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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

夜归

Returning by Night

白居易

Bai Juyi

半醉闲行湖岸东，马鞭敲镫辔珑璁。
万株松树青山上，十里沙堤明月中。
楼角渐移当路影，潮头欲过满江风。
归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红。

Half drunk, I walk idly along the east of the lake's shore —
The horse's whip taps the stirrups, the bridle's bells chime.
Ten thousand pines stand on the green mountain,
A ten-li sand embankment lies in the bright moon.
The corner of the tower gradually shifts, its shadow crossing the road —
The tide's head is about to pass, the wind fills the river.
Returning, I have not yet let the songs and the pipes scatter —
The painted halberds open the gate, the candles are red.
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Meaning

A poem of the night return from the lake shore, written by Bai Juyi. Half drunk, he walks idly along the east of the lake's shore — the horse's whip taps the stirrups, the bridle's bells chime — the careless return of the half-drunk wanderer. Ten thousand pines stand on the green mountain; a ten-li sand embankment lies in the bright moon — the vast quiet scene of the night. The corner of the tower gradually shifts, its shadow crossing the road; the tide's head is about to pass, the wind fills the river — the moving of the night, the tide and the wind. And the return: he has not yet let the songs and the pipes scatter — the painted halberds open the gate, the candles are red — the home's welcome, the feast still alight. The poem is the pleasure of the night return: the half-drunk walk, the moonlit scene, and the candles of the home.

半醉闲行湖岸东，马鞭敲镫辔珑璁。万株松树青山上，十里沙堤明月中。楼角渐移当路影，潮头欲过满江风。归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Half drunk, I walk idly along the east of the lake's shore — the horse's whip taps the stirrups, the bridle's bells chime. Ten thousand pines stand on the green mountain, a ten-li sand embankment lies in the bright moon. The corner of the tower gradually shifts, its shadow crossing the road — the tide's head is about to pass, the wind fills the river. Returning, I have not yet let the songs and the pipes scatter — the painted halberds open the gate, the candles are red. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the half-drunk return along the shore, through the moonlit scene of the pines and the embankment, to the moving of the night — the tower's shadow, the tide and the wind — and the close's return to the home, the feast still alight under the candles. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the pleasure of the night: the careless walk of the half-drunk, the vast quiet of the moonlit scene, and the bright close of the home's welcome — the night's pleasure carried from the shore to the gate. [Emotional Tone] Careless, bright, and pleasurable: the poem is the night return of the contented, the half-drunk walk and the candles of the home.

【白话串讲】 白居易写《夜归》：“半醉闲行湖岸东，马鞭敲镫辔珑璁”——“万株松树青山上，十里沙堤明月中”——“楼角渐移当路影，潮头欲过满江风”——“归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红”——他夜归——十里沙堤明月中。 【意象与手法】 “半醉闲行湖岸东、马鞭敲镫辔珑璁”写半醉闲行；“万株松树青山上、十里沙堤明月中”写松树青山；“楼角渐移当路影、潮头欲过满江风”写楼角潮头；结以“归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红”写画戟门开蜡烛红。清丽夜行。 【情感与主旨】 白居易写夜归闲适之作，写半醉闲行湖岸东、十里沙堤明月中的夜行景致，是白居易闲适诗中的名篇。 【名句点睛】 常考“万株松树青山上，十里沙堤明月中”写夜行景致；“归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红”写夜归。

Background

Bai Juyi (772–846) wrote this poem of the night return from the lake shore, likely in his later years of ease at the capital — the pleasure of the night walk, the moonlit scene of the pines and the embankment, and the home's welcome under the candles. The poem is one of the bright, contented works of Bai Juyi — the half-drunk return, the vast quiet scene, and the feast still alight — the pleasure of the ordinary life, observed with the clear delight. 'The painted halberds' (huaji) are the painted halberds of the great house, the gate of the home.

