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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

送友人

Farewell to a Friend

李白

Li Bai

送别Farewell 友情Friendship 羁旅Theme

青山横北郭，白水绕东城。
此地一为别，孤蓬万里征。
浮云游子意，落日故人情。
挥手自兹去，萧萧班马鸣。

Green mountains bar the northern sky;
White water girds the eastern town.
Here is the place to say goodbye;
You'll drift like lonely thistledown.
With floating cloud you'll float away;
Like parting day I'll part from you.
You wave your hand and go your way;
Your steed still neighs, 'Adieu, adieu!'

Listen

Meaning

This poem expresses the deep emotion of parting between friends. The natural scenes—mountains, water, clouds, and sunset—mirror the feelings of the traveler and the one left behind.

青翠的山峦横亘在城郭北面，洁白的流水环绕着东城。在此地一旦分别，你便像孤零零的蓬草一样飘向万里远方。浮云飘忽不定，正像游子漂泊的心意；落日迟迟不落，恰似故人依依不舍的情怀。挥手从此离去，就连那离群的马儿也发出萧萧的悲鸣。

Appreciation

Li Bai transforms ordinary farewell scenery into a timeless masterpiece. The couplets are meticulously matched yet flow naturally, blending emotion with landscape. The final image of the neighing horse conveys sadness indirectly, a hallmark of Tang parting poetry.

【白话串讲】 “青山横北郭，白水绕东城”——李白送别朋友，浮云像游子，落日像故人。“挥手自兹去，萧萧班马鸣”——马都懂得离别，何况是人。【意象与手法】首联“青山横北郭，白水绕东城”工对写景，“横”写山之苍莽静立、“绕”写水之蜿蜒流动；颔联“此地一为别，孤蓬万里征”由景入事，以孤蓬喻友人之飘转无根；颈联“浮云游子意，落日故人情”以浮云喻游子、落日喻故人，将无形之情化为可见之景；尾联“挥手自兹去，萧萧班马鸣”以离群之马的萧萧悲鸣收束，以景结情。【情感与主旨】李白送别诗的名篇，以山水云马的景语写离情之深，结句“萧萧班马鸣”写马犹恋群而人何以堪，含蓄悠远。【名句点睛】常考“浮云游子意，落日故人情”以浮云落日写离情，比喻贴切而对偶精工；“挥手自兹去，萧萧班马鸣”以马鸣写离情，以景结情。

Background

Written during Li Bai's travels, the exact date is unknown. The poem exemplifies the broad-minded yet deeply sentimental style of High Tang farewell poems.

李白（701—762），字太白，号青莲居士，盛唐最伟大的浪漫主义诗人，被誉为「诗仙」。此诗为送别友人之作，具体年月、所送何人已难确考。从诗中「青山横北郭，白水绕东城」的城郭意象看，当是李白漫游途中在某座城市送别友人。李白一生漫游天下，交游极广，「五岳寻仙不辞远，一生好入名山游」，他乡送别对他而言是家常情境，然此诗却能将寻常离情写得情真意切而又意境高远。盛唐国力强盛、士人胸怀开阔，送别诗多不陷于凄凄切切，而能于伤别中见豪气，如王维「劝君更尽一杯酒」、高适「莫愁前路无知己」皆是此调。李白此诗亦然：青山白水、浮云落日，写景阔大，抒情深挚而不颓唐，正见盛唐气象。全诗句句对仗，几近于律诗正格，而用笔自然流走、一气呵成，体现了李白「清水出芙蓉，天然去雕饰」的语言风格与「情深而景阔」的送别诗风貌，是盛唐五律中的名篇，亦是研究李白交游与盛唐士人精神的上佳标本。

Art

The first couplet paints a static-dynamic contrast (mountains 'bar' vs. water 'girds'). The third couplet uses metaphor (floating cloud for the wanderer, setting sun for the friend). The ending shifts from human gesture to horse's cry, an objective correlative for grief.

