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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

晚春

Late Spring

韩愈

Han Yu

写景Scenery 惜春Cherishing spring 哲理Philosophy

草树知春不久归，百般红紫斗芳菲。
杨花榆荚无才思，惟解漫天作雪飞。

The grasses and trees know spring will soon depart; a hundred reds and purples contend in fragrance.
The willow catkins and elm pods have no wit, and only know to fly through the sky like snow.

Listen

Meaning

On a late-spring outing south of Chang'an, Han Yu watches the plants contend in bloom while the plain willow catkins and elm pods drift like snow. On the surface a playful sketch of the season; beneath it, a cheerful cherishing of spring and a tolerant joke on the 'witless' ones who yet show their own beauty, in Han Yu's 'prose-as-poem,' find-interest-everywhere manner.

花草树木似乎知道春天不久就要归去，于是争奇斗艳，百般红紫竞相吐放芳菲。杨花和榆荚本没有什么才思姿容，只知道漫天飞舞，像雪花一样纷纷飘洒。诗人以拟人笔法写晚春景物，于惜春之中寄寓「各尽其性」的理趣。

Appreciation

The poem is carried by personification throughout. The first line 'know spring will soon depart' gives the plants perception; 'contend in fragrance' writes the flowers' fervor. The last two turn abruptly, jestingly calling the willow catkins and elm pods 'witless,' saying they cannot dress up but only fly like snow. 'Contend' and 'only know' form a contrast, lively within argument. Person and thing alternate; wit and picture join, unlike the usual plaintive spring-lament.

【白话串讲】 “杨花榆荚无才思，惟解漫天作雪飞”——晚春时节，花都快开完了，杨花榆荚也跟着凑热闹，像雪一样满天飞。韩愈写暮春，写得调皮又可爱。【意象与手法】诗以拟人贯穿。首句「知春不久归」赋草木以知觉，「斗芳菲」写百花争艳之热烈；后二句忽转，以「无才思」戏称杨花榆荚，谓其不解巧妆，只知如雪漫飞。「斗」与「惟解」形成反差，于说理中见活泼，拟人、拟物交错，理趣与画意兼具【情感与主旨】此诗为韩愈《游城南》组诗之一，约作于唐宪宗元和年间。晚春时节，诗人游长安城南，见草木争芳、杨花飞舞，戏作此篇。表面写晚春景物，实含对春光珍惜之意，更深一层，则寄寓对「无才思者」亦各尽其性、各展其美的豁达调侃【名句点睛】常考拟人与理趣。高频题赏「草树知春不久归，百般红紫斗芳菲」的拟人手法——赋予草木人的知觉与争胜之心。亦考「杨花榆荚无才思，惟解漫天作雪飞」的「无才思」戏称与「各尽其性」的哲理意蕴

Background

This is one of Han Yu's 'Roaming South of the City' group, written about the Yuanhe era. In late spring, wandering south of Chang'an, he saw plants contending in bloom and catkins flying, and jested this piece. On the surface it writes late-spring sights; within lies a cherishing of spring and a tolerant joke on the 'witless' ones who yet show their beauty, showing Han Yu's 'prose-as-poem,' find-interest-everywhere side.

此诗为韩愈《游城南十六首》组诗之一，约作于唐宪宗元和十一年（816）前后，时韩愈任国子博士，闲居长安城南，春末游赏即景成篇。韩愈一生以古文运动领袖名世，诗亦开奇崛险怪一路，然此绝句却轻巧活泼、涉笔成趣，是其「以文为诗」之外清新自然一面的体现。晚春时节，百花将尽，草木争荣，诗人见红紫斗艳、杨花飞舞，遂以拟人笔法戏作此篇：表面写晚春景物，实含对春光珍惜之意，更深一层，则寄寓对「无才思者」亦各尽其性、各展其美的豁达调侃——杨花榆荚虽无红紫之姿，却能漫天作雪，别有一番自在。此诗可视为韩愈通达物性、不废一物的胸次写照，亦体现中唐诗由盛唐气象转向日常理趣的创作倾向，是理解韩愈多样诗风的重要窗口。此诗历来入选各类诗选与教材，其拟人写景与戏谑说理的手法，为后学提供了写「时序」之景的新范式，影响深远。