《夜归》为唐代诗人白居易所作诗。白居易（772—846），字乐天，号香山居士，下邽人，唐代诗人。此诗写夜行闲适，为夜归之作。诗中「半醉闲行湖岸东，马鞭敲镫辔珑璁」写半醉闲行湖岸东，马鞭敲镫辔珑璁；「万株松树青山上，十里沙堤明月中」写万株松树青山上，十里沙堤明月中；「楼角渐移当路影，潮头欲过满江风」写楼角渐移当路影，潮头欲过满江风；「归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红」写归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红。白居易此诗以夜行闲适、画戟门开蜡烛红写其夜行之情，清丽夜行，是白居易诗中的名篇。此篇《夜归》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。此篇《夜归》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the night's pleasure. The return begins in the carelessness: half drunk, he walks idly along the east of the lake's shore — the horse's whip taps the stirrups, the bridle's bells chime — the careless music of the return. The scene follows in the vast quiet: ten thousand pines stand on the green mountain, a ten-li sand embankment lies in the bright moon — the immensity of the night scene. The moving of the night: the corner of the tower gradually shifts, its shadow crossing the road — the tide's head is about to pass, the wind fills the river — the slow and the vast motions of the night. And the close returns to the home: he has not yet let the songs and the pipes scatter — the painted halberds open the gate, the candles are red — the bright welcome of the home, the feast still alight. The night's pleasure carried from the shore to the gate, the whole poem the bright contentment.

此诗艺术上以「清丽夜行、以月写情」见长。全诗共八句四联，由半醉闲行湖岸东而万株松树青山上而楼角渐移当路影。起「半醉闲行湖岸东，马鞭敲镫辔珑璁」写半醉闲行湖岸东：半醉闲行湖岸东，马鞭敲镫辔珑璁；「万株松树青山上，十里沙堤明月中」写万株松树青山上：万株松树青山上，十里沙堤明月中；「楼角渐移当路影，潮头欲过满江风」写楼角渐移当路影：楼角渐移当路影，潮头欲过满江风；结「归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红」写画戟门开蜡烛红：归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红。全诗以月写情，由半醉闲行湖岸东而画戟门开蜡烛红，清丽夜行，是白居易诗中的名篇。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。

Allusions

The poem carries no learned allusion; its art is the plain scene. 'The bridle's bells' (longcong) are the bells of the bridle, chiming with the tapping of the whip; 'the tide's head' (chaotou) is the head of the rising tide, about to pass; 'the painted halberds' (huaji) are the painted halberds of the great house — the gate of the home, opened for the returning master; 'the candles are red' (lazhu hong) is the red light of the candles — the welcome of the home, the feast still alight.

诗中「半醉闲行湖岸东马鞭敲镫辔珑璁」「万株松树青山上十里沙堤明月中」「楼角渐移当路影潮头欲过满江风」「归来未放笙歌散画戟门开蜡烛红」等语，皆含典故故实。「半醉闲行湖岸东马鞭敲镫辔珑璁」写半醉闲行湖岸东马鞭敲镫辔珑璁；「万株松树青山上十里沙堤明月中」写万株松树青山上十里沙堤明月中；「楼角渐移当路影潮头欲过满江风」写楼角渐移当路影潮头欲过满江风；「归来未放笙歌散画戟门开蜡烛红」写归来未放笙歌散画戟门开蜡烛红。诗人以松树、明月等语入诗，不着痕迹，而把夜行闲适之情写得真切可感，是善于熔铸典故的体现。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。

Commentary

This poem is one of the bright, contented works of Bai Juyi, quoted for the pleasure of its night scene. The ten thousand pines in the moon and the candles of the home are among the admired passages of his plain manner. Critics praise the poem's contentment: the half-drunk return and the bright welcome, the pleasure of the ordinary night.

这首《夜归》，是白居易写夜行闲适之作，写半醉闲行湖岸东、万株松树青山上、楼角渐移当路影、画戟门开蜡烛红之情，清丽夜行。起「半醉闲行湖岸东，马鞭敲镫辔珑璁」——半醉闲行湖岸东，马鞭敲镫辔珑璁。写半醉闲行湖岸东：半醉闲行湖岸东、马鞭敲镫辔珑璁——湖岸东、辔珑璁；「万株松树青山上，十里沙堤明月中」——万株松树青山上，十里沙堤明月中。写万株松树青山上：万株松树青山上、十里沙堤明月中——青山上、明月中；「楼角渐移当路影，潮头欲过满江风」——楼角渐移当路影，潮头欲过满江风。写楼角渐移当路影：楼角渐移当路影、潮头欲过满江风——当路影、满江风；结「归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红」——归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红。写画戟门开蜡烛红：归来未放笙歌散、画戟门开蜡烛红——笙歌散、蜡烛红。这「归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红」，是全诗之结：以画戟门开蜡烛红写其夜行。全诗清丽夜行，以月写情，正是白居易诗中的名篇。