此诗章法严整而气韵流动，最见李白于律诗格律中挥洒自如的功力。首联「青山横北郭，白水绕东城」工对写景，一句写山一句写水，「横」写山之苍莽静立，「绕」写水之蜿蜒流动，一静一动、一刚一柔，勾勒出送别之地的开阔环境。颔联「此地一为别，孤蓬万里征」由景入事，「此地」与「万里」对举，空间的局部与辽远并置，惜别之情与漂泊之忧同时涌出；「孤蓬」喻友人之身世，飘转无根。颈联「浮云游子意，落日故人情」是全诗最著者：以浮云的飘忽喻游子之心，以落日的迟留喻故人之情，将无形之情化为可见之景，比喻贴切而对偶精工，情景交融。尾联「挥手自兹去，萧萧班马鸣」不直写人的悲伤，而以离群之马的萧萧悲鸣收束，马犹恋群而人何以堪，以景结情、以物衬人，含蓄深长。全诗八句四联，除颔联外句句对仗，结构工整；而虚词「一」「自」的穿插使语势自然，不觉其板，正合古人「对仗而能流动」的上乘境界，亦是李白以歌行笔法入律诗而自成高格的明证。

Allusions

'Lonely thistledown' (孤蓬) originates from the Han dynasty poem 'Farewell to a Friend' attributed to Su Wu, symbolizing a rootless wanderer. 'Neighing steed' (班马) from the Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, here reversed to show the horse's reluctance to part, mirroring human sorrow.

此诗用典不着痕迹，深得融化之妙。「孤蓬」取蓬草之象：蓬草秋后干枯，遇风连根拔起、随风飞转，飘泊无定，古乐府《饮马长城窟行》有「枯桑知天风，海水知天寒」之叹，曹植《杂诗》「转蓬离本根，飘飖随长风」亦以蓬喻游子，唐人诗中「孤蓬万里征」正承此传统，以物之飘零写人之远行。「班马」语出《左传·襄公十八年》：「邢伯告中行献子曰：有班马之声，齐师其遁。」杜预注：班，别也。班马即离群之马，其鸣声相别而凄恻。李白化用为「萧萧班马鸣」，萧萧为马鸣之声（《诗经·小雅·车攻》「萧萧马鸣」），以马之恋群反衬人之伤别，用典而全无书卷气。「浮云」「落日」则取汉魏古诗之意：古诗十九首「浮云蔽白日，游子不顾反」，以浮云蔽日写游子不归；此处反用其意，以浮云拟游子之心、落日拟故人之情，飘忽与迟留恰成对照，喻中有情。四典皆化入寻常语中，如盐入水，正是李白「用事不为事使」的高明处，亦可见其于汉魏六朝诗歌传统的深厚根柢。

Commentary

Su Ting praised Li Bai's 'effortless genius'. Pu Qilong noted the poem's 'melancholy vigor with a unique grace'. Modern critics consider the final lines more subtle than 'only the Yangtze River flows to the horizon' (from Wang Wei), as the horse's cry lingers.

李白此诗历代传诵，评价甚高。宋人严羽《沧浪诗话》称李白诗「如金鳷擘海，香象渡河」，虽指其整体风格，于此诗之雄浑自然亦相契合。清人浦起龙评此诗「沉郁顿挫中别饶一种秀色」，指出其于工整对仗中流露的秀美气韵。近人论唐人送别诗，多以王维《送元二使安西》、王昌龄《芙蓉楼送辛渐》与此诗并列为鼎足之作：王诗以劝酒写友情之厚，王昌龄以「一片冰心」写操守之洁，李白则以山水云马的景语写离情之深，三诗各有胜场。就艺术而言，此诗最足称道者在「以景结情」：结句「萧萧班马鸣」较之直写「流泪」「断肠」远为含蓄，马鸣声中离情自现，韵致悠远，故近人评其比「唯见长江天际流」更多一层物我相映的深致。李白一生诗存近千首，送别之作不下数十，而此篇以其情景之浑成、对仗之工稳，为后世选家所必录，亦是研究盛唐送别诗风貌与李白律诗成就的绝佳标本。

