。首句「万国笙歌醉太平」以「醉太平」写盛世的假象——「醉」字既写笙歌的沉醉，也写对太平的沉醉，那「醉太平」三字，写尽盛世表面繁华背后的麻木——万国笙歌，都沉醉于太平，却不知祸根已伏，是讽喻的点睛之笔。其二，景物的铺陈。前两句「万国笙歌醉太平，倚天楼殿月分明」以「万国笙歌」「倚天楼殿」「月分明」写盛世的繁华——笙歌处处、楼殿倚天、月色分明，把盛世的景象写得越足，后两句的讽刺越深。其三，「禄山舞」的讽刺。「云中乱拍禄山舞」以「禄山舞」直写安禄山入宫献舞——那肥胖的禄山在云中乱拍起舞，正是媚主邀宠的丑态，也暗含祸根的隐伏——正是这献舞的宠臣，正是这「乱拍」的狂欢，酝酿着「渔阳鼙鼓」的叛乱，以乐写忧、讽刺辛辣。其四，以笑声写麻木。「风过重峦下笑声」以「下笑声」写欢声笑语随风飘下——那笑声在骊山之间回荡，写尽纵乐的欢愉，也写尽对祸根的麻木——笑声越欢，讽刺越深。四重手法层层推进，使此诗成为杜牧咏史诗中「盛极而衰」的名篇。

Allusions

'All nations' echoes the Tianbao ideal of universal submission, as in Wang Wei's 'Nine heavens open the palace halls; the robes of all nations bow to the crown'. 'Cloud-propping towers' echoes Bai Juyi's 'The Li palace rises into the blue clouds'. 'An Lushan's dance' alludes to the Old Tang History's account of the obese general who weighed over three hundred pounds yet excelled at the whirling barbarian dance performed for Xuanzong and Yang Guifei, who took him as a foster son. The wind-borne laughter answers Bai Juyi's 'Slow songs and lingering dances to the silk strings; all day the lord of men could not look his fill'.

此诗的意象与典故深植于盛唐与安史之乱的传统。「万国笙歌醉太平」写盛世的纵乐——「万国」写万邦来朝（天宝年间四夷宾服、万国来朝，令人想到「九天阊阖开宫殿，万国衣冠拜冕旒」（王维《和贾舍人早朝大明宫之作》）写大唐盛世的壮丽），「笙歌」写歌舞升平（《诗经》「我有嘉宾，鼓瑟吹笙」），「醉太平」写其沉醉于太平的假象——那「醉」字令人想到「天下太平」的粉饰与「生于忧患，死于安乐」的警言。「倚天楼殿月分明」写华清宫的壮丽——「倚天」写楼殿之高（华清宫在骊山之上，「山顶千门次第开」写其宫殿连绵），「月分明」写月色之明，令人想到「骊宫高处入青云」（白居易《长恨歌》）写华清宫的高峻。「云中乱拍禄山舞」写安禄山的献舞——「禄山舞」用安禄山善舞胡旋的史实（《旧唐书·安禄山传》载其「以贼臣而能胡旋」），「云中」写宫中高处，「乱拍」写歌舞节拍纷乱，令人想到「舞破中原」（杜牧《过华清宫绝句·其二》）与「渔阳鼙鼓动地来」（白居易《长恨歌》）的对照——那在云中起舞的禄山，正是「渔阳鼙鼓」的祸根。「风过重峦下笑声」写笑声的飘散——「重峦」写骊山重重叠叠的山峦（华清宫在骊山，「重峦」写其山势），「下笑声」写欢声笑语随风飘下，令人想到「缓歌慢舞凝丝竹，尽日君王看不足」（白居易《长恨歌》）写玄宗的纵乐与「笑」字的反讽——那「下笑声」的欢愉，正是「渔阳鼙鼓」前的最后狂欢。全诗化用王维、白居易的意象与传统，以「醉太平」写假象、以「禄山舞」写祸根，正是杜牧「以史为鉴」的本领。

Commentary

Critics rank this quatrain as the most philosophically pointed of the three Huaqing Palace poems: the first writes of favor (lychees), the second of negligence (the Rainbow Skirt dance), the third of the hidden catastrophe (An Lushan on stage). 'An Lushan dances amid the clouds; the wind over the ridges carries down their laughter' has been quoted for centuries as the definitive image of glory at its peak with decline already begun. The poem is read as the classical expression of the maxim 'born in anxiety, die in comfort'.