Prosody

Form Heptasyllabic regulated verse (qiyan lüshi)诗（七言律诗）
Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level-tone dong, ming, feng and hong of the group — the even, level rhyme that carries the bright contentment.此诗为七言律诗，共八句四联。押韵：「璁」「中」「风」「红」押东部韵。平仄相间，对仗工整，正与写夜行闲适的清丽夜行相称，也见其以律诗写夜行的凝练。
Tone pattern The cadence is that of the bright return: the level opening with the half-drunk walk, the rising with the moonlit scene, the turning with the moving night, and the close's even fall with the candles of the home.句式上，「半醉闲行湖岸东，马鞭敲镫辔珑璁」写半醉闲行湖岸东，音节清丽；「万株松树青山上，十里沙堤明月中」写万株松树青山上，音节悠长；「楼角渐移当路影，潮头欲过满江风」写楼角渐移当路影，音节低回；结「归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红」写画戟门开蜡烛红，音节明亮。全诗音节随情起伏，由清丽而悠长、由低回而明亮，正合律诗「凝练」之妙，读来如夜行闲适、画戟门开蜡烛红之音，清丽而动人。
Reading note The poem's sound matches its contentment: the level rhymes of the dong group carry the even cadence of the return, and the close — 'guilai wei fang shenggesan, huaji menkai lazhu hong' — falls with the candles red, the sound of the bright welcome.此诗为七言律诗，是白居易写夜行闲适之作，也是其诗中的名篇。全诗的艺术特色在于「清丽夜行、以月写情」：「半醉闲行湖岸东，马鞭敲镫辔珑璁」写半醉闲行湖岸东、「万株松树青山上，十里沙堤明月中」写万株松树青山上、「楼角渐移当路影，潮头欲过满江风」写楼角渐移当路影、「归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红」写画戟门开蜡烛红。全诗清丽夜行，以月写情。尤为精妙者，是「十里沙堤明月中」写尽明月中；而「画戟门开蜡烛红」写尽蜡烛红，正是白居易诗「清丽夜行」的典范，为历代选本所常收。《夜归》一诗之所以读来声情并茂，正在于诗人以声韵配合情思、以节奏烘托意境，音节之长短、平仄之起伏，皆与诗意相为表里，此亦可见中国古典诗歌声律之美与匠心之工。

Line by line

半醉闲行湖岸东，马鞭敲镫辔珑璁。

Half drunk, I walk idly along the east of the lake's shore — the horse's whip taps the stirrups, the bridle's bells chime.

半醉闲行湖岸东，马鞭敲镫辔珑璁。

Half drunk, I stroll on the east shore of the lake; my whip taps the stirrup, the reins jingle.

起句写半醉闲行湖岸东，起笔即见其湖岸。「半醉闲行湖岸东」写半醉闲行湖岸东，「半醉闲行」写半醉闲行、「湖岸东」写湖岸东；「马鞭敲镫辔珑璁」写马鞭敲镫辔珑璁，「马鞭敲镫」写马鞭敲镫、「辔珑璁」写辔珑璁。一句写半醉闲行湖岸东马鞭敲镫辔珑璁，以半醉闲行湖岸东写湖岸东、以马鞭敲镫辔珑璁写辔珑璁，写尽半醉闲行湖岸东、马鞭敲镫辔珑璁之情。以行起兴，清丽而夜行，是「以行起兴」的妙笔。

The opening writes half drunk, I stroll on the east shore of the lake, the lake shore named at the first stroke. Half drunk, I stroll: the leisurely walk. The east shore of the lake: the eastern bank. My whip taps the stirrup, the reins jingle: the whip's tap, the reins' jingle. One line writes the half-drunk stroll on the east shore and the tapping whip - Bai Juyi's starting point for the night return: the lake bank at dusk, the horse's jingle. The line opens with walking as bi-xing, limpid and night-going: the leisurely half-drunk ride home begins.