Art

The poem is carried by personification. 'Know spring will soon depart' gives plants perception; 'contend in fragrance' writes the flowers' fervor. The last two turn abruptly, jestingly calling the catkins and pods 'witless,' saying they cannot dress up but only fly like snow. 'Contend' and 'only know' contrast, lively within argument. Person and thing alternate; wit and picture join, unlike the plaintive spring-lament.

此诗以拟人贯穿，构思新奇，理趣与画意兼得。首句「草树知春不久归」赋予草木以知觉与情感：「知」字将无情草木写成有情之物，惜春之意从草木身上写出，起笔即见奇趣。次句「百般红紫斗芳菲」以「斗」字写百花争艳之热烈，万紫千红、竞相吐艳，如群芳竞胜，画面绚烂热闹，是晚春繁盛之景的极致。后二句忽转：「杨花榆荚无才思，惟解漫天作雪飞」以「无才思」戏称杨花榆荚，谓其不解巧妆争艳，只知如雪漫飞——表面是调侃其质朴无华，实则赞美其顺性自在、各尽其美。「斗」与「惟解」形成反差：红紫之斗是争胜，杨花之飞是自在，一争一任，写出晚春物态的两种风情。全诗拟人、拟物交错，于说理中见活泼，于调侃中见通达，有别于传统伤春诗的哀婉，是韩愈「以文为诗」而能出之以谐趣的佳作。此外，「作雪飞」之喻以雪拟花，视觉上白茫茫一片，与「红紫」之绚烂对照，浓淡相宜，构图亦见匠心。

Allusions

'Willow catkins' are willow down; 'elm pods' also called elm coins, both late-spring signs, no obscure allusion. 'Wit' (才思) originally means literary talent (as in Wenxin Diaolong); here personified as the plants' grace or plainness. The whole uses common seasonal signs as metaphor, hinting the truth 'each follows its nature'; no allusion used, an example of Han Yu's 'discard stale words' and use of ordinary speech.

此诗用典极淡，然意象皆有渊源。「杨花」即柳絮，暮春之物；「榆荚」又名榆钱，形圆如钱，亦暮春之物，二者皆为晚春最显著的物候。韩愈拈此二物，并非用典，而是以寻常物候入诗，正是其「陈言务去」而取寻常语入诗的例证——所谓不避俚俗、不尚故实，以眼前景、口头语写出理趣。「才思」本指文才构思，如《文心雕龙·才略》之「才思」；此处拟人移用于花木，谓杨花榆荚无红紫之姿、无争艳之巧，戏称其「无才思」，是修辞上的通感与拟人，并非实指。全诗以晚春物候为喻，暗含「各尽其性」「天生我材必有用」之理趣：红紫有红紫之艳，杨花榆荚有漫天作雪之趣，物各有所长，不必强求一律，此意与韩愈《进学解》等文所论「业精于勤」之外的圆融通达相通，是宋人理趣诗的先声。尤可注意者，「无才思」之戏称与韩愈《师说》「弟子不必不如师」的宽容精神相通，可见其以诗文一贯的兼容胸次。全诗以常语写常景，而理趣自见，正是韩诗「看似寻常最奇崛」的体现。

Commentary

Song critic Liu Chenweng said Han's poetry 'like the long Yangtze, vast and rolling.' This quatrain is light and quaint. Zhu Xi called it 'also fine'; Qing critic Wang Shizhen placed it in the 'spirit-resonance' class. With Han's 'Early Spring to Zhang the Eighteenth' it shows his fresh, natural side beyond the archaic.

