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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

江南春

Spring in Jiangnan

杜牧

Du Mu

写景Scenery description 感慨Emotion/reflection 怀古Nostalgia for the past

千里莺啼绿映红，水村山郭酒旗风。
南朝四百八十寺，多少楼台烟雨中。

Orioles sing for miles midst red blooms and green trees;
By hills and rills wine shop streamers wave in the breeze.
Four hundred eighty splendid temples still remain;
Of Southern Dynasties in the mist and rain.

Listen

Meaning

The poem depicts the vast and beautiful spring scenery of Jiangnan: orioles singing, green leaves and red flowers set off each other, waterside villages and hillside towns with wine-shop flags fluttering in the wind. Then it turns to the many temples built during the Southern Dynasties, now shrouded in mist and rain, expressing a sense of historical vicissitude.

辽阔的江南，黄莺啼鸣，绿树与红花相互映衬；傍水的村庄、依山的城郭，酒旗在风中轻轻飘动。那南朝遗留下来的众多佛寺楼台，还有多少朦胧地掩映在迷蒙的烟雨之中。诗中既有明媚春景，亦含历史感慨。

Appreciation

The first two lines depict the vast and bright spring scenery with vivid colors and sounds; the last two lines shift to history, using the misty temples to convey a subtle satire on the Tang rulers' obsession with Buddhism and a deep sigh over dynastic rise and fall.

【白话串讲】 “千里莺啼绿映红，水村山郭酒旗风”——杜牧写江南的春天，莺啼、水村、酒旗、烟雨，还有南朝的四百八十座寺庙。二十八个字，装下了一整个春天和一个朝代的背影。【意象与手法】前两句以「千里」领起，视听结合（莺啼之声、绿红之色），动静相生（酒旗之风），勾勒出江南春景的广远明丽；后两句陡转，以南朝历史入题，将空间之丽转为时间之思，以景语收情语，含蓄蕴藉。【情感与主旨】此诗约作于唐武宗会昌年间（841—846）杜牧任池州刺史时。当时藩镇割据、危机四伏，而统治者却大建佛寺、佞佛求福。诗人借江南春景联想到南朝广建寺院终归虚妄，暗含对时君崇佛误国的讽喻。【名句点睛】「南朝四百八十寺，多少楼台烟雨中」以烟雨朦胧收束，寄寓朝代兴亡之叹。默写易错：莺啼易误「鹰啼」，郭易误「廓」，「四百八十寺」易误「四百八十四」，烟雨易误「烟语」。高频考点：①「千里」之妙；②后两句的讽喻与怀古手法。

Background

This poem was written around 841–846 when Du Mu served as prefect of Chizhou. The Tang dynasty was beset by regional separatism and crises, yet the rulers heavily promoted Buddhism. The poet, inspired by the spring scenery, recalled how the Southern Dynasties built numerous temples in vain, hinting at a satire against the Tang rulers' devotion to Buddhism and expressing his concern for the country.

此诗约作于唐武宗会昌年间（841—846）杜牧任池州刺史时。杜牧（803—852），字牧之，京兆万年（今陕西西安）人，晚唐著名诗人、散文家，与李商隐并称「小李杜」。其为人刚直有奇节，好谈兵论政，于国势日颓之际尤留心治乱兴亡。会昌年间，唐武宗崇信佛教，大修寺院，广度僧尼，而当时唐王朝藩镇割据、宦官专权、牛李党争，危机四伏；此前宪宗、敬宗、文宗诸朝又迭兴佛事，民力大耗。杜牧身为地方刺史，目睹朝政之弊与民生之艰，遂借写江南春景，联想到南朝（宋、齐、梁、陈）君主普遍佞佛、广建寺院而终归覆灭的历史，暗含对当朝崇佛误国的讽喻，亦见其忧国忧民之心。诗题一作《江南春绝句》，为杜牧七绝中的名篇。江南水乡的明媚春色与佛寺的烟雨朦胧，在诗人笔下交织成既是写景又是怀古的双重意象，遂成千古传诵的绝句。又，杜牧出身名门（祖父杜佑为三朝宰相），家学渊源，博通经史，其咏史之作每有经世之思。此诗写江南而及南朝，正因江南既是晚唐财赋所出之地，也是六朝故都所在、佛寺鳞次之区，一景一史自然相连，故二十八字能兼写景与怀古而毫无牵合之痕。

Art

The first two lines start with 'thousands of miles', integrating sight and sound (oriole's song, colors of green and red), and static and dynamic (wine flags in wind), portraying the vast and bright spring scenery. The last two lines shift sharply to history, turning spatial beauty into temporal reflection. 'Four hundred eighty temples' is an exaggerated number, and the poem ends with mist and rain, using scenery to convey emotion, subtle and profound.

