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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

望岳

Gazing on Mount Tai

杜甫

Du Fu

山水Landscape 励志Inspirational 青年Youth

岱宗夫如何？
齐鲁青未了。
造化钟神秀，阴阳割昏晓。
荡胸生曾云，决眦入归鸟。
会当凌绝顶，一览众山小。

How majestic is the Mountain of Tai?
From Qi to Lu its green expanse never ends.
Creator gathers all marvels here,
Where light and dark divide at dusk and dawn.
Clouds rise and roll, cleansing my heart,
My eyes strain to see birds flying home.
I must ascend the highest peak,
To see all mountains small beneath the sky.

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Meaning

The poet marvels at Mount Tai's grandeur, describes its vastness and divine formation, and expresses his ambition to climb to the top and dominate the view, reflecting youthful confidence and aspiration.

那泰山究竟是怎样的景象呢？它横亘齐鲁大地，青翠的山色绵延不尽，望不到尽头。大自然把神奇与秀美全都汇聚于此，山南山北被分割出黄昏与拂晓的明暗。层云叠涌，涤荡着我的胸襟；我睁裂眼眶，望见归鸟的影迹没入山林。总有一天，我要登上那最高的峰顶，把脚下群山尽收眼底，方知它们何等渺小。

Appreciation

This poem showcases Du Fu's youthful spirit and ambition. The vivid character '割' (cut) portrays the mountain's height. The final couplet, inspired by Mencius, has become a classic expression of aspiration. The poem moves from distant view to personal feeling, displaying artistic skill and lofty ideals.

【白话串讲】二十四岁的杜甫登上泰山，写下“会当凌绝顶，一览众山小”——那时的他意气风发，还不知道自己将来会写尽人间疾苦。这是杜甫最年轻、最明亮的一首诗。【意象与手法】全诗虽仅八句，却章法森严、气象宏阔。起手“岱宗夫如何”以问代起，破空而来【情感与主旨】此诗约作于唐玄宗开元二十四年（736）前后，杜甫时年二十余岁，正值“裘马轻狂”的漫游时期【名句点睛】常考“造化钟神秀，阴阳割昏晓”中“钟”“割”二字的炼字之妙（“钟”为拟人、汇聚，“割”显山势劈分昏晓之力）

Background

Written around 736 AD when Du Fu was in his twenties, after failing the imperial exam. He traveled to the Qi and Zhao regions and saw Mount Tai. The poem reflects the confident spirit of the High Tang period and Du Fu's own ambitions.

杜甫《望岳》约作于唐玄宗开元二十四年（736年）前后，是诗人现存最早的诗作之一。开元二十三年（735年），二十四岁的杜甫赴洛阳应进士试，落第而归；翌年北游齐赵，历兖州、青州一带，途经泰山而作此诗。一说作于开元二十四年至二十八年之间的漫游时期。此时杜甫正值青年，自谓「放荡齐赵间，裘马颇清狂」，尚未经历安史之乱的离乱，诗风豪迈雄健，与晚年的沉郁顿挫迥异。泰山古称岱宗，为五岳之首，在唐代属兖州，今山东泰安境内，主峰玉皇顶。泰山之北为古齐国地，之南为古鲁国地，「齐鲁」二字即点明其横跨两国、绵延无际的地理形势。泰山又是历代帝王封禅之地，自秦始皇、汉武帝以下，封禅泰山者代有其人，故「岱宗」在唐人心目中兼具自然之雄与礼制之尊。杜甫此诗题作《望岳》，所望者即此五岳之尊。杜甫一生共作《望岳》三首，分咏东岳泰山、西岳华山、南岳衡山，此首为第一，也最为著名，后人常径称此诗为《望岳》而不加区分。版本方面，「荡胸生曾云」一句，「曾」字通「层」，一本径作「层云」；今通行本多作「曾云」。「决眦」或作「决胔」，皆谓目眶几裂。此诗不题「登」而题「望」，通篇写望中之山与望后之想，由远及近、由实入虚，正见青年杜甫的胸襟与抱负。此外，关于此诗是否作于杜甫落第之后，学界亦有讨论：或谓落第之挫正激发其「会当凌绝顶」的不屈之志，或谓漫游之际本无科场牵挂，意气纯出于天性。无论何说，诗中洋溢的自信与豪情，都与其「放荡齐赵间，裘马颇清狂」的早年生活相印证。

