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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

宣州谢朓楼饯别校书叔云

Farewell to Secretary Li Yun at Xie Tiao Tower in Xuanzhou

李白

Li Bai

离别Farewell 抒怀Lyrical Expression 豪放Bold and Unconstrained

弃我去者，昨日之日不可留；
乱我心者，今日之日多烦忧。
长风万里送秋雁，对此可以酣高楼。
蓬莱文章建安骨，中间小谢又清发。
俱怀逸兴壮思飞，欲上青天览明月。
抽刀断水水更流，举杯销愁愁更愁。
人生在世不称意，明朝散发弄扁舟。

Leaving me, yesterday's days cannot be detained;
Disturbing me, today's days are full of vexation.
For miles the autumn wind sees off the wild geese;
Facing this, we can drink to our fill in the high tower.
Your prose has the bone of Jian'an poets,
And Xie Tiao's fresh and clear style born later.
We both cherish soaring, untamed thoughts,
Aiming to ascend to the blue sky and seize the bright moon.
Cutting water with a sword makes it flow more;
Raising a cup to drown sorrow makes sorrow more sorrow.
Since life in the world is not to our liking,
Tomorrow I'll let my hair down and drift on a small boat.

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Meaning

The poet laments the passing of time and present troubles, then describes a farewell scene with autumn wild geese and drinking. He praises his uncle's literary style and expresses lofty aspirations. Yet sorrow cannot be drowned, so he resolves to escape by drifting on a boat.

抛开我而去的，昨日的时光无法挽留；扰乱我心的，今日的日子充满烦忧。长风万里送走秋雁，面对此景正可在高楼痛饮。你的文章有建安风骨，中间小谢（谢朓）又清丽焕发。我们都怀逸兴壮思飞动，想上青天揽取明月。抽刀断水水更流，举杯销愁愁更愁。人生在世不如意，明朝便披发闲乘小舟。

Appreciation

The poem opens with two eleven-character lines that burst forth, lamenting the irretrievable past and today's anxieties. It then describes the farewell scene with autumn wind and a high tower. The poet praises his uncle's writings and compares himself to Xie Tiao, expressing a desire to ascend to heaven and seize the moon. The famous lines 'cut water with a sword' and 'raise cup to drown sorrow' vividly illustrate the indissoluble nature of sorrow. The poem ends with a resolve to abandon worldly concerns and sail away, blending lamentation with heroic abandon.

【白话串讲】 “抽刀断水水更流，举杯销愁愁更愁”——李白在谢朓楼送别叔叔，喝了一夜的酒，发现愁是消不掉的。可他还是豪迈地喊出“欲上青天揽明月”——这才是李白，愁到极致也狂到极致。【意象与手法】起笔「弃我去者……乱我心者……」以散文长句破格，气势奔涌【情感与主旨】作于唐玄宗天宝十二载（753年）秋，李白客居宣城（今安徽宣州）。校书叔云指秘书省校书郎李云，为李白族叔【名句点睛】常考名句「抽刀断水水更流，举杯销愁愁更愁」「俱怀逸兴壮思飞，欲上青天览明月」。考点

Background

Written in the autumn of 753 AD, when Li Bai was staying in Xuancheng (modern Anhui). The title refers to a farewell banquet at Xie Tiao Tower for Li Yun, a collating clerk at the Imperial Library and Li Bai's distant uncle. Li Bai, having left Chang'an nearly ten years earlier, was still disappointed in his ambitions. He found resonance with Xie Tiao, who had also been prefect of Xuancheng, and poured out his feelings through this poem.