韩愈诗风雄奇险怪，然此绝句却轻巧别致，历来为人称道。宋人刘辰翁评韩诗「如长江大河，浑浩流转」，此篇却以灵巧出之；朱熹谓其「亦自好」，清人王士禛以其入神韵一格，可见其于韩愈雄奇之外的清新面目亦受推重。后世论此诗者，多赏其拟人妙趣与「无才思」三字的诙谐，以为「戏作」之中自有深意：写晚春而不伤春，写杨花而不鄙弃，反以「作雪飞」许其自在之美，正是韩愈通达物性、兼容并包的胸次。与韩愈《早春呈水部张十八员外》并观——一写早春之「草色遥看近却无」，一写晚春之「百般红紫斗芳菲」——可见其于春秋两极之间均能捕捉生机、别开生面，是盛唐之后七绝由抒情转向理趣的关键一环，也是理解韩愈诗歌多样性的重要作品。今日读之，其「各尽其性」之理尤能启人深思，是雅俗共赏、常读常新的晚春名篇。其「戏作」之中见真趣，正是「成如容易却艰辛」的佳例。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain七言绝句

Rhyme Pingshui rhyme, upper-level fifth Wei (归, 菲, 飞)平水韵·上平五微（归、菲、飞），首句入韵，一韵到底

Tone pattern Level-onset, first line enters rhyme平起首句入韵式，音节流利，两联皆以七字句内节奏见长

Reading note Personification and wit joined; writes late spring, not laments it此诗为七言绝句，押平水韵上平五微韵，「归」「菲」「飞」三字一韵到底，首句入韵；微韵细而悠长，与晚春景物之轻盈、理趣之绵长相称。格律为平起首句入韵式，全诗平仄和谐，音节流利上口。章法上，此诗前二句写红紫斗艳之热闹，后二句写杨花作雪之疏淡，一浓一淡、一闹一静，构成鲜明的对照；而前后之间以「无才思」的戏称转折，由写景转入议论，由画面转入理趣，正是韩愈「以文为诗」在绝句中的体现——以议论入绝句而不失诗味，反增谐趣。此诗写晚春而不伤春，是唐人惜春诗中的别调；其以拟人写物、以戏谑说理的手法，开宋人理趣诗之先声，在七绝发展史上有承唐启宋的意义，也是理解韩愈诗歌多样性的重要作品。

Line by line

草树知春不久归

Grass and trees know spring will soon depart,

花草树木似乎知道春天不久就要归去

Grass and trees seem to know spring will soon be gone.

首句以拟人起笔，赋予草木以知觉与情感：「知」字是全句的诗眼，将无情草木写成有情之物——草木既知春将归去，便知惜春，遂生竞放之意。此句妙在不说诗人惜春，而说草木知春，物我同感，惜春之情从草木身上写出，更见深切与奇趣。「不久归」点出时节：春已将尽，归期在望，紧迫感由此而生。草木而能「知」，是想象的飞跃，也是拟人手法最彻底的运用，为次句百花「斗芳菲」的争胜提供了心理动机：正因为知春将归，才要赶在春尽之前尽情绽放。起笔即立奇趣，将晚春写得生机勃勃、有情有思，为全诗定下活泼诙谐的基调。

The opening line personifies, giving grass and trees perception and feeling: know is the eye of the line, turning the lifeless into the sentient - knowing spring will leave, they know to cherish it, and so begin to vie in blooming. The line's art lies in not saying the poet cherishes spring but saying grass and trees know it: thing and self share the feeling, and the spring-cherishing is written through the plants, all the more deep and whimsical. Soon to depart fixes the season: spring nearly spent, the date of leaving in sight, urgency born. That grass and trees can know is a leap of imagination, the thoroughgoing use of personification, supplying the psychological motive for the flowers' vying below: precisely because they know spring will end, they must bloom their fill before it goes. The opening sets a whimsical note, writing late spring as vivid, sentient, thinking - the poem's lively, humorous keynote.

