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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

金缕衣

The Golden Thread Robe

杜秋娘

Du Qiuniang

惜时cherish-time 爱情love

劝君莫惜金缕衣，劝君惜取少年时。
花开堪折直须折，莫待无花空折枝。

I urge you: do not grudge the golden-thread robe;
I urge you: cherish instead your youthful time.
When flowers bloom and may be plucked, pluck them straight away—
Do not wait till no flower is left and you break an empty bough.

Listen

Meaning

I urge you not to grudge that golden-thread robe; I urge you all the more to treasure your young and budding years. When the blossoms are in full flower and may be gathered, gather them at once; do not wait until the flowers are gone and you break a bare branch in vain.

劝你不要过分爱惜那金线织成的华美衣裳，劝你一定要珍惜青春年少的大好时光。花朵盛开、正可攀折的时候就应当及时折取，千万不要等到花谢之后，再去折取那空空如也的枝条，那时只剩下满手的空枝与满怀的懊悔。

Appreciation

This quatrain's four lines open with the double 'I urge you' building by repetition: 'do not grudge the golden-thread robe' sets the precious robe against something dearer — your youth. The latter two lines, 'When flowers bloom and may be plucked, pluck them straight away — / do not wait till no flower is left and you break an empty bough,' turn the lesson of treasuring time into the everyday act of plucking flowers, plain and vivid. With repeated lines and circling return it carries the rhythm and appeal of a song, sharp in warning yet easy to pass on.

【白话串讲】 “劝君莫惜金缕衣，劝君惜取少年时”——杜秋娘唱《金缕衣》：别惜金缕衣，要惜少年时。“花开堪折直须折，莫待无花空折枝”——花开能折就折，别等花谢了空折枝。这首劝学诗，劝的是及时把握当下。【意象与手法】全诗以「金缕衣」与「少年时」对举，一反一正，先破后立，把「何者当舍、何者当取」的道理寓于比较之中。后两句转用比喻：以「花开」喻青春正盛、时机成熟，以「折花」喻把握当下，以「空折枝」喻错失之后的徒然，把抽象的「惜时」化为可感的动作。「劝君」两见、「折」字三见，回环复沓，如民歌之咏叹，一唱三叹，故虽是说理，却情辞恳切，亲切如对面相语。【情感与主旨】全诗主旨在一个「惜」字：惜取少年时。诗人以金缕衣为反衬，指出身外之物不足惜，而青春一去不返，最当珍惜；又以花开有时为喻，劝人把握当下，莫待时机错失而后悔。情感上兼有劝勉的急切与劝罢的怅惘，既有「直须折」的果决，又有「空折枝」的叹息，一热一冷，情致深永，是中唐市井生活中惜时自警与及时行乐并存的世俗人生观的生动写照。【名句点睛】「花开堪折直须折，莫待无花空折枝」是全诗点睛之笔：以「堪折」「直须折」写当机立断之紧迫，以「空折枝」写错失之后之徒然，一「直」一「空」，对照鲜明。此联由花及人、由物及理，形象生动而意蕴深长，已成为劝人把握时机、珍惜青春的千古名言，与「少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲」并列为中国最通俗的惜时箴言。

Background

'The Golden Thread Robe' belongs to the yuefu 'Modern Songs' tune, also called 'Golden Thread Song.' It was long said to be sung by Du Qiuniang, concubine of the Zhenhai governor Li Qi (see Du Mu's 'Poem on Du Qiuniang': 'in autumn she held the jade cup and sang the Golden Thread Robe'), yet the lyric may be an earlier folk song. Its message urges men to cherish youth and strive in time; a widely sung exhortation since the mid-Tang, often performed at banquets.

