唐 Tang · 诗 Poem
琴歌
Song of the Zither
主人有酒欢今夕，请奏鸣琴广陵客。
月照城头乌半飞，霜凄万树风入衣。
铜炉华烛烛增辉，初弹渌水后楚妃。
一声已动物皆静，四座无言星欲稀。
清淮奉使千余里，敢告云山从此始。
Moonlight on the city wall, crows half in flight; frost chills ten thousand trees, wind enters the clothes.
Copper censer and ornate candles add their glow; first plays "Green Water," then "Lady of Chu."
One note resounds, all things become still; the four seats are silent, stars about to fade.
On a mission to Qinghuai for a thousand miles, I dare announce—from now on, I'll embrace clouds and mountains.
Meaning
The host prepares wine for tonight's gathering and invites a skilled zither player. Moonlight shines on the city wall, crows half fly; frost chills the trees, wind pierces the clothes. The copper censer and ornate candles add radiance; first plays "Green Water," then "Lady of Chu." One note rises, all things fall silent; the guests are speechless until the stars are about to fade. I am sent on a mission to Qinghuai, a thousand miles away; I dare to take my leave—from now on, mountains and clouds will accompany me.
主人备下美酒，欢聚今宵，请来技艺高超的琴客为我们奏鸣琴。月光照在城头，乌鸦将飞未飞；寒霜凄冷，笼罩万树，凉风直透衣襟。铜炉添香、华烛高烧，堂中更添光辉，琴师先弹《渌水》，再弹《楚妃》。一声琴音乍起，万物顿时寂静，四座无人说话，直到星辰稀疏欲落。我奉朝廷之命出使清淮，远行千里，斗胆向诸位告辞——从此以后，便与云山为伴、踏上遥遥征途了。
Appreciation
This poem captures a nocturnal feast with zither music. The poet skillfully sets the scene with moonlight, frost, and wind, then highlights the music's power through the quieting of nature. The transition to a farewell journey at the end adds a lingering aftertaste.
【白话串讲】 李颀在酒宴上听人弹琴：“一声已动物皆静，四座无言星欲稀”——琴声一响，万物都静了，四座无言，听得星星都稀疏了。音乐之美，被他写到了极致。 【意象与手法】 诗凡十句，章法跌宕，由喧入静、由聚转别。前四句以月、霜、风、烛铺陈宴集之境，清秋景色与华烛明光相映；中二句点明曲目，为听琴蓄势；「一声已动物皆静，四座无言星欲稀」以万籁俱寂、星辰欲稀侧面烘托琴声之妙，不着一字写声而声之美尽出；末二句由听琴转入奉使远行，「云山从此始」淡笔收束，余味邈远。 【情感与主旨】 此诗约作于李颀任新乡尉前后或游幕期间，记秋夜与友人宴集听琴、随即奉使远行之事，于宴乐之欢与临别之情中，写出盛唐文人雅集听琴的风尚与聚散无常的人生况味。 【名句点睛】 常考「一声已动物皆静，四座无言星欲稀」的侧面烘托手法：以静写声、以星稀写听琴之久，是「不写之写」的典范，与《琵琶行》正面铺陈琴声互为对照。
Background
Li Qi (c. 690–751) passed the jinshi exam in 735, lived long in Luoyang and Chang'an, and associated with Wang Wei, Wang Changling, and Gao Shi. This poem was likely written around the time he served as sheriff of Xinxiang or during his travels, recording an autumn night feast with friends listening to the zither, and mentioning a mission to Qinghuai. The title is also known as "The Zither Song," and some say it was written for the famous player Dong Tinglan. The term "Guangling guest" alludes to Ji Kang's skill with "Guangling Melody," praising the zither master, reflecting the High Tang literati's fashion of elegant gatherings with zither music.
