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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

望天门山

Gazing at Tianmen Mountain

李白

Li Bai

山水Landscape 写景Scenery Description 长江Yangtze River

天门中断楚江开，碧水东流至此回。
两岸青山相对出，孤帆一片日边来。

Mount Tianmen is split by the Chu River,
The green water flows east and swirls back here.
On both banks, green mountains face each other,
A lonely sail comes from where the sun is near.

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Meaning

The poem depicts the magnificent scenery of Mount Tianmen on the Yangtze River: the river cuts through the mountain, green water swirls, green mountains face each other, and a lone sail approaches from the horizon.

天门山被楚江从中断开，碧绿的江水东流至此回旋。两岸青山相对耸出，一片孤帆从太阳那边驶来。

Appreciation

The first two lines show the dynamic interaction of mountain and river: the Yangtze cleaves Mount Tianmen open and the water swirls back. The last two lines present what the poet sees from the boat: green mountains seem to emerge facing each other, and a lone sail comes from the direction of the sun. The poet uses verbs like 'split' and 'emerge' to animate the scene, creating a vivid and expansive picture of a journey on the Yangtze.

【白话串讲】 “两岸青山相对出，孤帆一片日边来”——李白坐船经过天门山，两座青山像门一样打开，江水和帆船扑面而来。二十八个字，写出了流动的江山。【意象与手法】此诗为唐李白之作，精要赏析详见下方深度赏析。【情感与主旨】作于唐玄宗开元十三年（725年）李白初出蜀地、乘舟赴江东途经天门山时【名句点睛】常考名句「两岸青山相对出，孤帆一片日边来」。考点：以动写静（「相对出」）、色彩映衬、空间层次

Background

Composed in 725 AD (Tang Dynasty) when Li Bai first left his hometown in Sichuan, traveling east along the Yangtze River. Passing Mount Tianmen, he was inspired by the majestic view. The poem reflects his youthful optimism and love for natural beauty, marking the beginning of his quest for fame and adventure.

李白《望天门山》作于唐玄宗开元十三年（725年）。这一年李白二十五岁，结束了在蜀中匡山读书与隐居的生活，仗剑去国，辞亲远游，自三峡东下，沿途经江陵、洞庭、庐山，直抵金陵、扬州一带。此诗即写于东下途中船过安徽当涂天门山之时，是诗人一生第一次出蜀远行中的写景之作。天门山在唐代属当涂县，为长江两岸对峙的两座山：东岸为东梁山，在今安徽马鞍山市当涂县境；西岸为西梁山，在今安徽和县境，两山夹江而立，中隔江面，形若门户，故称天门山。长江流经古楚国故地，此段江流古称楚江。李白青年时期的这一阶段行旅诗，如《峨眉山月歌》《渡荆门送别》《望天门山》，共同构成其出蜀组诗的序列，皆以雄奇之笔写江行之景，又隐隐透出对前程的向往与对蜀地故园的依恋。关于创作时地，另有论者将其系于李白晚年寓居当涂时所作，然诗意明快清新、朝气充盈，与晚年萧疏之作不类，故学界多主早年出蜀之说。版本方面，此诗第三句「碧水东流至此回」存在异文：「碧水」一作「绿水」，王琦注《李太白全集》引各本互校，两字皆通；「至此回」一作「直北回」，一说作「至北回」。今通行本多从「碧水东流至此回」。关于「回」字，历来有读音与释义之争：一说读「huí」，取江水回旋、涡流之意，谓江流至此受两山夹束而回旋激荡；一说江流至此折而向北，故「回」为回转、转折之意。天门山夹江之险，在郦道元《水经注》及后世方志中多有记载，李白亲历其境，故能以二十八字状其形胜。

Art

The poem employs a dynamic spatial structure: the first line shows the grand view of a mountain split by a river; the second focuses on swirling water; the third animates static mountains with the word 'emerge' (出); the fourth concludes with a distant sail near the sun. The colors of green, blue, and red create a bright, vivid scene. It exemplifies the seven-character quatrain's ability to capture vast scenery with concise language.

