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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

近试上张籍水部

Before the Exam, Sent to Minister Zhang Ji

朱庆馀

Zhu Qingyu

行卷Theme 比喻Theme 七绝Theme 科举Theme

洞房昨夜停红烛，待晓堂前拜舅姑。
\n妆罢低声问夫婿，画眉深浅入时无？

In the bridal chamber last night the red candles burned clear; at dawn she will bow to her parents-in-law before the hall.
When the makeup is done she asks her husband in a low voice: 'Are my painted brows in the fashion, or not?'

Listen

Meaning

Using the metaphor of a new bride asking her husband if her eyebrows are fashionable, the poet nervously asks the examiner Zhang Ji whether his writing will pass.

洞房里昨夜花烛彻夜通明，等待天亮到堂前去拜见公婆。新娘梳妆打扮完毕，低声问一声丈夫：我描画的眉毛，颜色深浅可还合时宜？

Appreciation

Zhu Qingyu's "Before the Exam, Sent to Minister Zhang Ji" is the most famous "exam-eve" poem in Chinese literature, a masterpiece of the "hidden question" (wei-wen) form. The entire quatrain is sustained as a domestic metaphor: the bride is the candidate, the husband the patron Zhang Ji, and the parents-in-law the examiner. The opening couplet sets a wedding-night scene—red candles burning, the bride to greet her in-laws at dawn—while the closing line, the bride's whispered "are my brows, dark or light, in the fashion?", translates a heavy professional anxiety into intimate play. The brilliance lies in what is left unsaid: through the allegory the poet asks whether his writing suits the examiner's taste, yet not one word of petition appears, so the self-recommendation reads as tender courtship. Zhang Ji famously answered in kind, cementing the pair as a celebrated exchange of the Tang "xing juan" (submitting work to a patron) custom. Elegant, witty, and restrained, the poem shows the art of writing the heart by indirection—turning career anxiety into a chamber scene of exquisite, unforced charm.

【白话串讲】朱庆馀考前给张籍写的这首试帖诗：“洞房昨夜停红烛，待晓堂前拜舅姑”。“妆罢低声问夫婿，画眉深浅入时无”——他把自己比作新嫁娘，问考官：我这首诗合不合时宜？张籍回诗“越女新妆出镜心”，两人传为佳话。【意象与手法】全诗以新嫁娘自比，以新郎比张籍，以公婆比主考官，写新娘晨起拜见公婆前低声问夫婿画眉是否入时。通篇只写闺情，不着一字干谒，却将应试士子的忐忑与探问含蓄道尽。比喻精切、风趣自然。【情感与主旨】朱庆馀在进士考试前呈给张籍的行卷之作，以新嫁娘自比写对自身才学是否合主考之意的探问。张籍酬诗“越女新妆出镜心”以比体相答，遂成诗坛佳话，是唐代行卷诗中以小见大、托物寄意的绝妙之作。【名句点睛】常考“妆罢低声问夫婿，画眉深浅入时无”以问句写临考忐忑；“洞房昨夜停红烛，待晓堂前拜舅姑”以新婚起兴喻应试。

Background

Zhu Qingyu (fl. 826), a Late-Tang poet, sent this poem to the influential official and poet Zhang Ji on the eve of the civil-service exam—a known practice called 'xing juan' (submitting work to a patron).

朱庆馀，名可久，越州人，唐代诗人，宝历二年进士。此诗题近试上张籍水部，是其在应进士试前献给水部郎中张籍的行卷之作。唐代科举重荐举，士人考前多以诗文投谒名公，冀得称扬，谓之行卷。张籍时任水部员外郎，文名甚著，乐于奖拔后进。朱庆馀借新娘拜见公婆之比，委婉自问：我的诗文可还合时宜？洞房、红烛、舅姑、画眉，皆以新婚隐喻应试，以夫婿暗指张籍，以舅姑暗指主考。此诗妙在通篇比体，不露干谒之迹，却能曲达希冀品题之心，一时传为美谈，张籍亦以闺意赠之，成就文苑佳话，最见唐人行卷之风与比兴之巧，亦为科举诗话之经典素材。唐人行卷重荐举，朱庆馀以此比体投谒水部郎中张籍，不露干谒之迹而曲达希冀品题之心；张籍亦以诗相答，遂成文苑佳话，最见唐人风度与比兴之巧，亦为科举诗话之经典素材。考前投卷，士子常怀惴惴，庆馀独以闺情出之，雅谑而不失其诚，既尊师亦自重，于此可见唐代文苑师友之间风流相赏之趣，非后世干谒可及。朱庆馀此诗题为《近试上张水部》，乃应考前献与水部郎中张籍之作，托新嫁娘以自喻，巧试探座主之意。唐代科举盛行行卷温卷之风，士子多以诗文干谒名公以求延誉。庆馀得张籍赏拔，此诗即其干谒之巧者。诗以洞房昨夜待晓拜舅姑写应试者惴惴之心，以画眉深浅入时否问水部之可否，诙谐而得体，是唐人干谒诗中以比兴藏机锋之妙品，亦足见中晚唐科场风气之一斑。