李颀（约690—751），赵郡人，盛唐诗人，开元二十三年进士，曾任新乡县尉，与王维、王昌龄、高适、綦毋潜等交游甚密，尤以边塞诗与音乐诗著称。他少时曾读书于嵩山一带，中年方登进士第，久居洛阳、长安之间，交游皆一时俊彦，诗风兼豪迈与清峻。此诗约作于其任新乡尉前后或游幕期间，记秋夜与友人宴集、听琴师奏琴之事，末二句「清淮奉使千余里」表明诗人即将奉使远行淮水流域，故全诗兼有宴集之乐与临别之情。诗题一作《琴歌》，或谓听董大（董庭兰）弹琴之作，董庭兰为盛唐著名琴师，李颀另有《听董大弹胡笳声兼寄语弄房给事》专咏其事，可见其与琴家过从之密。诗中「广陵客」借嵇康善弹《广陵散》之典美称琴师，反映盛唐文人雅集听琴、以琴会友的风气。盛唐音乐艺术高度发达，西域乐器大量传入，琴、琵琶、胡笳等兼收并蓄，此诗正是这一文化背景的产物，与《听董大弹胡笳声》等同为盛唐「以诗写乐」的高峰之作。要之，此诗既是李颀个人音乐诗的代表，也是盛唐士大夫文化生活的一份珍贵实录，宴集、听琴、奉使三者绾合，正是那个时代文人生活的缩影。
Art
The poem has ten lines with a varied structure. The first four lines depict the feast scene: "The host has wine" shows joy, "Moonlight on the city wall..." creates a bleak autumn atmosphere; "Copper censer and ornate candles" turns bright, and "first plays Green Water, then Lady of Chu" specifies the pieces. The most exquisite is "One note resounds, all things become still; the four seats are silent, stars about to fade," which indirectly highlights the zither's appeal through the utter stillness and fading stars. The last two lines shift from listening to the departure mission, ending with "I'll embrace clouds and mountains," leaving a lingering aftertaste.
诗凡十句，章法跌宕，由喧入静、由聚转别，极见匠心。前四句铺陈宴集之境：「主人有酒欢今夕」以「欢」字直揭宴乐气氛；「月照城头乌半飞，霜凄万树风入衣」以清秋之月、霜、风造境，月色下的城头、半飞的乌鹊、霜凝的万树、透衣的寒风，为热闹的宴席添一层清冷苍茫的底色，暗示良辰易逝、聚散无常。第三联「铜炉华烛烛增辉」转写室内明丽的灯烛，「初弹渌水后楚妃」点明所奏曲目，由室外之景回到室内之乐，光线由暗转明，气氛由清冷转温煦。最妙在「一声已动物皆静，四座无言星欲稀」：不直接写琴声之美，而以万籁俱寂、四座无言、星辰欲稀的侧面烘托，写出琴声摄人心魄的力量与听琴之久，此为「以静衬声」的经典笔法。末二句「清淮奉使千余里，敢告云山从此始」由听琴陡然转入奉使远行，以「云山从此始」淡笔收束，将宴散人别的惆怅化入远山暮云，余味邈远。全诗以琴为枢，以欢、静、别为脉络，环境烘托、侧面写声、淡笔收尾，三者相济，是李颀音乐诗章法的典范。
Allusions
"Guangling guest" uses Ji Kang's skill with "Guangling Melody" (Book of Jin, Biography of Ji Kang) to refer to a highly skilled zither player. "Green Water" and "Lady of Chu" are both zither pieces: "Green Water" belongs to the "chang" category, describing tranquil interest; "Lady of Chu" is also "Sigh of Lady Chu," lamenting the virtuous Lady of Chu, seen in Qin Cao. "On a mission to Qinghuai" uses Mencius's meaning of "sent on a mission to the four directions," indicating an official trip to the Huai River area. "Stars about to fade" hints at the rooster's crow and stars setting, showing the long duration of listening.