此诗的艺术核心在以「望」字统摄全篇，写出舟行江上、天门山迎面而来的动态观感。首句「天门中断楚江开」起笔突兀，用「断」「开」二字写两山崩裂、江水破门而出的力量感——山非静止，而是被江水生生劈开，一种天地造化的雄浑之气扑面而来。次句「碧水东流至此回」以「回」字收束，写江水至此受阻回旋，一放一收之间，已见天门山的险要与江流的激荡。前两句写「望」中的山势江流，是纵的方向的铺展与收束。第三句「两岸青山相对出」是全诗的诗眼，「出」字尤为关键：诗人身在行船，山本不动，但舟移景换，两岸青山仿佛相对而出、迎面前来，以动写静，化静为动，写出了舟行的迅疾与诗人初见奇景的新鲜感受。末句「孤帆一片日边来」将视线推向天际，落日映江，一叶孤帆自日边驶来，画面由近及远、由山及帆，境界顿时开阔。全诗章法井然：先写山之「断」、水之「开」，再写水之「回」，继写山之「出」，终写帆之「来」，四句一气流转，皆从「望」中得来，环环相扣而无一赘字。色彩上，「碧水」与「青山」相互映衬，清丽之中见雄浑；末句「日边」一点暖色，又使画面不显冷寂，冷热、青碧与明黄的对照，正是李白设色的匠心。沈德潜《唐诗别裁集》选入此诗，评其声调自壮，正点出此诗以气行篇、字字飞动的品格。全诗不着一字议论，纯以白描造境，在李白全集的三百余首绝句中，堪称以少总多、以动驭静的典范。

Allusions

Tianmen Mountain (Heaven's Gate Mountain) refers to the East and West Liang Mountains facing each other across the Yangtze in present-day Dangtu, Anhui. The 'Chu River' denotes the Yangtze's section through the ancient Chu state. Though without explicit historical allusions, the poem embodies Li Bai's aesthetic of natural simplicity, reflecting the Tang dynasty's appreciation of unadorned beauty.

此诗无明显用典，但其中的意象与造语自有传统可寻。「天门」一词，本指天上之门，语出《楚辞·九歌·大司命》「广开兮天门」，原为神话中天帝之宫门；后世又引申为形胜险要之地，李白此处以「天门」名山，兼有实指与神化的双重意味，赋予江上两山以神话般的庄严气象。以「开」写江流出山，可上溯至《庄子》及汉代大赋中关于江流、山门、凿山通水的地理想象；「中断」二字则令人联想到大禹凿山导水的传说，暗含对自然伟力的惊叹。而「楚江」之「楚」，既点明地理，又带出屈宋以来楚地的文学传统——楚地山水在《楚辞》中常与幽深、浩渺、神灵相关，李白以「楚江」入诗，无形中为此地江景敷上一层楚骚的浪漫底色。「日边」一词亦有出处，《世说新语·夙惠》载晋明帝幼时有「日近长安远」之对，后世遂以「日边」代指帝京或远方；此处「孤帆一片日边来」，既是实写江上落日帆影，也可解为诗人顺江东下、朝向理想之地而去的象征。至于「青山」「孤帆」「日边」所构成的远望图景，则与谢朓「余霞散成绮，澄江静如练」的清丽山水传统一脉相承，李白一生推崇谢朓，其「中间小谢又清发」的自许，于此诗的清丽处亦可窥见。此诗妙处在于化用而不著痕迹，全以白描口语出之，而传统意象的余韵自在其中，正所谓司空图「不著一字，尽得风流」的境界。

Commentary

Ming critic Li Panlong commented that the character '出' excellently captures the feeling of the boat moving and the mountains approaching. Qing critic Shen Deqian praised Li Bai's seven-character quatrains for using everyday language with profound implications. This poem is often regarded as a masterpiece of scenic description in the Tang dynasty.

此诗在李白绝句中流传极广，历代选本多所收录。明人高棅《唐诗品汇》将其列入七言绝句正选，视之为盛唐绝句的标本；清沈德潜《唐诗别裁集》选入此诗，评其「一气呵成，声调自壮」，又于《说诗晬语》中论李白七绝「字字飞动」，此诗正可为注脚。王夫之《唐诗评选》论李白七绝，推其「一往豪情，使人不能句字赏摘」，此诗即以其浑然一体、不可句摘而见长——「断」「开」「回」「出」「来」诸字，无一不是动态之词，读来如见舟行山移，抽去任何一字，全诗的流转之势即受损伤。清人黄叔灿《唐诗笺注》评「天门中断楚江开」二句「状山势之奇，语极突兀」。此诗虽仅二十八字，却同时完成了对山势的雄奇描绘与对舟行的动态呈现，被后世视为李白写景绝句中的精品。在传播与接受史上，此诗因语言明畅、画面鲜明而成为蒙学与中小学教材的常选篇目，与《望庐山瀑布》《早发白帝城》并列为李白山水绝句的代表作。现代学者对「至此回」的「回」字读音、释义亦多有讨论，或主回旋、或主转折，可见其字法之精微，虽历经千年犹有可资玩味处。亦有论者将之与李白同期的《渡荆门送别》对读，认为二诗一写江入平野、一写江出山门，同出蜀道而行色各异，共同标示出青年李白诗风的壮阔与清新。此诗还以其「断」「开」「回」「出」「来」的动词链，成为后世论李白绝句「以动驭静」的常举之例，其艺术生命至今不衰。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain七言绝句