《金缕衣》是中唐流传甚广的一首乐府体七言绝句，旧题作者为杜秋娘。杜秋娘其人见于杜牧《杜秋娘诗》长序：她是金陵女子，十五岁为镇海节度使李锜之妾，曾唱《金缕衣》以劝李锜珍惜时光；李锜后谋反伏诛，杜秋没入宫中，得唐穆宗宠爱，赐号「秋娘」，穆宗崩后渐失势，晚年赐归故乡，穷老以终。杜牧序中引其歌辞即此诗，故《唐诗三百首》题作杜秋娘所作。然考其体制与语言，全诗明白如话、复沓成歌，颇类市井乐歌，今人亦多以为当是流传于歌筵的中晚唐无名氏民歌，杜秋娘不过是最著名的演唱者，诗因其人而传。从时代精神看，盛唐之后，士人由建功立业的昂扬转向对个体生命短暂的敏感，「莫待无花空折枝」的急迫，正折射出中晚唐城市生活中及时行乐与惜时自警并存的普遍心态，与《长歌行》的励志、《古诗十九首》的秉烛夜游同属惜时传统而更带歌筵气息。

Art

The four lines open with the double 'I urge you' building by repetition, using the precious robe to set off the dearer youth; the latter two lines frame the truth of treasuring time as flower-plucking, worldly and vivid. With repeated stanzas and circling return, it carries a song's rhythm and force — a sharp warning, easy to spread.

此诗四句二十八字，章法极简而层次分明，可括为「反正对举、复沓成歌、以喻说理」。前两句以「劝君」叠唱领起，句式完全重复而一字之变见出宗旨：一「莫惜」一「惜取」，一否定一肯定，把「金缕衣」与「少年时」摆在对立的天平上——金缕衣再贵重，不过身外之物，失去尚可再得；少年时一旦流逝，便永不再来。这一反一正，先破后立，语意顿挫分明。后两句转用比喻：以「花开」喻青春正盛、时机成熟，以「折花」喻把握当下，以「空折枝」喻错失之后的徒然。「堪折」「直须折」连用两个「折」字，节奏急促，催人当机立断；「莫待无花空折枝」以「空」字作结，把劝说的急切转为错失后的怅惘，一急一缓，一张一弛。全诗「折」字三见，「劝君」两见，回环复沓，如民歌之咏叹，一唱三叹，故虽是说理，却不觉枯涩，反觉情辞恳切，亲切如对面相语。语言上全用口语白描，无一僻字，而其理至深，正合乐府「感于哀乐，缘事而发」之旨，以浅语寄深意，是此诗艺术上最大的成功。

Allusions

The poem uses no obvious historical allusion, but the image of 'plucking flowers' as a metaphor, inheriting the Shi Jing's 'plop fall the plums' which used falling plums to urge a girl to wed in time, and close to the Han yuefu 'if young you strive not, in age but grieve.' 'Golden-thread robe' means a robe woven with gold thread, using material preciousness to set off time's irreclaimable passing — a shallow-seeming yet deep truth.

「金缕衣」为全诗核心意象，指金线织成的华贵衣裳。汉世帝王贵族死后以金缕玉衣入殓，河北满城汉墓出土的中山靖王刘胜金缕玉衣，共用金丝千余克、玉片两千余片，可见其贵重；以如此重物喻身外之物，正见其「可弃」——衣再华美，终是身外，不值得为它耽误青春。此意象亦脱胎于乐府传统：古乐府《长歌行》有「少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲」之叹，《古诗十九首》有「昼短苦夜长，何不秉烛游」之倡，皆以有限之年华对无限之诱惑，金缕衣正是这类「外物」的具象化。至于「花」与「折花」，渊源尤深：《诗经·桃夭》以桃华起兴，南朝民歌《西洲曲》有「折梅寄江北」之句，唐人「折花」「折柳」之风盛行，折花既表爱赏，亦寓惜时；以花喻人，花开即青春，花谢即迟暮，遂成中国诗学最古老的隐喻之一。此外，此诗与「劝学」传统相通，颜真卿《劝学》「黑发不知勤学早，白首方悔读书迟」、朱熹《偶成》「少年易老学难成，一寸光阴不可轻」，皆以年华之不可逆劝人及时，与「莫待无花空折枝」同一机杼，而此诗以「折花」之动作出之，最为形象生动，故能千古传诵。