此诗作于唐玄宗天宝十二载（753）秋，李白客居宣城（今安徽宣州）。诗题中的「谢朓楼」即宣城北楼，为南朝齐诗人谢朓任宣城太守时所建，李白心仪谢朓，屡有登临题咏。题中的「校书叔云」指李云，时任秘书省校书郎，为李白族叔。是年秋，李云或来宣州，或与李白相遇于此，李白于谢朓楼设酒饯别，遂有此作。此诗又题《陪侍御叔华登楼歌》，故所饯之人，一说为族叔李华（官侍御），一说为校书郎李云，历来聚讼，詹锳《李白诗文系年》两存其说。写作此诗的年代，正值李白第二次漫游、远离朝廷的时期：自天宝三载赐金放还，李白已漂泊十年，政治理想愈行愈远，而诗名则日隆。天宝末年的时局已渐露危机，李白胸中既有怀才不遇的愤懑，又有对家国前途的隐忧，皆倾注于此诗。诗中「抽刀断水水更流，举杯销愁愁更愁」所写之愁，非寻常离愁，而是放还以来郁积的功业无成之痛与岁月蹉跎之悲。版本上，此诗文字大体稳定，唯「欲上青天览明月」之「览」字，或作「揽」，通行本多从「览」，通「揽」义。此诗的写作背景，还应联系李白与谢朓楼、与宣城的深厚缘分。宣城是谢朓曾经主政之地，李白一生低首谢朓，曾多次往来宣城，留下「我家敬亭下」「相看两不厌」等诗篇。此番于谢朓楼饯别族叔，登临的既是实有的北楼，也是李白精神上追慕前贤、寄托诗魂的所在，故诗中既有对李云文章建安风骨的推许，也有以「小谢清发」自许的弦外之音，登楼、饯别、怀古、抒怀四者在此交织。

Art

The opening uses prose-like long sentences to create a surging momentum. The middle section uses parallel allusions of 'Penglai prose' and 'Jian'an bone' to praise literary achievements. The line 'cut water with a sword' employs a paradoxical action as metaphor for sorrow, defying logic yet brilliantly effective. The ending image of 'loose hair and a small boat' suggests reclusive escape, making the structure grand and open.

此诗的艺术成就首在开篇的破格。起句「弃我去者，昨日之日不可留；乱我心者，今日之日多烦忧」以两个十一言散文长句开篇，如天风海雨骤至，打破了七言古诗的惯常格局，将胸中郁积的时光之叹一泻而出。「昨日」「今日」对举，「弃我去」「乱我心」两相排叠，十二字中「日」字三见，「之」字两见，回环复沓而毫无滞涩，正是李白以文为诗、以气驭篇的绝活。次联「长风万里送秋雁，对此可以酣高楼」陡然转境，由郁怒翻为豪迈，境界为之大开。中段「蓬莱文章建安骨，中间小谢又清发」转入对李云与自身的称许，由「酣高楼」的实景生出对文学传统的追慕。颈联「俱怀逸兴壮思飞，欲上青天览明月」更将豪情推至云端，青天、明月的意象纯净而高远，是全诗的精神顶点。末联「抽刀断水水更流，举杯销愁愁更愁」忽又跌回愁绪，以「抽刀断水」这一悖谬而精彩的比喻，写愁之不可断；「人生在世不称意，明朝散发弄扁舟」则以散发扁舟的逍遥，为全诗作一放达的收束。全诗忽郁怒、忽豪迈、忽高逸、忽沉痛、忽旷达，情绪跌宕如波，章法大开大合，实为李白七古中最见性情者。此外，此诗的比喻艺术尤为高超：「抽刀断水水更流」以断水喻消愁，取象于日常而寄意于无理，所谓「无理而妙」；「欲上青天览明月」以揽月喻逸兴，将抽象的豪情化为可感的动作。两处比喻一悲一壮、一实一虚，前者写愁之不可解，后者写志之不可羁，皆以最奇警的形象道出最普遍的人生体验，故能千古传诵。全诗语言又极富张力，「弃」「乱」「愁」「销」等字的连用，如愁绪奔涌，不可遏止，正是李白七古「以气驭辞」的明证。

Allusions

'Penglai prose' refers to the Eastern Han imperial library (Penglai Mountain), here alluding to Li Yun's position as collating clerk and his writing. 'Jian'an bone' refers to the vigorous style of Cao Cao and his sons and the Seven Scholars of Jian'an. 'Little Xie' refers to the Southern Qi poet Xie Tiao (as opposed to the older Xie Lingyun). Li Bai greatly admired Xie Tiao and frequently alluded to him. The tower in the title was originally called North Tower, but because Xie Tiao was its prefect, it became known as Xie Tiao Tower.