Art

The poem uses a rhetorical question to start, then expands spatially. The second couplet uses personification ('钟') and a sharp metaphor ('割'). The third couplet shifts to the poet's physical reaction. The final couplet transforms the scene into a declaration of intent. The language is powerful and concise, with a grand structure.

此诗以「望」字为骨，八句四联，章法层层递进。首联「岱宗夫如何？齐鲁青未了」以设问领起，破空一问，随即以「齐鲁青未了」作答——不直写泰山之高，而写其青翠之色横亘齐鲁、绵延不尽，以「未了」二字状连绵之势，是杜诗创语，五字而雄盖一世。颔联「造化钟神秀，阴阳割昏晓」由整体入细部，写泰山聚天地灵秀、分阴阳昏晓：一个「钟」字，拟造化钟情于此山，赋予其人格；一个「割」字，状山势之高峻陡峭，将山南山北的明暗劈然分开，化静态为动态，是炼字之极。颈联「荡胸生曾云，决眦入归鸟」由写山转入写望山之人，云气层层荡涤胸襟，极目远望而眼眶欲裂，见归鸟没入山中，一个「决眦」写尽凝望之专、神往之深，诗人与山的距离在此由「望」而「神交」。尾联「会当凌绝顶，一览众山小」由望而悬想登临，直抒凌云之志，收束全篇。全诗由问起、由望入、由想结，虚写与实写交错，气象雄浑而章法井然。就笔法论，此诗不写登山而写望山，处处以「望」中之所见、所感、所想层层推进，把一座尚未登临的泰山写得如在目前，又把青年人的豪情写得喷薄欲出。沈德潜《唐诗别裁集》评此诗「气骨峥嵘」，正点出其以雄浑之气贯注全篇的品格。就炼字言，全诗以「青未了」之「了」、「割昏晓」之「割」、「决眦」之「决」、「凌绝顶」之「凌」等字眼，句句有力，无一弱字，正见杜甫早年「语不惊人死不休」的锤炼功夫已见端倪。

Allusions

The last line alludes to Mencius: 'When Confucius climbed Mount Tai, the world seemed small.' Du Fu adapts it to express personal ambition. '岱宗' refers to Mount Tai as the chief of the Five Sacred Mountains, implying the poet's own sense of destiny.

此诗尾联「会当凌绝顶，一览众山小」化用《孟子·尽心上》：「孔子登东山而小鲁，登泰山而小天下。」孟子原意谓登高则眼界随之开阔，杜甫借其语而翻出己意——不仅要「小天下」，更要亲身「凌绝顶」，把圣贤的比喻化为少年的行动誓言，用典而不为典所缚，是化用典故的典范。「岱宗」之称，源出《尚书·舜典》「岁二月，东巡守，至于岱宗」，泰山为五岳之尊、帝王封禅之所，其名自带礼制与神权的庄重色彩。「造化」一词，本出《庄子·大宗师》，指天地自然；「钟神秀」谓自然将灵秀之气汇聚于此，暗含道教、方士传统中泰山为灵气所钟的观念。「阴阳」出《周易》，山南为阳、山北为阴，「割昏晓」即写泰山高峻，同一时刻山南山北昏晓迥异，此一写法亦暗承古代以山分阴阳、以阴晴辨地理的传统。至于泰山与齐鲁的对举，则本于《史记》等典籍对泰山南北分属齐鲁的记载。此外，「归鸟」一象，暗含陶渊明《饮酒》「山气日夕佳，飞鸟相与还」的归隐意趣，杜甫虽未至归隐之年，而「决眦入归鸟」的凝望，已隐隐透出对超然境界的向往。全诗用典皆熔铸无痕，化前人之语为己出，故虽句句有来历，读来却如脱口而出。「荡胸生曾云」中的「曾云」（层云），亦暗合宋玉《高唐赋》以来写巫山云气的传统，而杜甫移之以写泰山，翻旧为新，正是其善于熔铸前人的明证。

Commentary

Critics like Fang Hui praised the poem's broad vision. Pu Qilong noted it reflects Du Fu's grand aspirations. It is considered representative of Du Fu's early style, full of vigor and ambition.