Commentary

The Qing critic Shen Deqian, in Tang Poems Selected, said of 'do not grudge' and 'cherish': 'urging the young to seize time and fortune while they may; the words are shallow yet the warning keen.' Du Mu's 'Poem on Du Qiuniang' records its origin and let the song survive. Critics call it 'rustic yet transmissible,' ranking with the 'Long Song' line 'if young you strive not' as a timeless masterpiece on treasuring time.

此诗在《唐诗三百首》中被列于七言乐府，历来家弦户诵，是流传最广的劝惜时诗之一。其妙在「以俗为雅」：全诗无一字说教，而把「珍惜时光」这一最古老的道理，化为「折花」这一最具体可感的动作，使三岁小儿能诵，八十老翁有味。历代评家多赏其民歌风味，谓其「语浅而意深，辞恳而情真」；杜秋娘以歌妓之身唱此曲而名垂诗史，亦见乐府诗「缘事而发」的生命力。在思想价值上，此诗与《长歌行》的励志、朱熹的劝学同属惜时传统，却别具世俗色彩：它不讳言「及时行乐」，而把行乐与惜时统一于「把握当下」，既有劝人奋发的积极面，也有中唐市井人生观中珍惜眼前、莫负良辰的一面，两面并存，正是其丰富处。后人多引「花开堪折直须折」以劝人抓住机遇、珍惜青春，已成日常成语；「莫待无花空折枝」的怅惘余韵，更与晏殊「无可奈何花落去」一脉相通。全诗以二十八字写尽「来日无多、良机易逝」的警醒，千百年来不知唤醒多少蹉跎者，其文学史价值，正在于以最朴素的语言抵达最普遍的真理。

Prosody

Form Yuefu seven-character quatrain (to 'Golden Thread Robe' / 'Golden Thread Song')七言绝句（乐府体，古绝）

Rhyme Ping-shui rhyme, upper-level four zhi group (robe, time, bough)押平声「支」韵，韵脚为「时」「枝」，一韵到底；首句「衣」属「微」韵，不入韵，故为隔句押韵、首句不入韵之体。平声韵绵长悠远，正合劝勉恳切之声情。

Tone pattern Level-onset, first line enters rhyme全诗以七言句为主，节奏自然流畅，不拘近体平仄：如「劝君莫惜金缕衣」为仄平平仄平仄平，「花开堪折直须折」为平平平仄仄平仄，多不入律，属古绝而非律绝，正合民歌之体。入声字「惜」「折」短促顿挫，与平声韵脚相间，一紧一弛，声情随文势起伏。

Reading note Tang yuefu song, repeated stanzas, plain and pointed.此诗在《唐诗三百首》中列于七言乐府，体制上属古绝而非近体律绝：四句二十八字，句句七言，然平仄多不合律（如首句「劝君莫惜金缕衣」平仄为仄平平仄平仄平，「惜」为入声、「缕」为仄声，与律绝定式迥异），亦不讲究对仗，故归乐府民歌之体。其声律之美不在「合律」，而在「自然」：全诗以「劝君」「莫惜」「惜取」「堪折」「直须折」「空折枝」等口语词组连缀，节奏明快如歌，一二句「劝君」叠唱，三四句「折」字三见，复沓回环，一唱三叹，深得乐府歌诗之妙。用韵上押平声支韵，「时」「枝」声调绵长平稳，正合劝勉之语恳切悠远之致；句中入声字「惜」「折」短促有力，与平声韵脚相间，形成顿挫的声情，如鼓点般催人警醒。全诗二十八字中仄声字多于平声，声调偏于短促激切，亦暗合「时不我待」的急迫主旨；末句「莫待无花空折枝」以「空」字领起仄仄平，收束于平声「枝」字，余音悠长，恰似劝罢长叹，余味不尽。故论此诗格律，当以「乐府歌诗、以气运声」当之，与《长歌行》同属汉魏以来乐府一脉。

Line by line

劝君莫惜金缕衣，劝君惜取少年时。

I urge you not to prize the gold-thread robe; I urge you to prize the days of your youth.