此诗历来被推为杜牧《过华清宫绝句》中的名篇，也是「云中乱拍禄山舞，风过重峦下笑声」这一名句的出处。历代论者对此诗评价较高：论者多指出此诗以「醉太平」写盛世的假象，以「禄山舞」写祸根的隐伏，是杜牧咏史诗中「盛极而衰」的佳作。在文学史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以二十八字的小诗，写出了盛唐由盛转衰的历史玄机——那「万国笙歌醉太平」的假象，那「云中乱拍禄山舞」的祸根，那「风过重峦下笑声」的麻木，正是一个时代走向衰亡的三个标志：沉醉于太平、宠信于祸根、麻木于危机。诗中「云中乱拍禄山舞，风过重峦下笑声」两句，以安禄山入宫献舞的史实写祸根的隐伏——那肥胖的禄山在云中起舞，那欢愉的笑声在骊山回荡，正是「渔阳鼙鼓」爆发前最后的纵乐，讽刺辛辣而意味深长。此诗与《过华清宫绝句·其一》（荔枝）、《其二》（霓裳）构成完整的组诗：一写贵妃的宠幸，一写玄宗的纵乐，一写禄山的献舞，从三个侧面写出盛唐衰亡的因果，是杜牧咏史组诗的巅峰。对于今日读者，此诗是理解安史之乱与杜牧咏史传统的窗口，也是感受中国诗歌「盛极而衰」母题的典范——那醉太平的笙歌、云中起舞的禄山、随风飘散的笑声，穿越千年，仍在警醒着后人「生于忧患，死于安乐」的道理。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (qijue), oblique-start with first line rhyming七言绝句（平起首句入韵）

Rhyme Four lines rhyming on ping (peace), ming (bright), and sheng (sound) of the geng-qing group. The clear, bright rhyme matches the poem's surface splendor even as the content darkens.押下平九青韵与平声相间（平、明、声），首句入韵，韵脚「平」「明」「声」皆属庚青部，韵音悠长清亮，正合其咏史的明丽与沉郁交织的风格。

Tone pattern The standard seven-character quatrain pattern carries a bright, flowing rhythm; the first couplet glitters (moonlit towers), the second drops to the dance and the drifting laughter, so sound and sense move together.万国笙歌醉太平，仄仄平平仄仄平；倚天楼殿月分明，仄平平仄仄平平；云中乱拍禄山舞，平平仄仄仄平仄；风过重峦下笑声，平仄平平仄仄平。全诗平仄大体合于七绝格律，音节明丽流畅。

Reading note The quatrain's bright musicality is the poem's quiet irony: the form itself sounds like the songs and flutes it describes. Reading the first couplet in a bright tone and the second with rising irony conveys the effect of glory at its peak with decline already begun.此诗是平起首句入韵的七言绝句，押平声庚青韵，格律简洁，音节明丽，是杜牧咏史诗中「盛极而衰」的名篇。全诗两联结构分明：前两句写盛世的繁华（万国笙歌、倚天楼殿），后两句写禄山的献舞（云中乱拍、风过重峦），由盛到衰、层层递进。声调上，全诗以平声庚青韵为韵脚，韵音悠长清亮，配合「醉太平」的沉醉与「禄山舞」的讽喻，全篇音节明丽而不失沉郁。诵读此诗，宜以明丽的语调读前两句的盛世繁华，以讽喻的语调读后两句的禄山献舞，尤其「云中乱拍禄山舞，风过重峦下笑声」两句，要读得意味深长，方能传达出杜牧「盛极而衰」的讽喻深意。杜牧绝句以「咏史论政」著称，此诗正是其《过华清宫绝句》中写「祸根隐伏」的名篇。

Line by line

万国笙歌醉太平，倚天楼殿月分明。

All nations drink deep on songs and flutes, drunk on 'great peace'; cloud-propping halls and towers gleam in the clear moon.

