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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵

Seeing Meng Haoran Off to Guangling at Yellow Crane Tower

李白

Li Bai

送别Farewell

故人西辞黄鹤楼，烟花三月下扬州。
孤帆远影碧空尽，唯见长江天际流。

My old friend bids farewell to the West at Yellow Crane Tower,
Amid March's misty flowers he goes down to Yangzhou.
His lone sail's distant shadow vanishes into the azure void,
Only the Yangtze River flows to the sky's end.

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Meaning

An old friend bids farewell at Yellow Crane Tower and travels east to Yangzhou in the misty spring of March. As his sail fades into the distance, only the Yangtze River flowing to the horizon remains.

老朋友在黄鹤楼向西向我辞行，于繁花如烟的三月顺流东下扬州。孤帆的远影渐渐没入碧空的尽头，我只看见长江水向着天边奔流不息。

Appreciation

This farewell poem conveys deep emotion without sentimental tears. The phrase 'misty flowers of March' paints a vivid spring scene. The poet's gaze follows the lone sail until it disappears, leaving only the river, expressing endless longing through the vast landscape.

【白话串讲】李白送别时话不多，只盯着朋友的船帆消失在天际，看了很久很久。那一年扬州正是烟花三月，而这一眼，成了唐诗里最动人的告别。【意象与手法】前两句叙事，点明人物、地点、时令与去向，举重若轻【情感与主旨】唐玄宗开元十八年（730）前后，李白在江夏（今武汉）结识并敬重年长十余岁的前辈诗人孟浩然【名句点睛】常考后两句孤帆远影碧空尽，唯见长江天际流的以景结情、含蓄不尽；之广陵即赴扬州。西辞谓自西（武昌）向东（扬州）辞行

Background

In the Kaiyuan era (c. 730), Li Bai, then living in Jiangxia (modern Wuhan), saw off his older friend and poet Meng Haoran, who was traveling east to Yangzhou. The Yellow Crane Tower, a historic site with legends of immortals, was a fitting place for parting. The spring scene of 'misty flowers' sets a bright yet wistful tone.

李白《黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵》约作于唐玄宗开元十八年（730）前后，时李白三十岁左右，居江夏（今武汉）。孟浩然长李白十二岁，此前已于长安应举不第，名满天下而布衣终身，为李白所敬慕。李白《赠孟浩然》云“吾爱孟夫子，风流天下闻……高山安可仰，徒此揖清芬”，足见其倾倒之诚。此番孟浩然自襄阳东下扬州，李白于黄鹤楼送别，写下此诗。黄鹤楼故址在武昌黄鹄矶，临长江，因仙人乘鹤之传说得名（一说费祎登仙尝驾黄鹤憩此），自南朝即为登临胜地与送别名区。扬州在唐为淮南道治所，是运河与长江交汇的繁华都会，“腰缠十万贯，骑鹤上扬州”足见其富庶风流，故“下扬州”在唐人心中近乎畅游乐土。时当三月，江汉春浓，故人顺流东去，本是赏心乐事，李白送别却无衰飒，反以开阔明丽出之——这正是盛唐送别诗“悲而不伤”的底色，亦见李白对前辈的欣羡（孟之东游非沦落，乃畅游）而非寻常折柳之凄。版本方面，题一作《黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵》，“之广陵”即赴扬州（广陵为扬州古称）；又“碧空尽”一作“碧山尽”，今从“碧空”为长，与“天际流”之空阔更称。

Art

The first two lines narrate the farewell concisely, while the last two lines shift to scenery to convey emotion. The camera moves from the lone sail to its distant shadow and finally to the empty sky, ending with the river flowing to the horizon. The poem never uses words like 'parting' or 'tears', yet the lingering affection is palpable.