此诗艺术之妙，在于四句之中兼写景、怀古、讽喻三层，且层层递进、浑然一体。前两句以「千里」领起，写江南春景之广远明丽：黄莺啼鸣是听觉，绿树红花是视觉，视听结合；水村、山郭是静景，酒旗飘风是动景，动静相生，寥寥十四字即勾勒出一幅生气蓬勃的江南春色图。后两句笔锋陡转，由眼前之景联想到历史——「南朝四百八十寺」以虚数极言佛寺之多之盛，将空间之丽转为时间之思；「多少楼台烟雨中」以烟雨朦胧之景收束，那些当年的梵宫琳宇如今都笼罩在迷蒙烟雨之中，繁华与兴废尽在其中。全诗以景语起、以景语结，情在景中：烟雨既是江南春日的实景，又是历史沧桑的象征，虚实相生，含蓄蕴藉，讽意深藏而不露，正是杜牧「以诗论史」的典型笔法。四句由景入史、由明丽入朦胧，顿挫之间，兴亡之感自出。再就结构言，四句两两相对：前两句是「明」，后两句是「晦」；前两句是「今日之景」，后两句是「往昔之影」，明暗、今昔交错，形成时间与光影的双重对照。而「酒旗风」的动与「烟雨中」的静，「莺啼」的喧与「楼台」的寂，又构成动静、声色的多重映衬，使短章亦有回环吞吐之致。

Allusions

The Southern Dynasties refer to Song, Qi, Liang, Chen, whose rulers were mostly devout Buddhists, especially Emperor Wu of Liang. 'Four hundred eighty temples' is not an exact number but indicates the great number of temples. According to the History of the Southern Dynasties, there were over five hundred temples in the capital. 'Mist and rain' is a typical scene of Jiangnan, carrying the sigh of the rise and fall of the Southern Dynasties, forming an image of vicissitude.

此诗用典涉史而不着痕迹。「南朝」指东晋之后据有江南的宋、齐、梁、陈四代，其君主多佞佛，竞相大兴土木、营造寺院，尤以梁武帝萧衍为最——他三次舍身同泰寺，广建佛刹，最终身死国灭，为南朝佞佛之祸的典型。「四百八十寺」语本南朝寺院之盛，并非实指，唐释道宣《广弘明集》载梁代佛寺达两千八百余所，《南史》亦载都下佛寺五百余所，诗人以「四百八十」虚数极言其多。烟雨化用江南特有的迷蒙景致，暗承南朝兴废之叹，与楼台共成沧桑意象。诗人不直说兴亡，而以佛寺楼台在烟雨中的模糊身影暗示：昔日之盛已不可见，唯余朦胧遗迹，讽喻当朝崇佛之风终将蹈南朝覆辙。此诗用典之妙，在于化史为景、以景藏史，典故融化于景物描写之中，无堆砌之痕，而有深长之味。另外，「烟雨」意象亦有渊源：《楚辞》以降，烟水迷离常与兴亡感慨相连，如刘禹锡「金陵王气黯然收」之苍茫，杜牧此处「多少楼台烟雨中」正承此脉而更趋含蓄，以视觉的朦胧写历史记忆的模糊，后人咏金陵每沿此路。

Commentary

Ming scholar Yang Shen in his 'Sheng'an Poetry Talk' once doubted that 'thousand miles' should be 'ten miles', but Qing scholar He Wenhuan refuted it, saying 'thousand miles' describes the vast scenery, not literal. Qing scholar Shen Deqian commented: 'The satire is hidden in the mist and rain of towers and terraces, making the reader grasp it beyond the words.'