Art

The whole poem is a sustained metaphor: the bride = the candidate, the husband/parents-in-law = the examiner. The timid, intimate question perfectly masks a professional anxiety.

此诗通篇以新婚比应试，章法细密而隐喻巧妙。前二句洞房昨夜停红烛，待晓堂前拜舅姑，写新娘初嫁、彻夜红烛、待晓拜姑，暗喻举子初应礼部试、亟待引见。后二句妆罢低声问夫婿，画眉深浅入时无，写新娘梳妆既毕，低声问丈夫眉样可合时，暗喻投卷之后，试探座主品评。全诗无一处说应试，而处处是应试；低声二字写尽虚心请教、不敢造次之态，入时无三字是篇心，问眉样即问诗文。以闺情写干谒，纤婉而不卑，含蓄而有神，是唐人比体行卷诗之绝唱，后来亦成科举诗话之典故，譬喻之精至此乃化腐为奇。通篇以新婚比应试，洞房红烛暗喻初入科场，舅姑暗指主考，画眉入时无即问诗文合否；低声二字写尽谦谨之态，以闺情写干谒而纤婉不卑，含蓄有神，是唐人比体行卷诗之绝唱。章法由夜及晓、由妆及问，次第如绘；入时无三字为篇心，问眉样即问诗文，譬喻之精至此化腐为奇，令人绝倒。全诗以新妇初见舅姑之惶恐映射士子初谒考官之忐忑，比喻之切令人绝倒。洞房昨夜停红烛写静夜等候，待晓堂前拜舅姑写晨起见礼之郑重。妆罢低声问夫婿写娇羞探询，画眉深浅入时无以妆容合俗否暗喻诗文合式否。章法由夜至晓、由外入内、由妆及问，层层递进。语带娇嗔而意极郑重，以闺房细事写科场大事，举重若轻，风趣中含恳切，喻体与本意浑然无痕。

Allusions

Zhang Ji, a noted advocate of the 'new yuefu', was in a position to recommend candidates; the poem is famously answered by Zhang Ji's own reply.

舅姑即公婆，古诗有未谙姑食性、先遣小姑尝之句，写新妇之谨；此诗舅姑暗指主考官。画眉用张敞画眉典，汉京兆尹张敞为妇画眉，事见《汉书》，后喻夫妻情好；此处借指修饰诗文、斟酌得失。入时无本闺中问语，喻合不合时宜、中不中程式。夫婿暗指张籍，以妻敬夫喻己尊师。洞房红烛暗合婚礼，喻初入科场。朱庆馀熔婚俗、典实于一诗，以家常比科场，不卑不亢，张籍读而善之，亦赋诗相答，二人以诗代柬，遂成唐代文苑一段风流，最见行卷文化之雅趣与比兴传统在士林中之活用。舅姑出古诗新妇之谨，画眉用张敞典喻修饰诗文，入时无本闺中问语喻合时宜；朱庆馀熔婚俗典实于一诗，以家常比科场，不卑不亢，张籍读而善之亦赋诗相答，一段风流足窥行卷文化之雅趣。洞房红烛暗合婚礼，夫婿暗指座主，层层隐喻而不露痕迹，最见唐人融化日常物事为诗家巧思之能，比兴之妙莫过于此。舅姑即公婆，古称称夫之父母曰舅姑，出《礼记》。画眉用张敞画眉之典，汉京兆尹张敞为妇画眉，后世以喻夫妻恩爱，此处借指新妇妆饰。入时无即合时否，时指时尚风习，亦暗指考官所好。停红烛之停写烛之不灭，暗喻彻夜悬望。此类用事皆取家常熟典，不着痕迹，使干谒之诗化为新婚小景，既存典雅又添生动，最见唐人使事之巧于谐俗。

Commentary

A masterpiece of the 'hidden question' poem—courtly, witty, and professionally strategic, yet read today as a tender domestic scene.