此诗艺术最著者，在“叙事—写景—抒情”的浑融与“以景结情、含蓄不尽”的收束。前两句“故人西辞黄鹤楼，烟花三月下扬州”叙事，十四字囊括人物（故人）、地点（黄鹤楼）、时令（烟花三月）、去向（下扬州），举重若轻，无一闲字；“西辞”与“下”点明方向（自西而东、顺流而下），空间感极强。后两句“孤帆远影碧空尽，唯见长江天际流”转写景，却不直写依依，而写帆影渐没、唯余江流——将无尽别情化入空阔江天，以景语作情语，所谓“一切景语皆情语”。其章法之妙在“孤”与“唯”的对照：孤帆远去，是视线所追；唯见江流，是追而不得后的空落，由“有”（帆）到“唯”（只有江流），情感由送别之凝望跌入别后之怅惘。且以宏大不息的长江反衬孤帆之微、离别之暂，宇宙的恒常与人事的聚散相映，境界遂阔。沈德潜《唐诗别裁》谓“语近情遥，有‘手挥五弦，目送飞鸿’之妙”，正点其“不落迹象而情韵悠然”的品格。综而言之，《黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵》正是以如此艺术匠心，于尺幅之间见千里之势，言有尽而意无穷，足见作者驾驭语言、熔铸意境之深厚功力，故能历久而不失其动人之处。

Allusions

Yellow Crane Tower is associated with the legend of the immortal Fei Yi riding a crane. 'Misty flowers' echoes earlier poetic descriptions of the Jiangnan spring. Yangzhou was a prosperous city. The imagery of a lone sail and the Yangtze River is traditional in farewell poetry, but Li Bai's treatment gives it a vast, open feel.

此诗用典在楼不在词，核心典源是黄鹤楼的仙鹤传说。据《南齐书·州郡志》与《太平寰宇记》，黄鹤楼因“昔有仙人驾黄鹤过此”而得名，又费祎登仙尝乘黄鹤憩于楼侧，故楼以鹤名。李白送别于此，暗含神仙风流的联想，与孟浩然“风流天下闻”的隐逸高洁遥相呼应——选择黄鹤楼作别，已先立潇洒出尘的基调。又“烟花三月”之“烟花”非今义，乃指春日繁花如烟似雾之景，承江淹《杂体诗》“日暮碧云合，佳人殊未来”的江南春思与六朝“烟柳”意象。“之广陵”即赴扬州，广陵为扬州古称，扬州自隋开通运河后即为东南都会，李白《秋日登扬州西灵塔》等诗多写其繁华。“孤帆”意象则近《古诗十九首》“孤帆远影”之前的舟船送别传统，《楚辞·河伯》“波滔滔兮来迎，鱼鳞鳞兮媵予”亦写水上行舟。李白融仙楼、春江、孤舟于一炉，送别而无衰气，正得盛唐之壮。观《黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵》用典使事之妙，正在于不泥于古而能化用无痕，信手拈来皆成佳境，既增诗境之厚重，又不失自然浑成之趣，非徒摭拾故实以炫博者也。

Commentary

Song critic Yan Yu praised this poem as the best among Tang farewell quatrains. Qing critic Shen Deqian noted its 'subtle emotion and distant scene'. The poem's brilliance lies in transforming sadness into a grand vision of nature, reflecting the Tang dynasty's optimistic spirit.

此诗自宋以来推为唐人送别绝句之冠。宋代严羽《沧浪诗话》虽推崔颢《黄鹤楼》为唐人七律第一，而李白此七绝与之同地并美，世称“楼以诗传”。元人方回《瀛奎律髓》录此诗并评其“浑然无迹”。清代沈德潜《唐诗别裁》云：“语近情遥，含吐不露，其‘孤帆远影’二语，尤得目送飞鸿之致。”近人俞陛云《诗境浅说》谓：“十四字中，能写送别之神，长江浩荡，孤帆远去，而诗人之目犹随江水俱远，情深文明。”叶嘉莹讲李白，特赏其“以开阔之景写深长之情”——别情不落泪字、不著哀词，而碧空、长江的空阔反衬出离思之绵长。有趣的是，相传李白登黄鹤楼见崔颢题诗，曾叹“眼前有景道不得，崔颢题诗在上头”，然李之送别绝句另辟蹊径，不以吊古取胜而以送远见长，与崔诗一吊古一送人，各极其美，遂使黄鹤楼兼得两大绝唱。在传播史上，此诗与王维《送元二使安西》、高适《别董大》并列为唐人送别三绝。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (oblique tone opening, first line not rhymed)七言绝句（送别名作）

Rhyme Lower level tone of the 11th rhyme group (you): lou, zhou, liu平水韵下平十一尤韵，押“楼”“州”“流”三韵，首句入韵

