唐 Tang · 诗 Poem
幽州夜饮
Drinking at Night in Youzhou
凉风吹夜雨，萧瑟动寒林。
正有高堂宴，能忘迟暮心。
军中宜劒舞，塞上重笳音。
不作边城将，谁知恩遇深。
The bleak and the rustling, stirring the cold forest.
Just having the high hall feast,
Can I forget the heart of the late years?
In the army, the fitting of the sword dance,
On the frontier, the heavy sound of the reed pipe.
Not being the general of the border town,
Who would know the depth of the favor?
Meaning
A poem of the frontier feast and the gratitude, written by Zhang Yue. The cool wind blows the night rain — the bleak and the rustling, stirring the cold forest — the cool wind and the night rain of the frontier. Just having the high hall feast, can he forget the heart of the late years? — the feast of the high hall and the heart of the late years. In the army, the fitting of the sword dance — on the frontier, the heavy sound of the reed pipe — the sword dance and the reed pipe of the frontier. Not being the general of the border town, who would know the depth of the favor? — the close's gratitude of the favor. The poem is the frontier feast and the gratitude: the cold forest, the sword dance, and the close's depth of the favor.
凉风吹夜雨，萧瑟动寒林。正有高堂宴，能忘迟暮心。军中宜劒舞，塞上重笳音。不作边城将，谁知恩遇深。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] The cool wind blows the night rain, the bleak and the rustling, stirring the cold forest. Just having the high hall feast, can I forget the heart of the late years? In the army, the fitting of the sword dance, on the frontier, the heavy sound of the reed pipe. Not being the general of the border town, who would know the depth of the favor? [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the cool wind and the night rain stirring the cold forest, through the high hall feast and the heart of the late years, to the sword dance and the reed pipe, and the close's depth of the favor. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the frontier feast of the gratitude: the cold forest of the night against the high hall feast, and the close's not being the general with the depth of the favor — the gratitude of the frontier gathered in the feast and the close. [Emotional Tone] Bold, grateful, and deep: the poem is the frontier feast, the sword dance and the close's depth of the favor.
【白话串讲】 张说写《幽州夜饮》：“凉风吹夜雨，萧瑟动寒林”——“正有高堂宴，能忘迟暮心”——“军中宜劒舞，塞上重笳音”——“不作边城将，谁知恩遇深”——他幽州夜饮——不作边城将。 【意象与手法】 “凉风吹夜雨、萧瑟动寒林”写凉风夜雨；“正有高堂宴、能忘迟暮心”写高堂宴；“军中宜劒舞、塞上重笳音”写军中劒舞；结以“不作边城将，谁知恩遇深”写谁知恩遇深。慷慨激昂。 【情感与主旨】 张说写幽州夜饮之作，写凉风夜雨、高堂宴与军中劒舞，以“不作边城将，谁知恩遇深”写边将感慨，是边塞宴饮诗中的名篇。 【名句点睛】 常考“凉风吹夜雨，萧瑟动寒林”写凉风夜雨；“不作边城将，谁知恩遇深”写边将感慨。
Background
Zhang Yue (667–730), the minister and the poet of the Tang, wrote this 'Drinking at Night in Youzhou' at the frontier feast — the gratitude of the frontier. The cool wind and the night rain stirring the cold forest, the high hall feast with the heart of the late years, the sword dance and the heavy reed pipe of the frontier, and the close's not being the general with the depth of the favor — the poem gathers the gratitude of the frontier, the feast and the close's depth. The poem is one of the famous frontier works of the minister poet.
《幽州夜饮》为唐代诗人张说所作诗。张说（667—730），字道济，一字说之，洛阳人，唐代诗人、政治家，官至中书令，封燕国公。此诗写宴饮边塞，为幽州夜宴之作。诗中「凉风吹夜雨，萧瑟动寒林」写凉风吹夜雨，萧瑟动寒林；「正有高堂宴，能忘迟暮心」写正有高堂宴，能忘迟暮心；「军中宜劒舞，塞上重笳音」写军中宜劒舞，塞上重笳音；「不作边城将，谁知恩遇深」写不作边城将，谁知恩遇深。张说此诗以宴饮边塞、谁知恩遇深写其边塞之情，慷慨激昂，是张说诗中的名篇。此篇《幽州夜饮》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《幽州夜饮》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 frontier feast. The night opens: the cool wind blows the night rain — the cool wind and the night rain; the bleak and the rustling, stirring the cold forest — the rustling stirring the cold forest. The feast follows: just having the high hall feast, can he forget the heart of the late years? — the feast of the high hall and the heart of the late years. The frontier: in the army, the fitting of the sword dance — the sword dance of the army; on the frontier, the heavy sound of the reed pipe — the heavy reed pipe of the frontier. And the close gathers the gratitude: not being the general of the border town, who would know the depth of the favor? — the depth of the favor, the gratitude of the close — the frontier feast, the sword dance and the depth of the favor, gathered in the close.