此诗为杜甫现存最早的名篇，历来评价极高。沈德潜《唐诗别裁集》评「齐鲁青未了，五字雄盖一世」，推其首联写景之雄浑，无人能及。浦起龙《读杜心解》则谓「杜子心胸气魄，于斯可观。取为压卷，屹然作镇」，将此诗置于杜甫全部诗作之冠，视其为杜甫人格与气魄的最早显现。仇兆鳌《杜诗详注》广引诸家，对「造化钟神秀」「阴阳割昏晓」的炼字尤多推许，谓「钟」「割」二字为全篇筋节；又引《孟子》以释「一览众山小」之典，谓其「翻用而愈妙」。后世选本如《唐诗别裁集》《读杜心解》《杜诗镜铨》等无不以之为杜诗开卷之作。在传播史上，「会当凌绝顶，一览众山小」二句早已脱出原诗，成为激励世人登高望远、奋发向上的格言，被广泛引用，其影响早已超出文学而及于民族精神。此诗之所以历久弥新，在于它将青年人的豪情与儒家登高小天下的传统精神融为一体，气象之雄阔，在杜甫乃至整个唐诗中皆属罕见，也是理解杜甫由青年豪放到中年沉郁这一诗风演变不可或缺的起点。现代杜诗学者如萧涤非、叶嘉莹等，皆以此诗为考察杜甫早年精神世界的第一手材料，认为其中所蕴的进取气象，是理解杜甫一生「致君尧舜」志向的起点。此诗还以其「气骨峥嵘」为标志，与杜甫后来《秋兴八首》等沉郁之作形成鲜明对照，成为理解杜诗「由豪入郁」演变脉络的钥匙。

Prosody

Form Five-character ancient verse五言古诗

Rhyme Rhymes in rising tone: 了, 晓, 鸟, 小平水韵上声十七筱韵，押「了」「晓」「鸟」「小」四韵，一韵到底

Tone pattern Ancient style does not strictly follow tonal patterns此诗为古体，不依近体平仄粘对。首联「岱宗夫如何，齐鲁青未了」平仄全不依律，全篇亦不避失粘失对；但颔联「造化钟神秀，阴阳割昏晓」与颈联「荡胸生曾云，决眦入归鸟」皆对仗工整，是以律句入古体。

Reading note Though in eight five-character lines, it is not a regulated poem; it is an ancient style work by young Du Fu, succeeding by spirit rather than formal rules.此诗为五言古诗，押仄声韵，一韵到底。韵脚「了」「晓」「鸟」「小」同属平水韵上声十七筱，皆为上声，读来峭拔而带感慨，与青年杜甫豪迈之中暗含孤高的心气相合。就体制论，此诗非近体律诗，而是古体——五古本不要求平仄粘对，杜甫此诗亦然：首联「岱宗夫如何，齐鲁青未了」平仄全不依律，而颔联、颈联则对仗工整（「造化钟神秀」对「阴阳割昏晓」，「荡胸生曾云」对「决眦入归鸟」），是以古体而融入律句对偶，古中带整，散中有骈，恰是盛唐五古的风貌。这种以律入古的写法，使全诗既有古体的流转自由，又具律体的凝练整饬，为尾联「会当凌绝顶，一览众山小」的千钧收束蓄足了气势。以仄韵收结，更使全篇在昂扬之中别有一番劲健峭拔之致。此诗声调上的峭拔，与其「气骨峥嵘」的艺术品格正相表里。此诗的声调峭拔，恰是其「气骨峥嵘」品格在声律上的体现。

Line by line

齐鲁青未了

The green of Lu and Qi runs on and on, endless,

它横亘齐鲁大地，青翠的山色绵延不尽，望不到尽头

Across the land of Qi and Lu, the green hills stretch on and on, out of sight.