Tone pattern 故人西辞黄鹤楼 (仄平平平平仄平), 烟花三月下扬州 (平平平仄仄平平); 孤帆远影碧空尽 (平平仄仄仄平仄), 唯见长江天际流 (平仄平平平仄平)首句“故人西辞黄鹤楼”仄平平平平仄平（“楼”平，入韵，首字“故”仄可平可仄）；次句“烟花三月下扬州”平平平仄仄平平（“州”平，入韵）；三句“孤帆远影碧空尽”平平仄仄仄平仄（“尽”上声，不押，且“碧空尽”仄平仄，属仄收之拗，合绝句三四句多不入韵之常）；末句“唯见长江天际流”平仄平平平仄平（“流”平，入韵）。整体合七绝平起首句入韵正格，第三句仄收不与韵冲突。

Reading note The parting sentiment is deeply conveyed without explicit expression; scenic words are emotional words, epitomizing Li Bai's style of boldness with subtlety.此诗为七绝平起首句入韵之正格，二十八字而势如长江，是唐人送别绝句公认的冠冕。前两句“故人西辞黄鹤楼，烟花三月下扬州”以叙事对起，十四字包举人物、方位、时令、去向，举重若轻，不对仗而气象自阔；后两句“孤帆远影碧空尽，唯见长江天际流”以写景对结，亦不对仗（七绝本不要求对仗），却以“孤帆”对“长江”、“远影”对“天际”、“碧空尽”对“天际流”，形成宏微相形、由近及远的画面推移。声韵上所押“楼”“州”“流”皆下平十一尤，韵腹圆融悠长，音色清亮开阔，与黄鹤楼之高、长江之远、烟花之明的朗丽意境声情相恰；第三句“尽”字仄收，如音乐之暂停，为末句长流蓄势。王力《汉语诗律学》以李白七绝为唐人神品，此诗首句入韵、平仄合度而气息奔放，且“西辞—下—孤帆—唯见”一线贯穿东西、由人及水，章法如江流宛转，正见太白“天然合律”的绝句手段——不以雕琢争工，而以气韵胜。

Line by line

故人西辞黄鹤楼，

My old friend bids farewell at Yellow Crane Tower to the west.

老朋友在黄鹤楼向西向我辞行，

My old friend takes his leave of me, westward, at the Yellow Crane Tower.

首句点明送别的人物、地点与方位，是叙事之起。“故人”即老友，指孟浩然，二字含多年交契的亲厚，非泛泛送客；“西辞”写孟自黄鹤楼（武昌，在李白所立之西）向西辞别东行，方位词精确交代了二人相对的位置与行程方向——孟向东下扬州，李留武昌送，故云“西辞”。“黄鹤楼”既是实指送别地，又自带仙人乘鹤的潇洒典故，先立出尘高洁的基调，与孟浩然“风流天下闻”的隐逸身份暗合。这一句十四字，人物、地点、方向俱备，却举重若轻，无寻常折柳的凄切，反见盛唐送别的从容。尤其“辞”字写出孟之主动登舟、洒脱就道，非被迫远谪，故全诗悲而不伤——李白送的是去畅游繁华扬州的前辈，欣羡多于哀惋。起句之开阔，已定全篇明丽之调。

The opening line names the person, place, and direction of the farewell. 'Old friend' is Meng Haoran, the two words carrying years of close friendship; 'bids farewell to the west' — Meng departs from the tower west of where Li Bai stands, heading east. The Yellow Crane Tower is both the real place of farewell and carries the allusion to the immortal riding the crane, setting a lofty, pure tone. Fourteen words contain person, place, direction, yet weightless; the 'farewell' shows Meng embarking freely, not exiled, so the whole poem is sad without being sorrowful.

烟花三月下扬州。

In the misty flowers of the third month he goes down to Yangzhou.

于繁花如烟的三月顺流东下扬州。

In the misty blossoms of the third month, he drifts down to Yangzhou.