Prosody

Form Five-Character Regulated Verse五言律诗（仄起首句不入韵式）

Rhyme Pingshui rhyme: lower level tone 8 (城, 征, 情, 鸣)押平水韵下平八庚韵：城、征、情、鸣，一韵到底，平声庚韵响亮开阔，正合送别诗中开阔中见深情的基调。

Tone pattern First line not rhyming, oblique-tone opening全诗为仄起首句不入韵式，颔联「此地一为别，孤蓬万里征」为仄仄平平仄、平平仄仄平，颈联「浮云游子意，落日故人情」为平平平仄仄、仄仄仄平平，对仗工稳；「一」「孤」「自」「萧萧」等字穿插其间，虚实相生，节奏于整齐中见变化。

Reading note Middle two couplets are strictly parallel, standard High Tang style.此诗为五言律诗，是李白诗集中格律最规整的作品之一。五律八句四联，起承转合分明：首联写景起兴，颔联叙事抒情，颈联以比喻深化别情，尾联以景结情。押平水韵下平八庚韵，城、征、情、鸣四字一韵到底，庚韵字音色明亮、韵腹开阔，宜于表现盛唐人送别时开阔爽朗而略带怅惘的心境，声情与辞情相济。平仄上属仄起首句不入韵式，全诗平仄基本合律，唯「一」为入声字读仄，「萧」为平声，皆在可通融处；对仗方面，首联「青山／白水、横／绕、北郭／东城」工对，颈联「浮云／落日、游子意／故人情」工对，颔联以「一为别／万里征」的流水对写时间与空间的对比，全诗对仗精工而不板滞，虚词「一」「自」的运用使语气流动自然。李白以「清水出芙蓉」的天才笔力驾驭严格的律体，于法度中见自由，正说明盛唐律诗已达「从心所欲不逾矩」的境界。诵读时宜放缓节奏，首联平平道来，颔联低回，颈联咏叹，尾联渐远渐逝，方得诗中离情三昧。

Line by line

青山横北郭，白水绕东城。

The green hills bar the north wall; the white water winds the east gate.

青翠的山峦横亘在城郭北面，洁白的流水环绕着东城。

The green hills stretch across the north wall; the white water winds around the east gate.

起笔以工对写景，为送别铺设开阔的背景。「横」字写出青山如屏障般静卧城北，莽苍而有气势；「绕」字写出白水蜿蜒环城，柔婉而见情致。一山一水、一北一东、一静一动、一刚一柔，空间方位分明，画面明净疏朗。句首「青」「白」二字着色，青白相映，清新如画，毫无离别的黯淡，正见盛唐人于送别之际依然心旷神怡的胸襟。两句纯是景语，而送别之地的高远气象已定；同时青山白水环城郭的封闭构图，又暗暗圈住这一场离别，为「此地一为别」的感喟提供了具体的空间依托，为全诗定下「情深而景阔」的基调。

The opening, in an exact couplet, writes the scene, laying the open background for the parting. The word 'bar' writes the green hills lying across the north of the wall like a screen, vast and with momentum; 'winds' the white water's winding around the city, soft and with grace. One hill one water, one north one east, one still one moving, one hard one soft, the space clear, the picture bright and open. The opening words 'green' and 'white' the coloring, green and white set off, fresh as a painting, not a trace of the parting's dimness, precisely showing the High Tang man's open breast even at the parting. Two lines pure scenic language, and the parting place's lofty air already fixed; at the same time, the closed composition of green hills and white water around the city secretly encloses this parting, providing the concrete space for the later sigh of 'here, once we part', tuning the poem's keynote of 'deep feeling and broad scene'.

此地一为别，孤蓬万里征。

Here, once we part, like the lone tumbleweed, on the ten-thousand-li road.

在此地一旦分别，你便如孤零零的蓬草一样飘向万里之外。

Here, once we part, you go like the lone tumbleweed, ten thousand li away.