此诗用典多含深意。谢朓楼本身即是典故的载体：谢朓，字玄晖，南齐诗人，与谢灵运并称「大小谢」，李白一生倾倒于他，诗集中提及谢朓者十余处，如「解道澄江净如练，令人长忆谢玄晖」。此诗「中间小谢又清发」即以「小谢」称谢朓，「清发」二字兼评其诗风清丽与才气焕发。「蓬莱文章」用东汉藏书典故：东汉洛阳宫中有东观，为藏书校书之所，学者称为「老氏藏室、道家蓬莱山」，后世遂以「蓬莱」指秘阁或校书之职，此处切李云校书郎的身份，赞其文章有「建安骨」，即建安文学的刚健风骨。「欲上青天览明月」化用《庄子》逍遥之意与古诗中「揽月」的想象。「散发弄扁舟」暗用范蠡典故：范蠡助越灭吴后，功成身退，乘扁舟泛于江湖，后世以「扁舟」为归隐的象征；「散发」则谓弃冠散发，不受簪缨拘束，与「弄扁舟」合写超然世外之志。此外，「长风」意象可溯至宋玉《风赋》「长风至而波起」，李白化之而成豪迈之景。还应指出，「建安骨」三字，是对建安文学刚健遒劲风格的概括，源出钟嵘《诗品》评曹植「骨气奇高」及后世「建安风骨」之说，李白以之推许李云的文章，兼有赞其文风与勉其气节的双重意味。「秋雁」意象，则承《礼记·月令》「季秋之月，鸿雁来宾」的时令传统，以雁之南飞暗点送别的时令与离人远去的情境。诸典皆切合饯别的场合，又暗含文学传承与人格自许，使此诗在豪放之外别具深婉。

Commentary

Wang Qi, a Qing dynasty commentator, said this poem 'gallops like a heavenly steed, unbridled.' Yan Yu of the Song dynasty called Li Bai's poetry 'ethereal and free.' This piece, with its mixture of long and short lines and emotional twists, exemplifies his 'lotus emerging from clear water' style combined with breathtaking boldness. Xie Tiao Tower is also immortalized by this poem.

此诗自唐以来即被视为李白七古的压卷之一。宋代严羽《沧浪诗话》论「太白七古」之「太白天才豪逸」，此诗堪当其例。胡仔《苕溪渔隐丛话》曾引《隐居诗话》评「弃我去者」四句「以文为诗，奇崛天成」。明代高棅《唐诗品汇》列此诗于七古，王世贞《艺苑卮言》叹「抽刀断水」一联「天真烂漫，妙不可言」。清代沈德潜《唐诗别裁》选此诗，评以「此种格调，太白从心化出」，指出其格调的独创性。方东树《昭昧詹言》析其章法，谓「一起奇绝，中间转折如意，结亦旷放」。曾国藩《十八家诗钞》亦录此诗，足见其在清代选家心中的地位。此诗「抽刀断水水更流，举杯销愁愁更愁」一联，以其对「愁」的悖谬而深刻的摹写，成为汉语中写愁的千古绝唱，被后世词曲、戏曲、小说广泛引用。其「人生在世不称意，明朝散发弄扁舟」的旷达，亦成为士人失意时自我排遣的经典表达。近人论李白浪漫主义，多以此诗与《蜀道难》《梦游天姥吟留别》并举，为其晚年（实为中年后期）七古的巅峰。此诗对后世的影响亦极深远：其以文为诗的开篇，启发了韩愈、苏轼以散句入诗的笔法；「抽刀断水水更流」的奇喻，成为汉语中写愁的经典范式，被词曲、小说反复化用；「明朝散发弄扁舟」的旷达，则与「人生在世不称意」的感慨一同，成为士人失意时的精神出口。可以说，此诗既是李白个人性情的最真实写照，也是盛唐七古向中唐转变的一个标志性文本，其文学史地位与艺术价值都不可低估。