历代对此诗评价甚高，亦多有争论。明人杨慎《升庵诗话》曾疑「千里」应作「十里」，以为千里之内莺啼绿映不能尽见；清人何文焕驳之，谓「千里」者，辽阔之景，诗人总括江南春色而言，非实指也，正如「四百八十寺」亦属夸张虚数，二者正相映成趣。此驳深得其旨，可见「千里」正是全诗宏观视野的基石。清人沈德潜《唐诗别裁》评此诗「寓讽谏于烟雨楼台中，使人于言外得之」，可谓一语中的。近人论者多从「兴亡之叹」与「崇佛之讽」两端阐发，亦有学者指出此诗可贵处在于把历史感与现实感熔铸于二十八字，以最短篇幅写出最深沉的时空感慨，是杜牧咏史绝句「一唱三叹」风格的典范。与《泊秦淮》并读，可见杜牧怀古讽今之作的姊妹篇性质。后世如王安石「春风又绿江南岸」写江南之绿，辛弃疾「佛狸祠下，一片神鸦社鼓」写故地兴亡，皆与杜牧此诗有或显或隐的承续关系。当代读者更常以「江南春」为题的绘画、音乐，溯源于此诗所奠定的「明媚与沧桑并存」的江南意象，足见其影响已越出诗域。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (qijue)七言绝句（七绝，仄起首句入韵式）

Rhyme hong, feng, zhong (level tone, Shangping Yidong rhyme)押平声韵，韵脚「红」「风」「中」属上平一东韵，一韵到底。

Tone pattern Level-tone starting with first line rhyming此诗为仄起首句入韵式：首句「千里莺啼绿映红」为仄仄平平仄仄平，次句「水村山郭酒旗风」为平平仄仄仄平平，三句「南朝四百八十寺」为平平仄仄仄仄仄（「四百八十」皆入声字，连用仄声，声调拗峭），末句「多少楼台烟雨中」为仄仄平平平仄平。全诗平仄大体合律，三句入声连用造成声情顿挫，与转折之笔相配。

Reading note The first two lines depict today's bright spring scenery, the last two lines recall the rise and fall of the Southern Dynasties, using scenery to express emotion, subtle and profound.此诗为七言绝句，仄起首句入韵，押上平一东韵（红、风、中），一韵到底，声调流美。七绝体制短小，杜牧却于四句之中完成「写景—怀古—讽喻」的三重转折，足见其驾驭短章的能力。前两句写今日江南明媚春景，明丽畅快；后两句怀南朝兴废，以「四百八十」「多少」的虚数递进，声情由明快转低回，烟雨迷蒙之景与苍茫历史之感交融，含蓄寄慨。第三句「四百八十」连用入声字，音节拗峭，正是杜牧有意为之——于流畅中略施顿挫，以声助情，使转折更有力度。诵读时前两句宜明快，后两句宜放缓放低，以显烟雨苍茫之韵。此诗格律精工而不失自然，是七绝中以少胜多的典范。

Line by line

千里莺啼绿映红，水村山郭酒旗风。

A thousand li of orioles singing, green set against red; water villages and hill towns, wine flags in the wind.

辽阔江南黄莺啼鸣，绿叶映衬红花；水边村落、山脚城郭，酒旗在风中招展。

Over vast Jiangnan, orioles sing, green leaves set off red flowers; waterside villages and foothill towns, wine flags fluttering in the wind.

前两句写江南春景之广远明丽，是全诗写景的主体。「千里」二字总领全篇，以夸张笔法把视野推至极远，江南之阔、春色之盛尽收眼底；「莺啼」写声，「绿映红」写色，红绿相映、声情并茂，色彩明艳而生机蓬勃。后一句「水村山郭酒旗风」由自然转入人事：傍水的村落、依山的城郭是静景，风中飘动的酒旗是动景，动静相生，把人间烟火气点染进春色之中，使画面既辽阔又亲切。两句视听结合、动静互衬，写尽江南春日的明媚与繁华，为后两句由景入史的转折铺足气氛——越是写出今日之繁华，越反衬出历史之沧桑。

The first two lines write the wide, bright Jiangnan spring, the body of the scenery. 'A thousand li' governs the whole, exaggerating the view to the farthest reach; 'orioles singing' is sound, 'green set against red' is color, green and red matched, sound and scene together, bright and alive. The next line 'water villages and hill towns, wine flags in the wind' moves from nature to human affairs: waterside villages and foothill towns are still, wine flags in the wind are movement, stillness and movement together, the human smoke woven into the spring, the picture both vast and intimate.