百般红紫斗芳菲

a hundred reds and purples vie in fragrance.

百花百般红紫，竞相吐放芳菲争奇斗艳

A hundred colors of red and purple compete in blossom and fragrance.

此句承首句，写百花争艳之热烈：「百般」言其多，「红紫」言其色，「芳菲」言其香，红紫万千、芬芳竞发，晚春之景绚烂到极致。「斗」字是全句诗眼，以拟人写百花如人竞胜：不只开花，而是争斗——比颜色、比香气、比姿态，一个「斗」字，将静止的花草写得跃跃欲试、热闹非凡。此句与首句因果相承：正因「知春不久归」，故要「斗芳菲」以挽春住，惜春之情的急切化为争艳之景的绚烂。红紫斗艳与后文杨花榆荚的漫天作雪形成对照：前者争胜求艳，后者顺性自在，一竞一任，正是晚春物态的两极，也为后二句的理趣转折预埋伏笔。

This line continues the first, writing the fervor of a hundred flowers. A hundred writes their multitude; red and purple their colors; fragrance and beauty their scent - a thousand hues, competing perfume, late spring's scenery at its most brilliant. Vie is the eye of the line: personifying the flowers as rivals, they do not merely bloom but fight - competing in color, scent, posture; one word vie makes the static flowers eager and bustling. The line follows the first in cause and effect: precisely because they know spring will soon depart, they vie in fragrance to hold spring back; the urgency of cherishing turns into the brilliance of competing. Red and purple vying sets against the willow catkins and elm pods filling the sky with snow: the former strives for beauty, the latter follows its nature - the two poles of late-spring things, and the伏笔 for the philosophic turn of the last two lines.

杨花榆荚无才思

Willow catkins and elm pods have no wit or grace,

杨花和榆荚本没有什么才思姿容

Willow catkins and elm pods have no talent or beauty to show.

此句忽转，以「无才思」戏称杨花榆荚，是全诗转折与趣味所在。杨花即柳絮，榆荚即榆钱，皆无红紫之色、无娇艳之姿，在百花争艳的晚春里本不起眼，故诗人戏称其「无才思」——「才思」本指人的文才，此处移用于花木，谓其不解巧妆、不擅争艳，是拟人兼调侃的妙笔。此句表面是贬，实含深情：正因其「无才思」，不参与红紫之斗，反能保有自己的质朴本真；诗人以戏谑口吻写之，调侃之中带着怜爱与赞美。「无才思」三字将杨花榆荚从争艳的群芳中剥离出来，为末句「惟解漫天作雪飞」的自在之美张本，一转之间，全诗由热闹转向疏淡，理趣由此而生。

This line abruptly turns, nicknaming willow catkins and elm pods witless - the poem's turning point and its fun. Willow catkins are the willow's tufts; elm pods the elm's seeds: neither has red and purple hues nor graceful form, unnoticed in the late-spring rivalry, so the poet calls them witless - wit normally denotes human literary talent, here transferred to plants, meaning they cannot adorn themselves nor strive for beauty; personification with a teasing twist. The line seems a disparagement yet hides deep affection: precisely because they are witless, taking no part in the red-purple contest, they keep their plain authenticity; the teasing tone carries tenderness and praise. Witless strips willow catkins and elm pods from the competing blooms, preparing their free beauty in the closing only know how to fill the sky: in one turn the poem moves from bustle to spare elegance, and philosophic grace is born.

惟解漫天作雪飞

they only know how to fill the sky, flying like snow.

只知道漫天飞舞，像雪花一样纷纷飘洒

They only know how to fill the sky, drifting like flying snow.