此诗用典集中于琴事，熔铸自然，不显堆砌。「广陵客」用三国嵇康善弹《广陵散》的故事，《晋书·嵇康传》载嵇康临刑前索琴弹《广陵散》，叹「《广陵散》于今绝矣」，后人遂以《广陵散》为绝妙琴曲之代称，此处借以美称弹琴之客，赞其琴艺高妙、不同凡响。「渌水」「楚妃」皆为古代琴曲名：《渌水》本为流传久远的汉魏雅曲，嵇康《琴赋》尝言「初涉《渌水》，中奏《清徵》」，写恬淡之趣；《楚妃》即《楚妃叹》，相传叹楚妃樊姬贞贤之事，亦见《琴操》，两曲一淡一怨，暗示琴声内容的丰富与情感的起伏。「清淮奉使」暗用《孟子·滕文公下》「使于四方」之意，谓奉命出使淮水流域，是「奉使」一词的经典用法。「星欲稀」暗合鸡鸣星落之象，写听琴通宵达旦，时间之久正见琴声之动人。全诗用典皆扣琴事，与宴集听琴的主题浑然一体，典故入诗而不觉，正是盛唐歌行「用事如不用事」的高境。且《琴歌》本为乐府琴曲旧题，诗人借此旧题写当筵听琴之实，题与事相合，更添古雅之致。尤妙者，典故皆化入叙事之中，读者不识典故而能赏其意，识典故而更味其韵，雅俗共赏，正是盛唐歌行用典的至高境界。
Commentary
The Anthology of Tang Poetry comments: "The seven words 'One note resounds, all things become still' depict the zither sound as if painted, surpassing a thousand words." Ming scholar Hu Yinglin praised Li Qi's seven-character ancient poems as "resonant in tone, gentle in feeling, standing shoulder to shoulder with Gao Shi and Cen Shen." Qing scholar Fang Dongshu called this poem "moving from noisy to quiet, from gathering to parting, with extraordinary structure." Tangshi Biecai also praised it as "side description of sound, most exquisite."
《琴歌》是李颀音乐诗中的名篇，历代选本多予著录，评家称赏不绝。明人胡应麟评李颀七言古诗「音节宏亮，情致委婉，与高、岑鼎足」，正可移评此诗：其音节之宏亮，见于「月照城头乌半飞，霜凄万树风入衣」的朗朗上口与清峻声情；其情致之委婉，见于「敢告云山从此始」的淡远收束。清人方东树称此诗「由喧入静，由聚转别，章法绝奇」，点出其结构上的匠心独运。《唐诗别裁》以「侧面写声，最为入妙」许之，与白居易《琵琶行》「大弦嘈嘈如急雨，小弦切切如私语」的正面铺陈相比，李颀此诗走的是「以静衬声」的路子，避实就虚，别开生面。今人选本多以「一声已动物皆静」为写声之千古名句，其价值在于以听觉与视觉的双重静默写音乐之动，为后世「听乐诗」提供了经典范式，李贺《李凭箜篌引》之奇诡想象，正可视为这一传统的延伸与变奏。要之，此诗以十句短章兼收宴集之欢、琴声之妙、临别之情，章法之奇与声情之美相济，为李颀七言古诗之翘楚，与《古从军行》《听董大弹胡笳声》并称其三大名篇，而「以静衬声」一体，实为有唐一代写乐诗中最纯粹者，后世读者但闻琴声之静，即思李颀此作。
Prosody
Line by line
主人有酒欢今夕，请奏鸣琴广陵客
The host sets out wine for tonight's merry gathering and invites the zither master from Guangling to play.
主人备下美酒，欢聚今宵，请来技艺高超的琴客为我们奏鸣琴。
Our host has wine, and this night we feast; he invites the Guangling master to play the clear qin.
起句破题，直写宴集之欢与听琴之由。「主人有酒」四字点出欢宴的物质前提，酒是唐人雅集的常物，有酒而后有欢，「欢今夕」三字将良辰、美景、赏心、乐事一笔包举，定下全诗热闹的基调。「请奏鸣琴广陵客」顺势引出弹琴之人，「广陵客」用嵇康弹《广陵散》之典，以绝妙琴曲之美称代指技艺高超的琴师，一句之间，宴之欢、客之雅、琴之妙已尽行托出。此二句以口语般的平易出之，不事雕琢而意态从容，与下文清秋月霜的苍茫、琴声起处的寂静形成先扬后抑、先喧后静的对照，全诗「由喧入静」的章法，正从这热闹的起句缓缓铺开，可见李颀布局之细。
The opening line names the theme, the joy of the feast and the reason for the qin. 'Our host has wine' four words naming the material premise of the glad feast — wine the common thing of Tang gatherings, wine first, then joy; 'this night we feast' gathering the fine time, the fair scene, the glad heart, the happy event in one, tuning the poem's lively keynote. 'He invites the Guangling master to play the clear qin' follows, bringing out the player; 'the Guangling master' uses the allusion to Ji Kang playing the Guangling San, the name of the superb tune standing for the master player; in one line, the feast's joy, the guest's elegance, the qin's wonder are all set out. These two lines, in colloquial plainness, unadorned, the tone easy, form the contrast with the desolate autumn moon and frost below, and the stillness when the qin begins — the poem's structure of 'from noise to stillness' opens slowly from this lively start, showing Li Qi's careful design.
