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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

闻官军收河南河北

Hearing of the Recovery of Henan and Hebei by the Government Forces

杜甫

Du Fu

喜讯good news 归乡returning home 战乱war

剑外忽传收蓟北，初闻涕泪满衣裳。
却看妻子愁何在，漫卷诗书喜欲狂。
白日放歌须纵酒，青春作伴好还乡。
即从巴峡穿巫峡，便下襄阳向洛阳。

Beyond the Sword Pass comes news of Ji north's release;
At first my gown is wetted with tears of joy.
Turning to see my wife and children, grief has ceased;
I roll up my poetic works, mad with joy.
In broad day I sing loudly, I must drink wine;
With the spring returning, I go back to my old home.
From Ba Gorge I go through Wu Gorge speedily,
Down to Xiangyang I go straight to Luoyang.

Listen

Meaning

The poet hears that the government forces have recaptured the rebel-held areas; he is overcome with joy, cries, and immediately plans his journey back east.

剑门关外忽然传来收复蓟北的喜讯，刚一听，眼泪就沾满了衣裳。回头看妻儿，往日的愁云何处还在？胡乱卷起诗书，欢喜得简直要发狂。白日里放声高歌定要痛饮美酒，明媚春光作伴，正好返回故乡。即刻从巴峡穿过巫峡，便直下襄阳奔向洛阳。

Appreciation

This poem is known as Du Fu's 'first joyful poem'. The poet's pent-up grief from years of war suddenly transforms into explosive joy. The last couplet uses four place names and four verbs to express the swiftness of his imagined journey home.

【白话串讲】听说官军收复了河南河北，杜甫高兴得眼泪打湿衣裳，立刻规划起回家的路线。这是杜甫生平“第一快诗”——一个把家国放在心里的人，终于等到了好消息。【意象与手法】一反杜诗沉郁之常态，以轻快流转之笔写狂喜【情感与主旨】广德元年（763）史朝义兵败自缢，安史之乱终告平定【名句点睛】常考此诗被誉为杜甫“生平第一快诗”；“即从巴峡穿巫峡，便下襄阳向洛阳”的流水对与狂欢式想象

Background

In 763, Shi Chaoyi committed suicide, ending the An Lushan Rebellion. Du Fu was living in Zizhou (modern Santai, Sichuan) when he heard the news. He wrote this poem, considered his 'first joyful poem', years after fleeing to Sichuan.

唐代宗广德元年（763）正月，史朝义在唐军追击下走投无路，自缢身亡，其部将田承嗣、李怀仙相继归降，河南河北诸州次第收复，历时七年余的安史之乱至此告终。消息传到梓州（今四川三台）时，杜甫正流寓蜀中。自天宝十四载（755）乱起，诗人陷贼、脱身、赴行在、贬华州、弃官西行，一路由秦州而同谷而成都，其间又因徐知道之乱避走梓州、阆州，妻子儿女随之颠沛，故乡洛阳偃师的旧业久已不通消息。此诗即作于闻讯之际，题中官军指唐朝廷军队，河南河北为安史叛军的老巢与主要盘踞区，收字一字便是七年苦难的终结。诗有自注云在梓州，可与诗中剑外之语互证：剑外者，剑门关以南，蜀地之谓也，是就长安洛阳的方位反称自身所在，一开口便含羁旅之感。版本方面，此诗文字甚为稳定，唯题目或作《闻官军收河南河北》，或作《闻官军收河南河北》而少一河字者，皆传抄小异；末联「便下襄阳向洛阳」之下字，谓顺流而下，非至也，注家于此少有异议。就文学脉络看，杜甫一生诗多沉郁，写乱世离散最为深切，此篇独以狂喜出之，恰因久压之下的一朝释放，故后人称之为其生平第一快诗。喜诗之难，正难在既要放得开，又不至于流于轻浮，此篇之所以可贵即在于此。

Art

Unlike Du Fu's usual somber style, this poem is light and rapid. The first couplet shows happy tears; the second couplet describes the madness of joy; the third imagines singing and drinking on the journey; the last couplet uses verbs like 'from', 'through', 'down', and 'to' to create a sense of rushing home.