此诗之巧，在以闺情包裹干谒，全不露乞怜之相。洞房红烛、待晓拜姑，写尽初临大试的庄重与忐忑；妆罢低声问夫婿，画眉深浅入时无，把举子呈卷请教、揣摩风气的心事，化作新娘对镜一问，娇憨中含恭敬。低声二字，谦得体；入时无三字，问得恳切而不迫。若直说乞荐，则鄙；如此写来，则雅。张籍答以越女新妆出镜心，自知明艳更沉吟，彼此心照，一段风流。读此诗，当赏其以比兴代陈请、以儿女语写士子心之智，唐人风度，于此可见一斑，干谒之作而能成雅制，古今罕见其匹。以闺情裹干谒，全不露乞怜之相；入时无三字问得恳切而不迫，直说则鄙、如此写则雅。张籍答诗彼此心照，干谒之作而能成雅制，古今罕见其匹，唐人风度与此可见一斑。妆罢低声之态，写尽举子呈卷请教之谦恭；问眉样之语，写尽揣摩风气之忐忑。比兴代陈请，儿女语写士子心，此种机智与温厚，正是庆馀诗心之高明处。此诗之巧，在将卑微请托化为娇憨一问。画眉深浅入时无七字，写尽应试者患得患失之态，亦写尽士子揣摩风气之辛酸。朱庆馀以新妇自况，张籍以夫婿自居，身份错落间尽显文人雅谑。其事虽为干谒，其情实关出处，封建士子命运系于一人之褒贬，岂不重哉。后人读之，于会心一笑中亦当想见那科举时代知识分子的谨畏与无奈，是为讽喻与自况兼备的唐绝佳作。

Prosody

Reading note The most famous 'exam-eve' poem in Chinese literature.此诗为七言绝句，四句二十八字，押平声虞韵（姑、无，古音同属虞模部，唐韵相叶）。首句洞房昨夜停红烛，平仄为仄平平仄平平仄；次句待晓堂前拜舅姑，仄仄平平仄仄平，姑字押韵；三句妆罢低声问夫婿，平仄平仄平仄平仄（「问」字仄收，绝句第三句多仄收以振起）；四句画眉深浅入时无，仄平平仄仄平平，无字押韵，且以问句收束，情韵悠长。全诗不作对仗，以流走见长，声调轻柔婉转，与闺情之娇羞、探问之含蓄相协。其声情之柔、节奏之缓，恰与诗中新妇娇问的声口相合，是唐人七绝「以小见大、风致天然」的范例，于声律流丽中藏入仕之问，使政治试探化为可诵的清雅之音，足见七绝体性与此题相得益彰的妙处。此七绝仄起首句入韵，押虞韵，姑无虞为韵脚，一韵到底，声口娇婉。平仄合律，洞房昨夜停红烛仄平仄仄平平仄，待晓堂前拜舅姑仄仄平平仄仄平，黏对无误。低声问夫婿以五字句化入七绝，节拍稍宕，恰合娇羞探询之态。入时无以疑问收束，声情摇曳如窃语。全诗篇幅短小而情态毕肖，以闺阁细语写士林大事，声辞相称，最见唐人绝句以小见大、以谐写庄之能事。

Line by line

洞房昨夜停红烛，待晓堂前拜舅姑。

In the bridal chamber last night the red candles burned on; at dawn she will bow to her parents-in-law before the hall.

In the bridal chamber last night, the red candles burned through the night; at dawn she will go to the hall to greet her parents-in-law.

此二句为全诗铺垫，看似纯写新婚场景，实则为后文之「问」立境。洞房昨夜停红烛，以红烛彻夜之明写婚之夜的郑重与甜蜜；待晓堂前拜舅姑，由夜至晨，新妇将首次正式拜见公婆，这一仪式性的会面，正是全篇心理张力的来源——能否得翁姑欢心，关系新妇在夫家的地位。二句以极寻常的婚俗细节，不动声色地架设起比喻框架，使后文「问夫」之问自然合理，是叙事铺垫的精妙之笔。于平静中蓄满暗流，以婚仪之庄重反衬后文探问之忐忑，结构之稳、起手之工，使全诗的双层结构得以从容展开并互不扦格，是七绝叙事铺垫法的典范。洞房待晓写应试者彻夜悬望之慎，以新妇惶恐映射士子惴惴，比喻之切令人绝倒。

These two lines set the stage, seeming purely the wedding scene, yet really building the frame for the 'question' below. 'The red candles burned through the night' writes the solemn sweetness of the wedding night through the candles' all-night light; 'at dawn she will go to the hall to greet her parents-in-law' moves from night to morning, the bride's first formal audience with her husband's parents, this ritual meeting the source of the whole psychological tension — whether she wins the parents' favor decides her standing in the husband's house. Two lines of the commonest wedding detail, quietly erecting the allegorical frame, making the later 'asking the husband' natural and right, exquisite narrative preparation. Calm surface, undercurrent full; the ritual gravity of the wedding sets off the nervous probing below, the poem's double structure unfolding with poise.