由写景转入叙事抒情，是全诗由「地」到「人」的转折。「此地」收束前两句的山水，「万里」则陡地拉开空间的辽远，一近一远，惜别之意与远行之忧同时涌上心头。「一为别」的「一」字，仿佛分别在即、无可挽回，语气决然而怅然；「孤蓬」以秋后随风飘转、无根无依的蓬草喻友人，既见其远行飘泊之辛苦，又暗含诗人对其命运的关注与牵挂。万里之遥与一别之决对举，蓬之孤与行之远相映，两句写尽别后相思的根因；且「此地」与「万里」的空间对照、「一别」与「孤蓬」的情感呼应，使工整的对仗中自有一种流动的气韵，语浅而意深，为后两联的情感展开蓄势。

Turning from scene to narrative and feeling, the poem's turn from 'place' to 'man'. 'Here' gathers the two lines of hills and waters, 'ten thousand li' suddenly drawing the space's distance, one near one far, the parting's care and the far journey's grief at once surging. The word 'once' in 'once we part' as if the parting at hand, beyond recall, the tone resolute and wistful; 'the lone tumbleweed' figuring the friend through the autumn-rootless grass driven by the wind, at once showing the hardship of his far drift and secretly the poet's care and concern for his lot. The ten-thousand-li distance and the once-for-all parting set against, the weed's loneliness and the journey's far set off; two lines writing to the full the root of the post-parting longing; and the space contrast of 'here' and 'ten thousand li', the feeling echo of 'once we part' and 'the lone tumbleweed', making the exact couplet of itself hold a flowing breath, the words plain and the meaning deep, storing the groundwork for the later two couplets' emotional unfolding.

浮云游子意，落日故人情。

The floating cloud, the wanderer's mood; the setting sun, the old friend's feeling.

浮云飘忽不定，正像游子漂泊的心意；落日迟迟不落，恰似故人依依不舍的情怀。

The floating cloud drifts, like the wanderer's mind; the setting sun lingers, like the old friend's heart.

这是全诗的名句，以比喻与对偶的双重功力写别情。浮云随风飘移、聚散无定，正似游子即将远行、行踪难测的「意」；落日西沉而徘徊不去，正似故人执手相看、恋恋难舍的「情」。一喻游子之心（飘忽），一喻故人之情（迟留），飘忽与迟留恰成对照——一方将去，一方难舍，离别的张力尽在其中。两句皆以景写情，情化为景、景即是情，浑然无间；且「浮云」「落日」既是眼前实景，又暗含汉魏古诗「浮云蔽白日」的传统意象，古意与今情交融，含蓄蕴藉。对偶上「浮云／落日、游子意／故人情」字字相对，工稳之极而全无斧凿痕，为千古传诵的送别名句，亦是李白以自然之景写深厚之情的典范。

This is the poem's famous line, writing the parting feeling through the double craft of metaphor and couplet. The floating cloud drifting with the wind, gathering and scattering without rule, precisely like the 'mood' of the wayfarer about to go, his track hard to foretell; the setting sun sinking in the west and lingering, precisely like the 'feeling' of the old friend holding hands and gazing, loath to part. One metaphor for the wanderer's heart (drifting), one for the old friend's feeling (lingering), the drifting and the lingering set against — the one about to go, the one loath to part, the tension of parting all within. Two lines both writing feeling through scene, the feeling turned to scene, the scene itself the feeling, fused without seam; and 'the floating cloud' and 'the setting sun' are at once the real scene before the eyes, and secretly hold the traditional image of the old Han-Wei verse's 'the floating cloud hides the bright sun', the ancient meaning and the present feeling fused, restrained and lasting. In the couplet, 'floating cloud / setting sun', 'wanderer's mood / old friend's feeling', word for word matched, exact to the utmost and without a trace of the chisel, the famous parting line through the ages, and the model of Li Bai's writing deep feeling through the natural scene.

挥手自兹去，萧萧班马鸣。

We wave our hands, and from here you go; our parting horses neigh and neigh.

挥手从此离去，那离群的马儿也发出萧萧的悲鸣。

We wave our hands and from here you go; the parting horses, sadly neigh.