劝你不要过分爱惜那金线织成的华美衣裳，劝你一定要珍惜青春年少的大好时光。

I urge you not to overprize the gold-thread robe; I urge you to cherish the great days of your youth.

首联两句是全诗的总纲，以「劝君」叠唱领起，如长者当面叮咛，语意恳切。「莫惜」与「惜取」一字之差，一反一正，把「金缕衣」与「少年时」摆在价值的天平两端：金缕衣金线织成，华贵无比，然再贵重也是身外之物，破旧了可以再做、失去了可以再得，故曰「莫惜」；少年时光却是一去不返的至宝，青春短暂，盛年难再，故曰「惜取」。一「莫」一「惜」，先破后立，劝诫之意已明。尤妙在以「劝君」二字反复，两句同以「劝君」起头，形成复沓的节奏，如歌之咏叹，亲切而不板滞；而「莫惜」「惜取」的对象对举，又暗含比较——何者当舍、何者当取，不待明言而自见。此联字面浅白，而其理至深：人常为眼前浮华所蔽，而忽略了真正珍贵的东西，诗人一语点破，正是全诗立意的根柢。

The two opening lines are the poem's whole thesis, led by the repeated 'I urge you', like an elder's face-to-face exhortation, earnest in tone. 'Not to prize' and 'to cherish' differ by one word, one negation one affirmation, setting the 'gold-thread robe' and the 'days of youth' on the scales of value: the gold-thread robe, woven of gold thread, most luxurious, yet however costly it is a thing outside the self, worn out can be remade, lost can be regained, hence 'not to prize'; the days of youth, the treasure that never returns, brief spring, once-gone prime, hence 'to cherish'. One 'not', one 'cherish', first undoing then establishing, the exhortation already clear. The beauty is the repetition of 'I urge you', both lines beginning alike, forming a refrains rhythm, songlike, intimate, not stiff; and the paired objects of 'not to prize' and 'to cherish' carry an implicit comparison — what to give up, what to take, self-evident without saying.

花开堪折直须折，莫待无花空折枝。

When the flower is open and may be plucked, pluck it straightway; wait not till no flower remains, to pluck in vain at the bare branch.

花朵盛开、正可攀折的时候就应当及时折取，千万不要等到花谢之后，再去折取那空空如也的枝条，那时只剩下满手的空枝与满怀的懊悔。

While the flower blooms and may be gathered, gather it in time; wait not till the blossoms fall to pluck the bare branch, empty-handed, full of regret.

后联以花设喻，是全诗说理的核心。以「花开」喻青春正盛、时机成熟，以「折花」喻把握当下、及时作为——「堪折」写花正当时、正当折，「直须折」写既当折则立即折，两个「折」字紧相承接，节奏短促，如鼓点催人，写出当机立断的急迫；「莫待无花空折枝」反笔收束：等到花谢之后再去折取，枝上已空空如也，一个「空」字，写尽错过时机的徒劳与懊悔。妙处有三：一是以动作说理，把抽象的「惜时」化为可感的「折花」，形象生动；二是前后对照，「直须折」之急对「空折枝」之悔，一劝一叹，情辞并茂；三是「折」字三见而不嫌复，反成回环咏叹之势，民歌风味十足。此联由花及人、由物及理，将劝诫推向高潮，又留下「空折枝」的怅惘余韵，使全诗不止于说教而富于情致，成为千古传诵的名句。