全诗以一个喜字为骨，八句层层递进，写尽狂喜的全过程，而笔法轻快流转，一反杜诗惯有的沉郁顿挫。首联写闻讯之初：忽传二字状消息之突至，剑外点明身之所在，收蓟北点明心之所系，一句之内三层意思俱全；下句不写笑而写涕泪满衣裳，是喜极而泣，且涕泪之多至于满衣，则七年积压的悲苦一时决堤之状可见。此为第一层，喜由外来而以泪出。颔联转写家人：却看妻子愁何在，一个却字见回首之动作，愁何在是设问，实即言愁已尽消，写法极为轻捷；漫卷诗书喜欲狂，漫者随意胡乱，平日惜书如命的人此刻竟随手乱卷，一个细节把失态写透，喜欲狂四字更是直下断语，痛快无隐。此为第二层，喜由内发而见于形。颈联转写筹划：放歌纵酒是庆祝，青春作伴是趁时，白日与青春相对，声色俱明朗，好还乡三字轻轻托出全诗真正的落点。此为第三层，喜由当下而通向归途。尾联则纯以想象作结：即从、便下二组虚字连贯而下，巴峡、巫峡、襄阳、洛阳四个地名一气贯串，穿字、向字见行程之疾，千里之遥被压缩于十四字内，是著名的流水对，读来如舟行破浪，不容停顿。全诗由泪到笑、由己及家、由蜀及洛，情感的抛物线一路上扬，末以想象飞越千里收束，把狂喜推到最高处而不着一喜字，此即以势取胜、以句法传情之妙。

Allusions

'Sword Pass' refers to the area south of Jiange Pass; 'Ji north' refers to the rebel stronghold in present-day Hebei; 'spring' refers to the season. The place names in the last couplet trace the poet's planned route home.

此诗不用典故而多用地名，其地名本身即是历史。蓟北为唐幽州蓟县一带，即今北京西南，是安禄山起兵之地、叛军的根本重镇，故收蓟北一语等于宣告叛乱连根拔除，非泛言收复某地可比。剑外之称，本自剑门关，蜀道之要隘，唐人自中原视蜀为剑外，杜甫反用之以自称所居，隐含身在天涯、消息隔绝之意。青春一词在唐人语中多指春季，取草木青碧之义，非今日所谓年少，故青春作伴即春光作伴，说的是趁春归乡，路上有明媚风物相随；若解作年轻，则与诗人当时已年过五十的实际不合，历代注家于此辨析甚明。巴峡、巫峡皆长江三峡水道，襄阳属山南东道，洛阳为东都，四地连缀，正是自蜀出川、循汉水而北、抵中原故里的实际路线，其中穿字写峡之窄、水之急，下字写顺流之速，向字写心之所趋，三字皆有着落，非徒堆砌地名。妻子二字，唐人用为妻与子的合称，指全家老小，不同于今义之专指配偶，此为读唐诗常须留意的词义变迁。放歌纵酒之举，远接魏晋名士的任诞之风，然杜甫用之非为放浪，只是压抑既久、一朝释放的自然反应，故读来不觉狂悖而只觉可怜可喜。

Commentary

Pu Qilong in his commentary said: 'The feeling of surprise and joy flows between the lines.' This poem breaks Du Fu's usual style, turning eight years of sorrow into rushing delight.