月照城头乌半飞，霜凄万树风入衣
Moonlight shines on the city wall, crows half in flight; frost chills ten thousand trees, wind penetrates the clothes.
月光照在城头，乌鸦将飞未飞；寒霜凄冷笼罩万树，凉风直透衣襟。
The moon shines on the city wall, the crows half in flight; the chill frost saddens the trees, the wind enters the robe.
此联由宴内转写宴外，以清秋夜景为听琴铺陈氛围，是全诗意境最苍茫的句子。「月照城头」写月色下的城楼，静穆而空阔；「乌半飞」写乌鸦将飞未飞、盘旋将落之态，「半」字极传神，写尽月夜乌鹊惊栖不定的动态；「霜凄万树」以「凄」字移情于霜，寒霜仿佛含凄恻之意，笼罩万树；「风入衣」写凉风直透衣襟，寒意直抵肌骨。城、月、乌、霜、树、风，六种物象层层叠加，构成一幅清冷苍茫的秋夜图，为热闹的宴席衬出良辰易逝、聚散无常的底色，也使即将到来的琴声显得格外珍贵。此联写景而不游离于情，景中暗含临别前夜的微茫心绪，是环境烘托的典范。
This couplet turns from within the feast to without, laying the atmosphere for the qin through the clear autumn night, the most desolate-lined couplet of the poem. 'The moon shines on the city wall' the moonlit tower, quiet and vast; 'the crows half in flight' the crows half-flying, hovering about to settle, the word 'half' capturing it to the full, the night crows' alarmed, restless roosting; 'the chill frost saddens the trees' the word 'saddens' transposing feeling onto the frost, the cold frost seeming to hold grief, over all the trees; 'the wind enters the robe' the cold wind threading the robe, the chill reaching the bone. City, moon, crows, frost, trees, wind, six images layered, forming a clear, cold, desolate autumn night, setting off for the lively feast the ground of the fine time's flight and the meeting's chance, and making the qin's coming sound the more precious. This couplet writes scene without straying from feeling, the scene secretly holding the faint mood of the night before parting, the model of environmental setting.
铜炉华烛烛增辉，初弹渌水后楚妃
The copper censer and ornate candles add their glow; first plays "Green Water," then "Lady of Chu."
铜炉添香、华烛高烧，堂中更添光辉，琴师先弹《渌水》，再弹《楚妃》。
The bronze burner, the bright candles, the candles add their glow; first he plays the Green Water, then the Chu Lady.
此联由室外之景回到室内之乐，光线与气氛由清冷转明丽。「铜炉华烛」写堂中陈设之盛，铜炉生烟、华烛高烧，「烛增辉」的「增」字暗写宴席气氛愈加热烈；「初弹渌水后楚妃」点明所奏曲目与弹奏次序，先《渌水》后《楚妃》，一淡一怨，暗示琴声的丰富变化与弹者的从容造诣。句中「烛」「烛」二字连用（华烛烛增辉），前「烛」为名词、后「烛」为动词，词性活用，音节上形成回环，是歌行体中常见的修辞。此联承上启下：承上，华烛明光与首句「欢今夕」呼应，把宴乐推向高潮；启下，曲目的铺陈为「一声已动」的奇境蓄势，读者正欲听琴，而琴声将起未起，悬念已足，章法之妙，于此可见。
This couplet turns from the scene without back to the music within, the light and atmosphere turning from cold and clear to bright and rich. 'The bronze burner, the bright candles' the hall's lavish furnishing — the bronze burner smoking, the bright candles high, the 'adds' of 'the candles add their glow' secretly writing the feast's growing warmth; 'first he plays the Green Water, then the Chu Lady' naming the pieces and their order, first the Green Water then the Chu Lady, one plain one plaintive, hinting the qin's rich changes and the player's poised mastery. The words 'candles, candles' run together (bright candles, candles add glow), the first 'candles' the noun, the second the verb, the wordplay forming a loop in the rhythm, the common rhetoric of the song form. This couplet carries the above and leads the below: with the above, the bright candles echo 'this night we feast', pushing the feast to its height; to the below, the pieces'elaboration stores momentum for the wonder of 'one note has sounded', the reader about to hear the qin, and the note about to sound, the suspense enough, the craft showing here.