The closing couplet uses the flower as metaphor, the core of the poem's argument. 'When the flower blooms' figures youth at its height, the time ripe; 'pluck the flower' figures seizing the moment, acting in time — 'may be plucked' the flower at its proper hour, 'pluck it straightway' the instant decision, the two 'pluck' close together, the rhythm short as a drumbeat urging decision; 'wait not till no flower remains, to pluck in vain at the bare branch' turns back: when the blossoms have fallen, the branch is empty, the word 'vain' writing the futility and regret of the missed moment. Three beauties: arguing through action, turning the abstract 'make much of time' into the tangible 'plucking a flower'; the contrast, 'pluck straightway's' urgency against 'pluck the bare branch's' regret, one urging one sigh; and the word 'pluck' thrice repeated, not tedious, but circling as a folk refrain. From flower to man, from thing to principle, the exhortation rises to its peak, leaving the wistful aftersound of 'plucking the bare branch'.

Study

Word focus

惜 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「惜」字两见于首联：「莫惜」与「惜取」，一否定一肯定，是全诗立意的枢纽。「惜」本义为爱惜、怜惜，此处着一「莫」字于前，便有了轻重取舍：金缕衣之「惜」是不值得的惜——衣再华美，终属身外，恋之则误正事；少年时之「惜」则是最该的惜——青春一去不返，盛年不可重来，惜之方能不负此生。同一个「惜」字，一贬一褒，一破一立，把两种价值摆在天平两端，何去何从，不待言而自明。炼字之妙更在于「惜」字本身的情味：它不似「爱」之浓烈，不似「珍」之庄重，而带着一丝珍重留连、生怕失去的温厚口吻，正合劝人之语应有的恳切。诗人不直言「应惜少年时」的抽象道理，而以「莫惜金缕衣」作反衬，再以「惜取少年时」正面点题，反衬之下，「少年时」之可贵愈显，劝诫之力愈强，一字之工，全诗之眼。

空 'In vain'; writes the regret and emptiness after missing the moment, setting off the need to treasure time. 「空折枝」之「空」字，是全诗收束的诗眼，写尽错过时机的徒劳与怅惘。「空」本义为空洞、徒然，此处兼有两层：一是「枝空」——花已谢尽，枝上无花可折，折来只是空枝；二是「心空」——时机已失，一切努力皆成徒劳，空余满怀懊悔。这一个字，把前句「直须折」的急切劝诫，陡然转为「空折枝」的沉重叹息，一急一缓，一热一冷，情感的落差尽在字中。更妙在与「直须」呼应：「直须折」写把握当下之果决，「空折枝」写错失之后之虚空，两相对照，劝诫的力量倍增——诗人不直言「不折则悔」，而以一个「空」字让读者自悟其悔，含蓄而有力。若易作「枉折枝」「徒折枝」，虽意近而情减；唯「空」字兼写枝空与心空，物我双关，最见炼字之功，故能使全诗收束得余味无穷，与「无可奈何花落去」同一机杼。

堪 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「堪」字见于「花开堪折直须折」，意为「可、值得」，看似寻常，实为全句的关键。「堪折」写花之状态正宜攀折——花开正盛、色泽正艳，此时折取，得花之全美；若过早则花未开，过迟则花已谢，「堪」字点出时机之成熟与恰到好处。正因「堪折」，故接「直须折」——「直」为直接、径直，「须」为必须、应当，二字连用，语气果决，不容犹豫，把「正当其时、立即行动」的紧迫感一气流注。妙在以「堪」字定时机，以「直须」定态度，先客观后主观，先说花再说人，层层递进，如箭在弦、不得不发。若省去「堪」字作「花开直须折」，虽亦通而时机感全失；唯「堪」字标明「正当时」，方与下句「莫待无花空折枝」的「无花」形成鲜明对照——堪折而不折，终致无花可折，一字之设，全在提醒人们把握那稍纵即逝的「正当时」。

金缕衣