Prosody

Form Ancient-style poem (seven-character song, free meter), with prose-like lines.七言古诗（歌行体）

Rhyme Free rhyme changes with emotion (liú/yōu, lóu, gǔ/fā/yuè, liú/chóu, yì/zhōu), flexible.全篇转韵三次。开篇「留」「忧」「楼」同押尤韵；中段「骨」「发」「月」转入声月韵；末段「流」「愁」「舟」复归尤韵。首尾尤韵遥相呼应，中间以入声月韵陡然一变，声情随之跌宕。

Tone pattern Mixes eleven-character lines with seven-character lines, varying length for strong momentum.起句为两个十一言散文长句，破七古常格，以「之」「日」等字的复沓造成奔涌之势；其后复归七言。韵脚由平声尤韵转入声月韵、再回平声尤韵，平仄交替，情绪由郁怒而豪逸、由高逸而沉痛、终归旷达。

Reading note Emotions surge and fall (worry—joy—heroism—sorrow—release). The couplet 'cut water with a sword' is the poetic highlight, a masterpiece of Li Bai's farewell expressions.此诗的声律最见李白以气驭声的本领。开篇两个十一言长句，韵脚「留」「忧」属平声尤韵，音调悠长而回旋，配合「昨日之日」「今日之日」的复沓，如愁绪盘旋不散；「对此可以酣高楼」以「楼」字仍押尤韵，承接前面的郁勃而略见舒展。中段「蓬莱文章建安骨，中间小谢又清发。俱怀逸兴壮思飞，欲上青天览明月」四句，韵脚「骨」「发」「月」皆为入声，且属月韵，入声短促而斩截，恰与「逸兴壮思飞」「上青天」的凌云之气相应，读来如骤马奔驰、戛然而止，是全诗节奏的高点。末段「抽刀断水水更流，举杯销愁愁更愁。人生在世不称意，明朝散发弄扁舟」复归平声尤韵，「流」「愁」「舟」三字音色悠长，与首段遥相呼应，全诗在绵长的余韵中收束。这种「平—仄—平」的转韵结构，使声情随情感起落而三折，如江流九曲，正是李白七古声律的独到之处。清人赵翼《瓯北诗话》谓李白诗「以神运而不以律缚」，观此诗尤信。

Line by line

弃我去者，昨日之日不可留；乱我心者，今日之日多烦忧

What leaves me, the day of yesterday, cannot be held back; what disturbs my heart, the day of today, is full of vexation.

抛开我而去的，昨日的时光无法挽留；扰乱我心的，今日的日子充满烦忧。

What abandons me and departs - yesterday's day - cannot be kept; what confuses my heart - today's day - brings me much sorrow.

这是全诗的起句，也是李白七古中最为人称道的破格之笔。两个十一言长句，以「弃我去者」「乱我心者」领起，将抽象的时光人格化为主动离弃、扰乱心绪的存在，极富张力。「昨日之日」「今日之日」的对举，写尽时光流逝、烦忧日增的无奈。句式上「之」字三出、「日」字三见，复沓之中见奔涌，散文化的长句在七古的开篇造成一种不可遏止的郁勃之气。它不写饯别的场景，而先写胸中的烦忧，一上来便以情绪的洪流将读者席卷而入，为全诗奠定了「愁」的基调，也为下文的转折蓄足了势。

This is the poem's opening, the most admired break from convention in Li Bai's seven-character ancient verse. Two eleven-character long sentences, led by what leaves me and what disturbs my heart, personifying abstract time as an existence that actively abandons and disturbs - tension extreme. Yesterday's day and today's day set against, exhausting the helplessness of time's flight and sorrow's daily growth. In syntax, the particle appears three times, the day three times; within the repetition, the surging; the prose-like long sentences at the seven-ancient's opening create an irrepressible郁勃 air. It writes no farewell scene, but first the sorrow in the breast; at once sweeping the reader into the flood of emotion, setting the poem's sorrow keynote and storing full force for the turn below.