此诗历代评价甚高，其最著名的一个断语是称之为杜甫生平第一快诗。所谓快，一指情感之痛快无隐，二指笔势之迅疾流转。杜诗以沉郁称，而此篇独能放笔为喜，故格外引人注目；评家往往指出，正因杜甫平日写愁写得极重，此处写喜才格外可信，若换一位惯作欢愉语的诗人，同样的字句便不免轻浮。尾联的流水对尤为历代所推：即从巴峡穿巫峡，便下襄阳向洛阳，四地相衔而气不断，虚字承接而意不滞，被视为唐人流水对的典型样本，后世论对法者屡引之。清代评家论此诗，多称其一气团结、八句如一句，谓其无一字懈笔，情感的推进与句法的推进完全同步。传播史上，此诗因其明快易解而流传极广，尤其颔联的漫卷诗书喜欲狂，常被引用来形容突如其来的大喜；而它作为安史之乱终结的诗史见证，价值又不止于抒情：一场绵延七年、使唐朝由盛转衰的大乱，其结束在诗中并未以宏大叙事呈现，而是落到一个流寓蜀中的老诗人涕泪满衣、乱卷诗书的瞬间，历史遂有了体温。近现代以来此诗长期入选教材，与《春望》并读，一悲一喜，恰成安史之乱的首尾两端，其经典地位由此愈固。

Prosody

Form 七言律诗 (seven-character regulated verse)七言律诗（近体），首句入韵

Rhyme 仄起首句不入韵，押下平七阳韵 (even tone, Yang rhyme category: 裳,狂,乡,阳)押平声阳韵（下平七阳），韵脚为裳、狂、乡、阳四字，首句末字北为仄声不入韵。阳韵开口宏亮、余音悠长，最宜表达舒展畅快之情，与全诗狂喜的基调高度契合

Tone pattern The first line is '仄仄仄平平仄仄', second '平平仄仄仄平平'. The poem is regulated but flows like a torrent.合七律常格，平仄粘对基本严整。中二联对仗工稳：颔联却看与漫卷、妻子与诗书、愁何在与喜欲狂两两相对，且以愁对喜，反义相形；颈联白日对青春、放歌对作伴、须纵酒对好还乡，词性字面皆整。尾联即从巴峡穿巫峡、便下襄阳向洛阳为著名的流水对，两句意脉贯通不可拆读，是律诗对法中的特例

Reading note Called Du Fu's 'first joyful poem'; the last couplet uses four place names and four verbs to dash through the journey.此诗声律与情感的配合极为讲究。全篇押阳韵，裳、狂、乡、阳四字皆开口呼、收音悠扬，读之口腔开张，自带一股放怀之势；试想若押入声或闭口之韵，纵有喜字满纸，声音上也放不开，狂喜之情必然打折。四个韵脚的选字亦耐推寻：由裳而狂，是由涕泪的失控到情绪的失控；由狂而乡，是狂喜落到归乡这个实际的落点；由乡而阳，则洛阳既是韵脚又是全诗终点，音与义在此重合，声音落地即人到家门，收束得异常干净。格律上最著名的是尾联的流水对：一般律诗对仗要求两句各自成意、并列相对，此联却以即从、便下两组虚字把上下句缝为一体，语意奔流不断，四个地名一气贯串，读来不容换气。这种句法与内容完全同构——归心既动，行程便不容分段，声气便不容停顿。中二联的对仗则以反义与顺承交错取胜，愁与喜相激，白日与青春相映，既守律诗之严，又不见斧凿之迹。全诗八句一气团结，无一字懈笔，正见杜甫暮年于律法之内驾驭快意之情的功力。

Line by line

剑外忽传收蓟北，初闻涕泪满衣裳。

Suddenly from beyond Sword Pass comes news that Ji north is recaptured; at first hearing, tears of joyful grief wet my clothes.

剑门关外忽然传来收复蓟北的喜讯，刚一听，眼泪就沾满了衣裳。

Beyond Jianmen Pass the news suddenly comes: Jibei has been recovered; at the first hearing, tears soak my robe.