次句补出时令与去向，是全诗最明媚的一笔。“烟花三月”写江南春浓——繁花似锦、如烟如雾，是唐人心中最堪游赏的季候；“下扬州”点明去向，扬州为运河巨镇、东南都会，富庶风流，“腰缠十万贯，骑鹤上扬州”可见其令人神往。一个“下”字写顺流东去，既合长江自西向东之水势，又含轻松畅达之意——非跋涉之苦，乃顺水之游。“烟花”与“下扬州”组合，构成一幅绚烂的春江行旅图，将送别写得近于壮游，毫无离愁惨淡。此句与前句“西辞黄鹤楼”对读，空间由楼及州、时间由辞及行，叙事完整而色彩明丽。值得注意的是，李白不写“伤三月”而写“烟花三月”，不写“去荒远”而写“下扬州”，刻意以乐景写别，正是盛唐人豁达胸襟的体现，亦可见其对孟之东游的真诚欣羡而非惋惜。

The next line adds the season and destination, the brightest brushstroke. 'The misty flowers of the third month' — Jiangnan spring in full, blossoms like mist; 'he goes down to Yangzhou' — Yangzhou the great canal city, wealthy and gay. The word 'down' writes the easy current eastward, not a hard journey but a pleasure trip. Misty flowers and Yangzhou together make a splendid spring river journey, the farewell turned almost into a grand excursion. Li Bai deliberately writes joyous scenery, the open-heartedness of High Tang parting, and his genuine admiration for Meng's voyage east.

孤帆远影碧空尽，

His lone sail's far shadow vanishes into the blue sky.

孤帆的远影渐渐没入碧空的尽头，

The lone sail's distant shadow fades away into the blue sky.

第三句由叙事转入目送之景，是情感由明转深的关键。“孤帆”写孟浩然所乘之舟，以“孤”状舟、亦暗状送者之孤——故人既去，唯余李白独立楼头；“远影”写舟行渐远、帆影缩小，是视线之所追；“碧空尽”写帆影终于没入水天相接处的碧空尽头，是目送的终点。这一笔极有层次：由楼头之近，到江面之远，到天际之尽，空间层层推开，而诗人的目光始终追随，直至不可见。其妙在以“尽”字收束视觉——帆影消失了，但诗人的凝望与怅惘并未消失，为由“有”到“唯”的情感跌落蓄势。沈德潜谓此句有“目送飞鸿”之致，正赏其不写泪而写望、不写悲而写追的含蓄。一个“孤”字，将热闹的“烟花三月”骤然收为一叶远帆，乐景与孤景对照，别情始显深沉。

The third line moves from narrative to watching, the emotional turn from bright to deep. 'His lone sail' — the boat Meng rides, the word 'lone' describing the boat and secretly the watcher's loneliness; 'far shadow' the boat growing smaller as it recedes; 'vanishes into the blue sky' the end of the gaze where river meets sky. The layers — from the near tower, to the distant river, to the horizon — push space outward while the poet's gaze follows until it can see no more. The word 'vanishes' closes the sight, yet the staring and the longing do not vanish.

唯见长江天际流。

I see only the Yangzi rolling to the edge of heaven.

我只看见长江水向着天边奔流不息。

I see only the Yangzi River flowing on to the rim of the sky.

末句以景结情，将不尽别情化入空阔江天，是全诗收束的最高明处。“唯见”二字极重——帆影既尽，眼中唯余长江，一个“唯”字写出追而不得后的空落，由“孤帆”（有）跌入“唯见江流”（只剩），别后之怅惘尽在“唯”中。“长江天际流”以宏大不息的江水反衬人事聚散之暂、孤帆之微，宇宙的恒常与离别的须臾相映，境界遂极其开阔。江水奔流不尽，恰似诗人目送故人、情思难绝——以景语作情语，所谓“一切景语皆情语”。此句不著一个“别”字、“思”字，而依依之情滔滔如江，含蓄不尽，较之直诉“魂销”更耐寻味。与崔颢《黄鹤楼》“唯见长江天际流”之句遥应（崔诗结“烟波江上使人愁”），李诗化愁为阔，各极其美。二十字后两句，遂成送别诗中“以景结情”的千古范式，后人如苏轼“惟见江心秋月白”皆受其沾溉。

The closing line ends in scenery, dissolving endless farewell into the vast river-sky, the highest art of the poem. 'I see only' is weighty: the sail gone, before his eyes only the Yangzi remains, the word 'only' writing the emptiness after watching in vain. 'The Yangzi rolling to the edge of heaven' sets the great, unceasing river against the brevity of human parting, the eternal against the fleeting. The river flows on without end, like the poet's gaze and feeling; no word of 'farewell' or 'longing', yet the feeling rolls on like the current. It became the classic model of closing a farewell poem in scenery.