此句以「齐鲁」二字点出泰山横跨两国的广远，「青未了」三字则写其青翠之色绵延不绝，视域所及，尽是苍苍然的青绿。「未了」是杜甫的创语，不写山高而写色远，以一眼望不到尽头的青色反衬山势之绵亘。以设问「岱宗夫如何」领起，再以此句作答，一问一答之间，泰山的雄阔已在读者眼前铺开。沈德潜所谓「五字雄盖一世」，正指此句写景之气吞山河。此句妙在避开正面写山，而以「青」的绵延写山的广大，是杜诗以虚写实、以少总多的典范。

This line uses Qi and Lu to fix Mount Tai's breadth across the two ancient states; green runs on and on writes its blue-green color stretching unbroken, the field of sight all dark green. Endless is Du Fu's coinage: not writing the mountain's height but the color's distance, using the green out of sight to set off the range's continuity. Leading with the question what is the Dai Zong like, then answering with this line, the mountain's grandeur unfolds between question and answer. Shen Deqian's five characters overawe a whole age points to the line's scenery-swallowing aspect. The line's art lies in avoiding frontal description, writing the mountain's vastness through the green's reach - Du Fu's model of writing the solid through the void, the many grasped through the few.

阴阳割昏晓

the dark and light sides split dawn from dusk.

山南山北被分割出黄昏与拂晓的明暗

South and north of the peak, darkness and light are cut apart like dusk and dawn.

「割」字是全句乃至全诗的筋骨。山南山北，同一时刻，一边是拂晓，一边是黄昏，明暗判然，这只有在山势极高极峻时才会出现。杜甫不写山高，而以「割」字写昏晓之被劈分，把泰山的高峻转化为可感的明暗对比。一个「割」字，既是视觉的（山影如刀，切分阴阳），又是力感的（造化挥刃，劈开昏晓），静山因之而有千钧之势，是化静为动、化抽象为具象的炼字典范。此句与上句「造化钟神秀」的「钟」字一柔一刚、一聚一割，把泰山既钟灵毓秀又陡峻分明的两重面貌写得淋漓尽致。

Split is the bone of the line and the poem. South and north of the mountain, at the same hour, one side dawn, one side dusk, darkness and light sharply divided - possible only when the mountain is supremely high and steep. Du Fu does not write the height but uses split to write dusk and dawn cleft apart, converting Mount Tai's loftiness into a visible contrast of dark and light. One word split is at once visual (the mountain's shadow like a knife cutting dark and light) and forceful (creation wielding the blade, cleaving dawn and dusk) - the still mountain given thousand-catty momentum, the model of refining diction that turns stillness to motion, the abstract to the concrete. The line pairs with the creating nature concentrates its spirit's concentrates: one soft one hard, one gathering one splitting, rendering both Mount Tai's numinous beauty and its steep, clear-cut face to the full.

决眦入归鸟

I strain my eyes to the utmost to follow a homing bird,

我睁裂眼眶，望见归鸟的影迹没入山林

I strain my eyes until they nearly crack, following the homing bird into the hills.

此句由写山转入写人，一个「决眦」写尽望者的专注与深情。诗人极目远望，眼眶几欲睁裂，只为追随归鸟飞入山林的影迹。归鸟之小、山林之深，反衬出望者目光之远、心神之凝。从「荡胸生曾云」的云气涤怀，到「决眦入归鸟」的凝目追望，颈联将外在山景与内在情志勾连起来，望山者与山之间的神交在此完成，也为尾联凌顶之想的喷薄而出蓄足了势。这一联由景及人、由物及我，是全诗由「望山」向「言志」过渡的关键，笔致细而情意深。

This line turns from writing the mountain to writing the man: strain my eyes exhausts the gazer's devotion and depth. The poet gazes to the utmost, eyelids almost cracking, only to follow the homing bird into the woods. The bird's smallness, the woods' depth set off the gazer's far sight and concentrated mind. From the clouds of the breast stirring to the eyes strained after the homing bird, the third couplet links outer mountain scene with inner feeling, the spiritual communion between gazer and mountain completed, storing full force for the summit thought of the closing. The couplet moves from scene to person, thing to self - the key transition from watching the mountain to declaring resolve, the brush fine, the feeling deep.