万国的笙歌，陶醉于太平；倚天的楼殿，月色分明。

Ten thousand lands of pipes and songs, drunk on peace; the towered halls leaning on the sky, the moonlight clear.

这两句是写盛世假象的名句，以「醉太平」写沉醉的麻木，以「倚天楼殿」写盛世的繁华，讽喻含蓄。「万国笙歌醉太平」写沉醉于太平——万国来朝、笙歌处处，都陶醉于太平的景象，「万国笙歌」写盛世的歌舞升平，「醉太平」写其沉醉于太平的假象——那「醉」字写尽盛世的沉醉与麻木：万国笙歌，都醉在太平里，却不知祸根已伏；「倚天楼殿月分明」写盛世的繁华——倚天的楼殿、分明的月色，写尽华清宫的壮丽与盛世的宁静——那楼殿倚天、月色分明，正是太平景象的写照。这两句的深意在于：它以「醉太平」与「倚天楼殿」写盛世的表面繁华，正是为后两句「禄山舞」的祸根作反衬——那万国笙歌的太平越盛，安禄山献舞的祸根越深；那倚天楼殿的繁华越是分明，盛极而衰的悲剧越是必然。以「醉」写麻木、以「倚天楼殿」写繁华，正是杜牧「以盛写衰」的含蓄笔法，也为后文「云中乱拍禄山舞」的讽刺作了最有力的铺垫。

These two lines write the false peace of the age, 'drunk on peace' the numbed indulgence, 'the towered halls leaning on the sky' the splendor, the satire restrained. 'Ten thousand lands of pipes and songs, drunk on peace' — all the world's music, drunk on a peaceful age, the word 'drunk' writing the intoxication and numbness: ten thousand lands of song, all drunk on peace, not knowing the seed of disaster is already sown. 'The towered halls leaning on the sky, the moonlight clear' writes the splendor of Huaqing, the quiet of the pretended peace. The depth: the splendor is the foil for Lushan's dance below — the more glorious the ten thousand lands of peace, the deeper the seed of Lushan's revolt; the clearer the towering halls, the more certain the fall from the peak.

云中乱拍禄山舞，风过重峦下笑声。

An Lushan dances amid the clouds, the beat in wild confusion; the wind over serried ridges carries down their laughter.

云中乱拍，是禄山在起舞；风过重峦，飘来笑声。

In the clouds, a confused beat, Lushan dancing; the wind over the layered peaks carries down the sound of laughter.

这两句是全诗的点睛之笔，也是名句，以「禄山舞」写祸根的隐伏，以「下笑声」写纵乐的麻木，讽刺辛辣。「云中乱拍禄山舞」写禄山的献舞——那肥胖的安禄山在云中（宫中高处）乱拍起舞，「云中」写宫中高处如云端，「乱拍」写歌舞节拍纷乱，「禄山舞」用安禄山善舞胡旋的史实——那在云中起舞的禄山，正是媚主邀宠的宠臣，也正是「渔阳鼙鼓」的祸根，以「舞」写祸根、以乐写忧；「风过重峦下笑声」写笑声的飘散——风过骊山重重山峦，飘下欢声笑语，「风过重峦」写风过骊山，「下笑声」写那欢愉的笑声随风飘下，在骊山之间回荡——那笑声的欢愉，写尽纵乐的陶醉，也写尽对祸根的麻木。这两句的深意在于：它以「禄山舞」与「下笑声」写盛世的纵乐与祸根的隐伏——那云中起舞的禄山，正是盛世的祸根；那随风飘散的笑声，正是麻木的纵乐——笑声越欢，讽刺越深，正是「生于忧患，死于安乐」的写照。以「禄山舞」写祸根、以「下笑声」写麻木，正是杜牧「以乐写忧」的本领，也让这两句成为咏「盛极而衰」的名句。