起句以剑外与蓟北遥遥相对，一在西南天末，一在东北极边，两地之间是七年兵火与万里阻隔，空间的张力一开口就撑满全诗。忽传之忽，写消息来得毫无预备，正因久已不敢期待，故骤闻而措手不及。下句最见杜甫笔力：报的是喜讯，写的却是涕泪，且不说流泪而说满衣裳，以衣物之湿透量泪水之多，以泪水之多量积压之久。初闻二字点住时间的最初一刻，此刻还来不及笑，只能哭，喜极而悲的心理层次被十四字精确摄取。

The opening sets Jianwai and Jibei far apart - one at the southwest's edge, one at the northeast's border; between them seven years of war and ten thousand li of separation, the spatial tension filling the poem from the first word. Suddenly of suddenly passed writes the news coming without preparation; precisely because hope had long died, the sudden hearing catches him off guard. The next line best shows Du Fu's power: joyful news, yet tears written; not tears but robe soaked - wet clothing measuring the tears' abundance, abundance measuring the years of repression. At the first hearing fixes the first instant: no time to smile yet, only to weep; the psychology of joy turned to sorrow seized in fourteen characters.

却看妻子愁何在，漫卷诗书喜欲狂。

Turning to look at my wife and children, where is their worry? I carelessly roll up my books, mad with joy.

回头看妻儿，往日的愁云何处还在？胡乱卷起诗书，欢喜得简直要发狂。

I turn to look at my wife and children - where is their sorrow now? I roll up my books at random, wild with joy.

此联由己身转到家人，再由家人折回自身，笔势极为灵动。却看是回头一望的动作，写得极自然，因为大喜之下第一个念头总是共此消息的亲人。愁何在用问句代替陈述，比直说愁尽消更有神采，那是眼中已无愁色、心中犹不敢信的口气。下句以一个动作定格全诗高潮：漫卷者随手乱卷，杜甫是最爱惜诗书之人，此刻竟不复整理，则其失态可知。喜欲狂三字直落断语，不加修饰，正是狂喜之时无暇择言的真实状态，比任何比喻都有力。

This couplet turns from himself to his family, then back to himself, the brush wonderfully agile. I turn to look is the gesture of glancing back, utterly natural - in great joy, the first thought is always to share the news with those dear. Where is their sorrow now uses a question instead of statement, more vivid than saying sorrow vanished: it is the tone of eyes where sorrow no longer shows, heart still unable to believe. The next line fixes the poem's climax in one action: rolling at random - Du Fu was the man who cherished his books most; now he does not bother to arrange them, and his loss of composure is known. Wild with joy lands a direct verdict, unadorned - the true state of wild joy, when words cannot be chosen; stronger than any metaphor.

白日放歌须纵酒，青春作伴好还乡。

In broad daylight I must sing loudly and drink freely; with the spring as companion, it's good to return home.

白日里放声高歌定要痛饮美酒，明媚春光作伴，正好返回故乡。

In daylight I must sing aloud and drink my fill; with spring for company, it is time to go home.

上句写庆祝，下句写筹划，喜意由爆发转为筹措，情感因而落到实处。白日不是随笔的时间词，而与放歌纵酒相配：夜饮尚可托于愁，白日放歌纵酒则是毫无掩饰的欢腾，须字更含非如此不足以尽兴的执意。青春在唐人语中指春季，作伴二字把无知的春光写成同行的旅侣，一路花柳皆为归人助兴。好还乡三字最轻却最重，全诗的狂喜追到底，原来只为这一句：七年流离，所求不过归得故园，喜的源头至此才彻底揭明。

The upper line writes celebration, the lower planning - joy turning from explosion to preparation, feeling landing on the real. Daylight is no casual time word but matches singing aloud and drinking deep: night drinking can still hide behind sorrow; daylight singing and drinking is unmasked revelry, and must carries the insistence that nothing less will do. Spring in Tang usage means the spring season; for company writes the unknowing spring as a fellow traveler, every roadside blossom and willow entertaining the homecomer. Time to go home is lightest yet heaviest: the poem's wild joy traced to its source - seven years of exile, all he wanted was to reach the old garden; the spring of joy is at last fully revealed.