万株松树青山上，十里沙堤明月中。

Ten thousand pines stand on the green mountain, a ten-li sand embankment lies in the bright moon.

万株松树青山上，十里沙堤明月中。

Ten thousand pines on the green hills; the ten-mile sand causeway in the bright moon.

此句写万株松树青山上，是全诗写松树之态的关键。「万株松树青山上」写万株松树青山上，「万株松树」写万株松树、「青山上」写青山上；「十里沙堤明月中」写十里沙堤明月中，「十里沙堤」写十里沙堤、「明月中」写明月中。一句写万株松树青山上十里沙堤明月中，以万株松树青山上写青山上、以十里沙堤明月中写明月中，写尽万株松树青山上、十里沙堤明月中之情。以松写景，清丽而夜行，是「以松写景」的点睛之笔。

This line writes ten thousand pines on the green hills, the key to the poem's pines state. Ten thousand pines: the vast pines. On the green hills: the hilltop. The ten-mile sand causeway in the bright moon: the long causeway, the moonlight. One line writes pines on the hills and the causeway in the moon - Bai Juyi's middle scene: the pines' vastness, the causeway's length, all in moonlight. The line uses pines for scenery, limpid and night-going: the night road unfolds between hills and moonlit causeway.

楼角渐移当路影，潮头欲过满江风。

The corner of the tower gradually shifts, its shadow crossing the road — the tide's head is about to pass, the wind fills the river.

楼角渐移当路影，潮头欲过满江风。

The tower's shadow shifts slowly across the road; the tide about to pass fills the river with wind.

此句写楼角渐移当路影，是全诗写楼角之态的关键。「楼角渐移当路影」写楼角渐移当路影，「楼角渐移」写楼角渐移、「当路影」写当路影；「潮头欲过满江风」写潮头欲过满江风，「潮头欲过」写潮头欲过、「满江风」写满江风。一句写楼角渐移当路影潮头欲过满江风，以楼角渐移当路影写当路影、以潮头欲过满江风写满江风，写尽楼角渐移当路影、潮头欲过满江风之情。以楼写景，清丽而夜行，是「以楼写景」的点睛之笔。

This line writes the tower's shadow shifts slowly across the road, the key to the poem's tower state. The tower's shadow shifts slowly: the moving shadow. Across the road: upon the way. The tide about to pass fills the river with wind: the rising tide, the wind over the river. One line writes the shifting tower shadow and the tide-born wind - Bai Juyi's late scene: the shadow creeping, the tide rising, the night advancing. The line uses the tower for scenery, limpid and night-going: time passes in the shadow's slow shift.

归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红。

Returning, I have not yet let the songs and the pipes scatter — the painted halberds open the gate, the candles are red.

归来未放笙歌散，画戟门开蜡烛红。

Returning, the pipes and songs are not yet ended; the painted-halberd gate opens, candles red.

结句写画戟门开蜡烛红，是全诗立意的落点。「归来未放笙歌散」写归来未放笙歌散，「归来未放」写归来未放、「笙歌散」写笙歌散；「画戟门开蜡烛红」写画戟门开蜡烛红，「画戟门开」写画戟门开、「蜡烛红」写蜡烛红。一句写归来未放笙歌散画戟门开蜡烛红，以归来未放笙歌散写笙歌散、以画戟门开蜡烛红写蜡烛红，写尽归来未放笙歌散、画戟门开蜡烛红之情。以红写情，清丽而夜行，是全诗最动人处，也是「以红写情」的点睛之笔。

The closing line writes the painted-halberd gate opens, candles red, the poem's landing. Returning, the pipes and songs are not yet ended: the music still playing. The painted-halberd gate opens, candles red: the gate opens, the red candles. One line writes the not-yet-ended music and the gate's red candles - Bai Juyi's resolution: the ride home ends at the open gate, red candles welcoming. The line uses red for feeling, limpid and night-going, the poem's most moving point: the night return closes in warm candlelight.