长风万里送秋雁，对此可以酣高楼

The long wind ten thousand li sends the autumn geese; facing this, one may drink deep in the high tower.

长风万里送走秋雁，面对此景正可在高楼痛饮。

The long wind ten thousand li escorts the autumn geese; facing this scene, we can drink to our hearts' content in the high tower.

由上文的烦忧转入豪迈，只在一转之间。「长风万里」极写秋空的辽阔，「送秋雁」三字既点明时令，又以雁群的南飞暗含送别的意味——雁尚能乘长风远行，人却困于烦忧。「对此可以酣高楼」着一「酣」字，写出面对壮景、开怀痛饮的豪情。李白最擅于在极悲极愁之后陡转极豪极放，此联正是典型：前一刻还在为「昨日」「今日」而烦忧，这一刻已登楼酣饮、目送秋雁，愁绪虽未消解，胸襟却已大张。这一「开」字诀，使全诗免于一味沉郁，也为下文的「逸兴壮思」张本。

Turning from the above's vexation to grandeur takes but one turn. The long wind ten thousand li writes the autumn sky's vastness; sends the autumn geese fixes the season, and the geese flying south secretly carries farewell - geese can ride the long wind afar, yet man is trapped in vexation. Facing this, one may drink deep in the high tower uses drink deep to write the grand drinking before the magnificent scene. Li Bai is most adept at turning from extreme sorrow to extreme freedom in an instant; this couplet is typical: a moment ago vexed over yesterday and today, now drinking deep in the high tower, watching the autumn geese; sorrow not dissolved, yet the breast already vastly opened. This open-writing method saves the poem from mere gloom, and prepares the soaring thoughts below.

抽刀断水水更流，举杯销愁愁更愁

I draw my knife to cut the water; it flows the faster. I raise the cup to drown my sorrow; sorrow grows the deeper.

抽刀断水水更流，举杯销愁愁更愁。

Drawing the knife to cut the water makes it flow the faster; raising the cup to drown sorrow makes sorrow the deeper.

此联是全诗诗眼，也是写愁的千古名句。前句以「抽刀断水」设喻，水本不可断，抽刀断之，水反而流得更急——这一悖谬的形象，恰切地摹写出愁绪的不可排遣：越是用力驱遣，愁越汹涌。后句「举杯销愁愁更愁」，写以酒浇愁的徒劳，两个「愁」字连用，如愁绪层层加深。两句之间，「刀」对「杯」、「水」对「愁」、「更流」对「更愁」，对仗工整而意脉流转，毫不板滞。更妙的是，这一联同时关合了上文的「酣高楼」——酒既饮了，愁却未销，反见其深，前后的落差正是李白情感的真实轨迹。以自然之理写人生之愁，无理而妙，故能千古传诵。

This couplet is the poem's eye, the age-famous line on sorrow. The upper line uses drawing the knife to cut the water as metaphor: water cannot be cut; the knife cuts it, yet it flows the faster - this paradoxical image precisely mimes sorrow's un-drive-out: the harder you push it, the more surging. The lower line, raising the cup to drown sorrow makes sorrow the deeper, writes the futility of using wine; two sorrows consecutive, as if sorrow deepening layer upon layer. Between the two lines, knife against cup, water against sorrow, flows the faster against sorrow the deeper - refined parallel yet the sense flowing, never stiff. Subtler still: the couplet also closes the above's drink deep in the high tower - wine drunk, yet sorrow not drowned, all the deeper; the gap between before and after is precisely Li Bai's emotional trajectory. Writing life's sorrow through natural law, unreasonable yet marvelous - hence it has been celebrated through ages.