妆罢低声问夫婿，画眉深浅入时无？

When the makeup is done she asks her husband in a low voice: 'Are my brows, dark or light, in the current fashion?'

Her toilet done, she asks her husband in a low voice: are my painted brows just deep or light enough to be in fashion?

此二句为一篇之眼，亦千古传诵之句。妆罢低声问夫婿，写新妇梳妆既毕，不敢造次，乃低声探问，娇羞、谨慎、不安之态如闻其声；画眉深浅入时无，以「画眉」一端概其妆饰全体，问得极巧极淡，却正中核心——合不合时宜。就比喻言，此即考生问张籍：我之诗文，可合主考之意否？入时无三字，举重若轻，将干谒之迫切化为闺房之昵语，风流蕴藉，毫无乞怜之态。是唐诗以比体写心事的最高明手段之一，于无声处见出千回百转，以新妇之娇问写考生之焦问，比喻之切、措辞之雅，使一首行卷诗成为千古风流之范，足证唐人交际诗以巧取胜、以雅藏俗的至高智慧。画眉深浅入时无七字写尽患得患失，亦写尽士子揣摩风气之辛酸，举重若轻。

These two lines are the eye of the piece, and famous through the ages. 'Her toilet done, she asks her husband in a low voice' — the bride, her makeup complete, dares not be forward, asks in a whisper; shy, careful, uneasy, as if heard. 'Are my painted brows just deep or light enough to be in fashion?' — taking the one detail of the brows as the whole of her toilet, asked so cleverly and lightly, yet hitting the core: is it in fashion? As allegory, this is the examinee asking Zhang Ji: does my writing suit the examiner's taste? The words 'in fashion?' take a heavy matter lightly, turning the anxious petition into the intimacy of a bridal chamber, elegant and refined, not a trace of beggary. It is one of the highest arts of Tang verse that writes the heart through allegory, seeing a thousand twists in silence; the bride's coy question becomes the candidate's anxious one, the aptness of the metaphor and the elegance of phrasing making a self-recommendation poem a byword of cultivated charm.

Study

Word focus

入时 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 画眉深浅入时无之「入时」，是全诗比喻的枢纽词。入时本指合于时俗、时髦，本用于女子妆饰；此处移以喻诗文是否符合当下考场风气、主考好尚，一语双关，妙合无痕。无者，否也，问「入时无」即问「合时不合时」。二字将闺房私语与士子心事绾合为一，举重若轻。朱庆馀不直言「吾诗可售否」，而问眉之入时，既见风人之致，亦见唐人干谒诗中以雅谑代直陈的社交智慧。是炼词双关的典范，于最淡处见出最深之试探，以妆饰之「时」喻文风之「时」，使一首试探诗全无寒俭之气，反成风流雅谑，最见唐人行卷诗「不落痕迹」的至高境界，亦是双关修辞在交际语境中的完美运用。入时即合俗否，以妆容喻诗文合式，干谒之恳切尽藏娇嗔一问之中。

低声 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 妆罢低声问夫婿之「低声」，是传神之细节。低声者，压低声音也，写新妇问话时的娇羞、谨慎与不敢确信——既怕问得唐突，又怕夫婿笑其多虑。二字使一个活脱脱的新妇形象跃然纸上，亦暗喻考生探问前辈时的谦恭与忐忑，不敢张扬、唯恐失宜。以声写神，于无声处见心理，是白描传真之妙；若无此二字，则问句失其韵致，全诗的娇俏与含蓄亦减色大半。足见虚字传情之要，以声音之低写心理之怯，以细节之真写身份之慎，使比喻本体（考生）与喻体（新妇）在神态上完全合一，是白描与比喻水乳交融的绝佳例证，一字而全篇生色。低声写新妇探询之怯，亦写士子干谒之谨畏，身份错落间尽显文人雅谑。