此诗艺术上以「慷慨激昂、以宴写情」见长。全诗共八句四联，由凉风吹夜雨而正有高堂宴而军中宜劒舞。起「凉风吹夜雨，萧瑟动寒林」写凉风吹夜雨：凉风吹夜雨，萧瑟动寒林；「正有高堂宴，能忘迟暮心」写正有高堂宴：正有高堂宴，能忘迟暮心；「军中宜劒舞，塞上重笳音」写军中宜劒舞：军中宜劒舞，塞上重笳音；结「不作边城将，谁知恩遇深」写谁知恩遇深：不作边城将，谁知恩遇深。全诗以宴写情，由凉风吹夜雨而谁知恩遇深，慷慨激昂，是张说诗中的名篇。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
'Youzhou' (Youzhou) is the Youzhou — the frontier town of the feast; 'the late years' (chi mu) are the late years — the heart of the late years, the age of the poet; 'the sword dance' (jian wu) is the sword dance — the dance of the swords in the army; 'the reed pipe' (jia yin) is the reed pipe — the sound of the reed pipe of the frontier; 'the border town' (bian cheng) is the border town — the general of the border town, the not being of the close.
诗中「凉风吹夜雨萧瑟动寒林」「正有高堂宴能忘迟暮心」「军中宜劒舞塞上重笳音」「不作边城将谁知恩遇深」等语，皆含典故故实。「凉风吹夜雨萧瑟动寒林」写凉风吹夜雨萧瑟动寒林；「正有高堂宴能忘迟暮心」写正有高堂宴能忘迟暮心；「军中宜劒舞塞上重笳音」用笳音之典（笳为边塞乐器，写边声），写军中宜劒舞塞上重笳音；「不作边城将谁知恩遇深」写不作边城将谁知恩遇深。诗人以笳音等语入诗，不着痕迹，而把宴饮边塞之情写得真切可感，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 famous frontier works of Zhang Yue, quoted for the gratitude of its close. The sword dance and the heavy reed pipe of the frontier, and the depth of the favor, are among the admired passages of the minister poet's works. Critics praise the poem's gratitude: the frontier feast gathered from the cold forest, to the close's depth of the favor.
这首《幽州夜饮》，是张说写宴饮边塞之作，写凉风吹夜雨、正有高堂宴、军中宜劒舞、谁知恩遇深之情，慷慨激昂。起「凉风吹夜雨，萧瑟动寒林」——凉风吹夜雨，萧瑟动寒林。写凉风吹夜雨：凉风吹夜雨、萧瑟动寒林——吹夜雨、动寒林；「正有高堂宴，能忘迟暮心」——正有高堂宴，能忘迟暮心。写正有高堂宴：正有高堂宴、能忘迟暮心——高堂宴、迟暮心；「军中宜劒舞，塞上重笳音」——军中宜劒舞，塞上重笳音。写军中宜劒舞：军中宜劒舞、塞上重笳音——宜劒舞、重笳音；结「不作边城将，谁知恩遇深」——不作边城将，谁知恩遇深。写谁知恩遇深：不作边城将、谁知恩遇深——边城将、恩遇深。这「不作边城将，谁知恩遇深」，是全诗之结：以谁知恩遇深写其边塞。全诗慷慨激昂，以宴写情，正是张说诗中的名篇。综观全诗，情真、景切、理深，三者浑融无迹，故能于短短数语之中寄无限深意，令人百读不厌。其含蓄蕴藉之处，正是中国古典诗歌以少总多、言有尽而意无穷的美学精神的生动体现。
Prosody
Line by line
凉风吹夜雨，萧瑟动寒林。
The cool wind blows the night rain, the bleak and the rustling, stirring the cold forest.
凉风吹夜雨，萧瑟动寒林。
Cool wind blows the night rain; rustling, it stirs the cold forest.
起句写凉风吹夜雨，起笔即见其风。「凉风吹夜雨」写凉风吹夜雨，「凉风」写凉风、「吹夜雨」写吹夜雨；「萧瑟动寒林」写萧瑟动寒林，「萧瑟」写萧瑟、「动寒林」写动寒林。一句写凉风吹夜雨萧瑟动寒林，以凉风吹夜雨写吹夜雨、以萧瑟动寒林写动寒林，写尽凉风吹夜雨、萧瑟动寒林之情。以风起兴，慷慨而激昂，是「以风起兴」的妙笔。
The opening writes cool wind blows the night rain, the wind named at the first stroke. Cool wind: the chill breeze. Blows the night rain: the rain-driven gust. Rustling, it stirs the cold forest: the rustle moving through the winter wood. One couplet writes the cool wind's night rain and the rustling cold forest - Zhang Yue's starting point for the frontier night drinking: the bleak wind and rain setting off the banquet's warmth. The line opens with wind as bi-xing, impassioned: the borderland's night wind and rain already sharpen the feeling.
正有高堂宴，能忘迟暮心。
Just having the high hall feast, can I forget the heart of the late years?
正有高堂宴，能忘迟暮心。
Now there is a banquet in the high hall; can it banish the heart's twilight?