Rhyme Lines 1, 2, and 4 rhyme (kai, hui, lai) in the level-tone rhyme category平水韵上平十灰韵，押「开」「回」「来」三韵，首句入韵

Tone pattern The first line follows a pattern of level and oblique tones typical of regulated verse此诗为平起首句入韵的七绝正格。首句「天门中断楚江开」平平平仄仄平平，第三字「中」应仄而平，属一三不论之变；次句「碧水东流至此回」仄仄平平仄仄平；三句「两岸青山相对出」仄仄平平平仄仄；末句「孤帆一片日边来」平平仄仄仄平平。除首句第三字外，余皆合律。

Reading note The poem is a famous example of Li Bai's vivid landscape writing, using dynamic verbs and bright colors.此诗为七言绝句，首句入韵，用上平十灰韵，韵脚「开」「回」「来」同部相押，读来一韵到底、圆转流走。「开」字开口呼，音色洪亮，正合首句破空而来的气势；「回」字合口，音转低沉，与江流回旋之态相谐；「来」字复归开口，收束于舒展悠远，三韵之间形成开—合—开的声情起伏，与诗意中山开、水回、帆来的节奏若合符契。就平仄论，此诗属平起首句入韵格，唯首句第三字「中」应仄而平，属于律诗常见的一三不论之变，于声调无碍，反添流转自然之致。全篇以「断」「开」「回」「出」「来」等动词收束句尾或居于关键，字字含力，读之如闻江声、如见舟行，动词的密集运用使全诗声调铿锵、气势飞动。李白七绝向以「清水出芙蓉，天然去雕饰」著称，此诗格律工整而不板滞，气势奔放而不粗率，正可见其以天纵之才驭声律、以雄浑之气贯全篇的独特造诣。

Line by line

天门中断楚江开

Tianmen Mountain is rent asunder where the Chu River opens through,

天门山被楚江从中断开

Tianmen Mountain is split open, and the Chu River bursts through.

首句劈空而起，以「中断」二字写两山如被巨斧劈开，「开」字则写出江水的浩荡奔涌之力。李白不写「山高水长」之类的静态描绘，而以一个「断」字、一个「开」字，把山与水之间的搏斗写得惊心动魄。山是静的，江是动的，李白却颠倒过来，让江的流动成就了山的断裂，赋予画面以造山运动的原始力量。这种以动写静、以水写山的手法，正是李白写景善于造势的体现。从章法看，此句既点明了天门山夹江对峙的地形，又以「断」「开」二字为全篇定下了雄浑奔放的基调，是典型的「首句即高格」的绝句起笔。

The opening bursts forth: rent asunder writes the two mountains as cleft by a giant axe; opens writes the river's mighty, surging force. Li Bai does not write static lines like high mountains, long river, but with one word rent and one opens writes the struggle between mountain and river as thrilling. The mountain is still, the river moving; Li Bai reverses them, letting the river's flow achieve the mountain's rupture, lending the picture the primordial force of mountain-building. Writing stillness through motion, writing the mountain through the river - the mark of Li Bai's scenery-making momentum. Structurally, the line fixes Tianmen Mountain's landform of facing across the river, and with rent and opens sets the poem's grand, unrestrained keynote - the typical quatrain opening of a high pitch from the first line.

碧水东流至此回

the green water flows east and here swirls back.

碧绿的江水东流至此回旋

The emerald river flows east and here begins to swirl.

此句承上而来，上句写江水破门而出，此句写江流至此受阻。「碧水」点色，「东流」明向，而「回」字是全句的关键——江水东流至此，因两山夹束、江面收窄而回旋激荡，一个「回」字既写出水势之猛，又反衬山势之险。从章法看，首句「开」与此句「回」构成一放一收的张力：江水先是被「开」放出，又在此处被「回」所束，二句之间已隐然勾勒出天门山夹江的完整形势。「碧水」之碧与「青山」之青又遥相呼应，为后文的色彩映衬埋下伏笔，此句在全篇中起承转合里居于「承」位，承接自然。

This line continues the last: where the river burst through, here it meets resistance. Green water fixes the color; flowing east the direction; swirl is the key - the eastbound river, squeezed between the two mountains, the channel narrowed, swirls and eddies; one word swirl writes both the water's force and the mountains' peril. Structurally, opens above and swirl here compose a tension of release and recall: the river first let loose by opens, then checked here by swirl; between the two lines the full form of Tianmen across the river is already sketched. The green of green water answers the green mountains below, preparing the color contrast. The line holds the承 position - the smooth continuation.