尾联以景结情，是全诗最含蓄深长之处。诗人不直写「我」如何悲伤、如何目送，只写挥手作别的动作与班马的鸣声：「挥手」是离别最常见的动作，而「自兹去」三字写去者决然上路、一去不返；「萧萧班马鸣」则以离群之马的悲鸣收束全篇——马本恋群，如今却要载着游子各奔东西，马犹如此，人何以堪！以马鸣衬人别，物我双写，离别之悲不必言说而自在其中。结句不写人而写马，正是「以景结情」的典范：马的萧萧之声在暮色中渐远渐逝，而读者的离思也随那悲鸣飘向万里之外，余韵悠长。全诗至此戛然而止，而情思袅袅不绝，可见李白以简驭繁、以景传情的化境。

The closing couplet closes in scene, the most restrained and lasting part of the poem. The poet writes not directly how 'I' grieve, how I watch him go, but only the action of the waving hands and the neighing of the parting horses: 'wave' the most common action of parting, and the words 'from here you go' the goer's resolute road, gone and not returning; 'the parting horses neigh and neigh' closes the whole in the neighing of the herd-separated horse — the horse loves the herd, and now must carry the wanderer east and west; the horse thus, how much more the man! Setting off the man's parting through the horse's neigh, thing and man both written, the parting's grief not spoken and of itself. The closing line writes not the man but the horse, precisely the model of 'closing in scene': the horse's whinny fading in the dusk, and the reader's parting thought drifts with the neigh ten thousand li away, the aftertaste long. The poem stops short here, and the feeling lingers unending, showing Li Bai's alchemy of 'the complex through the simple, the feeling through scene'.

Study

Word focus

横 to bar; vivifies the static mountain 「青山横北郭」之「横」字，写青山如屏障横亘城北，静立而有气势。山本静止之物，若用「立」「倚」「枕」皆不免着相或柔媚，「横」字却写山体之绵延横陈、莽苍千里，如画中一笔横抹，顿显其阔大；同时「横」与下句「绕」相对，一横一绕、一刚一柔、一静一动，构成空间与质感上的对照，使首联工对而不板滞。「横」字还暗含隔绝之意——青山横断南北，送别之地至此而止，友人将越山而去，山势的横亘仿佛也横亘在诗人心中，景语中已伏离别之情。一字而兼具写形、布局、寓意三重功用，是李白炼字以「天然」出「浑成」的典型，看似信手拈来，实则精妙无比。

孤蓬 lonely tumbleweed; symbol of wandering 「孤蓬万里征」之「孤蓬」二字，以物喻人，写尽游子飘零之悲。蓬为秋后枯草，遇风连根拔起、随风飞转，本已无根；再着一「孤」字，更添形单影只之戚。以蓬喻游子，始于汉魏（曹植「转蓬离本根」），李白此句承其传统而更凝练：「孤蓬」已见其孤，「万里」更见其远，孤蓬飘向万里，身世之飘泊、前路之渺茫尽在其中。此词的好处在于不直言「你此去孤苦」，而让蓬草的意象自己说话，含蓄蕴藉；且「孤」字与后文「浮云」「落日」的飘忽迟留之态相呼应，共同渲染出别后相思的底色。「孤蓬」以名词意象作谓语，省略动词，凝练至极，正是古诗以意象传情的高妙处。

萧萧 neighing sound; onomatopoeia for parting sadness 「萧萧班马鸣」之「萧萧」为拟声词，摹写马鸣之声，兼有凄清萧瑟之感。此词本出《诗经·小雅·车攻》「萧萧马鸣，悠悠旆旌」，原写军容之整、声势之壮；李白此处反其意而用之，以萧萧之声写离群之马的悲鸣，声调凄恻，愁绪满纸。拟声词之妙在声情合一：「萧萧」二字读来口齿萧瑟，与班马之悲、离人之别天然相契；且叠字的使用使音节绵长，如马鸣之延宕，正合别情之缠绵。诗人不写人哭而写马鸣，以物之声写人之情，声中有画、声中有情，结句以此收束，悲声袅袅、余韵不绝，正见李白以景结情、以声写情的化境。

送友人