结句写杨花榆荚的本色：「惟解」言其只知、只会，与「百般」「斗」相对，写出其质朴无华、不通争竞的性情；「漫天作雪飞」以雪喻杨花榆荚飞舞之态，轻盈洁白、纷纷扬扬，画面疏淡而优美。此句的深意有二：其一，赞美顺性自在之美——杨花榆荚虽无才思、不事争艳，却能漫天飞舞如雪，别有一种洒脱与壮观，物各尽其性即是美；其二，寄寓理趣——红紫有红紫之艳，杨花榆荚有作雪之趣，长短互见、不必强求一律，正如人各有其才、各安其位。全诗由争艳的热闹收于作雪的疏淡，以「惟解」作结，调侃中见通达，惜春而不伤春，理趣盎然，是晚春诗中的别调。

The closing line writes the true nature of willow catkins and elm pods. Only know: they know nothing else, set against a hundred and vie - writing their plain, uncompetitive temper. Fill the sky, flying like snow: snow images their drift, light, white, swirling, the picture spare and lovely. The line's depth is twofold: first, praise for the beauty of following nature - witless though they are, not vying in bloom, they fill the sky like snow, a different freedom and splendor; each thing fulfilling its nature is beauty. Second, the philosophic implication: red and purple have their brilliance, willow catkins their snow-like charm; the long and short each seen, no need for uniformity - as each person has his talent, each abides his place. The poem closes the bustle of rivalry in the spare drift of snow; only know ends in understanding within the teasing, cherishing spring without grieving it, philosophic grace abundant - an alternate tune among late-spring poems.

Study

Word focus

斗 Writes the flowers contending like people rivaling; personification, showing late spring's abundance and fervor. 「百般红紫斗芳菲」之「斗」字，是全诗最有生气的炼字。本指争斗、竞赛，此处以拟人写百花争艳，如群芳竞胜：不只绽放，而是争奇斗妍，比颜色、赛香气，一个「斗」字将静止的花草写得有了心机、有了情态，晚春的繁盛热烈跃然纸上。「斗」字的妙处在于化静为动、化景为情：百花本无情，因「知春不久归」而「斗」，惜春之急与争艳之烈由此贯通；又与末句「惟解」遥相对照——红紫以「斗」争胜，杨花榆荚以「惟解」顺性，一竞一任，写出晚春物态与人生境界的两种风情。炼一字而境界全出，是韩愈以文为诗而能于常语中见奇趣的证明。

才思 Originally literary talent, shifted to plants; 'no wit' jestingly calls the catkins and pods plain, witty and humorous. 「杨花榆荚无才思」之「才思」，本指文才构思，如《文心雕龙·才略》所谓「才思之富」；韩愈将其移用于花木，谓杨花榆荚无红紫之姿、无争艳之巧，戏称其「无才思」，是拟人兼移就的修辞妙用。「才思」二字在此有一石三鸟之效：其一，以人拟物，将花木写得有了才情高下的分别，风趣诙谐；其二，以「无」字否定，表面贬抑，实为下文「惟解漫天作雪飞」的自在之美蓄势——正因其无才思，不参与争艳，反得本真；其三，暗含理趣——才思高下非评判物之价值的标准，各尽其性即是美。二字用常语而含深意，是韩愈「陈言务去」却又以寻常语入诗、化俗为雅的本领体现。

惟解 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「惟解漫天作雪飞」之「惟解」，言只知、只会、唯有此能，是全诗理趣的落脚点。「惟」字写其专一质朴：杨花榆荚不通争艳、别无他长，唯有漫天飞舞一事；「解」字写其能、会，与「无才思」对照——无才思者却有「作雪飞」之能，可见才之有无非以争艳为标准。「惟解」的妙处在于以退为进：表面写杨花榆荚之拙，实则赞其顺性自在之美——不斗不争，只知随风飘舞，如雪漫天，洒脱而壮观。与「百般红紫斗芳菲」的「斗」字相对，「惟解」写的是不争而自得，一争一任，两相对照，正是全诗「各尽其性」理趣的形象表达，二字收束全篇，举重若轻。

晚春