These two lines are the poem's eye, a famous one, 'Lushan's dance' the hidden seed of disaster, 'the laughter carried down' the numb revelry, the satire sharp. 'In the clouds, a confused beat, Lushan dancing' — the obese An Lushan dancing a wild whirl in the high palace; 'in the clouds' the height, 'confused beat' the disordered rhythm, 'Lushan's dance' the history of his skill at the whirling Hu dance. The dancer in the clouds is both the flattering favorite and the seed of the Yuyang drums. 'The wind over the layered peaks carries down the sound of laughter' — wind over Li Mountain's ridges, the joyful laughter drifting down and echoing among the peaks; the laughter writes the intoxication and the numbness to the seed. The more joyful the laughter, the deeper the satire — the picture of 'born in anxiety, died in ease'.

Study

Word focus

醉 Drunk; the satirical eye of the poem — the court is intoxicated by an illusion of peace, so drunk on its own glory that it cannot see the catastrophe on stage. 「醉」字是写盛世假象的关键字，一个「醉」字写尽沉醉于太平的麻木，是全诗的讽喻之眼。醉者，沉醉、陶醉也。杜牧以「万国笙歌醉太平」写盛世，一个「醉」字，至少有双重意味：其一，写歌舞之沉醉——「万国笙歌」写歌舞升平，「醉太平」写其沉醉于笙歌、陶醉于太平，那「醉」字写尽盛世的纵乐与欢愉；其二，写麻木之深沉——「醉」不仅是写纵乐，更是写麻木——万国笙歌，都「醉」在太平里，醉得不知危机四伏，那「醉」字写尽对太平假象的沉醉与对祸根的麻木——正如「酒不醉人人自醉」，那沉醉于太平的，正是自欺欺人的麻木。以「醉」写盛世，正是杜牧「以盛写衰」的讽喻之笔：那「醉太平」的「醉」，既写盛世的纵乐，也写其麻木，与后文「禄山舞」「下笑声」的祸根与纵乐相呼应。若换作「乐」「庆」等字，则或失其「沉醉」的麻木，或失其「醉生梦死」的深意；唯「醉」字，以一字写尽沉醉于太平的纵乐与麻木，也让「万国笙歌醉太平」成为写盛世假象的名句。

乱 Wild, disordered; the 'wild' beat of An Lushan's dance is also the disorder to come — the future rebel's dance is the war drum in disguise. 「乱」字是写禄山献舞的关键字，一个「乱」字写尽歌舞的纷乱与祸根的征兆，含蓄而辛辣。乱者，纷乱、杂乱也。杜牧以「云中乱拍禄山舞」写禄山献舞，一个「乱」字，至少有双重意味：其一，写歌舞之纷乱——「乱拍」写歌舞节拍纷乱，那禄山在云中起舞，节拍纷乱、舞姿粗拙——肥胖的禄山，舞得「乱拍」，正是其媚主邀宠的丑态；其二，写祸乱之征兆——「乱拍」的「乱」，暗含「祸乱」的意味——那「乱拍」的歌舞，正是「祸乱」的征兆：在云中乱舞的禄山，正是日后「渔阳鼙鼓」的祸根，那「乱」字写尽祸乱的隐伏。以「乱」写禄山舞，正是杜牧炼字的匠心：一个「乱」字，既写歌舞的纷乱（禄山舞姿之粗拙），也暗含祸乱的征兆（禄山乃乱源），以「乱拍」写「祸乱」，含蓄而辛辣。若换作「急」「狂」等字，则或失其「祸乱」的暗示，或失其「乱拍」的纷乱；唯「乱」字，以一字写尽禄山舞的纷乱与祸乱的征兆，也让「云中乱拍禄山舞」成为咏「祸根隐伏」的名句。