南朝四百八十寺，多少楼台烟雨中。

Four hundred and eighty temples of the Southern Dynasties; how many terraces rise in the misty rain.

想当年南朝修建的许许多多寺庙，如今还有多少楼台亭阁笼罩在迷蒙烟雨里。

Of the Southern Dynasties' four hundred and eighty temples, how many terraces and pavilions still stand veiled in the hazy rain.

后两句是全诗的转折与升华，由眼前春景转入历史感慨。「南朝四百八十寺」以虚数极言南朝佛寺之盛——南朝君主笃信佛教，梁武帝尤甚，广建寺院，曾几何时何等辉煌；「多少楼台烟雨中」笔锋一转，那些当年的梵宫琳宇如今都笼罩在迷蒙烟雨里，只余朦胧的身影。两句一盛一衰、一明一暗，形成强烈对照：楼台之多反衬其零落之速，烟雨之朦胧暗示兴亡之渺茫。诗人不直说讽喻，而讽喻自在其中——当朝崇佛之风，岂非南朝覆辙之再现？以景语收束，情在景中，言有尽而意无穷，是杜牧咏史绝句的典型笔法。

The last two lines are the turn and elevation, moving from present spring to historical reflection. 'Four hundred and eighty temples of the Southern Dynasties' uses a round number for the profusion — the Southern dynasties' rulers were devout Buddhists, Emperor Wu especially, building temples everywhere, once so splendid; 'how many terraces rise in the misty rain' turns the brush, those old temples now veiled in hazy rain, only dim shapes remaining. One line's splendor, one's decline, one bright, one dim, a sharp contrast: the many terraces set off their quick decay, the hazy rain hinting the uncertainty of rise and fall. He does not speak satire directly, yet the satire lies there — the present court's devotion to Buddhism, is it not the Southern dynasties' old rut? Closing in scenery, feeling within, words finite, meaning endless.

Study

Word focus

千里 Exaggeration to capture vastness of Jiangnan spring, opening a grand spatial perspective. 「千里」二字以夸张总揽江南春色之广，奠定全诗宏大的空间视角，是写景得以「阔」的关键。有人曾讥「千里」太过夸张，以为「十里」方为实录，实则正因「千里」，才把莺啼、绿映红等个体景象推广为整个江南的春意，使前两句具有了全景式的气魄；而后句「南朝四百八十寺」的「四百八十」亦为虚数，二者遥相呼应，一写空间之广、一写历史之深，共同构成时空纵横的格局。若无「千里」，则后文的怀古便失了根基——正因为江南如此辽阔繁华，其历史的兴废才更令人感慨。一字之设，牵动全篇的结构与意境。

四百八十 Exaggerated imaginary number to emphasize many temples, hinting at satire against rulers' obsession with Buddhism. 「四百八十」是极言佛寺之多的虚数，语本南朝寺院之盛。南朝宋齐梁陈四代君主多佞佛，梁武帝萧衍尤为迷信，广建佛寺、三次舍身，故《南史》有都下佛寺五百余所之载，诗人以「四百八十」约言其多，极写当年寺院林立之盛况。此数字的妙处在于：越是把佛寺写得「多」，后句「多少楼台烟雨中」的「多少」就越显得怅惘——多到数不清的楼台，如今只剩烟雨中的朦胧残影，一盛一衰对照之下，佞佛误国的历史教训昭然若揭。此数字兼有写实与夸张之妙，暗含对统治者崇佛的讽喻，是杜牧炼数字以传意的典范。

多少 Ends with a questioning tone, blending historical vicissitude into mist and rain, words ending but meaning infinite. 「多少楼台烟雨中」之「多少」，以疑问语气收束全诗，把历史沧桑感融入烟雨朦胧之中，言有尽而意无穷。此词不作实指，含两层意味：一是「剩下多少」——当年的佛寺楼台如今还剩几座可辨？二是「其数何其多」——那曾经遍布江南的寺院，如今都隐没在烟雨里。问而不答，让读者自己去追想、去感慨，正见怀古诗「以问作结」的含蓄手法。与「四百八十」呼应，「四百八十」是极写其多，「多少」是怅问其存，一实一虚、一盛一衰，兴亡之感尽在数词的推拉之间，可见杜牧炼字之精、构思之巧。

江南春