一声已动物皆静，四座无言星欲稀
One note rises, all things become still; the four seats are silent, stars about to fade.
一声琴音乍起，万物顿时寂静，四座无人说话，直到星辰稀疏欲落。
One note has sounded, and all things are still; the four sit silent, and the stars grow few.
此联是全诗的诗眼，也是写音乐最负盛名的句子，妙在「不写之写」。「一声已动」写琴声乍起便摄人心魄，「已」字极言感应之速，琴声方动而万籁已静；「物皆静」以万物的静止写琴声统摄一切的魔力，虫鸟俱息、风霜皆停，天地为之一寂；「四座无言」写听众的屏息凝神，人皆失语，唯余琴声流转；「星欲稀」以星辰渐落写听琴之久，不知不觉已近天明。四句全从侧面着笔，不着一字形容琴声之美，而琴声之妙、感人至深，皆由「静」「无言」「星欲稀」的旁衬中透出，这正是「以静衬动、以无声写有声」的极致。与白居易《琵琶行》正面铺陈「大弦嘈嘈」「银瓶乍破」相比，此联避实就虚，更见含蓄蕴藉之致。
This couplet is the eye of the poem, and the most famous line of musical description, the beauty in 'writing through not writing'. 'One note has sounded' the qin's first note seizing the heart, the word 'already' writing the speed of the response — the note has barely sounded and all sounds are still; 'all things are still' writes the music's magic through the stillness of all things, insects and birds hushed, wind and frost stilled, heaven and earth gone quiet; 'the four sit silent' the listeners' bated breath, all speechless, only the qin flowing; 'the stars grow few' the falling stars writing the length of the listening, unknowingly near dawn. The four lines all write from the side, not one word describing the qin's beauty, yet the music's wonder, its depth of feeling, all show through the 'stillness', the 'silent', the 'stars grow few' — the extreme of 'setting motion off through stillness, writing sound through silence'. Set against Bai Juyi's Pipa Xing's directelaboration of 'the thick strings murmur like swift rain' and 'the silver jar suddenly breaking', this couplet avoids the real for the void, the more restrained and lasting.
清淮奉使千余里，敢告云山从此始
I am sent on a mission to Qinghuai, a thousand miles away; I dare to take my leave—from now on, clouds and mountains will accompany me.
我奉朝廷之命出使清淮，远行千里，斗胆向诸位告辞——从此便与云山为伴了。
Bound on my mission to the Clear Huai, a thousand li away; I dare say, from now on, I shall be the companion of cloud and mountain.
末二句由听琴陡然转入奉使远行，是全诗由聚转别的关键。「清淮奉使千余里」点明行踪：奉朝廷之命出使清淮（淮水流域），远隔千余里，一「千余里」见行役之远、去路之长，与前文宴集的温馨形成强烈反差；「敢告云山从此始」以谦辞「敢」字道别，语气从容而情意郑重，「云山从此始」五字将离别写得举重若轻——从此踏上征途，便与云山为伴，远行者的孤寂与旷达并见。此二句的好处在一「淡」字：不写泪别、不诉离情，而以云山远景淡笔收束，将听琴之乐、临别之情、远行之思尽行化入苍茫的远景之中，余味邈远，正合「曲终人不见，江上数峰青」式的含蓄之美，也为全诗「由喧入静、由聚转别」的章法画上圆满句点。
The last two lines turn abruptly from the qin to the mission on the road, the poem's turning from gathering to parting. 'Bound on my mission to the Clear Huai, a thousand li away' names the journey: sent by the court on a mission to the Clear Huai (the Huai river basin), a thousand li away, the 'thousand li' the length of the errand and the road, the sharp contrast with the warmth of the gathering above; 'I dare say, from now on, I shall be the companion of cloud and mountain' the farewell in the modest word 'dare', the tone easy, the feeling earnest; the five words 'companion of cloud and mountain' write the parting with a weightless touch — from now on, on the road, the companion of cloud and mountain, the traveler's solitude and breadth together. The beauty of the two lines lies in the one word 'plain': no tearful parting, no plaint of separation, but closing in the distant, plain brush of cloud and mountain, dissolving the qin's joy, the parting's feeling, the road's longing all into the vast distant view, the aftertaste remote, fitting the restrained beauty of 'when the tune ends, the player is gone, and on the river stand a few green peaks', and putting the full stop to the poem's structure of 'from noise to stillness, from gathering to parting'.