Study

Word focus

西辞 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “故人西辞黄鹤楼”之“西辞”二字，是方位与礼仪的精确交代，亦情感温度的隐含。“西”指黄鹤楼所在（武昌）相对于李白立处及孟之去向（东去扬州）而言在西；“辞”是辞别、告退，写出孟浩然主动登舟、洒脱就道之态，非贬谪远放之“去”，故全句无凄切。“西辞”合起来，点明二人相对位置与行程方向：孟自西辞、向东而下，空间逻辑清晰，与次句“下扬州”的“下”（顺流东去）形成方向呼应。更妙在“辞”字含礼数——老友临行郑重辞别，见交契之厚；“西”字则以地理方位替代“自……向……”，语言经济而画面自具。李白不写“自楼辞”而写“西辞”，既合实际方位，又添一笔开阔的空间感，为后文“孤帆远影”的东西延展埋下地理线索。二字看似寻常，实乃叙事凝练的典范。

烟花 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “烟花三月下扬州”之“烟花”二字，是全诗最秾丽的色彩，亦盛唐春江意象的标识。“烟花”非今之爆竹，而指春日繁花盛开、如烟如雾、朦胧灿烂的江南美景——花气氤氲、柳色如烟，合成一片迷茫绚烂的春光。这个复合词始于六朝江南乐府，至唐而用以写扬州、金陵一带的春色，李白最喜用之（如“烟花藏绿水”）。“烟花”在此有三重用意：一是点明时令之佳，三月春深最堪游赏；二是渲染去向之诱惑，扬州本繁华，“烟花三月”更添梦幻；三是反衬别情——以极乐之景写送别，乐景哀情或乐景欣情，皆见盛唐人豁达。若删“烟花”作“三月下扬州”，则失其明丽、寡其韵致；“烟花”二字使送别如一幅设色江南春行图，最见李白“清水芙蓉”中偶一秾丽的手笔。

孤 Lonely - emphasizes the solitary sail and the poet's solitary watching. “孤帆远影碧空尽”之“孤”字，是后两句情感由明转深的关键，亦全诗唯一的“冷”色。“孤”本写舟之单数——江面或本有舟，然诗人眼中唯有孟浩然那一叶，故曰“孤帆”；更深一层，“孤”亦暗写送者之孤：故人既去，独立楼头的李白顿成孤身。热闹的“烟花三月”“下扬州”至此骤收为一叶远帆，乐景与孤景形成强烈对照，别情由此显出深度。这个字与末句“唯见”呼应：由“孤帆”（有朋之舟）到“唯见江流”（只剩江水），“孤”是聚之将散，“唯”是散之已定，情感由追望跌入空落。若作“征帆”“轻帆”则失其孤寂之韵；“孤”字最切送者心境。沈德潜赏其“目送飞鸿”之致，正因“孤”字写出凝望之专注与别后之寥落，含蓄而深长。

唯见 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “唯见长江天际流”之“唯见”二字，是情感收束的落点，亦“以景结情”的枢纽。“唯”表“只、独”，写帆影尽没之后，诗人眼中只剩长江奔流，别无可睹；“见”是视觉的延续——目光从孤帆转到江水，追而不得，遂注于不息之江。二字合起来，写出一个由“有”到“唯”的情感跌落：先是凝望孤帆（有朋），继而帆尽（失朋），终而唯见江流（余我独对）。这种“唯见”的空落，比直写“吾悲”更深，因它把怅惘藏在景物的单调里。“长江天际流”以宏大恒常反衬人事聚散之暂，江水不尽恰似情思难绝，以景语作情语，含蓄不尽。与崔颢“烟波江上使人愁”相较，李诗“唯见”化愁为阔，不著哀字而哀远。二字虽小，却是全篇由叙事、写景归于抒情的总开关，最见盛唐绝句“不落迹象”的妙境。