人生在世不称意，明朝散发弄扁舟

Since life in the world is not to my liking, tomorrow I will loose my hair and drift away in a small boat.

人生在世不如意，明朝便披发闲乘小舟。

Since life in this world is not what I wish, tomorrow I will let my hair down and wander in a little boat.

末联由愁而归于放达，是全诗情感的收束与升华。「人生在世不称意」一句，将个人之愁上升为普遍的人生感慨，语气沉痛而不失从容；「明朝散发弄扁舟」则以「散发」「扁舟」两个意象，暗用范蠡泛舟江湖之典，写弃官归隐、放浪江湖之志。一个「弄」字，写尽闲适与洒脱，与上文的郁怒、烦忧形成鲜明对照。值得注意的是，这并非真正的避世，而是李白在愁极之后的精神逃遁——既然现实不称意，便不如放舟五湖，保持人格的独立。此联与《梦游天姥吟留别》「安能摧眉折腰事权贵」同一声口，都是李白以自由对抗失意的宣言。

The closing couplet turns from sorrow to detachment, the poem's emotional resolution and sublimation. Since life in the world is not to my liking raises personal sorrow to universal life-sighing, the tone grievous yet unhurried. Tomorrow I will loose my hair and drift away in a small boat uses loose hair and small boat, secretly adapting Fan Li's drifting on the lakes, writing the will to cast off office and wander the rivers and lakes. One drift writes all leisure and freedom, contrasting sharply with the above's indignation and vexation. Note: this is not true withdrawal from the world, but Li Bai's spiritual escape after extreme sorrow - since reality disappoints, better to drift on the five lakes, keeping the independence of the person. This couplet shares the voice of How can I bow and bend to serve the powerful from Dreaming of Tianmu; both are Li Bai's declaration of freedom against disappointment.

Study

Word focus

酣 drink freely 「酣」字用在「对此可以酣高楼」，是李白的传神之笔。它不同于「饮」「醉」，「酣」是酒意与兴致的淋漓，写的是酒至半酣、兴致正高的境界，兼有痛快与尽兴之意。李白不说「醉高楼」「饮高楼」，而说「酣高楼」，正是要突出那种面对长风秋雁、把酒临风的豪情——不是借酒浇愁的沉湎，而是以酒助兴的张扬。这个「酣」字还暗含一层对比：饮酒可以酣畅，胸中的愁却无从酣释，为后文「举杯销愁愁更愁」埋下伏笔。一字既写豪兴，又暗伏愁绪，可见李白用字之细。

览 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「览」字出现在「欲上青天览明月」，通「揽」，义为用手揽取。此处作「览」而不作「揽」，或因传本之异，然二字在诗中都写出一种「上青天而揽月」的雄奇想象。「揽」字较「览」字更见动作与气魄——不是仅仅仰望明月，而是要飞上青天、把明月揽入怀中，这正是李白「欲上青天」的逸兴与豪气的具象化。此字使抽象的「逸兴壮思」有了一个可触可感的动作落点，青天之高与揽月之想互为映衬，写出诗人超越凡俗、凌云蹈虚的精神境界。一字之差，气魄悬殊，「揽」之不可易正在于此。

散发 let hair loose (symbolizing freedom from convention) 「散发」二字在「明朝散发弄扁舟」中，是一个极富文化意蕴的词。古人束发加冠，是入仕与礼法的象征；「散发」则谓弃冠披发，不受簪缨拘束，代表着挣脱名教、回归自然的姿态。它与「弄扁舟」连用，暗合范蠡功成身退、泛舟五湖的故事，写出一种超然世外的生命选择。在李白这里，「散发」不是消极的逃避，而是对「不称意」的人生的主动了断——宁披发弄舟，也不摧眉折腰。二字看似写发式的改变，实则是整个人格立场的宣言，与陶渊明归田、范蠡泛舟的隐逸传统一脉相承，而多了一层李白式的豪逸。