即从巴峡穿巫峡，便下襄阳向洛阳。

I will at once pass through Ba Gorge and then through Wu Gorge, then go down to Xiangyang and head straight to Luoyang.

即刻从巴峡穿过巫峡，便直下襄阳奔向洛阳。

Straight through the Ba Gorge and the Wu Gorge, down to Xiangyang and on toward Luoyang.

尾联纯以想象作结，是历代激赏的流水对。即从、便下两组虚字前后呼应，把两句缝合成一句，读来不容停顿，正如归心之不容延宕。四个地名依实际路线排列，穿字写峡道之窄与舟行之疾，下字写顺流而放的痛快，向字则是心之所指、目之所望，三字各有分工而无一虚设。千里行程被压入十四字，时间感几乎消失，只余一种腾跃而去的速度——而此刻诗人其实仍滞留梓州，尺步未移。想象与现实的落差，使这份狂喜里悄然含着一丝不忍细究的酸楚。

The closing couplet ends purely in imagination, the flowing couplet praised through ages. Straight through and down to, two sets of empty words echoing front and back, sewing the two lines into one; no pause allowed in reading, just as the homecoming brooks no delay. Four place names in the actual route: through writes the gorge's narrowness and the boat's speed; down the joy of the current; toward the heart's pointing, the eyes' direction - each verb assigned, none idle. A thousand-li journey compressed into fourteen characters; time sense almost vanishes, leaving only a leaping speed - while at this moment the poet still lingered in Zizhou, not a step moved. The gap between imagination and reality makes the wild joy quietly hold a sorrow one dares not examine.

Study

Word focus

忽 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 忽传之忽，是全诗情感的引信。它写消息到来的突然，更写心理上的毫无防备：七年之中，坏消息接踵而至，好消息则久已不在期待之内，故一旦传来，先是懵然，继而崩溃为涕泪。此字若换作乍、骤，则只见其快而不见其意外；若换作已、终，便成了盼望已久终于得到，情味立刻平淡下来。忽字保留了那种命运忽然转向、来不及做出反应的瞬间感，也正因如此，下句的满衣泪水才显得顺理成章而非夸张。

漫 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 漫卷诗书之漫，训随意、胡乱，是全诗最见性情的一字。杜甫平生以诗书为命，卷帙之整乱本是其日常秩序的一部分，此刻却随手一卷、不复计较，一个漫字便把秩序的崩坏写成了欢乐的形状。妙在诗人并不自陈其狂，只呈现一个失序的动作，让读者自己去看见那个手忙脚乱的老人。此字与上句的却看构成一组连续镜头，动作在前，喜欲狂的断语在后，先见其形而后知其心，叙述次序也与真实的心理过程一致。

青春 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 青春在此指春季，取草木青碧之义，是唐人常语，非今日所谓年少。此一词义须先辨明，方能读通全句：青春作伴好还乡，说的是趁着春光正好、以春色为同行伴侣而归乡。若误解为年轻作伴，则与诗人五十二岁的实际年岁相违，全句立刻不通。而作伴二字更值得玩味：它把无情的节候人格化，使孤身羁旅的归途忽然变得热闹可亲。归心既定，则连风物都成了同路人，这是喜悦对外物的重新赋形，写法极轻而效果极暖。

穿 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 即从巴峡穿巫峡之穿，是尾联四个动词中最有质感的一个。峡道两岸壁立、江面收束，舟行其间如线过针孔，故非穿字不足以尽其形；且穿含穿透、贯过之意，写出一往无前、不为险阻所阻的势头，与归心之急正相表里。此字与下句的下、向依次递进：穿是艰险中的挺进，下是顺流的畅快，向是终点在望的笃定，三字勾出一条由紧到松、由难到易的心理曲线。若将穿易为过、出，路线虽通而峡之险、舟之疾、心之切俱失矣。