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Both excel at depicting musical power: Bai's poem is elaborate and boisterous, using sound to describe downfall; Li's poem uses side description, contrasting stillness with sound, each achieving its own brilliance.
白居易《琵琶行》与李颀《琴歌》同写音乐之动人，而写法一正一侧，恰成对照。《琵琶行》以「大弦嘈嘈如急雨，小弦切切如私语」「银瓶乍破水浆迸，铁骑突出刀枪鸣」等连串比喻，正面铺陈琵琶声的千变万化，是「以声写声」的繁复之笔；李颀《琴歌》则以「一声已动物皆静，四座无言星欲稀」的万籁俱寂，从侧面烘托琴声之美，是「以静衬声」的简净之笔。白诗由乐声引出「同是天涯沦落人」的身世之悲，乐声是情感的载体；李诗由琴声引出「敢告云山从此始」的临别之情，琴声是聚散的见证。二诗一繁一简、一悲一淡，同臻写乐之妙境，可见唐人写音乐的两条路径，对读最能见出「正面铺陈」与「侧面烘托」的不同艺术效果。
李凭箜篌引 Song of the Konghou for Li Ping 李贺 · 同写弦乐之妙，一以静衬声一以奇诡写声 Same (music theme)Both are famous Tang music poems. Li Qi uses stillness to contrast sound, while Li He uses bizarre imagery to depict sound—both excellently capture the beauty of string music.
李贺《李凭箜篌引》与李颀《琴歌》同属唐人写弦乐的名篇，而审美取向迥异。李颀以「物皆静」「无言」「星欲稀」的安静画面写琴声，意境清朗含蓄，是「以静衬声」的温厚之笔；李贺则以「昆山玉碎凤凰叫，芙蓉泣露香兰笑」「女娲炼石补天处，石破天惊逗秋雨」等瑰奇想象，将箜篌之声化为天地异象，意境诡谲瑰丽，是「以奇写声」的浪漫之笔。李颀的琴声令人凝神屏息，归于淡远；李贺的箜篌声令人目眩神摇，归于奇幻。二诗一清一奇、一淡一浓，恰见盛唐之雍容与中唐之险怪的时代风格差异，也说明同一音乐题材在不同诗人笔下可以绽放出截然不同的艺术花朵，合观二诗，唐人写乐的丰富面貌便粲然在目。
塞上听吹笛 Listening to the Flute on the Frontier 高适 · 同写听乐而生感，一思乡一聚别 Same (music theme)Both write about listening to music and generating feelings. Gao Shi's poem, hearing the flute, yearns for home with a clear, empty tone; Li Qi's poem, listening to the zither, feels the distance of gathering and parting—both are representative High Tang music poems.
高适《塞上听吹笛》（雪净胡天牧马还，月明羌笛戍楼间）与李颀《琴歌》同写听乐而生的感怀，而情调各异。高适诗写边塞月夜闻羌笛，由「借问梅花何处落，风吹一夜满关山」的联想，将笛声化为飘落关山的梅花，写的是征人思乡的悠远情思，意境清空明净；李颀诗写秋夜宴集听琴，由「一声已动物皆静」的沉浸转入「敢告云山从此始」的告别，写的是临别远行的淡远情怀，意境苍茫含蓄。二诗同以乐声为触媒：高诗闻笛而思乡，情思随笛声飞向关山；李诗听琴而伤别，离情随琴声沉淀于云山。一思乡、一聚别，皆以淡笔写深情，同属盛唐音乐诗的代表作，对读可见盛唐诗人借乐抒怀的多样风貌。