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半醉 'Half drunk' — the half-drunk walk, the carelessness of the return. 「半醉」写半醉闲行湖岸东，是写半醉之态的关键。「半醉闲行湖岸东」着一「半醉」，写半醉——着一「半醉」，写半醉闲行湖岸东，见其醉之半。两字写尽半醉之态，是「以词写醉」的妙笔。「半醉」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
松树 'The pines' — the ten thousand pines on the green mountain, the immensity of the night scene. 「松树」写万株松树青山上，是写松树之态的关键。「万株松树青山上」着一「松树」，写松树——着一「松树」，写万株松树青山上，见其树之松。两字写尽松树之态，是「以词写松」的点睛之词。「松树」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
潮头 'The tide's head' — the head of the rising tide about to pass, the moving of the night. 「潮头」写潮头欲过满江风，是写潮头之态的关键。「潮头欲过满江风」着一「潮头」，写潮头——着一「潮头」，写潮头欲过满江风，见其头之潮。两字写尽潮头之态，是「以词写潮」的点睛之词。「潮头」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
蜡烛 'The candles' — the red candles of the home, the bright welcome. 「蜡烛」写画戟门开蜡烛红，是写蜡烛之态的关键。「画戟门开蜡烛红」着一「蜡烛」，写蜡烛——着一「蜡烛」，写画戟门开蜡烛红，见其烛之蜡。两字写尽蜡烛之态，是「以词写烛」的点睛之词。「蜡烛」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。

Related Reading

水调歌头·明月几时有 Prelude to Water Melody: When Did the Bright Moon Begin? 苏轼 · 同写夜行感怀、清丽旷达，一写人有悲欢离合、一写半醉闲行湖岸东马鞭敲镫辔珑璁，皆于夜行之中见清丽 Both are the poems of the night and the moon — Bai Juyi's moonlit return, Su Shi's moonlit drinking — the two bright nights of the contented.

Bai Juyi's 'Returning by Night' is the moonlit return of the contented — the pines and the embankment in the moon, the candles of the home; Su Shi's 'Prelude to Water Melody' — 'when did the bright moon begin?' — is the moonlit drinking and the thought of the brother — the same bright moon, the one returning to the home, the other turning in the world.

苏轼《水调歌头·明月几时有》「人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全」，写夜行感怀、清丽旷达，是宋词长调的名篇；白居易《夜归》则以「半醉闲行湖岸东，马鞭敲镫辔珑璁」「画戟门开蜡烛红」写辔珑璁、蜡烛红。两诗同写夜行感怀、清丽旷达：一写人有悲欢离合、以悲欢写离合，一写半醉闲行湖岸东马鞭敲镫辔珑璁、以湖岸写夜行；一为苏轼之旷达、一为白居易之清丽，并读正可见诗写「夜行感怀」的两种笔法，皆于夜行之中见清丽。

 八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天 Eight Beats of Ganzhou: Facing the Evening Rain That Spatters the Long River 柳永 · 同写堤上凝望、清丽，一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、一写半醉闲行湖岸东马鞭敲镫辔珑璁，皆于堤上之中见凝望 Both are the poems of the evening scene of the river and the lake — Liu Yong's raining dusk of the wanderer, Bai Juyi's moonlit return of the contented — the two evenings of the water.

Liu Yong's 'Eight Beats of Ganzhou' — 'facing the evening rain that spatters the long river, washing the clear autumn' — is the dusk of the wanderer, the sorrow of the distance; Bai Juyi's 'Returning by Night' is the evening of the contented — the moonlit return, the candles of the home — the same evening water, the two moods: the wandering and the returning.

柳永《八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天》「对潇潇暮雨洒江天，一番洗清秋」，写堤上凝望、清丽，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；白居易《夜归》则以「半醉闲行湖岸东，马鞭敲镫辔珑璁」「万株松树青山上」写辔珑璁、青山上。两诗同写堤上凝望、清丽：一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、以暮雨写清秋，一写半醉闲行湖岸东马鞭敲镫辔珑璁、以湖岸写夜行；一为柳永之清丽、一为白居易之清丽，并读正可见诗写「堤上凝望」的两种笔法，皆于堤上之中见凝望。