两岸青山相对出

On both banks the green mountains rise toward each other,

两岸青山相对耸出

Green mountains stand facing each other on both banks.

此句是全诗诗眼所在。「出」字化静为动，诗人身在舟中，船行江上，两岸静止的青山因舟移而仿佛相对迎面而出。这一「出」字既写出了山的峭拔耸立之姿，更写出舟行的迅疾之感，把观景者的位置与动感不动声色地融入景中。李白不用「立」「峙」「耸」等静态字，而用「出」，正是以人的流动观照山的静止，化客体为动态，是绝句炼字的典范。从视角看，此句是近景，写两岸山色扑面而来，与首句写山「断」、次句写水「回」的远景相衔接，完成了由远及近的空间推移。

This is the poem's eye. Rise turns stillness to motion: the poet in a boat moving on the river, the green mountains on both banks, static, seem to rise toward each other as the boat advances. This rise writes both the mountains' steep lofting and the boat's speed, fusing the viewer's position and motion into the scenery unseen. Li Bai does not use static words like stand or rear but rise - using the human movement to contemplate the mountain's stillness, turning the object into motion; the model of quatrain diction. In perspective, the line is the near view: the banks' green pressing the face, linking with the far views of rent and swirl above to complete the spatial advance from far to near.

孤帆一片日边来

a single lone sail comes from the edge of the sun.

一片孤帆从太阳那边驶来

A lone sail drifts in from the horizon where the sun sets.

末句将视线由近景推至极远的江天之际。「孤帆一片」写江面之阔、舟帆之小，以「孤」与「片」两个量词化的字眼，衬出天地之大与行旅之微；「日边来」更添奇想，落日悬江，白帆自日边徐徐驶来，画面壮丽而高远。此句与前三句的山、水形成空间上的纵深对照，由写山到写水，由写岸到写帆，最终落到人的行迹之上，使这首纯写景诗在收束处悄然生出一丝羁旅的况味。以「日边」的暖色收束，也使全诗在雄浑之中归于高远悠长，余韵不尽，是绝句「以景结情」的佳例。

The closing pushes the gaze from the near view to the farthest river-sky edge. A single lone sail: one, a piece write the river's breadth and the boat's smallness - two measure-like words set off the vastness of heaven and earth and the minuteness of travel; comes from the edge of the sun adds the fancy: sunset over the river, a white sail approaching from the sun's edge, the picture grand and high. The line forms a spatial depth contrast with the mountains and waters above: from mountain to water, from bank to sail, finally landing on human travel, so that this pure scenery poem quietly takes on a flavor of wandering at the close. Closing in the warm hue of the sun's edge also brings the grandeur to a high, lingering end, savor inexhaustible - a fine example of the quatrain closing in scenery.

Study

Word focus

断 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「断」字是全诗发端最有力的一字。李白写天门山，不循常格去描摹山之高峻，而是直写其「中断」——两山被楚江从中劈断。一个「断」字，既点出天门山「两山夹江」的地形特征，又暗藏江水的冲决之力，山与水在此字中完成了一次力量的对抗。在视觉上，「断」字将绵延的山势截为两段，画面顿生断裂、惊险之感；在听觉与心理上，「断」又隐含着天崩地坼的声响与震撼，仿佛能听见江水破山而出的轰鸣。以一字而兼状形、传力、造势，正是李白炼字的过人之处。后世论李白诗「字字飞动」，此「断」字即其发端。

回 swirl back; water surging and turning 「回」字承「东流」而来，写江水至此的激荡回旋。此字历来有两解：一解为回旋、涡流，状江流受两山夹束而打转激荡；一解为回转、折向，谓长江至此折而向北。无论何解，「回」字都在「开」字的奔放之后，为全诗注入一股收束、迂曲之力，使前两句形成一放一收的节奏，把江水由「开」到「回」的动态写得层次分明。更妙的是，「回」字与首句「开」字遥相呼应，一开一回之间，天门山夹江之险、江流之势，已被写得淋漓尽致，而全篇的起伏跌宕亦由此奠定，二句即是一幅完整的江过天门图。

出 emerge; mountains appearing as if moving toward the viewer 「出」字是全诗炼字之最。山本静止，诗人却言其「相对出」，仿佛两岸青山主动拔地而起、迎面前来。这一字把「舟行」与「山立」的关系倒置——非人过山前，而是山向人出，以山的动态反衬舟的疾驶，化静为动，虚中见实。李白不以「望」为单纯旁观，而是让诗人与山水之间发生相互的照面，「出」字正是这种主观观照的凝结点。由此一字，读者既见山的峭拔，又感舟的飞驰，更体会到诗人初见奇景的惊喜。后世论李白绝句「字字飞动」，此字即其明证，也为末句「日边来」的远景收束预留了空间。