会当凌绝顶

One day I shall stand on the topmost peak,

总有一天，我要登上那最高的峰顶

One day, surely, I shall climb to the very summit

「会当」二字是唐人口语，犹言定要、终当，含一股不容置疑的决心。前三联皆写望山，至此忽作悬想，由望而升华为志——诗人不满足于山下远望，而要亲身凌绝顶、小天下。这一转折把全诗从写景推向言志，「凌」字又带出登临绝顶、俯视万物的气势，不写「登」而写「凌」，境界为之更高。青年杜甫的豪情与抱负，在这一句中喷薄而出，使全诗境界顿然升高，成为千百年来激励人心的登临誓言。此句也完成了全诗由「望」到「志」、由景到情的最终升华。

One day surely is Tang colloquialism, meaning determined to, finally will, holding a resolve that admits no doubt. The first three couplets all write watching the mountain; here the poem suddenly turns to悬想, sublimating watching into resolve - the poet is not content to gaze from below but must climb the topmost peak and see the world beneath. This turn pushes the poem from scenery to resolve; climb carries the momentum of standing at the summit and looking down on all things; he does not write ascend but climb, raising the realm higher. Young Du Fu's heroism and ambition burst forth in this line, suddenly lifting the poem's realm and making it an oath of ascent that has heartened men for a thousand years. The line also completes the poem's final sublimation from watching to resolve, from scenery to feeling.

Study

Word focus

钟 gather, favor (personification of nature) 「钟」字写泰山之奇秀，妙在以拟人化笔法写自然。造化本无情感，杜甫却言其「钟神秀」——天地仿佛情有独钟，将神奇与秀美全都汇聚于泰山一处。「钟」本义为酒器，引申为聚、集，用在此处既写出了泰山为天地灵气所钟的崇高地位，又赋予造化以人的情态，将静态的「神秀」写成了动态的「汇聚」。与下句「割」字一聚一割、一柔一刚，前后呼应，使颔联成为炼字的典范。这个字还暗含一种「偏私」的意味，仿佛上天独厚于泰山，愈见泰山在五岳中的至尊地位。

割 cut, divide (vivid metaphor for mountain's height) 「割」字是颔联的灵魂，写泰山分阴阳、判昏晓的伟力。山南为阳、山北为阴，杜甫不满足于静态地写「昏晓异」，而以「割」字写昏晓之被劈分，仿佛泰山是一柄巨刃，将天地明暗一分为二。这个字既有视觉的锋利感（山影如刀），又有动态的切割感（昏晓判然），把泰山之高峻陡峭写得惊心动魄。以「割」状山，前无古人，是杜甫炼字大胆而出奇的代表，后世论杜诗字法者必举此字，与「星垂平野阔」之「垂」、「月涌大江流」之「涌」并为杜诗动词炼字的典范。

凌 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「凌」字是尾联的点睛之笔。诗人不用「登」「上」「攀」等字，而用「凌」，取其凌驾、超越之意。「登」是凡人的脚力，「凌」则是精神的飞越——凌绝顶，不仅是要站在最高处，更是要以胸襟凌驾于群峰之上。「凌」字与「绝顶」「一览」「众山小」一气贯注，把登临之志写得昂扬而超迈，非「登」字所能及。由「望」而「凌」，由景而志，全诗的情感在「凌」字上达到顶点，青年杜甫的豪情借此一字而直上云霄，也使此句成为千古言志的名句。此字还见出杜甫以动词炼字、以一字传神的功力，与其晚年的沉郁顿挫虽风格不同，而锤炼之道一以贯之。

望岳