此句写正有高堂宴，是全诗写高堂之态的关键。「正有高堂宴」写正有高堂宴，「正有」写正有、「高堂宴」写高堂宴；「能忘迟暮心」写能忘迟暮心，「能忘」写能忘、「迟暮心」写迟暮心。一句写正有高堂宴能忘迟暮心，以正有高堂宴写高堂宴、以能忘迟暮心写迟暮心，写尽正有高堂宴、能忘迟暮心之情。以宴写情，慷慨而激昂，是「以宴写情」的点睛之笔。
This line writes now there is a banquet in the high hall, the key to the poem's high-hall state. Now there is: the present feast. The high hall banquet: the tall hall's drinking. Can it banish the heart's twilight: the aging heart forgotten. One couplet writes the high hall feast and the twilight heart - Zhang Yue's turn: the warm drinking can briefly banish the sorrow of aging. The line uses the banquet for feeling, impassioned: the wine's warmth against the cold night outside.
军中宜劒舞，塞上重笳音。
In the army, the fitting of the sword dance, on the frontier, the heavy sound of the reed pipe.
军中宜劒舞，塞上重笳音。
In the army, the sword dance is fitting; on the frontier, the reed-pipe sound is prized.
此句写军中宜劒舞，是全诗写军中之态的关键。「军中宜劒舞」写军中宜劒舞，「军中」写军中、「宜劒舞」写宜劒舞；「塞上重笳音」用笳音之典写塞上重笳音，「塞上」写塞上、「重笳音」写重笳音。一句写军中宜劒舞塞上重笳音，以军中宜劒舞写宜劒舞、以塞上重笳音写重笳音，写尽军中宜劒舞、塞上重笳音之情。以舞写情，慷慨而激昂，是「以舞写情」的点睛之笔。
This line writes in the army, the sword dance is fitting, the key to the poem's army state. In the army: the military camp. The sword dance is fitting: the blade dance proper. On the frontier, the reed-pipe sound is prized uses the reed-pipe allusion: the borderland's pipe. One couplet writes the army's sword dance and the frontier's pipe - Zhang Yue's scene: the martial customs of the border garrison. The line uses the dance for feeling, impassioned: the sword dance and pipe sound suit the frontier spirit.
不作边城将，谁知恩遇深。
Not being the general of the border town, who would know the depth of the favor?
不作边城将，谁知恩遇深。
Were I not a general of the border town, who would know how deep the favor?
结句写不作边城将，是全诗立意的落点。「不作边城将」写不作边城将，「不作」写不作、「边城将」写边城将；「谁知恩遇深」写谁知恩遇深，「谁知」写谁知、「恩遇深」写恩遇深。一句写不作边城将谁知恩遇深，以不作边城将写边城将、以谁知恩遇深写恩遇深，写尽不作边城将、谁知恩遇深之情。以恩写情，慷慨而激昂，是全诗最动人处，也是「以恩写情」的点睛之笔。
The closing line writes were I not a general of the border town, the poem's landing. Were I not a border-town general: the post held. Who would know how deep the favor: the sovereign's grace. One couplet writes the border command and the deep favor - Zhang Yue's resolution: precisely as a frontier general he knows how deep imperial favor is. The line uses grace for feeling, impassioned, the poem's most moving point: the bleak night drink deepens his gratitude.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Su Shi's 'Prelude to Water Melody' — 'the bright moon, when will it appear' — is the far thought of the night of the brother; Zhang Yue's 'Drinking at Night in Youzhou' — 'the cool wind blows the night rain' — is the far thought of the frontier night — the two thoughts of the night, the one of the family, the other of the frontier.
苏轼《水调歌头·明月几时有》「明月几时有？把酒问青天」，写宴饮感怀、慷慨旷达，是宋词长调的名篇；张说《幽州夜饮》则以「正有高堂宴，能忘迟暮心」「不作边城将，谁知恩遇深」写高堂宴、恩遇深。两诗同写宴饮感怀、慷慨旷达：一写把酒问青天、以把酒写旷达，一写正有高堂宴能忘迟暮心、以高堂宴写边塞；一为苏轼之旷达、一为张说之慷慨，并读正可见诗写「宴饮感怀」的两种笔法，皆于宴饮之中见慷慨。
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 · 同写边塞夜宴、慷慨清丽，一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、一写凉风吹夜雨萧瑟动寒林，皆于边塞之中见夜宴 Both are the works of the rain and the night — the rain of the river of Liu Yong, the rain of the frontier of Zhang Yue — the two rains of the night.Liu Yong's 'Eight Beats of Ganzhou' — 'the evening rain that spatters the long river' — is the rain of the river of the longing; Zhang Yue's 'Drinking at Night in Youzhou' — 'the cool wind blows the night rain' — is the rain of the frontier of the feast — the two rains of the night, the one of the river, the other of the frontier.
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」，写边塞夜宴、慷慨清丽，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；张说《幽州夜饮》则以「凉风吹夜雨，萧瑟动寒林」「军中宜劒舞，塞上重笳音」写动寒林、重笳音。两诗同写边塞夜宴、慷慨清丽：一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、以暮雨写清秋，一写凉风吹夜雨萧瑟动寒林、以夜雨写边塞；一为柳永之清丽、一为张说之慷慨，并读正可见诗写「边塞夜宴」的两种笔法，皆于边塞之中见夜宴。